Patent Application
20250198638
The disclosure relates to a dehumidifier management method and a computing device for implementing the method.
In general, a dehumidifier is a device that lowers indoor humidity by drawing humid air from indoor space into a main body of the dehumidifier, allowing the humid air to pass through a heat exchanger, which is composed of a condenser and an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows, to reduce humidity of the humid air and then discharging dehumidified air back into the indoor space.
The dehumidifier uses a method of taking heat from the surrounding air by evaporating a liquid refrigerant from the evaporator, and as the refrigerant evaporates, a temperature of the evaporator decreases and a temperature of the air passing through the evaporator also decreases.
Accordingly, as the temperature around the evaporator decreases, moisture contained in the air is condensed and formed as dew on a surface of the evaporator.
A water tank for storing condensed water formed on the surface of the evaporator may be provided inside the dehumidifier. Users are required to empty the water tank themselves, and water stored in the water tank for a long time may cause various bacteria and mold growth, which may reduce the dehumidifying effect of the dehumidifier.
An aspect of the disclosure provides a dehumidifier management method and a computing device that may enable maintenance and management of the dehumidifier.
An aspect of the disclosure provides a dehumidifier management method and a computing device that may prevent growth of various bacteria and mold in a water tank of the dehumidifier to maintain a dehumidifying effect.
An aspect of the disclosure provides a dehumidifier management method and a computing device that may provide various functions to improve user convenience.
The technical aspects that may achieved by the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects, and other technical aspects not mentioned will be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical art to which the disclosure belongs from the following description.
Aspects of embodiments of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, provided is a dehumidifier management method including receiving a notification condition related to a water level in a water tank of a dehumidifier from a user; obtaining water level information about the water level in the water tank; and providing the user with a notification corresponding to the notification condition, in response to the obtained water level information satisfying the received notification condition, wherein the received notification condition differs from a full water level notification condition where the water level in the water tank reaches a full water level.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure the received notification condition includes at least one of a first condition including the water level in the water tank reaching a designated water level set by the user, a second condition including a defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank being separated from the dehumidifier, or a third condition including the water level in the water tank being lower than an average usage water level.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, in a state in which the received notification condition includes the first condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank reaching the designated water level, the providing the user with the notification may include providing a designated water level reached notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, in a state in which the received notification condition includes the second condition, and in response to the defined period of time having elapsed while the water level in the water tank is maintained over the defined water level, the providing the user with the notification may include providing a water emptying recommendation notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the water emptying recommendation notification may be provided to the user in response to the defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank being separated from the dehumidifier after a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier ends.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include determining the average usage water level based on an amount of change in the water level in the water tank from a start of a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier to an end of the dehumidifying operation. In a state in which the received notification condition includes the third condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank being lower than the determined average usage water level, the providing the user with the notification may include providing an expected operation stop notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the determining of the average usage water level may include, in response to the end of the dehumidifying operation, storing the amount of change in the water level in the water tank from the start of the dehumidifying operation to the end of the dehumidifying operation in a memory as one factor of a plurality of factors; and determining an average value of the plurality of factors stored in the memory as the average usage water level.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include providing an interface for setting the notification corresponding to the notification condition. The provided interface for setting the notification corresponding to the notification condition may include a first interface element for activating or deactivating a notification corresponding to the first condition, a second interface element for setting the designated water level, and an indicator indicating an expected weight of the water tank corresponding to the designated water level set by the second interface element.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include obtaining temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier; and determining the defined water level corresponding to the second condition based on the obtained temperature information and the obtained humidity information.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include obtaining temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier; and determining the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition based on the obtained temperature information and the obtained humidity information.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include providing an interface for setting a personalized notification list including the notification condition. The provided interface for setting the personalized notification list may include a first interface element for setting a notification cycle corresponding to the first condition, a second interface element for setting the designated water level corresponding to the first condition, a third interface element for activating or deactivating a notification corresponding to the third condition, and a fourth interface element for storing the set personalized notification list.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include storing the set personalized notification list in response to a selection of the fourth interface element; and providing an interface for activating or deactivating the stored set personalized notification list.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may further include, in a state in which the stored set personalized notification list includes a first personalized notification list and a second personalized notification list with conflicting conditions, simultaneously activating the second personalized notification list and deactivating the first personalized notification list, in response to receiving a user input for activating the second personalized notification list in a state where the first personalized notification list is activated.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dehumidifier includes a communication interface configured to communicate with an external device; a memory storing at least one instruction; and at least one processor configured to execute the at least one instruction to receive a notification condition related to a water level in a water tank of the dehumidifier from a user, obtain water level information about the water level in the water tank from the dehumidifier, and output an electrical signal indicating a notification corresponding to the notification condition in response to the obtained water level information satisfying the received notification condition, wherein the received notification condition differs from a full water level notification condition where the water level in the water tank reaches a full water level.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the received notification condition includes at least one of a first condition including the water level in the water tank reaching a designated water level set by the user, a second condition including a defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank being separated from the dehumidifier, or a third condition including a remaining water level in the water tank being lower than an average usage water level.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to, in a state in which the received notification condition includes the first condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank reaching the designated water level, output the electrical signal indicating a designated water level reached notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to, in a state in which the received notification condition includes the second condition, and in response to the defined period of time having elapsed while the water level in the water tank is maintained over the defined water level, output the electrical signal indicating a water emptying recommendation notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to output the electrical signal indicating the water emptying recommendation notification in response to the defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank being separated from the dehumidifier after a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier ends.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to determine the average usage water level based on an amount of change in the water level in the water tank from a start of a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier to an end of the dehumidifying operation, and in a state in which the received notification condition includes the third condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank being lower than the determined average usage water level, output the electrical signal indicating an expected operation stop notification.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to water level in the water tank from the start of the dehumidifying operation to the end of the dehumidifying operation in a memory as one factor of a plurality of factors; and determine an average value of the plurality of factors stored in the memory as the average usage water level.
These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings listed below.
Various embodiments of the disclosure and terms used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the corresponding embodiments.
In describing of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related elements.
The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.
In the disclosure, phrases, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases. For example, “at least one of A, B, or C” may include A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
Terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “primary”, or “secondary” may be used simply to distinguish an element from other elements, without limiting the element in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).
When an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “(functionally or communicatively) coupled” or “connected” to another element (e.g., a second element), the first element may be connected to the second element, directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third element.
It will be understood that when the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including”, and/or “comprising” are used in the disclosure, they specify the presence of the specified features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.
When a given element is referred to as being “connected to”, “coupled to”, “supported by” or “in contact with” another element, it is to be understood that it may be directly or indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other element. When a given element is indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with another element, it is to be understood that it may be connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other element through a third element.
It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
According to the situation, the expression “configured to” used herein may be used as, for example, the expression “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of”. The term “configured to” must not mean only “specifically designed to” in hardware.
Instead, the expression “a device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” operating together with another device or other components. For example, a “processor configured to perform A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing a corresponding operation or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor) which may perform corresponding operations by executing one or more software programs which are stored in a memory device.
In the following description, terms such as “unit”, “part”, “block”, “member”, and “module” indicate a unit for processing at least one function or operation. For example, those terms may refer to at least one process processed by at least one hardware such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), at least one software stored in a memory or a processor.
Hereinafter, the principles of operation and embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The dehumidifier 1 may include a communication interface capable of communicating with the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, a user interface device for receiving a user input or outputting various information, at least one processor for controlling the operation of the dehumidifier 1, and at least one memory storing a program for controlling the operation of the dehumidifier 1.
The home appliance 4 may include various types of home appliances. For example, the home appliance 4 may include at least one of a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an electric range, an electric oven, an air conditioner, a clothes treating apparatus, a washing machine, a dryer, and a microwave oven, but is not limited thereto. The aforementioned home appliances are by way of example only, and in addition to the aforementioned home appliances, other appliances connected to other home appliance, the user device 2, or the computing device 3 to perform operations described below may be included in the home appliance 4 according to an embodiment.
The computing device 3 may include a server device.
The computing device 3 may include a communication interface capable of communicating with the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4. The computing device 3 may include at least one processor that processes data received from the dehumidifier 1, another computing device (or another server device), the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4, and at least one memory that stores programs for processing data or processed data. The computing device 3 may be implemented as a variety of computing devices, such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, a data station, and the like. The computing device 3 may be implemented as one or more server physically or logically separated based on a function, detailed configuration of function, or data, and may transmit and receive data through communication between servers and process the transmitted and received data.
The computing device 3 may perform functions, such as managing a user account, registering the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 in association with the user account, managing or controlling the registered dehumidifier 1, user device 2, and/or home appliance 4, and the like. For example, a user may access the computing device 3 via the user device 2 and may create a user account. The user account may be identified by an identifier (ID) and a password set by the user. The user may access the computing device 3 and manage the user account via the user device 2. The computing device 3 may register the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 with the user account according to a predetermined procedure. For example, the computing device 3 may link identification information of the dehumidifier 1 (e.g., a serial number or MAC address) to the user account to register, manage, and control the dehumidifier 1. Likewise, the computing device 3 may register the user device 2 and/or the home appliance 4 with the user account for control.
According to various embodiments, the computing device 3 may include a plurality of servers.
For example, the computing device 3 may include a first server device and a second server device. The first server device may create and/or manage user account information, and may register and/or manage information of the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 in the user account information. The second server device may receive the registration information of the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 from the first server device, and may control the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4.
As another example, the second server device may perform functions of managing the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 registered with the first server device on behalf of the first server device.
The number of computing devices 3 is not limited thereto, and the computing device 3 may include a plurality of servers for performing the same and/or different operations with each other.
The user device 2 may include a communication interface capable of communicating with the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4. The user device 2 may include a user interface device that receives a user input or outputs information to a user. The user device 2 may include at least one processor that controls an operation of the user device 2, and at least one memory that stores a program for controlling the operation of the user device 2.
The user device 2 may be carried by a user, or placed in a user's home or office, or the like. The user device 2 may include a personal computer (PC), a terminal, a portable telephone, a smartphone, a handheld device, a wearable device, and the like, but is not limited thereto.
The memory of the user device 2 may store a program for controlling the dehumidifier 1, computing device 3, and/or home appliance 4, i.e., an application. The application may be sold installed on the user device 2, or may be downloaded from an external server for installation.
By running the application installed on the user device 2 by a user, the user may access the computing device 3, create a user account, and communicate with the computing device 3 based on the login user account to register the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 to the computing device 3.
For example, by operating the dehumidifier 1 to allow the dehumidifier 1 to access the computing device 3 according to a procedure guided by the application installed on the user device 2, the computing device 3 may register the dehumidifier 1 with the user account by assigning the identification information (e.g., a serial number or a MAC address) of the dehumidifier 1 to the corresponding user account. The home appliance 4 may be registered with the user account in a similar manner. In addition to a serial number or a MAC address of a device such as the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4, other information capable of identifying the device may be used to register the device with a user account.
A user may control the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 using the application installed on the user device 2. For example, by logging into a user account with the application installed on the user device 2, a visual indicator indicating the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 registered in the user account may appear. By inputting a control command for the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 via the user device 2, the user device 2 may deliver the control command to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 via the computing device 3.
The user device 2 may receive various information from the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 registered in the user account via the computing device 3 or directly.
A network may include both a wired network and a wireless network. The wired network may include a cable network or a telephone network, and the wireless network may include any networks transmitting and receiving a signal via radio waves. The wired network and the wireless network may be interconnected.
The network may include a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an AP. The short-range wireless network may include Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, near field communication (NFC), and Z-Wave, but is not limited thereto.
The AP may connect the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2 and/or the home appliance 4 to a WAN connected to the computing device 3. The dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 may be connected to the computing device 3 via a WAN.
The AP may communicate with the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2 and/or the home appliance 4 using wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), and the like, and access a WAN using wired communication, but is not limited thereto.
According to various embodiments, the dehumidifier 1 may be directly connected to the user device 2, the computing device 3 and/or the home appliance 4 without going through an AP.
The dehumidifier 1 may be connected to the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 via a long-range wireless network or a short-range wireless network.
For example, the dehumidifier 1 may be connected to the user device 2 and/or the home appliance 4 via a short-range wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth). In another example, the dehumidifier 1 may be connected to the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 via a WAN using a long-range wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication module).
The dehumidifier 1 may transmit information about an operation or state of the dehumidifier 1 (e.g., water level information of a water tank) to the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 via the network. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information about an operation or state to the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 upon receiving a request from the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, in response to an event in the dehumidifier 1, and/or periodically or in real time.
Upon receiving the information about the operation or state from the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4, the computing device 3 may update the stored information about the operation and/or state of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4, and transmit the updated information about the operation and/or state of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 to the user device 2 via the network. Here, updating the information may include various operations in which existing information is changed, such as adding new information to the existing information, replacing the existing information with new information, and the like.
The information about the operation and/or state of the dehumidifier 1 may include information related to an operation of the dehumidifier 1.
For example, the information related to an operation of the dehumidifier 1 may include information about when the dehumidifier 1 is operating and when the operation ends.
The information about the operation and/or state of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 may include information collected from at least one sensor provided in the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4.
For example, the information about the operation and/or state of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 may include humidity information and/or temperature information of surrounding air.
The dehumidifier 1 may obtain various information from the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, and may provide the obtained information to a user. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain information related to a function of the dehumidifier 1 from the computing device 3 and various environmental information (e.g., weather, temperature, humidity, etc.), and may output the obtained information via a user interface device.
The dehumidifier 1 may receive electrical signals corresponding to various notifications from the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, and may provide notifications corresponding to the electrical signals to the user.
The user device 2 may receive the electrical signals corresponding to various notifications from the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, and may provide notifications corresponding to the electrical signals to the user.
The dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 may operate in accordance with a control command received from the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may operate in accordance with a control command received from the computing device 3, based on a prior authorization obtained from a user to operate in accordance with the control command of the computing device 3 even without a user input via the user device 2. Here, the control command received from the computing device 3 may include a control command input by the user via the user device 2 or a control command based on preset conditions, but is not limited thereto.
The user device 2 may transmit information about a user to the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 via the communication interface. For example, the user device 2 may transmit information about a user's location, a user's health state, a user's preference, a user's schedule, and the like to the computing device 3. The user device 2 may transmit information about the user to the computing device 3 based on the user's prior authorization.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may transmit notification settings (e.g., notification conditions) associated with the dehumidifier 1 to the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 via the communication interface.
The dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 may use techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI) to determine a control command. For example, the computing device 3 may process information about an operation or state of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the home appliance 4 and information about the user of the user device 2 using techniques, such as AI, and may transmit a processing result or a control command to the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4 based on the processing results.
Although
Referring to
The main body 10 may include an input interface 301 (refer to
The main body 10 may include an output interface 302 (refer to
The dehumidifier 1 may include a water tank 100 provided to be removable from the main body 10.
The water tank 100 may store water (condensed water) generated by a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, the water tank 100 may further include a handle 120. The handle 120 may be rotatably coupled to the water tank 100. In addition, the handle 120 may be removably coupled to the water tank 100. The handle 120 may be rotatably coupled to the water tank 100 so as to be gripped in a process in which the water tank 100 is separated from the main body 10 in a sliding manner and in a process in which the water tank 100, which is separated from the main body 10, is lifted and transported.
A recessed member 102 recessed toward an inside of the water tank 100 to be adjacent to the handle 120 may be formed on a front surface of the water tank 100. A user may easily attach and detach the water tank 100 from the main body 10 using the handle 120 formed on the water tank 100.
The water tank 100 may further include a cover 110. The cover 110 may be provided with a drain hole 111 provided to open to drain condensed water stored inside the water tank 100 to an outside. Accordingly, a user may easily remove condensed water through the drain hole 111 without having to open or close the cover 110 in the process of removing condensed water inside the water tank 100. Further, the cover 110 may be provided with an inlet hole 112.
Water generated by the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 may flow into the water tank 100 through the inlet hole 112.
The cover 110 may be removably coupled to the water tank 100. The cover 110 may form a portion of an exterior of the water tank 100. Specifically, the cover 110 may form an upper exterior of the water tank 100.
A water tank seating portion 46 may be formed in the main body 10. The water tank 100 may be removably coupled to the water tank seating portion 46 to form at least one of front, side, rear, or upper surfaces of the dehumidifier 1 together with the main body 10.
The water tank 100 may be seated in a recessed space 14a formed in the main body 10 to have a shape corresponding to a lower surface of the water tank 100.
The water tank seating portion 46 may be exposed to the outside when the water tank 100 is separated.
A fastening portion 47 may be provided on the water tank seating portion 46. The fastening portion 47 may be provided on the water tank seating portion 46 to be elastically deformed.
An intake port 15a may be formed in the main body 10. The main body 10 may be equipped with a filter 20 to purify air flowing into the main body 10 through the intake port 15a. The filter 20 may serve to filter out foreign substances in the air flowing into the main body 10.
The filter 20 may be removable from the main body 10 to facilitate replacement.
Air outside the main body 10 may flow into the main body 10 through the filter 20 and the intake port 15a.
The filter 20 may include at least one of a pre-filter provided to remove relatively large dust contained in the air, a deodorizing filter provided to remove odors, a dust collection filter provided to collect dust by electrical action, and a HEPA filter provided to remove fine dust.
A discharge port 16a may be formed in the main body 10. The air that flows into the main body 10 through the intake port 15a is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 16a.
In an embodiment, the discharge port 16a may be opened and closed by a discharge louver 17 coupled to the main body 10. When the dehumidifier 1 operates according to a user input received via the input interface 301, the discharge louver 17 may move upward and the discharge port 16a may be opened. When the operation of the dehumidifier 1 stops, the discharge louver 17 may move downward to shield the discharge port 16a. Accordingly, malfunction of the dehumidifier 1 caused by foreign substances penetrating into the main body 10 may be prevented.
Referring to
The heat exchanger 60 may dehumidify the air, which flows into the main body 10, through the heat exchange with the surrounding air.
The heat exchanger 60 may include a condenser 60a and an evaporator 60b.
The condenser 60a may perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and air using a phase change (e.g., condensation) of the refrigerant. For example, while the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 60a, the refrigerant may release heat to the surrounding air.
In the same manner as the condenser 60a, the evaporator 60b may perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and surrounding air using a phase change (e.g., evaporation) of the refrigerant. For example, while the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 60b, the refrigerant may absorb heat from the surrounding air.
The dehumidifier 1 may perform the dehumidifying operation through a phase change process of the refrigerant circulating through the condenser 60a and the evaporator 60b. For this circulation of the refrigerant, the dehumidifier 1 may include the compressor 50 configured to compress the refrigerant. The compressor 50 may draw refrigerant gas through an inlet portion and compress the refrigerant gas. The compressor 50 may discharge high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas through an outlet portion.
The refrigerant may sequentially circulate the compressor 50, the condenser 60a, the expansion device, and the evaporator 60b through the refrigerant pipe.
The dehumidifier 1 may include the expansion device to lower the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 60b.
For example, the expansion device may lower a temperature and pressure of a refrigerant using a throttling effect. The expansion device may include an orifice provided to reduce a cross-sectional area of a flow path. The temperature and pressure of the refrigerant that passes through the orifice may be lowered.
For example, the expansion device may be implemented as an electronic expansion valve configured to adjust an opening ratio (ratio of a cross-sectional area of a flow path of the valve in a partially opened state to a cross-sectional area of the flow path of the valve in a fully opened state). Depending on the opening ratio of the electronic expansion valve, an amount of refrigerant passing through the expansion device may be controlled.
The dehumidifier 1 may include an accumulator. The accumulator may be connected to the inlet portion of the compressor 50. Low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 60b may flow into the accumulator.
When a refrigerant, in which refrigerant liquid and refrigerant gas are mixed, is introduced, the accumulator may separate the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant gas and provide the refrigerant gas, from which the refrigerant liquid is separated, to the compressor 50.
The dehumidifier 1 may include a fan 70. For example, the fan 70 may be disposed near the condenser 60a. The fan 70 may blow air passing through the condenser 60a. The fan 70 may also allow air to flow into the main body 10 of the dehumidifier 1.
As the fan 70 rotates, external air may flow into the main body 10 through the intake port 15a (refer to
That the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation may include operating the fan 70 and the compressor 50.
The heat exchanger 60 may dehumidify air containing moisture, and may guide condensed water, formed on the heat exchanger 60, to the water tank 100.
That is, water generated by the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 may be guided to the water tank 100.
The water tank 100 may include a storage space 103. Water generated by the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 may be stored in the storage space 103 formed inside the water tank 100. The inlet hole 112 may be formed on an upper surface of the water tank 100 facing the main body 10 while coupled to the water tank seating portion 46, to allow condensed water, which is transferred from the heat exchanger 60 along the flow path formed in the main body 10, to flow into the storage space 103. In an embodiment, the inlet hole 112 may be formed in the cover 110 of the water tank 100. The inlet hole 112 may have a hole or slit shape, but the shape of the inlet hole 112 is not limited thereto.
The recessed member 102 recessed toward the inside of the water tank 100 to be adjacent to the handle 120 may be formed on the water tank 100. The recessed member 102 may be formed on an upper portion of a front surface of the water tank 100. The recessed member 102 may be welded to the front surface of the water tank 100. Preferably, the recessed member 102 may be vibration welded to the front surface of the water tank 100. A user may insert his/her hand into the recessed member 102, grasp the handle 120, and then pull the water tank 100 to separate the water tank 100 from the main body 10.
The handle 120 may be removably coupled to the water tank 100. Specifically, the handle 120 may be removably coupled to a handle mounting portion 104 formed on an inner wall of the water tank 100. The handle mounting portion 104 may be provided on the inner wall of the water tank 100. The handle mounting portion 104 may have a shape that protrudes toward the inside of the water tank 100, that is, toward the storage space 103 of the water tank 100. A fastening hole 105 may be provided in the handle mounting portion 104.
The handle 120 may be provided with a fastening protrusion 123 provided to be coupled to the fastening hole 105.
Referring to
The user interface device 300 may enable interaction between a user and the dehumidifier 1.
The user interface device 300 may include an output interface 302 and an input interface 301.
The at least one output interface 302 may generate sensory information and convey various information related to an operation of the dehumidifier 1 to the user.
For example, the at least one output interface 302 may convey information related to settings of the dehumidifier 1 and an operation time of the dehumidifier 1 to the user. The information about the operation of the dehumidifier 1 may be output by a display, an indicator, and/or a voice. The at least one output interface 302 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an indicator, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, and the like.
In an embodiment, the at least one output interface 302 may output sensory information (e.g., visual information, auditory information, etc.) related to a water level in the water tank 100.
The at least one input interface 301 may convert sensory information received from the user into an electrical signal.
The at least one input interface 301 may include a power button for turning on the dehumidifier 1, a setting button for setting an operation mode of the dehumidifier 1, a control button for adjusting an intensity of the compressor 50 and/or the fan 70, and/or a timer button for setting a dehumidification time of the dehumidifier 1.
Each of the buttons may include a visual indicator (e.g., a phrase, icon, etc.) to indicate its function.
The at least one input interface 301 may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and/or a microphone.
In the disclosure, a ‘button’ may be replaced by a user interface (UI) element, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and/or a microphone.
The power button is a button to turn the dehumidifier 1 on or off.
By turning on the dehumidifier 1, the setting button and/or the timer button may be activated.
By turning on the dehumidifier 1, the compressor 50 and the fan 70 may operate. That is, a dehumidifying operation may be performed by turning on the dehumidifier 1.
The setting button is a button to change an operation mode of the dehumidifier 1. The operation mode of the dehumidifier 1 may include a clothing mode, a smart mode, a regular mode, a silent mode, and the like.
An operation frequency of the compressor 50 and a rotation speed of the fan 70 may vary depending on each mode.
The control button is a button to adjust the operation frequency of the compressor 50 and/or the rotation speed of the fan 70 of the dehumidifier 1. The operation frequency of the compressor 50 and/or the rotation speed of the fan 70 may be adjusted according to an operation of the control button.
The timer button is a button to set an operation time of the dehumidifier 1. The dehumidifier 1 may perform the dehumidifying operation for the operation time set by the timer button, and may end the dehumidifying operation when the operation time set by the timer button has elapsed.
The dehumidifier 1 may process a user input received via the input interface 301 or may output information related to the dehumidifier 1 via the output interface 302.
For example, the user input received via the input interface 301 may be transmitted to the controller 200. As another example, the controller 200 may control the output interface 302 to output information related to the dehumidifier 1.
The water level sensor 150 may detect a water level in the water tank 100. That is, the water level sensor 150 may obtain water level information of the water tank 100. The water level sensor 150 may transmit the water level information of the water tank 100 to the controller 200.
The controller 200 may perform various operations based on the water level information of the water tank 100, or may control the communication interface 400 to transmit the water level information of the water tank 100 to an external device (e.g., the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3).
The water level sensor 150 may employ various sensors that may detect the water level in the water tank 100. For example, the water level sensor 150 may include a weight sensor that may detect the weight of the water tank 100, a capacitance sensor that may detect a change in capacitance corresponding to the water level in the water tank 100, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and/or a radar sensor that irradiates a signal (e.g., light, ultrasonic, radar) toward the water stored in the water tank 100 and receives a signal reflected from the water stored in the water tank 100 to measure the water level in the water tank 100.
However, the water level sensor 150 is not limited thereto, and any component capable of measuring the water level in the water tank 100 may be employed as the water level sensor 150.
The water tank detection sensor 160 may detect whether the water tank 100 is attached or detached.
For example, the water tank detection sensor 160 may be disposed in the fastening portion 47 (refer to
The water tank detection sensor 160 may detect whether the water tank 100 is coupled to the main body 10.
For example, the water tank detection sensor 160 may detect elastic deformation of the fastening portion 47.
The water tank detection sensor 160 may transmit an electrical signal corresponding to whether the water tank 100 is attached or detached to the controller 200.
The controller 200 may identify whether the water tank 100 is coupled to the main body 10 or detached from the main body 10 based on the electrical signal received from the water tank detection sensor 160.
The environment sensor 170 may measure a temperature and a humidity of air around the dehumidifier 1.
The environment sensor 170 may include at least one temperature sensor 170a and at least one humidity sensor 170b.
Sensor data collected from the environment sensor 170 may include temperature data and humidity data. The temperature data may include temperature data of air that has not passed through the heat exchanger 60 (hereinafter referred to as “intake air”) and temperature data of air that has passed through the heat exchanger 60 (hereinafter referred to as “discharge air”). The humidity data may include humidity data of the intake air and humidity data of the discharge air.
The at least one temperature sensor 170a may measure the temperature of the air around the dehumidifier 1. The at least one temperature sensor 170a may transmit the temperature data of the air around the dehumidifier 1 to the controller 200.
The at least one temperature sensor 170a may include the first temperature sensor 170a that measures the temperature of air (intake air) drawn into the main body 10 from the outside of the main body 10, and the second temperature sensor 170a that measures the temperature of air (discharge air) discharged from the inside of the main body 10 to the outside of the main body 10.
The first temperature sensor 170a may be formed around the intake port 15a. The first temperature sensor 170a may measure the temperature of the intake air. The first temperature sensor 170a may transmit the temperature data of the intake air to the controller 200.
The second temperature sensor 170a may be formed around the discharge port 16a. The second temperature sensor 170a may measure the temperature of the discharge air. The second temperature sensor 170a may transmit the temperature data of the discharge air to the controller 200.
The at least one humidity sensor 170b may measure the humidity of the air around the dehumidifier 1. The at least one humidity sensor 170b may transmit humidity data of the air around the dehumidifier 1 to the controller 200.
The at least one humidity sensor 170b may include the first humidity sensor 170b that measures the humidity of air drawn into the main body 10 from the outside of the main body 10, and the second humidity sensor 170b that measures the humidity of air discharged from the inside of the main body 10 to the outside of the main body 10.
The first humidity sensor 170b may be formed around the intake port 15a. The first humidity sensor 170b may measure the humidity of the intake air. The first humidity sensor 170b may transmit the humidity data of the intake air to the controller 200.
The second humidity sensor 170b may be formed around the discharge port 16a. The second humidity sensor 170b may measure the humidity of the discharge air. The second humidity sensor 170b may transmit the humidity data of the discharge air to the controller 200.
The fan 70 may include a fan motor. The fan motor may include a motor whose rotation speed may be controlled. For example, the fan motor may be a brushless direct current electric motor (BLDC).
Controlling the fan 70 by the controller 200 may include controlling the fan motor by the controller 200. The controller 200 may control the rotation speed of the fan 70 by controlling the fan motor.
The controller 200 may rotate the fan 70 based on a start of the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1.
The compressor 50 may operate based on a control signal of the controller 200.
The controller 200 may operate the compressor 50 based on the start of the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1.
The dehumidifier 1 may include the communication interface 400 for communicating with an external device (e.g., the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4) via wired and/or wireless communication.
The communication interface 400 may include at least one of a short-range wireless communication module or a long-range wireless communication module.
The communication interface 400 may transmit data to the external device (e.g., the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4) or may receive data from the external device. For example, the communication interface 400 may establish communication with the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, and transmit and receive various data.
For the communication, the communication interface 400 may establish a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and support the performance of the communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the communication interface 400 may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module may communicate with the external device through a first network (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA) or a second network (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated as one component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as a plurality of separate components (e.g., multiple chips).
The short-range wireless communication module may include a Bluetooth communication module, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, and a Zigbee communication module, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication module, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication module, an ultrawideband (UWB) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc., but is not limited thereto.
The long-range wireless communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of long-range wireless communication, and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives radio signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network.
In an embodiment, the communication interface 400 may communicate with an external device such as the user device 2, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4 through a nearby access point (AP). The access point may connect a local area network (LAN), to which the user device 2 and/or the home appliance 4 is connected, to a wide area network (WAN) to which the computing device 3 is connected. The dehumidifier 1 may be connected to the computing device 3 through the wide area network (WAN).
The controller 200 may process a user input received from the input interface 301.
The controller 200 may process data collected from various sensors (e.g., the water level sensor 150, the water tank detection sensor 160, and the environment sensor 170).
The controller 200 may control various components (e.g., the output interface 302, the compressor 50, the fan 70, the communication interface 400) of the dehumidifier 1.
The controller 200 may include at least one processor 201 configured to control an operation of the dehumidifier 1 and at least one memory 202 configured to store programs and data for controlling the operation of the dehumidifier 1.
The at least one memory 202 may store data required for various embodiments. The memory 202 may be implemented as a memory embedded in the dehumidifier 1 or as a memory removable from the dehumidifier 1, depending on the data storage purpose. For example, data for driving the dehumidifier 1 may be stored in the memory embedded in the dehumidifier 1, and data for extended functions of the dehumidifier 1 may be stored in the memory removable from the dehumidifier 1. Meanwhile, the memory embedded in the dehumidifier 1 may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), or non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), mask read-only memory (mask ROM), flash ROM, flash memory (e.g. NAND flash or NOR flash, etc.), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)). The memory removable from the dehumidifier 1 may be implemented as a memory card (e.g., compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital (Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), etc.), an external memory (e.g., universal serial bus (USB) memory) that is connectable to a USB port, and the like.
The at least one processor 201 may control overall operation of the dehumidifier 1. Specifically, the at least one processor 201 may be connected to each component of the dehumidifier 1 and control the overall operation of the dehumidifier 1. For example, the at least one processor 201 may be electrically connected to the memory 202 to control the overall operation of the dehumidifier 1. A single processor or a plurality of processors may be provided as the processor 201.
The at least one memory 202 may store an algorithm for determining whether a notification condition related to a water level in the water tank 100 is satisfied based on the notification condition.
The at least one processor 201 may execute at least one instruction stored in the memory 202 to perform operations of the dehumidifier 1 according to various embodiments.
The at least one processor 201 may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a many integrated core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. The at least one processor 201 may control one or any combination of the other components of the dehumidifier 1 and may perform communication-related operations or data processing. The at least one processor 201 may execute at least one program or instruction stored in the memory 202. For example, the at least one processor 201 may perform a method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory 202.
The at least one memory 202 may store an algorithm for controlling the compressor 50 and/or the fan 70 according to an operation mode of the dehumidifier 1.
The at least one memory 202 may store an algorithm for providing a notification related to the water level in the water tank 100.
The components shown in
The user device 2 according to an embodiment may include a user interface device 230, a communication interface 240, and/or a controller 220.
The user interface device 230 may enable interaction between a user and the user device 2.
The user interface device 230 may include an output interface 232 and an input interface 231.
The at least one output interface 232 may generate sensory information and convey various information to the user.
For example, the at least one output interface 232 may convey information related to operation or state of the dehumidifier 1 connected to the user device 2 to the user. The various information may be output by a display, an indicator, and/or a voice. The at least one output interface 232 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an indicator, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, and the like.
In an embodiment, the at least one output interface 232 may output sensory information (e.g., visual information, auditory information, etc.) related to a water level in the water tank 100.
The at least one input interface 231 may convert sensory information received from the user into an electrical signal.
The at least one input interface 231 may receive a user input for operating an interface element included in an interface provided by the user device 2.
Each of the interfaces may include a visual indicator (e.g., a phrase, icon, etc.) to indicate its function.
The at least one input interface 231 may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and/or a microphone.
The user device 2 may process a user input received via the input interface 231 or may output information related to the user device 2 via the output interface 232.
For example, the user input received via the input interface 231 may be transmitted to the controller 220. As another example, the controller 220 may control the output interface 232 to output various information.
The controller 220 may process the user input received via the input interface 231.
The controller 220 may process data collected from an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4) via the communication interface 240.
The controller 220 may control various components (e.g., the output interface 232, the communication interface 240) of the user device 2.
The controller 220 may include at least one processor 221 controlling an operation of the user device 2, and at least one memory 222 storing programs and data for controlling the operation of the user device 2.
The at least one memory 222 may store data required for various embodiments. The memory 222 may be implemented as a memory embedded in the user device 2 or as a memory removable from the user device 2, depending on the data storage purpose. For example, data for driving the user device 2 may be stored in the memory embedded in the user device 2, and data for extended functions of the user device 2 may be stored in the memory removable from the user device 2. Meanwhile, the memory embedded in the user device 2 may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), or non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), mask read-only memory (mask ROM), flash ROM, flash memory (e.g. NAND flash or NOR flash, etc.), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)). The memory removable from the user device 2 may be implemented as a memory card (e.g., compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital (Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), etc.), an external memory (e.g., universal serial bus (USB) memory) that is connectable to a USB port, and the like.
The at least one processor 221 may control overall operation of the user device 2. Specifically, the at least one processor 221 may be connected to each component of the user device 2 and control the overall operation of the user device 2. For example, the at least one processor 221 may be electrically connected to the memory 222 to control the overall operation of the user device 2. A single processor or a plurality of processors may be provided as the processor 221.
The at least one memory 222 may store an algorithm for determining whether a notification condition related to a water level in the water tank 100 is satisfied based on the notification condition.
The at least one processor 221 may execute at least one instruction stored in the memory 222 to perform operations of the user device 2 according to various embodiments.
The at least one processor 221 may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a many integrated core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. The at least one processor 221 may control one or any combination of the other components of the user device 2 and may perform communication-related operations or data processing. The at least one processor 221 may execute at least one program or instruction stored in the memory 222. For example, the at least one processor 221 may perform a method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory 222.
The at least one memory 222 may store an algorithm for providing a notification related to the water level in the water tank 100 based on information received from an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4) and a notification condition input via the user interface device 230.
The communication interface 240 may include at least one of a short-range wireless communication module or a long-range wireless communication module.
The communication interface 240 may transmit data to an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4) or may receive data from the external device. For example, the communication interface 240 may establish communication with the dehumidifier 1, the computing device 3, and/or the home appliance 4, and transmit and receive various data.
For the communication, the communication interface 240 may establish a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and support the performance of the communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the communication interface 240 may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module may communicate with the external device through a first network (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA) or a second network (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated as one component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as a plurality of separate components (e.g., multiple chips).
The short-range wireless communication module may include a Bluetooth communication module, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, and a Zigbee communication module, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication module, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication module, an ultrawideband (UWB) communication module, an Ant+communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc., but is not limited thereto.
The long-range wireless communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of long-range wireless communication, and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives radio signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network.
The computing device 3 according to an embodiment may include a processor 321, a memory 322, and/or a communication interface 340.
The processor 321 may process data received from the communication interface 340.
For example, the processor 321 may process data collected from an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4) via the communication interface 340.
The processor 321 may control overall operation of the computing device 3.
The computing device 3 may include at least one memory 322 storing programs and data for controlling the operation of the computing device 3.
The at least one memory 322 may store data required for various embodiments. The memory 322 may be implemented as a memory embedded in the computing device 3 or as a memory removable from the computing device 3, depending on the data storage purpose. For example, data for driving the computing device 3 may be stored in the memory embedded in the computing device 3, and data for extended functions of the computing device 3 may be stored in the memory removable from the computing device 3. Meanwhile, the memory embedded in the computing device 3 may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), or non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), mask read-only memory (mask ROM), flash ROM, flash memory (e.g. NAND flash or NOR flash, etc.), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)). The memory removable from the computing device 3 may be implemented as a memory card (e.g., compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital (Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), etc.), an external memory (e.g., universal serial bus (USB) memory) that is connectable to a USB port, and the like.
The at least one processor 321 may control overall operation of the computing device 3. Specifically, the at least one processor 321 may be connected to each component of the computing device 3 and control overall operation of the computing device 3. For example, the at least one processor 321 may be electrically connected to the memory 322 to control the overall operation of the computing device 3. A single processor or a plurality of processors may be provided as the processor 321.
The at least one processor 321 may execute at least one instruction stored in the memory 322 to perform operations of the computing device 3 according to various embodiments.
The at least one processor 321 may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a many integrated core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. The at least one processor 321 may control one or any combination of the other components of the computing device 3 and may perform communication-related operations or data processing. The at least one processor 321 may execute at least one program or instruction stored in the memory 322. For example, the at least one processor 321 may perform a method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory 322.
The at least one memory 322 may store an algorithm for determining whether a notification condition related to the water level in the water tank 100 is satisfied based on information received from an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4) and the notification condition.
The at least one memory 322 may store an algorithm for transmitting a notification to an external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user device 2) in response to the notification condition being satisfied.
In the disclosure, transmitting a notification may include transmitting data (or information) corresponding to the notification, or transmitting an electrical signal corresponding to the notification.
In the disclosure, transmitting a notification may include providing the notification by a target (e.g., the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user device 2) that has received the notification.
The communication interface 340 may include at least one of a short-range wireless communication module or a long-range wireless communication module.
The communication interface 340 may transmit data to the external device (e.g., the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4) or may receive data from the external device. For example, the communication interface 340 may establish communication with the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the home appliance 4, and transmit and receive various data.
For the communication, the communication interface 340 may establish a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and support the performance of the communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the communication interface 340 may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module may communicate with the external device through a first network (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA) or a second network (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated as one component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as a plurality of separate components (e.g., multiple chips).
The short-range wireless communication module may include a Bluetooth communication module, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, and a Zigbee communication module, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication module, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication module, an ultrawideband (UWB) communication module, an Ant+communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc., but is not limited thereto.
The long-range wireless communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of long-range wireless communication, and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives radio signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network.
In a case where a method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by a single processor 201, 221 or 321 or by a plurality of processors 201, 221 and 321. For example, in a case where a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to at least one embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by a first processor, and alternatively, the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first processor (e.g., a generic-purpose processor) and the third operation may be performed by a second processor (e.g., an AI-specific processor).
The at least one processor 201, 221 and 321 may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or at least one multi-core processor including a plurality of cores (e.g., homogeneous multi-core or heterogeneous multi-core). In a case where the at least one processor 201, 221 and 321 is implemented as a multi-core processor, each of the plurality of cores included in the multi-core processor may include local memory such as cache memory and on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by the plurality of cores may be included in the multi-core processor. In addition, each of the plurality of cores (or a portion of the plurality of cores) included in the multi-core processor may independently read and execute program instructions for implementing the method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure, and alternatively, the entire (or a portion) of the plurality of cores may be linked so as to read and execute program instructions for implementing the method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure.
In a case where a method according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by one of a plurality of cores included in the multi-core processor, or by the plurality of cores. For example, in a case where a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to at least one embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by a first core included in the multi-core processor, and alternatively, the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first core included in the multi-core processor and the third operation may be performed by a second core included in the multi-core processor.
In embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 201, 221 and 321 may refer to a system-on-chip (SoC) in which at least one processor and other electronic components are integrated, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in either a single-core or a multi-core processor. Here, the core may be implemented as CPU, GPU, APU, MIC, DSP, NPU, hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator, but the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto.
According to various embodiments, the communication interface 400 of the dehumidifier 1 may be directly connected (e.g., connected via a short-range wireless communication module) to the communication interface 240 of the user device 2.
According to various embodiments, the communication interface 400 of the dehumidifier 1 may be indirectly connected (e.g., connected by way of the communication interface 340 of the computing device 3) to the communication interface 240 of the user device 2.
Referring to
The notification condition may include at least one condition about a water level in the water tank 100.
For example, the notification condition may include at least one of a first condition including that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached a designated water level set by a user, a second condition including that a defined period of time has elapsed while the water level in the water tank 100 is reached (or referred to as maintained over, or maintained above) a defined water level, or a third condition including that a remaining water level in the water tank 100 is lower than an average usage water level.
In the disclosure, a notification corresponding to the first condition is defined as a first notification, a notification corresponding to the second condition is defined as a second notification, and a notification corresponding to the third condition is defined as a third notification.
The operation of receiving a notification condition (1000) may be performed by the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may receive a notification condition from the user via the user interface device 300. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 300, and may receive a user input for setting the notification condition.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may receive a notification condition from the user via the communication interface 400. For example, the user device 2 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 230, receive a user input for setting the notification condition, and transmit the set notification condition to the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240. The dehumidifier 1 may receive the notification condition from the user device 2 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may receive a notification condition from the user via the user interface device 230. For example, the user device 2 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 230, and may receive a user input for setting the notification condition.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may receive a notification condition from the user via the communication interface 240. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 300, receive a user input for setting the notification condition, and transmit the set notification condition to the user device 2 via the communication interface 400. The user device 2 may receive the notification condition from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240.
In an embodiment, the computing device 3 may receive a notification condition from the user via the communication interface 340. For example, the user device 2 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 230, receive a user input for setting the notification condition, and transmit the set notification condition to the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240. The computing device 3 may receive the notification condition from the user device 2 via the communication interface 340. As another example, the dehumidifier 1 may provide an interface for setting the notification condition via the user interface device 300, receive a user input for setting the notification condition, and transmit the set notification condition to the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400. The computing device 3 may receive the notification condition from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 340.
The dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may include an operation of obtaining water level information of the water tank 100 (1100).
The operation of obtaining water level information (1100) may be performed by the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain the water level information of the water tank 100 through the water level sensor 150.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may obtain the water level information from an external device via the communication interface 240. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain the water level information of the water tank 100 through the water level sensor 150, and transmit the water level information of the water tank 100 to the user device 2 via the communication interface 400, and the user device 2 may receive the water level information from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240. As another example, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain the water level information of the water tank 100 through the water level sensor 150 and transmit the water level information of the water tank 100 to the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400, the computing device 3 may transmit the water level information received from the dehumidifier 1 to the user device 2 via the communication interface 340, and the user device 2 may receive the water level information from the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
In an embodiment, the computing device 3 may obtain the water level information from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 340. For example, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain the water level information of the water tank 100 through the water level sensor 150, and transmit the water level information of the water tank 100 to the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400, and the computing device 3 may receive the water level information from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 340.
The dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may include operations of determining whether the water level information satisfies a notification condition (1110, 1120, and 1130).
The operations of determining whether the water level information satisfies a notification condition (1110, 1120, and 1130) may be performed by the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3.
As described above, each of the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may receive the notification condition and obtain the water level information. Accordingly, each of the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine whether the water level information satisfies the notification condition using the at least one processor 201, 221 and/or 321.
In a case where the first notification is activated, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine whether the water level information satisfies the first condition (1110).
For example, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine that the first condition is satisfied in response to the water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information reaching the designated water level set by the user.
In a case where the second notification is activated, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine whether the water level information satisfies the second condition (1120).
For example, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine that the second condition is satisfied in response to a defined period of time having elapsed while the water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information is maintained over the defined water level.
In a case where the third notification is activated, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine whether the water level information satisfies the third condition (1130).
For example, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine that the third condition is satisfied in response to a remaining water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information being lower than the average usage water level.
The dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may include operations of providing the user with a notification corresponding to a notification condition in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition (1115, 1125, and 1135).
The operations of providing the user with a notification corresponding to a notification condition (1115, 1125, and 1135) may include an operation of providing the first notification in response to the water level information satisfying the first condition in a state where the first notification is activated (1115), an operation of providing the second notification in response to the water level information satisfying the second condition in a state where the second notification is activated (1125), and/or an operation of providing the third notification in response to the water level information satisfying the third condition in a state where the third notification is activated (1135).
The operations of providing the user with a notification corresponding to a notification condition (1115, 1125, and 1135) may be performed by the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may provide a notification via the user interface device 300 in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition.
Providing a notification via the user interface device 300 may include outputting the notification via the user interface device 300. The notification may be output visually or audibly. For example, the notification may be output as a visual indicator via a display of the user interface device 300 or as a sound via the speaker of the user interface device 300.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit the notification to the user device 2 via the communication interface 400 in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition. In response to receiving the notification from the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2 may provide the notification via the user interface device 230. Providing the notification via the user interface device 230 may include outputting the notification via the user interface device 230. The notification may be output visually or audibly. For example, the notification may be output as a visual indicator via the display of the user interface device 230, or as a sound via the speaker of the user interface device 230.
As described above, in the disclosure, transmitting a notification may include transmitting data (or information) corresponding to the notification, or transmitting an electrical signal corresponding to the notification. In the disclosure, transmitting a notification may include providing the notification by a target (e.g., the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user device 2) that has received the notification.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may provide the notification via the user interface device 230 in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may transmit the notification to the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240 in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition. The dehumidifier 1 may provide the notification via the user interface device 300 in response to receiving the notification from the user device 2.
In an embodiment, the computing device 3 may transmit the notification to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user device 2 in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition.
In the dehumidifier management method according to the disclosure, a notification function according to various conditions related to the water level in the water tank 100 may be provided to the user, thereby enabling convenient management of the water tank 100.
Furthermore, the dehumidifier 1 may provide a full water level notification in response to the water level in the water tank 100 reaching a full water level, separately from the first notification, the second notification, and the third notification. Here, the full water level may refer to a state in which the water level in the water tank 100 is not allowed to increase. That is, in a case where the water level in the water tank 100 increases more than the full water level, water may overflow from the water tank 100.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may be configured to stop the dehumidifying operation in a case where the water level in the water tank 100 reaches the full water level.
That is, it is to be understood that the various notifications related to the water level in the water tank 100 in the disclosure are distinguished from the full water level notification provided in response to the water level in the water tank 100 reaching the full water level.
Referring to
The first interface U1 provided by the dehumidifier management system may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The first interface U1 may include an interface element U11 for activating the first notification and/or an interface element U12 for setting a designated water level corresponding to the first condition.
The interface element U11 for activating the first notification may include a visual indicator indicating an activation state of the first notification.
In response to a selection of the interface element U11 for activating the first notification, the first notification may be activated or deactivated.
For example, when the interface element U11 is selected in a state where the first notification is deactivated, the first notification may be activated, and when the interface element U11 is selected in a state where the first notification is activated, the first notification may be deactivated.
The interface element U12 for setting the designated water level may include a tool for setting the designated water level.
The tool for setting the designated water level may be implemented in the form of a bar, without being limited thereto.
In an embodiment, the tool for setting the designated water level may only be operable in a state where the first notification is activated.
A user may set the designated water level by operating the interface element U12 for setting the designated water level.
The first interface U1 may include an indicator U13 indicating an estimated weight of the water tank 100 corresponding to the designated water level set via the interface element U12 for setting the designated water level.
The indicator U13 may indicate the designated water level set via the interface element U12 for setting the designated water level as a weight (kg) of water and/or a water level (%).
According to the disclosure, the user may intuitively identify the degree of the designated water level that the user desires.
The user may activate or deactivate the first notification via the first interface U1, and may set the designated water level corresponding to the first condition.
In an embodiment, in a case where the first interface U1 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the first notification is activated via the first interface U1, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the first notification is activated and information related to the designated water level of the first condition to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the first interface U1 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the first notification is activated via the first interface U1, the user device 2 may transmit information that the first notification is activated and information related to the designated water level of the first condition to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
In an embodiment, in a case where the first interface U1 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the first notification is deactivated via the first interface U1, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the first notification is deactivated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the first interface U1 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the first notification is deactivated via the first interface U1, the user device 2 may transmit information that the first notification is deactivated to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
Referring to
The first notification K1 may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The first notification K1 may be referred to as a ‘designated water level reached notification’, in that the first notification K1 is for notifying that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached the designated water level set by a user.
The designated water level reached notification K1 may include a visual indicator (e.g., a phrase, a shape, an animation, an image, etc.) for notifying that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached the designated water level set by the user.
The designated water level reached notification K1 may include a visual indicator indicating a weight (kg) of water and/or a water level (%) indicating the designated water level.
According to various embodiments, the designated water level reached notification K1 may also be provided audibly by the user interface device 300 (e.g., speaker) of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 (e.g., speaker) of the user device 2.
The user may check the designated water level reached notification K1 and confirm that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached the designated water level set by the user.
The user's intention to set the designated water level may vary. For example, in a case where the water level in the water tank 100 exceeds the designated water level, the user may feel that the weight of the water tank 100 is too heavy when emptying the water tank 100. As another example, in a case where the water level in the water tank 100 exceeds the designated water level, the user may be concerned about contamination of the water tank 100.
According to various embodiments, the designated water level reached notification K1 may include an interface element K11 for receiving a user input for stopping a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1.
The user may stop the operation of the dehumidifier 1 by using the interface element K11. In an embodiment, in a case where the designated water level reached notification K1 is provided by the dehumidifier 1, the user may stop the operation of the dehumidifier 1 by using a power button for turning on/off the dehumidifier 1, which is at least one input interface 301 of the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, in a case where the designated water level reached notification K1 is provided by the user device 2, the user may input a command for stopping the operation of the dehumidifier 1 via the interface element K11, and the user device 2 may transmit an operation stop command to the dehumidifier 1 in response to receiving the command for stopping the operation of the dehumidifier 1 via the interface element K11.
According to the disclosure, the user may recognize that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached the designated water level and take a desired action.
According to various embodiments, the dehumidifier management system may provide a designated water level limit function for stopping the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 in response to the water level information of the water tank 100 satisfying the first condition.
In a case where the designated water level limit function is on, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may perform an operation to stop the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 in response to the water level information satisfying the first condition.
For example, in a case where the designated water level limit function is on, the dehumidifier 1 may stop the dehumidifying operation in response to the water level information satisfying the first condition. As another example, in a case where the designated water level limit function is on, the user device 2 may transmit a control command to stop the dehumidifying operation to the dehumidifier 1 in response to the water level information satisfying the first condition. As still another example, in a case where the designated water level limit function is on, the computing device 3 may transmit a control command to stop the dehumidifying operation to the dehumidifier 1 in response to the water level information satisfying the first condition.
Referring to
The second interface U2 provided by the dehumidifier management system may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The second interface U2 may include an interface element U21 for activating the second notification.
The interface element U21 for activating the second notification may include a visual indicator indicating an activation state of the second notification.
In response to a selection of the interface element U21 for activating the second notification, the second notification may be activated or deactivated.
For example, when the interface element U21 is selected in a state where the second notification is deactivated, the second notification may be activated, and when the interface element U21 is selected in a state where the second notification is activated, the second notification may be deactivated.
A user may activate or deactivate the second notification via the second interface U2.
In an embodiment, in a case where the second interface U2 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the second notification is activated via the second interface U2, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the second notification is activated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the second interface U2 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the second notification is activated via the second interface U2, the user device 2 may transmit information that the second notification is activated to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
In an embodiment, in a case where the second interface U2 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the second notification is deactivated via the second interface U2, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the second notification is deactivated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the second interface U2 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the second notification is deactivated via the second interface U2, the user device 2 may transmit information that the second notification is deactivated to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
Referring to
A starting point for determining an elapse of the defined period of time may be a time at which a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 is stopped.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may provide the second notification K2, in response to an end of an operation of the dehumidifier 1 while the water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information is maintained over the defined water level, and the defined period of time having elapsed since the end of the operation of the dehumidifier 1 in a state where the second notification corresponding to the second condition is activated.
The elapse of the defined period of time while the water level in the water tank 100 is maintained over the defined water level may include separation of the water tank 100 not being detected by the water tank detection sensor 160 of the dehumidifier 1 for the defined period of time while the water level in the water tank 100 is higher than or equal to the defined water level.
In this instance, the defined water level and the defined period of time may be stored in advance in the memory 202, 222, and 322. For example, the defined water level may be set to approximately 20% and the defined period of time may be set to approximately 24 hours in advance, without being limited thereto.
The defined water level and the defined period of time may also be set by the user.
As will be described below, according to various embodiments, the defined water level and the defined period of time may be determined by the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 depending on environmental conditions.
The second notification K2 may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The second notification K2 may be referred to as a ‘water emptying recommendation notification’, in that the second notification K2 is for notifying that the water tank 100 requires to be emptied because water has been stored in the water tank 100 for a long time.
The water emptying recommendation notification K2 may include a visual indicator (e.g., a phrase, a shape, an animation, an image, etc.) for notifying that the water tank 100 requires to be emptied because water has been stored in the water tank 100 for a long time.
The water emptying recommendation notification K2 may include a visual indicator indicating a weight (kg) of water and/or a water level (%) indicating the current water level in the water tank 100. The water emptying recommendation notification K2 may include a visual indicator indicating a period of time during which the current water level in the water tank 100 has been maintained.
According to various embodiments, the water emptying recommendation notification K2 may also be provided audibly by the user interface device 300 (e.g., speaker) of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 (e.g., speaker) of the user device 2.
In an embodiment, the water emptying recommendation notification K2 may be provided in response to an end of the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 while the water level in the water tank 100 is maintained over the defined water level, and the defined period of time having elapsed in a state where the water tank 100 is not separated from the dehumidifier 1 since the end of the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1. In an embodiment, in a case where the water tank 100 is not separated from the dehumidifier 1, the water emptying recommendation notification K2 may be provided at defined cycles.
Whether the water tank 100 is separated from the dehumidifier 1 may be detected by the water tank detection sensor 160 of the dehumidifier 1, and the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information about whether the water tank is separated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3.
The user may check the water emptying recommendation notification K2 and empty the water tank 100, thereby preventing the water tank 100 from being contaminated by microorganisms in advance.
According to the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may induce the user to empty the water tank 100 in response to a defined condition being satisfied to prevent the water tank 100 from being contaminated by microorganisms in advance.
Referring to
The third interface U3 provided by the dehumidifier management system may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The third interface U3 may include an interface element U31 for activating the third notification, a visual indicator U32 for describing the third condition, and/or a visual indicator U33 for guiding a user's average usage water level.
In order to determine the average usage water level, the dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may further include an operation for determining the average usage water level.
The dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the average usage water level based on the amount of change in water level in the water tank 100 from a start of a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 to an end of the dehumidifying operation.
In an embodiment, in response to the end of the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may store the amount of change in the water level in the water tank 100 from the start of the dehumidifying operation to the end of the dehumidifying operation as one of a plurality of factors in the memory 202, 222, and 322, and may determine an average value of the plurality of factors stored in the memory 202, 222, and 322 as the average usage water level.
That is, the water level in the water tank 100 that rises on average when the user uses the dehumidifier 1 once may be determined as the average usage water level.
The interface element U31 for activating the third notification may include a visual indicator indicating an activation state of the third notification.
In response to a selection of the interface element U31 for activating the third notification, the third notification may be activated or deactivated.
The user may activate or deactivate the third notification via the third interface U3.
The visual indicator U32 for describing the third condition may allow the user to clearly understand what the third notification means.
The third notification is provided in a case where a remaining water level in the water tank 100 is lower than the average usage water level. Accordingly, the visual indicator U32 for describing the third condition may include a visual indicator for notifying that the third notification is a notification provided when the remaining water level in the water tank 100 is lower than the average usage water level.
The visual indicator U33 for guiding the average usage water level may indicate the average usage water level corresponding to a user's usage pattern.
According to various embodiments, the third interface U3 may further include an interface element that may modify the average usage water level according to a user's request.
In an embodiment, in a case where the third interface U3 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the third notification is activated via the third interface U3, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the third notification is activated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the third interface U3 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the third notification is activated via the third interface U3, the user device 2 may transmit information that the third notification is activated to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
In an embodiment, in a case where the third interface U3 is provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1, when the third notification is deactivated via the third interface U3, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit information that the third notification is deactivated to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400.
In an embodiment, in a case where the third interface U3 is provided by the user interface device 230 of the user device 2, when the third notification is deactivated via the third interface U3, the user device 2 may transmit information that the third notification is deactivated to the dehumidifier 1 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 240.
Referring to
In an embodiment, a time point at which the third notification K3 is provided may be a time point at which a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 ends, without being limited thereto. For example, the time point at which the third notification K3 is provided may be a time point at which a command to start the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 is received. As another example, the time point at which the third notification K3 is provided may be a time point at which the remaining water level in the water tank 100 reaches the average usage water level.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may provide the third notification K3 in response to an end of an operation of the dehumidifier 1 while the remaining water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information is lower than the average usage water level in a state where the third notification corresponding to the third condition is activated.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may provide the third notification K3 in response to receiving a command to start the operation of the dehumidifier 1 while the remaining water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information is lower than the average usage water level in a state where the third notification corresponding to the third condition is activated.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may provide the third notification K3 in response to the remaining water level in the water tank 100 corresponding to the water level information reaching the average usage water level in a state where the third notification corresponding to the third condition is activated.
The third notification K3 may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The third notification K3 may be referred to as an ‘expected operation stop notification’, in that the third notification K3 is for notifying that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached a full water level by an operation of the dehumidifier 1 and the operation of the dehumidifier 1 will be stopped.
The expected operation stop notification K3 may include a visual indicator (e.g., a phrase, a shape, an animation, an image, etc.) for notifying that the water level in the water tank 100 has reached a full water level by an operation of the dehumidifier 1 and the operation of the dehumidifier 1 will be stopped.
The expected operation stop notification K3 may include a visual indicator indicating a weight (kg) of water and/or a water level (%) indicating the remaining water level (or current water level) of the water tank 100. The expected operation stop notification K3 may include a visual indicator indicating the average usage water level.
According to various embodiments, the expected operation stop notification K3 may be provided audibly by the user interface device 300 (e.g., speaker) of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 (e.g., speaker) of the user device 2.
A user may check the expected operation stop notification K3 and empty the water tank 100, thereby preventing the dehumidifying operation from being automatically stopped after the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation and the water level in the water tank 100 reaches the full water level.
According to the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may prevent the dehumidifier 1 from stopping an operation in advance in a case where the dehumidifier 1 is operated according to a user pattern.
Referring to
The fourth interface U4 provided by the dehumidifier management system may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The fourth interface U4 may include an interface element U41 for activating the second notification and a visual indicator U42 for describing the second condition.
The interface element U41 for activating the second notification may include a visual indicator indicating an activation state of the second notification.
In response to a selection of the interface element U41 for activating the second notification, the second notification may be activated or deactivated.
A user may activate or deactivate the second notification via the fourth interface U4.
As described above, the second notification may also be referred to as the ‘water emptying recommendation notification’. However, the second notification activated or deactivated via the fourth interface U4 may be provided after whether the second condition is satisfied is determined based on temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1, unlike the second notification activated or deactivated via the second interface U2.
In an embodiment, the visual indicator U42 for describing the second condition may include a visual indicator indicating that the second notification is the water emptying recommendation notification provided at an appropriate time according to temperature and humidity.
A function that may be set via the fourth interface U4 may be referred to as an ‘AI water tank management function’ in that the function provides the water emptying recommendation notification at an appropriate time according to temperature and humidity.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1.
For example, the environment sensor 170 of the dehumidifier 1 may obtain temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1.
As another example, the temperature information and the humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 may be obtained by another home appliance 4 and may be transmitted from the other home appliance 4 to the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 may obtain the temperature information and the humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1.
For example, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit the temperature information and the humidity information obtained through the environment sensor 170 to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 via the communication interface 400, and the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3 may receive the temperature information and the humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 from the dehumidifier 1.
As another example, the temperature information and the humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 may be obtained by the other home appliance 4, and may be transmitted from the other home appliance 4 to the user device 2 and/or the computing device 3.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine a defined water level corresponding to the second condition and/or a defined period of time corresponding to the second condition based on the temperature information and the humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level based on a humidity of the air, a temperature of the air, and an operation time of the dehumidifier 1.
The humidity of the air may include an average humidity of a humidity of the surrounding air (air around the dehumidifier 1) at a time when the dehumidifier 1 stops a dehumidifying operation and a humidity of the surrounding air at a time before the dehumidifier 1 starts the dehumidifying operation.
The temperature of the air may include a temperature of the surrounding air at a time when the dehumidifier 1 stops the dehumidifying operation.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may store information about the water level in the water tank 100 each time the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 is stopped according to a manual operation of the user, and may determine an average water level of the water levels of the water tank 100 at the times when the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 is stopped as a reference water level.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may use the water level in the water tank 100 as a factor for calculating the reference water level only in a case where the dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 is performed for a minimum time (e.g., 5 minutes).
In an embodiment, in a case where the humidity of the surrounding air is greater than or equal to a defined humidity (e.g., 70%), the temperature of the surrounding air is within a defined range (e.g., 20° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower), and a time during which the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation is greater than or equal to a first time (e.g., 90 minutes), the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition as a minimum value between a first defined ratio (e.g., 20%) of the reference water level and a preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%). For example, in a case where the reference water level is 50%, the defined water level corresponding to the second condition may be determined as a minimum value between the first defined ratio (e.g., 20%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%), i.e., 10%.
In an embodiment, in a case where the humidity of the surrounding air is greater than or equal to a defined humidity (e.g., 70%), the temperature of the surrounding air is within a defined range (e.g., 20° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower), and a time during which the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation is greater than or equal to a second time (e.g., 30 minutes) that is shorter than the first time, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition as a minimum value between a second defined ratio (e.g., 25%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%). For example, in a case where the reference water level is 50%, the defined water level corresponding to the second condition may be determined as a minimum value between the second defined ratio (e.g., 25%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%), i.e., 12.5%. The second defined ratio may be greater than the first defined ratio.
In an embodiment, in a case where the humidity of the surrounding air is greater than or equal to a defined humidity (e.g., 70%), the temperature of the surrounding air is within a defined range (e.g., 20° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower), and a time during which the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation is less than the second time, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition as a minimum value between a third defined ratio (e.g., 30%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%). For example, in a case where the reference water level is 50%, the defined water level corresponding to the second condition may be determined as a minimum value between the third defined ratio (e.g., 30%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%), i.e., 15%. The third defined ratio may be greater than the second defined ratio.
In an embodiment, in a case where the humidity of the surrounding air is lower than a defined humidity (e.g., 70%) or the temperature of the surrounding air does not fall within a defined range (e.g., 20° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower), the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition as a minimum value between a fourth defined ratio (e.g., 50%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%). For example, in a case where the reference water level is 50%, the defined water level corresponding to the second condition may be determined as a minimum value between the fourth defined ratio (e.g., 50%) of the reference water level and the preset minimum water level (e.g., 20%), i.e., 20%.
According to the disclosure, the dehumidifier management method may determine a defined water level corresponding to the second condition based on a degree of mold growth that varies according to temperature and humidity, thereby providing the water emptying recommendation notification only in a case where a water level in the water tank 100 corresponds to the defined water level suitable for mold growth.
In an embodiment, the defined water level corresponding to the second condition determined based on temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 may be used as a recommended water level.
In an embodiment, in a case where the humidity of the surrounding air is greater than or equal to a defined humidity (e.g., 70%), the temperature of the surrounding air is within a defined range (e.g., 20° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower), and a time during which the dehumidifier 1 performs the dehumidifying operation is greater than or equal to the second time (e.g., 30 minutes), the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine a defined period of time corresponding to the second condition as a third time (e.g., 12 hours), and in other cases, the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition may be determined as a fourth time (e.g., 24 hours) that is longer than the third time.
According to various embodiments, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition and/or the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition by inputting temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 into an AI model.
The AI model is characterized in that the AI model is created through training. Here, being created through training refers to that a basic artificial intelligence model is trained using a large number of training data by a learning algorithm, thereby creating a predefined operation rule or AI model set to perform desired characteristics (or purpose). Such training may be performed in the device itself in which the artificial intelligence according to the disclosure is performed, or may be performed through a separate server and/or system. Examples of learning algorithms include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but are not limited thereto.
The AI model may be composed of a plurality of neural network layers. Each of the plurality of neural network layers has a plurality of weight values, and a neural network operation is performed through an operation result of the previous layers and an operation between the plurality of weight values. The plurality of weights of the plurality of neural network layers may be optimized by the training result of the AI model. For example, the plurality of weights may be updated so that a loss value or a cost value obtained from the AI model during the training process is reduced or minimized. Artificial neural networks may include deep neural networks (DNN), for example, convolutional neural network (CNN), deep neural network (DNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM), deep belief network (DBN), bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks, but is not limited thereto.
In an embodiment, the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition determined based on temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 may be used as a recommendation notification cycle.
According to the disclosure, in a case where the water tank 100 is likely to be contaminated with mold, a water emptying recommendation notification is provided to the user at a relatively short cycle, thereby preventing contamination of the water tank 100 in advance.
A user may set a personalized notification list including desired notification conditions.
Referring to
The fifth interface U5 for setting the personalized notification list may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
The fifth interface U5 may include a first interface element U51 for setting a cycle of a notification corresponding to the first condition, a second interface element U52 for setting a designated water level corresponding to the first condition, a third interface element U53 for activating or deactivating a notification corresponding to the third condition, and a fourth interface element U54 for storing the set personalized notification list.
The first interface element U51 may include a tool that may set the notification cycle.
The user may set the notification cycle via the first interface element U51.
The second interface element U52 may include a tool that may set the designated water level.
The user may set the designated water level via the second interface element U52.
In a case where the water level in the water tank 100 reaches the designated water level set via the second interface element U52, a notification may be provided by the dehumidifier management system at each cycle set via the first interface element U51.
In an embodiment, in a case where the water level in the water tank 100 reaches the designated water level set via the second interface element U52, the dehumidifier 1, the user device 2, and/or the computing device 3 may provide a notification at each cycle set via the first interface element U51.
The user may activate or deactivate the third notification corresponding to the third condition via the third interface element U53.
The user may store the personalized notification list via the fourth interface element U54, when the notification cycle is set via the first interface element U51, the designated water level is set via the second interface element U52, and whether to activate the third notification is set via the third interface element U53.
The dehumidifier management method may include an operation of receiving a storage command for storing the personalized notification list (2200) and an operation of storing the personalized notification list after the storage command for storing the personalized notification list is received (2300).
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier management system may store the personalized notification list in response to a selection of the fourth interface element (e.g., U54) for storing the personalized notification list.
The personalized notification list (L1, L2, L3, and L4) stored via the fourth interface element U54 may be displayed on a sixth interface U6 for activating or deactivating the stored personalized notification list.
The dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may include an operation of providing the sixth interface U6 for activating or deactivating the stored personalized notification list (2400).
The sixth interface U6 may be provided by the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user interface device 230 of the user device 2.
In an embodiment, the sixth interface U6 may include a visual indicator indicating the stored personalized notification list (L1, L2, L3, and L4) and interface elements (U61, U62, U63, and U64) for activating or deactivating the stored personalized notification list (L1, L2, L3, and L4).
The visual indicator indicating the stored personalized notification list (L1, L2, L3, and L4) may include information about notification conditions included in each personalized notification list.
For example, the visual indicator indicating the stored personalized notification list (L1, L2, L3, and L4) may include information about the notification cycle, information about the designated water level, and/or information about whether the third notification is activated.
The sixth interface U6 may further include an interface element U66 for adding a personalized notification list.
In response to a selection of the interface element U66 for adding the personalized notification list, the fifth interface U5 for setting the personalized notification list may be provided.
The sixth interface U6 may include guide information U60 for setting the personalized notification list.
In an embodiment, the guide information U60 may include a recommended water level determined based on temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1, and a recommended notification cycle determined based on temperature information and humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, the guide information U60 may further include average relative humidity information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 for a defined period (e.g., 3 days), and average relative temperature information of the air around the dehumidifier 1 for a defined period (e.g., 3 days).
The user may more easily set the personalized notification list based on the guide information U60.
The dehumidifier management method according to an embodiment may include an operation of automatically deactivating one of the personalized notification lists in a case where personalized notification lists with conflicting conditions are activated (2500).
For example, in a case where a first personalized notification list and a second personalized notification list having conflicting conditions are included, in response to receiving a user input for activating the second personalized notification list in a state where the first personalized notification list is activated, the dehumidifier management method may include simultaneously activating the second personalized notification list and deactivating the first personalized notification list.
In a case where a first personalized notification list and a second personalized notification list having conflicting conditions are included, in response to receiving a user input for activating the second personalized notification list in a state where the first personalized notification list is activated, the dehumidifier 1 and/or the user device 2 providing the sixth interface U6 may simultaneously activate the second personalized notification list and deactivate the first personalized notification list.
In the example shown in
On the other hand, because the third notification should be activated according to the first personalized notification list L1 and the third notification should be deactivated according to the third personalized notification list L3 or the fourth personalized notification list L4, the first personalized notification list L1 and the third personalized notification list L3 or the fourth personalized notification list L4 have conflicting conditions.
Accordingly, in a case where the third personalized notification list L3 or the fourth personalized notification list L4 is activated in a state where the first personalized notification list L1 is activated, the first personalized notification list L1 may be automatically changed to a deactivated state.
Having conflicting conditions may include having dependent conditions.
For example, in a case where two personalized notification lists have the same designated water level condition and have dependent notification cycle conditions, the two personalized notification lists may be determined to have dependent conditions.
For example, assuming that the third personalized notification list L3 and the fourth personalized notification list L4 have the same designated water level condition, because a notification cycle of the third personalized notification list L3 is an integer multiple of a notification cycle of the fourth personalized notification list L4, the third personalized notification list L3 may also be provided in a case where a notification is provided according to the fourth personalized notification list L4. In other words, in a case where the fourth personalized notification list L4 is activated, the third personalized notification list L3 does not need to be activated.
Accordingly, under the above conditions, in a case where the third personalized notification list L3 is activated in a state where the fourth personalized notification list L4 is activated, the fourth personalized notification list L4 may be automatically changed to a deactivated state.
According to the disclosure, a user may set notification settings as desired, and an interface provided by the dehumidifier management system may induce the user to conveniently set notifications.
Referring to
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may receive a notification condition via the communication interface 400 (3100). For example, the user device 2 may provide interfaces (U1, U2, U3, U4, and U5) for setting notification conditions via the output interface 232 of the user interface device 230, receive the setting of the notification conditions from the user via the input interface 231 of the user interface device 230, and transmit the received setting to the communication interface 400 of the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240.
The dehumidifier 1 may determine whether the notification condition is satisfied based on water level information obtained from the water level sensor 150 (3200).
In response to determining that the notification condition is satisfied (Yes in operation 3300), the dehumidifier 1 may provide a notification via the user interface device 300 (3400). For example, the dehumidifier 1 may output the notification via the output interface 302 of the user interface device 300.
The dehumidifier 1 may transmit a notification to the user device 2 via the communication interface 400 (3400), in response to determining that the notification condition is satisfied (Yes in operation 3300). For example, the dehumidifier 1 may transmit the notification to the user device 2 via the communication interface 400, and the user device 2 may output the notification via the user interface device 230 of the user device 2 in response to receiving the notification from the dehumidifier 1.
Referring to
In an embodiment, the user device 2 may receive water level information from the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240, and may determine whether the notification condition is satisfied based on the water level information received from the dehumidifier 1 (4200).
The user device 2 may provide a notification via the user interface device 230 (4400), in response to determining that the notification condition is satisfied (Yes in operation 4300). For example, the dehumidifier 1 may output the notification via the output interface 232 of the user interface device 230.
The user device 2 may transmit a notification to the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240 (4400), in response to determining that the notification condition is satisfied (Yes in operation 4300). For example, the user device 2 may transmit the notification to the dehumidifier 1 via the communication interface 240, and the dehumidifier 1 may output the notification via the user interface device 300 of the dehumidifier 1 in response to receiving the notification from the user device 2.
Referring to
The computing device 3 may receive the notification condition from the user device 2.
According to various embodiments, the operation 5100 may be performed by the dehumidifier 1.
In an embodiment, the dehumidifier 1 may obtain water level information through the water level sensor 150 and transmit the water level information to the computing device 3 (5200).
The computing device 3 may receive the water level information from the dehumidifier 1.
The computing device 3 may determine whether the water level information received from the dehumidifier 1 satisfies the notification condition received from the user device 2 (5300).
The computing device 3 may provide a notification (5500), in response to determining that the notification condition is satisfied (Yes in operation 5400). For example, the computing device 3 may transmit the notification to the dehumidifier 1, and the dehumidifier 1 may output the notification in response to receiving the notification from the computing device 3. As another example, the computing device 3 may transmit the notification to the user device 2, and the user device 2 may output the notification in response to receiving the notification.
According to various embodiments, at least one of the operations illustrated in
According to the disclosure, the computing device 3 may act as an intermediary for managing the user device 2 and the dehumidifier 1, thereby reducing the data processing burden of the dehumidifier 1 and the user device 2.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dehumidifier management method may include: receiving a notification condition related to a water level in a water tank 100 of a dehumidifier 1 from a user; obtaining water level information about the water level in the water tank 100; and providing the user with a notification corresponding to the notification condition, in response to the water level information satisfying the notification condition, wherein the notification condition may differ from a full water level notification condition where the water level in the water tank reaches a full water level.
The notification condition may include at least one of a first condition including the water level in the water tank 100 reaching a designated water level set by the user, a second condition including a defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank being separated from the dehumidifier, or a third condition including a remaining water level in the water tank 100 being lower than an average usage water level.
In a state in which the received notification condition includes the first condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank 100 reaching the designated water level, the providing the user with the notification includes providing a designated water level reached notification K1.
In a state in which the received notification condition includes the second condition, and in response to the defined period of time having elapsed while the water level in the water tank 100 is maintained over the defined water level, the providing the user with the notification includes providing a water emptying recommendation notification K2.
The water emptying recommendation notification K2 is provided to the user in response to the defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank 100 being separated from the dehumidifier after a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier ends.
The dehumidifier management method may further include determining the average usage water level based on an amount of change in the water level in the water tank 100 from a start of a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier to an end of the dehumidifying operation.
In a state in which the received notification condition includes the third condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank 100 being lower than the determined average usage water level, the providing the user with the notification includes providing an expected operation stop notification K3.
The determining of the average usage water level may include: in response to the end of the dehumidifying operation, storing the amount of change in water level in the water tank 100 from the start of the dehumidifying operation to the end of the dehumidifying operation in a memory 202, 222 and 322 as one factor of a plurality of factors; and determining an average value of the plurality of factors stored in the memory 202, 222 and 322, as the average usage water level.
The dehumidifier management method may further include providing an interface U1, U2, U3, U4 and U5 for setting the notification corresponding to the notification condition, wherein the provided interface for setting the notification corresponding to the notification condition may include a first interface element U11 for activating or deactivating a notification corresponding to the first condition, a second interface element U12 for setting the designated water level, and an indicator U13 indicating an expected weight of the water tank 100 corresponding to the designated water level set by the second interface element.
The dehumidifier management method may further include: obtaining temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier 1; and determining the defined water level corresponding to the second condition based on the obtained temperature information and the obtained humidity information.
The dehumidifier management method may further include: obtaining temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier; and determining the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition based on the obtained temperature information and the obtained humidity information.
The dehumidifier management method may further include providing an interface U5 for setting a personalized notification list including the notification condition, wherein the provided interface U5 for setting the personalized notification list may include a first interface element U51 for setting a notification cycle corresponding to the first condition, a second interface element U52 for setting the designated water level corresponding to the first condition, a third interface element U53 for activating or deactivating a notification corresponding to the third condition, and a fourth interface element U54 for storing the set personalized notification list.
The dehumidifier management method may further include: storing the set personalized notification list in response to a selection of the fourth interface element U54; and providing an interface U6 for activating or deactivating the stored set personalized notification list L1, L2, L3, and L4.
The dehumidifier management method may further include, in a state in which the stored set personalized notification list L1, L2, L3, and L4 includes a first personalized notification list and a second personalized notification list with conflicting conditions, simultaneously activating the second personalized notification list and deactivating the first personalized notification list, in response to receiving a user input for activating the second personalized notification list in a state where the first personalized notification list is activated.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dehumidifier 1 may include: a memory 202 storing at least one instruction; and at least one processor 201 configured to execute the at least one instruction to: receive a notification condition related to a water level in a water tank 100 of the dehumidifier 1 from a user; obtain water level information about the water level in the water tank 100 of the dehumidifier 1; and output an electrical signal indicating a notification corresponding to the notification condition in response to the obtained water level information satisfying the received notification condition, wherein the received notification condition may differ from a full water level notification condition where the water level in the water tank reaches a full water level.
Outputting the electrical signal indicating the notification corresponding to the notification condition may comprising transmitting the electrical signal indicating the notification corresponding to the notification condition to the external device 2 and/or 3 via communication interface 400.
The external device 2 and/or 3 may output the notification corresponding to the notification condition in response to receiving the electrical signal indicating the notification corresponding to the notification condition from the dehumidifier 1.
Outputting the electrical signal indicating the notification corresponding to the notification condition may comprises controlling the output interface 302 to output the notification corresponding to the notification condition.
The output interface 302 may output the notification corresponding to the notification condition in response to the processor 201 outputting the electrical signal indicating the notification corresponding to the notification condition.
The received notification condition may include at least one of a first condition including the water level in the water tank 100 reaching a designated water level set by the user, a second condition including a defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank 100 being separated from the dehumidifier 1, or a third condition including a remaining water level in the water tank 100 being lower than an average usage water level.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: in a state in which the received notification condition includes the first condition, and in response to the water level in the water tank 100 reaching the designated water level, output the electrical signal indicating a designated water level reached notification.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: in a state in which the received notification condition includes the second condition, and in response to the defined period of time having elapsed while the water level in the water tank 100 is maintained over a defined water level, output the electrical signal indicating a water emptying recommendation notification.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: output the electrical signal indicating the water emptying recommendation notification in response to the defined period of time having elapsed without the water tank 100 being separated from the dehumidifier 1 after a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 ends.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: determine the average usage water level based on an amount of change in the water level in the water tank 100 from a start of a dehumidifying operation of the dehumidifier 1 to an end of the dehumidifying operation, and output the electrical signal indicating an expected operation stop notification in a state in which the received notification condition includes the third condition and in response to the water level in the water tank 100 being lower than the determined average usage water level.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: in response to the end of the dehumidifying operation, store the amount of change in water level in the water tank 100 from the start of the dehumidifying operation to the end of the dehumidifying operation in the memory 202 as one factor of a plurality of factors, and determine an average value of the plurality of factors stored in the memory 202 as the average usage water level.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: receive temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier 1, and determine the defined water level corresponding to the second condition based on the received temperature information and the received humidity information.
The at least one processor 201 may be configured to execute the at least one instruction to: receive temperature information and humidity information of air around the dehumidifier 1 and determine the defined period of time corresponding to the second condition based on the received temperature information and the received humidity information.
Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium that stores instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program codes, and when executed by a processor, the instructions may create a program module to perform operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.
The computer-readable recording medium may include all kinds of recording media storing instructions that may be interpreted by a computer. For example, the computer-readable recording medium may be read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disc, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, etc.
The computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the ‘non-transitory storage medium’ is a storage medium that is tangible device, and may not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium. For example, a ‘non-transitory storage medium’ may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.
According to an embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) online or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., downloadable app) may be stored at least semi-permanently or may be temporarily generated in a storage medium, such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.
Although embodiments of the disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, a person having ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate that other specific modifications may be easily made without departing from the technical spirit or essential features of the disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting in all aspects.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0183712 | Dec 2023 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under § 365 (c), of International Application No. PCT/KR2024/018616, filed on Nov. 22, 2024, which is based on and claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Number 10-2023-0183712, filed on Dec. 15, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2024/018616 | Nov 2024 | WO |
| Child | 18985404 | US |
