KR102609278B1 - Home appliance equipped with see-through window - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home appliance that allows the accommodation space provided inside to be viewed from the outside through a viewing window without opening the door.
The home appliance according to the present invention is equipped with a double door, and each door is equipped with a viewing window. When the user knocks on each door, the knock input by the user is detected and the interior of the receiving space is illuminated to reveal the inside of the receiving space through the viewing window. Make it visible from the outside.
As a result, the user can view the internal accommodation space through a simple operation without opening each door.

Description

Home appliance equipped with see-through window}

The present invention relates to home appliances, and more specifically, to home appliances equipped with a viewing window through which the interior space can be viewed from the outside.

Home appliances, such as cooking appliances, refrigerators, clothing processing devices, etc., that have doors and accommodate objects in an internal space are widely used.

These home appliances may be provided with an accommodating space for accommodating objects inside a cabinet forming the exterior and a door for opening and closing the accommodating space. Two or more doors may be provided as needed.

In general, the doors of home appliances are made opaque, so the objects contained within the accommodation space cannot be seen from the outside, so opening the doors is essential to check the objects.

In the case of home appliances such as refrigerators or ovens, when the door is opened to view the inside, cold or heat inside may leak out to the outside, causing unnecessary energy loss.

Meanwhile, some home appliances, such as ovens, washing machines, and dryers, are equipped with a viewing window on the door so that objects inside can be viewed through the window. However, the objects cannot be properly seen when the surrounding environment is dark or at night.

To solve this problem, Korean Patent Publication Nos. 10-2016-0150575 (Prior Document 1) and No. 10-2019-0001876 (Prior Document 2) allow the user to simply lightly tap on the door without opening the door. A home appliance in which a lamp that illuminates the interior of a space is turned on is disclosed.

The home appliance disclosed in Prior Literature 1 operates a lamp when a sound wave generated by a knock input applied to the door is detected through a sensor. In addition, the home appliance disclosed in Prior Literature 2 includes a sensor including a microphone unit, the microphone unit protrudes toward the external glass and is disposed to face the external glass, and receives a knock input through the external glass as a sound wave.

However, in the home appliances disclosed in Prior Documents 1 and 2, in order for the sound wave caused by the knock to reach the sensor, it must be formed as a single medium to maintain the identity and continuity of the medium for transmitting the sound wave between the knock location and the sensor location. Installation locations are very limited. Additionally, in the case of home appliances such as ovens, high-temperature heat is transmitted to the door, so when a sensor is attached to the door, there is a problem that the sensor malfunctions due to the high-temperature heat.

In particular, in the above prior literature, in addition to the vibration caused by the knock, various vibrations such as vibration of the refrigerator itself or vibration caused by other external forces may occur in the refrigerator, so it is not possible to distinguish the vibration caused by the knock from these other vibrations, resulting in false detection of the knock. Be aware of the problems that may arise, and in order to solve them, maintain the sameness of the medium between the location where the knock is applied and the installation location of the sound wave sensor.

In other words, when the identity of the media is not maintained, the attenuation width of sound waves transmitted along heterogeneous media is relatively large, so the intensity of the sound waves generated by impacts applied to other parts of the refrigerator other than the front panel is sufficiently attenuated. do.

When a knock input is detected by distinguishing sound waves caused by a knock applied to the front panel using the attenuation width of these sound waves, malfunctions due to shock or vibration applied to parts other than the front panel can be significantly reduced, and the sound wave signal By recognizing the knock input using the attenuation width, vibration that does not occur on the front panel is not recognized as a knock.

In this way, the above prior literature has to attach a sound wave sensor to the front panel, so the installation location of the sensor is limited, and a sound wave sensor is used to distinguish the knock signal generated from the front panel from vibration caused by other causes, but this sound wave sensor The use of has the following problems.

In addition, since the sensor detects sound waves, it detects the knock input by considering only the intensity and pattern of the sound wave caused by the knock, so there is a problem in that sound waves caused by factors other than the knock are mistakenly recognized as knocks.

In other words, the detection of sound waves does not take into account the direction of the location where the sound wave occurred, so it is not possible to determine where the sound wave occurred. Accordingly, the sound wave caused by a knock on the door and the sound wave caused by other factors at a location other than the door There is a problem with not being able to distinguish between. Therefore, even if a sound wave with a similar pattern and intensity as a knock is received, there is a problem that it is mistakenly detected as a knock.

In addition, in the case of home appliances with high internal temperatures, such as ovens, there is a problem that it is difficult to install them in a viewing window because the sensor may malfunction due to the heat transmitted to the viewing window. If the sensor is installed in a location other than the viewing window, the detection performance of the knock input may be affected. There is a problem with this deterioration.

Furthermore, a sensor that detects sound waves is installed by pressing it on the door, but there is a problem that the detection rate of the sensor varies depending on the degree of pressing. For example, when pressed strongly, the detection rate is lowered, and when pressed weakly, there is a problem in that it reacts to sound waves around the motor, etc.

In this way, in the past, when vibration sensors were used to detect knocks in home appliances, it was difficult to filter noise vibrations other than knocks, so sonic sensors were installed. Especially in cases where it is difficult to attach a sensor to a door due to high heat, such as in an oven, other Although a sensor must be installed in a location, there is a problem that the attenuation of sound wave transmission increases, making accurate detection difficult and filtering of noise signals difficult.

Meanwhile, in the case of recent home appliances, advanced functions for convenience of use are continuously being added, and operating devices that can operate many additional functions are being added to doors for multifunctionality. Accordingly, as the design and manufacturing of doors is becoming more complex, devices or elements for newly added functions are being installed in parts other than the door.

In particular, as the size of the viewing window and display mounted on the door continues to increase, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide free space in the door to additionally place devices such as sensors, elements, and modules for advanced functions. Due to these problems, the need to attach the devices in locations other than the door is emerging.

(Prior Document 1) Publication of Patent No. 10-2016-0150575 (Prior Document 2) Public Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0001876

As mentioned above, conventionally, vibration sensors can be used to detect knocks in home appliances, but it is difficult to distinguish vibrations caused by causes other than knocks and it is difficult to filter vibrations caused by other causes, so it is difficult to solve these problems. A sonic sensor was installed for this purpose. In addition, in cases where it is difficult to attach a sensor to a door due to high heat, such as in an oven, the sensor must be installed in a different location, but there is a problem in that the attenuation of sound wave transmission increases, making accurate detection difficult and filtering of noise signals difficult. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that solves the problems of the prior art.

Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that has no restrictions on the installation position of the sensor that detects vibration and can accurately determine vibration caused by a knock using vibration detection signals in three axes.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that allows a user to check the interior space through a viewing window without opening the door.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that illuminates an interior space by operating a lamp when a knock input by a user is detected.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance with a double door that distinguishes knocks applied to each door and turns on/off a lamp corresponding to that door.

The present invention provides a home appliance that can increase the discrimination power of the vibration detection signal for each door by placing an absorption member that absorbs and attenuates vibration between double doors to attenuate the vibration applied to the other door and accurately distinguish whether or not each door is vibrating. There is a purpose.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that can accurately detect whether a knock is input by considering the direction of vibration corresponding to the knock input.

The present invention detects vibration in each of the three axes and compares and analyzes the vibration signals corresponding to the vibrations in the three axes to clearly distinguish between vibration caused by knock and vibration caused by other factors, thereby improving detection performance for knock input. The purpose is to provide home appliances that can be improved.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that can accurately detect a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration caused by the knock by matching the direction of vibration caused by the knock with any one of the three axis directions.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that has a function of automatically correcting when the direction of vibration caused by a knock deviates from one of the three axis directions.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that has a function of automatically correcting detection error according to temperature to exclude the sensor that detects vibration caused by knocking from being affected by temperature.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that increases the accuracy of vibration detection by installing a sensor assembly that detects vibration caused by a knock on the handle located on the front part of the door.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that can prevent knock input detection performance from being deteriorated due to heat by installing a sensor that detects a knock input in a location that is not affected by heat.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that can control the on/off of a lamp according to a user's knock.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that prevents the lamp from turning on/off even if the user's knock is detected in certain exceptional situations, such as when the lamp is already turned on by touching the lamp button or when the knock-on function is turned off. there is.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that prevents the lamp from turning on/off even when a user's knock is detected when the door is open or the self-clean function is being performed.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving space and a door that opens and closes the front part of the receiving space to accommodate an object inside the cabinet forming the exterior, and a part of the door is equipped with a viewing window so that the user can see through the viewing window. It is possible to make the internal accommodation space visible from the outside.

Depending on where the receiving space is installed and the surrounding lighting of home appliances, the inside of the receiving space may not be visible even when viewed through a viewing window.

Accordingly, in the home appliance of the present invention, a lamp is installed inside the accommodation space to illuminate the inside of the accommodation space, or a lamp is installed outside the accommodation space and the interior is illuminated, thereby brightening the inside of the accommodation space so that the inside of the accommodation space is clearly visible. can do.

In the home appliance according to this embodiment, the operation of such a lamp is possible with a simple operation by the user.

That is, when the user knocks on the door, preferably the viewing window, the sensor assembly provided inside detects the vibration caused by the knock, and the control unit controls the on/off of the lamp based on the knock-on signal received from the sensor assembly. Let's do it.

Accordingly, when the user simply knocks on the door or viewing window, the vibration caused by the knock is sensed and the lamp illuminates the receiving space. This allows users to clearly see the inside of the accommodation space with just a simple movement.

Here, the sensor assembly may be installed on the door or at a location away from the door, and may detect vibration generated by a knock applied to a part of the door and transmitted through the same medium or a different medium. Therefore, in the home appliance of the present invention, the range can be expanded by selecting the installation location of the sensor assembly.

The control unit can turn the lamp on/off when vibration caused by a knock is detected in the sensor assembly.

At this time, the control unit may turn on the lamp when vibration due to a knock is detected in the sensor assembly while the lamp is off, and may turn off the lamp if vibration due to a knock is detected in the sensor assembly while the lamp is on. As a result, the user can turn the lamp on/off just by knocking, providing convenience in use.

Additionally, the control unit may automatically turn off the lamp when a set period of time elapses after the lamp is turned on. As a result, even if the user forgets to turn off the lamp while it is on, it is automatically turned off after a certain period of time, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption.

In the home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, the door may be installed at the front of the cabinet, and the sensor assembly may be installed at the rear or bottom of the cabinet. For example, it may be installed in the lower rear part.

In another embodiment, the sensor assembly may be installed on a handle formed on one side of the door. When the sensor assembly is installed in the handle, it is installed close to the door, so vibration detection performance is excellent and detection accuracy increases.

Also, the parts where the door and sensor assembly are installed may be made of the same material or may be made of different materials. In the case of different media, vibration caused by a knock applied to the door can be transmitted to the sensor assembly through a plurality of different media that are each physically connected.

In the present invention, the installation location of the sensor assembly is very important. If the home appliance is, for example, an oven, the oven cooks food using high heat, so if a sensor assembly is installed on the door or viewing window, there is a risk that vibration detection performance may be deteriorated due to the heat. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to install it away from the door.

At this time, in order to detect the vibration applied to the door by the sensor assembly, a plurality of parts that make up the home appliance are made of solid. These solid parts can be physically connected to each other and serve as a medium to transmit vibration.

Accordingly, vibration caused by a knock applied to the door can be transmitted to the sensor assembly through these plural media. This can prevent performance degradation of the sensor assembly due to extreme heat.

This sensor assembly detects a vibration detection signal corresponding to vibration, and can determine whether or not a knock is input based on this vibration detection signal. At this time, if a vibration detection signal exceeding a preset threshold is continuously detected at a certain time interval, it can be determined that a knock has been applied.

Generally, knocking takes the form of a “knock knock” sound at regular intervals. Accordingly, it is possible to determine whether vibration is caused by a knock based on the vibration detection signal corresponding to the knock and the vibration detection signal corresponding to a certain time interval. As a result, it is possible to easily determine whether vibration is caused by knocking.

Vibration due to knocking can occur only in the first axis direction among the three axis directions. For example, it can be done in only one direction among the x, y, and z axes. Therefore, determination of whether there is vibration due to knocking can be determined by considering the vibration detection signal of the first axis among the three axes.

The sensor assembly of the present invention can determine whether vibration is caused by a knock by comparing the pattern of the vibration detection signal corresponding to the plurality of detected vibrations with the pattern of the vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration caused by the preset knock.

The pattern of the vibration detection signal caused by the knock can be set in advance, and whether or not the knock has occurred can be determined by determining whether it is mapped to the basic pattern.

Meanwhile, the sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention can detect vibration transmitted in all directions. To this end, the sensor assembly may include a vibration sensor having multiple axes. In other words, vibration transmitted in multiple axial directions can be sensed using this vibration sensor.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, vibration transmitted in three axes is sensed, and vibration corresponding to a knock is sensed by combining vibration detection signals corresponding to the vibrations in these three axes.

Of course, the reliability of vibration detection by knocking can be improved by adding the number of vibration sensors to detect vibration transmitted in three or more axes.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example, a 3-axis sensor module that detects vibration transmitted in the 3-axis direction and generates a vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration transmitted in the 3-axis direction, and the 3-axis sensor module generates a vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration transmitted in the 3-axis direction It may include a sensor microcomputer that determines whether vibration is caused by a knock based on the vibration detection signal.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vibration sensor with multiple axes is used in a sensor assembly installed in a location other than the door to distinguish whether the vibration is caused by a knock on the door or a knock or movement in another part. use. Most preferably, 3 axes are used. For more precise control, more than 3 axes are possible, but vibration in all directions can be distinguished with 3 axes. In other words, no matter where a knock is input from any part of the home appliance, vibration in all directions in three dimensions can be detected.

At this time, one of the three axes is set to the direction in which vibration occurs due to the knock, and the vibrations of the remaining two axes are compared to determine whether the knock signal is generated from the door. Additionally, by detecting vibration in three axes, it is possible to detect vibration in all directions in three dimensions by combining these. Preferably, it can detect all directions in three dimensions with a 3-axis sensor module.

In another embodiment of the present invention, knock vibration can be detected using not only a 3-axis sensor but also a 2-axis or 1-axis sensor alone or in combination. In addition, by installing multiple 3-axis/2-axis/1-axis sensors in various locations, the knock direction and location can be detected by comparing the vibration detection signals detected by each sensor.

In another example, the sensor assembly optionally includes a filter unit that removes noise included in the vibration detection signal generated by the 3-axis sensor module, and an amplification unit that amplifies the vibration detection signal output from the filter unit and outputs it to the sensor microcomputer. It may also include more.

In one embodiment, the 3-axis sensor module includes three acceleration sensors, wherein the three acceleration sensors include a first acceleration sensor that detects vibration in a first axis direction among the three axis directions and a first acceleration sensor that detects vibration in a second axis direction. It may include a second acceleration sensor that detects vibration in the third axis direction, and a third acceleration sensor that detects vibration in the third axis direction.

At this time, one of the three acceleration sensors is installed so that the axial direction for detecting vibration coincides with the direction of vibration caused by the knock. In this way, the accuracy of detecting vibration caused by a knock can be increased by matching the direction and alignment of the vibration caused by the knock with the direction and alignment of one of the three axes.

Additionally, in another embodiment, the 3-axis sensor module may include a 3-axis acceleration sensor that simultaneously detects vibration in 3 axes. In this case, the 3-axis acceleration sensor detects the direction of any one of the 3 axes due to the knock. Be sure to install it to match the direction of vibration. Through this, the accuracy of vibration detection due to knock can be improved as described above.

In the home appliance of the present invention, the sensor microcomputer compares the pattern of the vibration detection signal generated by the 3-axis sensor module with the pattern of the vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration caused by the knock to determine whether the vibration is caused by the knock.

These 3-axis sensor modules and sensor microcomputers are mounted on one PCB, so the sensor assembly can be formed as an integrated module. And even if a filter unit and an amplifier unit are further included, all of them are mounted on the PCB, and the sensor assembly can be formed as an integrated module. In this way, since the sensor assembly can be formed in the form of a PCB module, it is easy to install and attach to home appliances, and installation can be simplified even when installed in existing home appliances. Additionally, the selection of installation locations for the sensor assembly can be expanded.

The sensor microcomputer of the present invention can extract a vibration detection signal in a set first direction among vibration detection signals in three axes and determine whether there is vibration in response to a knock using the extracted vibration detection signal in the first direction. This is because the vibration caused by the knock occurs in a first direction.

Additionally, the sensor microcomputer may determine that the vibration is caused by a knock if the vibration detection signal in the first direction is greater than the set first threshold and is greater than the set second threshold after the set time has elapsed. This is because when a knock is applied with a “knock knock,” the vibration corresponding to the “knock knock” signal appears above a certain level, and the size of the remaining signals is small. Therefore, if the vibration detection signal corresponding to “knock knock” is above the first and second threshold values, respectively, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by a knock.

In particular, in the sensor microcomputer, the size of the vibration detection signal by the 1st knock in the first direction is greater than the set first threshold, and after the set time has elapsed, the size of the vibration detection signal by the 2nd knock is greater than the set second threshold. If so, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by the knock.

In addition, the sensor microcomputer extracts a vibration detection signal in one axis direction (the first axis direction) that matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock among the vibration detection signals in the three axes and detects the extracted vibration detection signals and the other two. Vibration detection signals in the axial direction (second and third axes) are compared to determine whether there is vibration in response to the knock.

Here, the sensor microcomputer determines that if the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in at least one of the second or third axis directions is greater than the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in the first axis direction, the vibration is not caused by the knock. It can be judged that

The lamp of the present invention can be installed outside the accommodation space and illuminate the inside of the accommodation space, or can be installed inside the accommodation space and illuminate the inside of the accommodation space. At this time, since the temperature inside the receiving space is very high, it must be made of a material that is highly durable against high temperature heat.

In the present invention, it is possible to check some exceptions corresponding to specific conditions so that the lamp does not turn on even if the user's knock is detected. This is to preset some exception situations in which the lamp should not be turned on even if a knock is input for reasons of stability, energy saving, user convenience, etc.

These exceptions include: the door is open, self-cleaning is in progress, the door lock is set for a certain period of time after self-cleaning is completed, the lamp button is touched and the lamp is already on, and the knock-on function is turned off. , the lamp is blinking after preheating, etc. In these exceptional situations, the lamp is prevented from turning on/off despite the user's knock.

In the present invention, since a lamp on/off switch is provided, the on/off of the lamp can be controlled by the user's operation input.

In the present invention, rather than a conventional sensor that does not consider the direction of vibration caused by a knock or sound waves, a 3-axis sensor module that detects vibration in all directions in three dimensions is used to distinguish vibration caused by a knock from vibration caused by other causes. Ensures accuracy and reliability for vibration detection.

A home appliance equipped with a viewing window according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.

First, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the inside of the accommodation space that accommodates the object can be viewed through the viewing window without opening the door that opens or closes the accommodation space.

Second, according to the home appliance of the present invention, when a user knocks on the home appliance, the user's knock is detected and a lamp installed inside the receiving space illuminates the inside of the receiving space so that the user can see the inside through a viewing window from the outside. It can provide convenience.

Third, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the lamp corresponding to the door to which the knock was applied can be turned on/off by distinguishing the knock applied to one or more doors of the double door.

Fourth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the discrimination power of the vibration detection signal for each door can be improved by arranging an absorption member between the double doors to absorb and attenuate the vibration applied to the other door.

Fifth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, since vibration transmitted through the solid medium that makes up the home appliance is detected, even a small knock can be accurately detected.

Sixth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, since the direction of vibration generated by the user's knock input is considered, it is possible to distinguish between the direction of vibration caused by the knock and the direction of vibration caused by other factors, so it is possible to accurately detect whether or not there is a knock. there is.

Seventh, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the location of the sensor for detecting vibration caused by a knock input is not limited to the door and can be installed in various locations, so there are no restrictions on the installation location of the sensor and there is a wide range of choices regarding the installation location. This is wide.

Eighth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, vibrations in a plurality of axial directions are independently detected and vibration signals corresponding to the vibrations in a plurality of axial directions are compared and analyzed to clearly identify vibration caused by knocking and vibration caused by other factors. By distinguishing between knock inputs, detection performance is excellent.

Ninth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, a sensor that detects vibration in a plurality of axial directions matches the direction of occurrence of vibration caused by a knock with any one of the plurality of axial directions to generate a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration caused by the knock. It can be detected accurately.

Tenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the accuracy of knock detection is improved because it has a function to automatically correct when the direction of vibration caused by a knock is misaligned with one of the plurality of axial directions of the sensor that detects vibration. .

Eleventh, according to the home appliance of the present invention, vibration occurring in a three-dimensional axial direction can be detected, and among these three-dimensional axial vibration, the direction of vibration caused by a knock and the direction of vibration caused by other factors can be distinguished. Therefore, the accuracy of knock detection is improved.

Twelfth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the detection error according to the temperature of the sensor that detects the vibration caused by the knock is automatically corrected, so the influence of the temperature can be excluded, thereby improving the accuracy of the knock detection.

Thirteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the accuracy of vibration detection can be increased by installing a sensor assembly that detects vibration caused by a knock on the handle installed on the front part of the door.

Fourteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the sensor that detects the knock input is installed in a location that is not affected by heat, thereby preventing the knock input detection performance of the sensor, such as an oven, from being deteriorated due to heat.

Fifteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, for example, vibration caused by a knock can be distinguished from vibration caused by other factors using a three-axis acceleration sensor, so the detection performance for the knock input can be improved.

Sixteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the location of the sensor for detecting a knock input is not limited to the door and can be applied to various locations.

Seventeenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the sensor that detects vibration caused by knocking is implemented in a module form, so installation is easy, structural changes for installation can be minimized, and vibration caused by knock can be precisely analyzed. .

Eighteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the on/off of the lamp can be controlled according to the knock, making it convenient to use and efficient use of power.

Nineteenth, according to the home appliance of the present invention, the user can operate the lamp in the internal accommodation space of the home appliance by simply knocking without pressing the on/off switch of the lamp disposed on the upper surface.

Twenty, according to the home appliance of the present invention, as the size of the viewing window or display mounted on the door is increasing, a device such as a sensor that detects vibration can be installed in a location other than the door, so the device can be placed on the door. There is no need to provide additional space for this.

Twenty-first, according to the home appliance of the present invention, even if a knock is input in certain exceptional situations, it can be set to ignore the knock input, thereby providing safety and convenience of use of the home appliance. In particular, in a state in which the lamp is already turned on by touching the lamp button, the knock-on function is turned off, and the lamp is in self-cleaning state, the lamp can be prevented from turning on/off despite the user's knock input.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects and will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is an exemplary diagram showing the appearance of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exemplary view in which the door of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention has been removed.
Figure 3 is an example of a button displayed on the display unit of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is an example of a sensor assembly installed in a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a front view of a home appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an exemplary arrangement of first and second sensor assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a configuration diagram of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the arrangement of a 3-axis sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the arrangement of a 3-axis sensor module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 and 12 are exemplary diagrams of vibration detection signals detected by a 3-axis sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 is an example diagram showing the alignment between the direction of one axis of the three-axis sensor module and the direction of vibration due to knocking according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 14 is a flow chart showing the operation of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 15 is a flow chart showing the operation of a home appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 16 is an example of a vibration detection signal for explaining whether vibration is detected in the first and second sensor assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 17 is an example of a vibration detection signal for explaining vibration caused by a knock in a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 18 and 19 are examples of vibration detection signals caused by knocking in home appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 20 is a flow chart showing the operation of a home appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 21 is a graph of experimental results of a vibration detection signal to explain detection of a knock input in a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 22 and 23 are graphs of experimental results of a vibration detection signal to explain non-detection of a knock input in a home appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are merely provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to be understood by those skilled in the art. It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Before explaining the home appliance according to the present invention, the home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention has an accommodating space formed inside, such as a cooking appliance, refrigerator, dryer, washing machine, etc., and a viewing window is mounted on the door that opens and closes the accommodating space. It can be any home appliance that allows the interior of the accommodation space to be viewed from the outside.

Therefore, the inside of the receiving space is accessible by opening the door that opens and closes the receiving space, and the inside of the receiving space is closed by closing the door, making it impossible to access the inside of the receiving space, and accessing the inside of the receiving space is impossible through the viewing window mounted on the door. It is clearly stated that any home appliance that can see the inside of the accommodation space can be applied to the present invention.

In addition, in the following description of the home appliance according to the present invention, if a specific form or structure is necessary, a cooking appliance will be described as an example for convenience of explanation. However, as mentioned above, the home appliance according to the present invention is not limited to these cooking appliances.

A home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The exterior of the home appliance 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed by the cabinet 10. The cabinet 10 may have an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may have various other shapes.

In addition, since the cabinet 10 must have a certain strength required to protect the multiple components installed inside, it can be made of various materials suitable for this.

In addition, although not shown, if the home appliance according to the present invention is a cooking appliance, a device such as a cooktop unit 60 for cooking food as an open cooking appliance may be further provided on the upper surface 11 of the cabinet 10. . However, the present invention is not limited to this.

Inside the cabinet 10, two or more receiving spaces 23 and 32 of a certain size may be formed. Each of these accommodation spaces 23 and 32 can be a space where objects are stored.

For example, if the home appliance 1 is a cooking appliance, the accommodation spaces 23 and 32 may be a cooking room. This galley can be used as a space where containers containing food ingredients are placed and food is cooked.

As another example, when the home appliance 1 is a refrigerator, the accommodation spaces 23 and 32 may be storage rooms such as a freezer or refrigerator, and the freezer or refrigerator may be a space where food is stored and stored.

Of course, as other examples, dishwashers, washing machines, and clothing treatment devices may also have an accommodating space formed inside them, and this accommodating space can accommodate dishes, clothing, etc.

These accommodation spaces 23 and 32 may be formed in two or more numbers. For convenience, the drawing shows an example in which a first accommodation space 23 at the top and a second accommodation space 32 at the bottom are formed. Of course, the plurality of accommodation spaces 23 and 32 may be divided into left and right sides.

Meanwhile, a door 40 may be installed in the receiving spaces 23 and 32 to open and close one open side of the receiving spaces 23 and 32, preferably the front side.

The door 40 may be composed of a first door 20 that opens and closes the first accommodation space 23, and a second door 30 that opens and closes the second accommodation space 32. The first door 20 and the second door 30 may, for example, be implemented as a rotary or drawer type.

In this embodiment, the first door 20 and the second door 30 are rotatably configured to rotate in a predetermined direction to open or shield the internal space of the first accommodating space 23 and the second accommodating space 32. It can be configured.

For example, when the top of the first door 20 rotates downward around the bottom, the first accommodation space 23 is opened. Conversely, when the upper end of the first door 20 rotates upward around the bottom, the second accommodation space 23 opens. ) is shielded. The second door 30 may also operate in the same manner.

Although not shown in the drawings, the home appliance 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided with components for performing unique functions.

For example, in the case of an oven, various heating means for heating the cooking chamber may be provided as the receiving spaces 23 and 32. As another example, in the case of a refrigerator, the accommodation spaces 23 and 32 may be provided with a refrigerant cycle for generating cold air to be supplied to the refrigerator or freezer. Of course, home appliances such as dishwashers, dryers, etc. may also be equipped with components to perform each unique function.

First and second viewing windows 21 and 31 may be installed on the first and second doors 20 and 30, respectively. Each of these viewing windows 21 and 31 may have the same configuration.

For example, the viewing windows 21 and 31 may be formed integrally with the first and second doors 20 and 30, or, as another example, may be separately mounted on the central portion of the first and second doors 20 and 30. When formed as one piece, parts of the first and second doors 20 and 30 can be formed as see-through doors.

The first and second viewing windows 21 and 31 may be made of a transparent material that allows the inside to be viewed from the outside. For example, it can be implemented with glass, transparent plastic, etc. Depending on the home appliance to which it is applied, it may need to be formed to withstand high temperatures and pressures, and functions such as waterproofing and heat dissipation may also be required.

A display unit 50 may be installed on one side of the upper part 11 of the cabinet 10.

The display unit 50 can display status information of the home appliance 1 and the progress of functions for operations.

The display unit 50 is intended to visually and audibly express information related to the home appliance 1, and may include a flat display and a speaker. Specifically, the display unit 50 may be formed as a touch panel that receives a user's touch input.

The display unit 50 according to this embodiment may display a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the operation of the home appliance 1.

Specifically, the display unit 50 includes a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, 3 It may include at least one of 3D displays.

When the display unit 50 and a touch sensor that detects a touch operation form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 50 can be used as an input device in addition to an output device. The touch sensor may take the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, or a touch pad.

Additionally, such a touch sensor may be configured to convert changes in pressure applied to a specific part of the display or capacitance generated in a specific part of the display unit 50 into an electrical input signal.

The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the location and area of the touch, but also the pressure at the time of touch. When there is a touch input to the touch sensor, a corresponding signal may be sent to a touch controller (not shown).

A plurality of buttons may be displayed on the display unit 50, as in the example shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the button includes a knock-on button 51 for automatically turning on/off the lamps 160 and 161 installed inside the receiving space 23 and 32 by the user's knock, and the lamps 160 and 161. A lamp button (52) to set the function to manually turn on/off, and a self-clean button (53) to set the self-clean function of the receiving space (23, 32), which is the cooking room, when the home appliance (1) is an oven. ), etc. may be displayed.

When the user touches the knock-on button 51 displayed on the display unit 50 once, the knock-on function is turned on, and when the user touches it again, the knock-on function is turned off.

The knock-on function is a function that turns on/off the lamps 160 and 161 by the user's knock. That is, when the knock-on function is turned on, the lamps 160 and 161 can be automatically turned on/off when the user knocks. Conversely, when the knock-on function is turned off, the lamps 160 and 161 do not turn on/off even when the user knocks.

Therefore, when the user wants to use the knock-on function, the knock-on function can be turned on, and when the user does not want to use the knock-on function, the knock-on function can be turned off.

Additionally, the lamp button 52 is used to manually turn on/off the lamps 160 and 161 by the user, rather than by the user's knock. That is, when the user touches the lamp button 52 displayed on the display unit 50 once, the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on, and when the user touches the lamp button 52 once more, the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off.

At this time, in this embodiment, when the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on by touching the lamp button 52, the lamps 160 and 161 do not turn off even if the user knocks. That is, the knock-on function does not operate when the user manually touches the lamp button 52 to turn on the lamps 160 and 161.

This is because if a knock is input while the user manually turns on the lamps 160 and 161 to check the inside, the intended work cannot be performed if the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off. However, when the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off by touching the lamp button 52, the knock-on function operates and the lamps 160 and 161 can be turned on by the user's knock. Of course, if a knock is input again after that, the lamps 160 and 161 can be turned off.

In another embodiment, a self-clean button 53 may be displayed on the display 50. Self-clean may include functions such as automatically disinfecting and cleaning the accommodation space (23, 32). During this self-cleaning process, the knock-on function can be set to not work. In this case, the lamps 160 and 161 do not turn on/off even when a knock is input by the user.

In the drawing, three buttons are shown as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Additional buttons for other additional functions may be displayed, and touching the button may perform the corresponding function. Additionally, the knock-on function may or may not be activated in response to the corresponding function.

Additionally, a plurality of buttons may be installed separately for each door (20, 30) and accommodation space (23, 32). For example, by touching one lamp button 52, each lamp 160, 161 of the two accommodation spaces 23 and 32 can be turned on/off at the same time, and two lamp buttons corresponding to each accommodation space 23 and 32 ( 52) may be separately provided to turn on/off the lamp 160 or 161 corresponding to the corresponding accommodation space 23 or 32 by touching each lamp button 52.

A lever operating unit 62 may be installed on the front of the cabinet 10. The lever operation unit 62 is for setting various functions for the operations of the home appliance (1). For example, operating temperature, operating time, etc. can be set. The lever operation unit 61 can operate the cooktop unit 60 disposed at the top.

A control unit 150 that controls the overall operation of the home appliance 1 may be installed. In this embodiment, the control unit 150 may be installed inside the panel where the display unit 50 is installed.

Of course, the location of the control unit 150 is not limited to this. This control unit 150 may include a microprocessor mounted on a main printed circuit board (PCB), and may preferably be mounted on the main PCB in the form of an IC chip.

The control unit 150 can receive the setting value set by the lever operation unit 62 and control functions corresponding to the setting value. For example, the internal temperature of the receiving spaces 23 and 32 can be adjusted to the set temperature by controlling the heating means (not shown) installed inside according to the set temperature. Additionally, the control unit 150 can display the set temperature and the current internal temperature.

Meanwhile, as shown in the drawing, a plurality of sensor assemblies 110a and 110b may be installed on one side of the cabinet 10. However, the installation location of the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b is not limited to this. For example, it may be installed in a position adjacent to the doors 20 and 30, and may also be installed in the lower front part of the cabinet 10, the upper front/rear part, and the operation panel assembly 50.

However, in this embodiment, the first and second sensor assemblies 110a and 110b are installed at positions corresponding to the first and second doors 20 and 30, respectively. That is, the first sensor assembly 110a is installed adjacent to the first door 20, and the second sensor assembly 110b is installed adjacent to the second door 30.

In this embodiment, the first sensor assembly 110a is preferably installed closer to the first door 20 than the second door 30, and the second sensor assembly 110b is installed closer to the first door 20. It is installed in a position closer to the second door 30.

For example, when looking at the first and second doors 20 and 30 from the front of the home appliance 1, the first sensor assembly 110a is installed at the rear of the first door 20, and the second sensor assembly ( 110b) is installed at the rear of the second door 30.

As shown in the drawing, based on the virtual horizontal plane formed between the first and second doors 20 and 30, the first sensor assembly 110a is installed at the upper part of the horizontal plane, and the second sensor assembly 110b is installed at the lower part of the horizontal plane. will be.

If, in another embodiment, the first and second doors 20 and 30 are arranged left and right, the first and second doors 20 and 30 are placed on the left and right, respectively, based on the virtual vertical plane formed between the first and second doors 20 and 30. 2 Sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) are arranged.

At this time, in the case of some home appliances, specific temperature and pressure may affect the vibration detection performance of the sensor assembly (110a, 110b), so taking this into consideration, it is recommended that they be installed in a location where temperature and pressure do not affect the vibration detection performance. desirable.

For example, when the home appliance 1 is an oven, the doors 20 and 30 may receive significant heat from the inside of the cooking chamber due to high temperature heat. Accordingly, rather than installing the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b directly on the doors 20 and 30, it is better to install them in another location where the effects of heat and pressure are less.

However, when installing the sensor assembly (110a, 110b) in the existing home appliance (1), in order to minimize structural changes to the existing home appliance (1) and to easily install the sensor assembly (110a, 110b), the cabinet (10) It is preferable to install it on the back or inside both side parts.

This can be done by temporarily removing the cover 24 formed on the back or both side surfaces of the cabinet 10, mounting each sensor assembly 110a and 110b, and then mounting the cover 24 again. This makes installation very simple and removal can also be done easily.

4 and 6 show an example in which the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b are installed at the rear of each door 20 and 30 of the home appliance 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) can be installed virtually anywhere in the home appliance (1).

As shown, the first sensor assembly 110a is installed closer to the first door 20 than the second door 30 (d11<<d12), and the second sensor assembly 110b is installed closer to the first door 20. ) is installed closer to the second door 30 (d22<<d21).

The reason is that the first sensor assembly 110a more accurately detects the vibration caused by the knock applied to the first door 20, and the second sensor assembly 110b detects the vibration caused by the knock applied to the second door 20. This is for more accurate detection.

Specifically, when vibration is generated by a knock applied to each door (20, 30), the vibration is transmitted to the first and second sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) through the solid parts constituting the home appliance (1). At this time, the first and second sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can detect all vibrations caused by a knock applied to either the first door 20 or the second door 20.

That is, the first sensor assembly 110a can detect not only the vibration caused by the knock applied to the first door 20, but also the vibration caused by the knock applied to the second door 30. Conversely, the second sensor assembly 110b can also detect vibration caused by a knock applied to the first door 20 as well as vibration caused by a knock applied to the second door 30.

Since these vibrations are attenuated while propagating, the intensity of the vibration is inversely proportional to the propagation distance. Accordingly, the intensity of vibration detected by the first and second sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) is the first and second sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) due to the respective distance differences between the first and second sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) and the first and second doors (20, 30). ,2 It varies for each door (20,30).

That is, when a knock is applied to the first door 20, a relatively large vibration is detected in the first sensor assembly 110a located close to the first door 20, and the second sensor assembly 110a located far from the first door 20 is detected. Relatively small vibration is detected in the sensor assembly 110b.

Accordingly, the first and second sensor assemblies (110a and 110b) can determine which of the first and second doors (20 and 30) the knock was applied by checking the intensity of the sensed vibration.

Specifically, if the magnitude of the detected vibration is greater than the set standard value, the first sensor assembly 110a determines that the vibration is caused by a knock applied to the first door 20, and if it is less than the standard value, the first sensor assembly 110a determines that the vibration is caused by a knock applied to the first door 20. It is determined that the vibration is not caused by . In this case, depending on the characteristics of the vibration, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by a knock on the second door 30.

Conversely, if the magnitude of the detected vibration is greater than the set standard value, the second sensor assembly 110b determines that the vibration is caused by a knock applied to the second door 30, and if it is less than the standard value, the second sensor assembly 110b determines that the vibration is caused by a knock applied to the second door 30. It is judged that it is not caused by vibration. In this case, depending on the characteristics of the vibration, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by a knock on the first door 20.

At this time, when viewing the home appliance 1 from the front, the greater the absolute distance to the positions of the first and second sensor assemblies 110a and 110b relative to the boundary surfaces of the first and second doors 20 and 30, the more advantageous it is to reduce vibration. The accuracy of detection is improved. In particular, it is advantageous in determining whether or not there is a knock when they are placed in positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the boundary surface.

What is important is that when the first door 20 is knocked, a greater vibration is detected in the first sensor assembly (110a) than in the second sensor assembly (110b), and when the second door 30 is knocked, the first sensor is detected. The positions of the two sensor assemblies (110a and 110b) must be determined so that greater vibration is sensed in the second sensor assembly (110b) than in the assembly (110a).

More preferably, when the first door 20 is knocked, the vibration detection signal from the first sensor assembly 110a is greater than the reference value (Zth0), and the vibration detection signal from the second sensor assembly 110b is greater than the reference value (Zth0). ), and at the same time, when the second door 30 is knocked, the vibration detection signal from the second sensor assembly (110b) is greater than the reference value (Zth0), and the vibration detection signal from the first sensor assembly (110a) is The positions of the two sensor assemblies must be determined so that they are smaller than the reference value (Zth0).

Meanwhile, in another embodiment, as shown in the example shown in FIG. 5, an absorption member 70 that absorbs and attenuates transmitted vibration may be installed between the first door 20 and the second door 30. At this time, the first sensor assembly 110a and the second sensor assembly 110b are disposed in areas opposite to each other with the absorption member 70 interposed therebetween.

For example, when the first and second doors 20 and 30 are arranged vertically and partitioned and the absorption member 70 is disposed between the first and second doors 20 and 30, the first sensor assembly 110a is the absorption member 70. On one side of the upper part of (70), the second sensor assembly (110b) is disposed on one side of the lower part of the absorption member (70).

In this case, the vibration generated in the first door 20 is smoothly transmitted to the first sensor assembly 110a, so a large vibration detection signal is generated, but the vibration is attenuated by the absorption member 70 disposed in the middle. Therefore, the vibration does not occur smoothly in the second sensor assembly 110b, and the vibration detection signal becomes small.

For the same reason, in the case of vibration generated in the second door 30, the second sensor assembly 110b generates a large vibration detection signal, but the first sensor assembly 110a generates a small vibration detection signal.

Since the large vibration detection signal is larger than the set reference value (Zth0) and the small vibration detection signal is smaller than the reference value (Zth0), through this, it is possible to determine which door among the first and second doors (20 and 30) the vibration occurred, and which door. It is possible to determine whether a knock is input.

In order to enable the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b to be installed in various locations, in this embodiment, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b may be manufactured in the form of an integrated module. In this way, if the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) are manufactured in the form of an integrated module, installation in the home appliance (1) can be simplified and the range of options for installation location can be expanded.

The sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) can detect a knock input applied to the home appliance (1). Specifically, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b are sensors that detect vibration propagated by a medium, and detect when vibration generated by a knock is transmitted through the medium.

These sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) can detect not only vibration caused by knocking, but also vibration caused by other factors. However, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b of this embodiment can be manufactured to specifically distinguish and detect vibration caused by a knock input by the user.

That is, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can accurately distinguish between vibration caused by a knock input by the user and vibration caused by other factors. This can detect vibration caused by a user's knock by detecting that the detected vibration is a specific pattern.

In this embodiment, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b include, for example, a 3-axis sensor module 111, a sensor microcomputer 114, and a memory 115. In another example, the sensor assembly 110 may further include a filter unit 112 and an amplification unit 113.

As shown in Figure 9, the three-axis sensor module 111 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one three-axis acceleration sensor that simultaneously senses vibration transmitted in three axes directions orthogonal to each other.

A 3-axis acceleration sensor can detect 3-axis components of acceleration (can be expressed as x, y, and z axes for convenience of explanation) with one sensor. In this embodiment, the three-axis acceleration sensor can detect minute changes in movement (acceleration) of the medium due to vibration in three axes directions orthogonal to each other.

As shown in Figure 10, the three-axis sensor module 111 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include three independent acceleration sensors. In detail, these three acceleration sensors are a first acceleration sensor (111a) that detects vibration in the first axis direction among the three axes orthogonal to each other, a second acceleration sensor (111b) that detects vibration in the second axis direction, and a third acceleration sensor (111b) that detects vibration in the second axis direction. It may include a third acceleration sensor 111c that detects vibration in the axial direction.

Since the home appliance 1 has a plurality of large and small different solid parts physically coupled to each other, the vibration caused by knocking can be transmitted to other parts of the home appliance 1 using these solid parts as a medium.

That is, in this embodiment, vibration in the home appliance 1 may be transmitted through different media. In detail, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b may be installed on the first and second doors 20 and 30, respectively, but may also be installed at other locations away from these doors 20 and 30.

At this time, even when installed at a location away from the doors 20 and 30, vibration generated from the doors 20 and 30 can be transmitted to the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b through a plurality of solid media connected to each other. Accordingly, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can generate specific signals (hereinafter referred to as vibration detection signals) corresponding to vibrations transmitted through different media.

Meanwhile, Figures 9 and 10 show one 3-axis acceleration sensor and three acceleration sensors according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In another embodiment of the present invention, the number of acceleration sensors can be adjusted. The more acceleration sensors there are, the better the accuracy of vibration detection can be.

However, in a preferred embodiment, vibration in all three dimensions can be detected using a three-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting vibration in three axes or a combination of three acceleration sensors.

Additionally, in another embodiment of the present invention, a 1-axis acceleration sensor that detects vibration in one axis direction and a 2-axis acceleration sensor that detects vibration in two axes directions can also be applied. In this case, it is important to match the direction of vibration caused by the knock applied to the door and the axial direction of the acceleration sensor.

The sensor assembly 110 may include at least one selected from the filter unit 112 and the amplification unit 113, if necessary.

In the sensor assembly 110, the vibration detection signal may include unnecessary noise in addition to the vibration detection signal due to the knock input, and the filter unit 112 can remove such noise. The signal from which noise has been removed by the filter unit 112 may be amplified through the amplification unit 113. And the amplified signal can be input to the sensor microcomputer 114.

The memory 115 stores identification information of the corresponding sensor assembly. Identification information is unique information that distinguishes the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b. When necessary, the sensor microcomputer 114 can read the identification information stored in the memory 115 and transmit it to the outside.

The sensor microcomputer 114 may be configured separately from the control unit 150 and can determine whether the vibration is caused by a knock input by the user based on the signal output from the amplification unit 113. If it is determined that the vibration is caused by a knock input by the user, a knock-on signal is transmitted to the control unit 150.

At this time, when the sensor microcomputer 114 transmits the knock-on signal to the control unit 150, it also transmits the unique identification information of the corresponding sensor assembly stored in the memory 115. Preferably, identification information is included in the knock-on signal and transmitted.

Accordingly, when the knock-on signal is received, the control unit 150 determines that the user has knocked on the door, checks the identification information included in the knock-on signal to determine which sensor assembly detected the knock, and finally Check which door the knock was entered on.

When the door on which a knock has been input is confirmed, the control unit 150 turns on/off the lamps 160 and 161 installed inside the receiving space of the corresponding door.

The 3-axis sensor module 111, sensor microcomputer 114, and memory 115 can be mounted on one PCB board and can be composed of sensor assemblies 110a and 110b in the form of an integrated module together with the PCB board. In addition, in another embodiment, when the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) additionally include a filter unit 112 and an amplification unit 113, the three-axis sensor module 111, a filter unit 112, and an amplification unit 113 ), the sensor microcomputer 114 and the memory 115 may be mounted on one PCT board and constitute a sensor assembly 110 in the form of an integrated module together with the PCB board.

As the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b are implemented in the form of an integrated module, they can be easily installed, attached, and removed from any part of the home appliance 1 according to this embodiment. The installation and attachment positions of the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b may be determined in various ways.

When the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) are installed on the handle portions (25, 26) formed on one side of the front part of the doors (20, 30), when a knock is applied to the doors (20, 30), the vibration caused by the knock is more accurately transmitted. It can be detected. In this case, it is desirable to place an insulating material (not shown) around the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b to minimize the effect of heat.

As such, in this embodiment, the parts where the doors 20 and 30 and the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b are installed may be made of different media. Accordingly, the vibration caused by the knock applied to the doors 20 and 30 may be transmitted to the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b through a plurality of media that are physically connected to each other.

Here, a plurality of solid components that are physically connected to each other while constituting the home appliance 1 may serve as the medium.

When a signal indicating that vibration due to a knock has been detected (hereinafter referred to as a knock-on signal) is received from the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b, specifically the sensor microcomputer 114, the control unit 150 uses lamps 160 and 161. ) can be turned on/off.

Turning on the lamps 160 and 161 means supplying power to the lamps 160 and 161 so that the lamps 160 and 161 can brightly illuminate the inside of each receiving space 23 and 32, and turning off the lamps 160 and 161 means supplying power to the lamps 160 and 161. This means that power is not supplied to the lamps 160 and 161 so that they do not operate.

The lamps 160 and 161 can be lighting devices that can brightly illuminate the interior of each receiving space 23 and 32. For example, it may include an LED module. These lamps 160 and 161 can be turned on/off by a control signal from the control unit 150, respectively.

In this embodiment, the lamps 160 and 161 are installed outside each receiving space 23 and 32 to provide lighting toward the inside of each receiving space 23 and 32, or are installed inside the receiving space 23 and 32. It can have a structure that is

In addition, these lamps 160 and 161 can use various light-emitting devices, and any conventionally known light-emitting device can be configured and used in various forms without limitation.

The operation of the home appliance 1 according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

When a user knocks on the door (20, 30) of the home appliance (1) according to the present invention, the knocked portion becomes a vibration generator, and vibration due to the knock may occur in that portion.

The vibration generated in this way can be transmitted to the entire area of the home appliance (1) through a plurality of media made up of solid parts that make up the home appliance (1). Therefore, these vibrations can also be transmitted to the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b installed in a portion of the home appliance 1.

The sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) generate a vibration detection signal corresponding to the transmitted vibration, and determine whether the transmitted vibration is vibration caused by the user's knock input or vibration due to another cause based on the generated vibration detection signal. It can be determined. In addition, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can determine which door 20 or 30 the transmitted vibration is caused by a knock.

When the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) determine whether the transmitted vibration is a vibration caused by a user's knock input, and if the vibration is a vibration caused by a knock input, which door (20, 30) is the vibration caused by a knock, the user's identification information A knock-on signal including can be transmitted to the control unit 150. Accordingly, when a knock-on signal is received, the control unit 150 can check the identification information included in the knock-on signal and control the corresponding lamp 160 to be turned on/off.

If the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b determine that the transmitted vibration is not a vibration caused by a user's knock input, the knock-on signal is not transmitted to the control unit 150. Then, the control unit 150 does not turn on/off the lamps 160 and 161 because the knock-on signal is not received.

In this way, in the home appliance 1 of the present invention, when a user's knock is detected while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off, the lamps 160 and 161 can be turned on. Conversely, if a user's knock input is detected while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on, the control unit 150 may turn the lamps 160 and 161 off.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when vibration caused by a user's knock is detected, the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on to illuminate the inside of the receiving space 23 and 32, so that the user can use the viewing window 21 mounted on the door 20 or 30. 31) so that the inside can be seen from the outside.

In addition, when the user knocks again while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on, the vibration caused by the knock is detected and the lamps 160 and 161 are automatically turned off, providing convenience of use.

As a result, the user can turn on/off the lamps 160 and 161 in the accommodation spaces 23 and 32 just by knocking, and the inside of each accommodation space 23 and 32 of the home appliance 1 without opening the doors 20 and 30. You can check it.

Hereinafter, the 3-axis sensor module 111 will be described in more detail.

The three-axis sensor module 111 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in a plate shape with a certain thickness, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be implemented in various shapes such as a hexahedron.

As shown in FIG. 9, in one embodiment of the present invention, the three-axis sensor module 111 can be implemented as a single three-axis acceleration sensor 111' that simultaneously senses vibration in three axes. In other words, vibration transmitted in three axes directions is simultaneously detected by one three-axis acceleration sensor 111'.

As shown in FIG. 10, in another embodiment of the present invention, the 3-axis sensor module 111 includes three acceleration sensors independent of each other, and these three acceleration sensors detect vibration in the first axis direction among the three axis directions. It may include a first acceleration sensor (111a), a second acceleration sensor (111b) that detects vibration in the second axis direction, and a third acceleration sensor (111c) that detects vibration in the third axis direction. In the drawing, for example, the first, second, and third axes are indicated as x, y, and z axes.

Representative examples of these acceleration sensors 111', 111a, 111b, and 111c include capacitive acceleration sensors, piezoelectric acceleration sensors, and piezoresistive acceleration sensors, and the present invention is not limited to any one method.

The three-axis sensor module 111 can detect vibration in three axes, that is, the x, y, and z axes orthogonal to each other. Vibration detection in the x, y, and z axes can be performed independently and simultaneously.

Additionally, these acceleration sensors (111', 111a, 111b, and 111c) can be mounted on the PCB board 170, and the PCB board 170 includes other components, namely, the filter unit 112 and the amplification unit 113. ), sensor microcomputer 114, and memory 115 may also be mounted. As a result, the PCB board 170 on which the above components are mounted can be implemented in the form of an integrated module.

There may be various types of vibration that can be applied to the home appliance (1). For example, there may be vibration generated from an internally mounted motor, heating means, refrigeration cycle, etc. Alternatively, vibration may be generated when people inadvertently bump into or randomly tap around the home appliance (1). Vibration may even be caused by stepping on the home appliance (1) when passing by.

Considering the number of various cases of vibration, the present invention must be able to distinguish vibration caused by a knock input by the user from vibration caused by other factors for the purpose of checking the inside through the viewing window 21.

To achieve this, it is necessary to increase the ability to discriminate between vibrations caused by knocking and vibrations caused by other factors. In other words, the discrimination power between the vibration detection signal corresponding to vibration caused by a knock and the vibration detection signal corresponding to vibration caused by other factors must be increased.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the three-axis sensor module 111 is composed of three independent first, second, and third acceleration sensors (111a ~ c) as described above, one of these three acceleration sensors is an acceleration sensor. It is important to install it so that the axial direction for detecting vibration matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock.

In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention, when the 3-axis sensor module 111 consists of one 3-axis acceleration sensor 111', any one of the 3 axis directions of the 3-axis acceleration sensor 111' knocks. It is important to install it to match the direction of vibration.

Figure 13 shows an example in which the x-axis direction among the x-, y-, and z-axis directions coincides with the direction of vibration caused by a knock. In this way, by adjusting the alignment between any one of the three axes and the direction of vibration, vibration caused by knocking can be detected more clearly and accurately, and through this, it can be distinguished from vibration proceeding in other y- and z-axis directions. make it possible

As described above, alignment between the axial direction for detecting vibration and the direction of vibration is very important in the present invention. The direction of vibration generated by a knock may be determined depending on which direction the knock is performed on the cabinet 10.

For example, when a knock is made on the front part (e.g., door) of the cabinet 10, the direction of vibration caused by the knock occurs in only one axis direction. This means that the vibration transmitted in the other axis direction is not the vibration generated at the front.

Assuming that the direction of vibration due to the knock applied to the front part is in the .

Since the vibration detected in the y-axis direction or z-axis direction is not caused by a knock applied to the front part, the signal in the x-axis direction is considered first when making a decision. Therefore, among the three-axis vibration detection signals, the vibration detection signal in one axis direction (x-axis direction) that matches the direction of vibration due to the knock is extracted and the extracted vibration detection signal is used to determine whether or not there is vibration due to the knock. do.

Additionally, the 3-axis sensor module 111 according to this embodiment is completely different from conventional sensors that detect sound waves. Conventional sound wave detection sensors do not consider the direction of sound waves, so it is impossible to know where the knock was applied. And since vibration generated in other parts cannot be distinguished from vibration caused by a knock, malfunction problems may occur.

The direction of vibration in this embodiment will be explained.

In the case of vibration caused by a knock input by the user, the direction of the vibration may be determined depending on the location of the part where the knock was made. In other words, vibration caused by knocking can appear in only one direction. For example, when knocking on the door 20 installed on the front of the home appliance 1, vibration may be generated only in the forward and backward directions. In other words, vibration occurs in only one of the x, y, and z axes.

In this embodiment, the description will be made on the assumption that vibration occurs in the first axis direction (x-axis direction) when the front part of the home appliance 1 is knocked. Of course, it is natural that the direction of vibration may vary depending on how the three-axis sensor module 111 is arranged.

As an example, when a user knocks on the door 20 or the viewing window 21 while trying to check the inside through the viewing window 21, the knock causes vibration only in the x-axis direction and causes the 3-axis sensor module ( 111) can detect vibration in the x-axis direction.

In this embodiment, when the door 20 or the viewing window 21 is knocked on, vibration will occur in the x-axis direction due to the knock, but vibration may also occur due to other factors.

At this time, the sensor microcomputer 114 knows in advance that the vibration caused by the knock is in the x-axis direction, and when a vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration in the x-axis direction is received from the 3-axis sensor module 111, it changes the pattern of the vibration detection signal. Check to determine whether or not there is a knock.

If the sensor microcomputer 114 receives a vibration detection signal corresponding to vibration in the y-axis or z-axis direction rather than the x-axis direction, even if the pattern of the vibration detection signal is the same as the pattern of the vibration detection signal caused by a knock, It is determined that the vibration is not caused by a knock. The reason is that, as described above, the sensor microcomputer 114 already knows in advance that the vibration caused by the knock is in the x-axis direction.

Figure 11 shows an example of a three-axis vibration detection signal detected by a three-axis sensor module, and Figure 12 shows an example of the three-axis vibration detection signal in a simplified form showing only the signal strength.

Meanwhile, in the home appliance 1 of the present invention, the 3-axis sensor module 111 is installed so that the direction of the first axis among the 3 axes matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock and the alignment, but the alignment is lost for some reason. If there is a mistake, it can be automatically corrected.

That is, the three-axis sensor module 111 can be arranged so that one of the axes coincides with the direction of gravity. Since one of the axes is arranged in the direction of gravity, the gravitational acceleration is measured in that axis direction, and when a change occurs in the gravitational acceleration measured by the 3-axis sensor module 111, the sensor microcomputer 114 is configured to match the gravity direction. It can be determined that the alignment of the arranged axis is misaligned.

Accordingly, the sensor microcomputer 114 calculates the gravitational acceleration in each of the three axes measured by the three-axis sensor module 111 and calculates the degree of misalignment with respect to one axis arranged to coincide with the direction of gravity. And correction for the degree of distortion can be performed based on the calculated value.

Additionally, in the home appliance 1 of the present invention, the three-axis sensor module 111 can be affected by the surrounding temperature, so the size of the vibration detection signal can be corrected according to the surrounding temperature. In this embodiment, the size correction value of the vibration detection signal is preset in response to the surrounding temperature, and the size of the vibration detection signal according to the surrounding temperature can be corrected according to this setting value. To this end, the home appliance 1 of the present invention may include a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the ambient temperature of the sensor assembly 110.

The configuration and operation of a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The home appliance 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a plurality of receiving spaces 23 and 32 capable of accommodating objects inside the cabinet 10 forming the exterior.

One side of each receiving space 23 and 32, that is, preferably the front side, is open. Doors 20 and 30 are installed on the front portion, respectively, so that each accommodation space 23 and 32 can be opened and closed (opened/closed).

At least a portion of the doors 20 and 30 may be equipped with viewing windows 21 and 31 . The user can view the inside of the accommodation space (23, 32) from the outside through the viewing window (21, 31) without opening the door (20, 30).

In some cases, when the doors 20 and 30 are closed, the inside of the receiving space 23 and 32 is dark and the inside cannot be accurately seen, so lamps 160 and 161 will be installed inside each receiving space 23 and 32, respectively. You can. At this time, these lamps 160 and 161 may be installed outside the receiving spaces 23 and 32 to illuminate the inside.

Since the inside of the receiving spaces 23 and 32 is very hot, the lamps 160 and 161 can be made of a material that is highly durable against high temperatures. The lamps 160 and 161 can be turned on/off by the control unit 150.

The control unit 150 may turn the lamps 160 and 161 on/off when notified that a knock has been input by the user from the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b.

The sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) can detect vibration caused by a knock applied to the home appliance (1). In addition, the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b ) also detect vibrations caused by various causes in the home appliance (1). can do.

Accordingly, the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) can specifically distinguish and determine vibration caused by a knock among various vibrations, and can also distinguish and determine which door (20, 30) the knock was applied to. And when each sensor assembly (110a, 110b) determines that vibration is caused by a knock, it includes its own identification information in the knock-on signal and notifies the control unit 150.

At this time, the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) determine which door (20, 30) the knock was applied to based on the vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration. That is, the first sensor assembly 110a and the second sensor assembly 110b compare the magnitude of the vibration detection signal and the set reference value (Zth0), respectively, to distinguish the doors 20 and 30 on which the knock was applied.

In addition, the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) determine whether a knock is input based on the vibration detection signal, and when a vibration detection signal exceeding a preset threshold is continuously detected at a certain time interval, it is determined that vibration has occurred due to a knock. You can. In other words, it can be determined that a knock has been applied.

This means, for example, that when a knock is applied at a certain time interval, the vibration corresponding to the "knock knock" has a magnitude greater than the threshold, and the vibration corresponding to the certain time interval is less than the threshold.

Accordingly, the sensor assembly 110 can determine whether the vibration is caused by a knock by checking the pattern of the vibration detection signal as described above.

Additionally, the control unit 150 may turn off the lamps 160 and 161 when the user's knock is input again while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on.

In addition, the control unit 150 may turn off the lamps 160 and 161 if the user's knock is not input for a set time while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on.

The home appliance 1 of the present invention may additionally include a door lock switch 120, a door switch 130, and a timer 140. These components 120 to 140 may transmit status information to the control unit 150 and operate according to control signals from the control unit 150.

The door lock switch 120 can perform a locking or unlocking function of the door 20 of the home appliance 1. When the home appliance 1 is in use, locking/unlocking the doors 20 and 30 may be required to prevent safety accidents.

For example, if the home appliance 1 is an oven, when cooking food in the oven, the doors 20 and 30 can be locked to prevent the doors 20 and 30 from opening. Conditions for maintaining the doors 20 and 30 in a locked state can be set in various ways.

For example, there are cases where high temperature and heat are generated, such as when the self-clean function of the kitchen is in progress. As another example, it is essential to lock the washing machine while washing is in progress.

In the home appliance 10 of the present invention, even if a knock is input while the doors 20 and 30 are kept in the locked state, the lamps 160 and 161 can be exceptionally maintained in the off state rather than turned on. Accordingly, a situation in which the lamps 160 and 161 are not turned on even if a knock is detected while the lamps 160 and 16 are off is called an 'exceptional situation'.

In this embodiment, an exception situation may include, for example, a self-clean situation for cleaning the inside of the kitchen when the home appliance 1 is an oven.

In addition, for example, the door is open, the self-clean function is in operation, the door lock is set for a certain period of time after self-cleaning is completed, the lamp button is touched and the lamp is already on, and the knock-on function is set. There is a state in which it is turned off, a state in which the lamp is blinking after preheating, etc.

Additional exception situations can be set. In these exceptional situations, the lamp is not turned on despite the user knocking. This is to pre-set some exceptional situations in which the lamp should not be turned on, such as for stability reasons or energy saving purposes.

The control unit 150 can check whether the doors 20 and 30 are locked from the door lock switch 120 and at the same time check whether it is an exception situation. In exceptional situations, the lamps 160 and 161 are not turned on.

In this embodiment, the door lock switch 120 can transmit information about whether the doors 20 and 30 are in a locked or unlocked state to the control unit 150, and on the contrary, the door is controlled according to a control signal transmitted from the control unit 150. Locking and unlocking of (20,30) can be performed.

The door switch 130 can open and close the doors 20 and 30. When the door switch 130 is turned on, it means that the doors 20 and 30 are opened, and when the door switch 130 is turned off, it means that the doors 20 and 30 are closed.

In this embodiment, the door switch 130 may transmit information about whether the doors 20 and 30 are open or closed to the control unit 150.

The operation of the home appliance 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14.

The user uses the door (20, 30) or the viewing window (21, 31) can knock.

The format of the knock is not specifically set, but can be set to the usual “knock knock.” Of course, in other embodiments, it may be set in other formats.

In addition, hereinafter, in this embodiment, "knock knock" is defined as one knock, the first 'knock' is called '1st knock' as a knock by the first knock, and the second 'knock' is called a knock by the second knock. It is called ‘2nd knock’.

In this embodiment, it is explained that knocking is performed on the viewing windows 21 and 31 mounted on the doors 20 and 30, but the present invention is not limited to this and the knocking position can be set in various ways. [S10: Knock input stage]

As in the above embodiment, when the viewing windows 21 and 31 are knocked, vibration may occur at the location of the knock. At this time, the vibration generated at one point of the viewing window 21 and 31 has a certain direction. In other words, vibration occurs in the forward and backward directions at that point.

In this embodiment, vibration in the front-back direction is referred to as the x-axis direction of the 3-axis sensor module 111. Therefore, when the viewing windows 21 and 31 are knocked, vibration in the x-axis direction may occur.

Here, if these knocks are made in the form of a “knock knock” at certain time intervals, two large vibrations may occur due to the 1st knock and the 2nd knock. And after two large vibrations, small residual vibrations may occur in the aftermath of these large vibrations. [S20: Vibration generation stage]

The vibration generated in this way can be transmitted through a plurality of solid parts constituting the home appliance (1) and spread to the entire area of the home appliance (1).

Specifically, the home appliance 1 is made up of a plurality of large and small solid parts that are physically combined as described above, so when vibration occurs in one place, it will be transmitted to the entire home appliance 1 through these plural solid parts. You can.

Of course, the intensity of the vibration may be attenuated to some extent depending on the connection state of the solid parts and the distance over which they are transmitted, but since each solid part is physically connected to each other, even minute vibrations can be transmitted. [S30: Vibration transmission step]

Vibration transmitted through solid parts may also be transmitted to sensor assemblies 110a and 110b installed at a certain distance from the doors 20 and 30 in the home appliance 1. Accordingly, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can detect the transmitted vibration.

As described above, since the vibration caused by the knock applied to the viewing windows 21 and 31 occurs in the x-axis direction, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can detect the vibration in the x-axis direction.

Specifically, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b may include a 3-axis sensor module 111. The 3-axis sensor module 111 can detect vibration in 3-axis directions, that is, x, y, and z-axis directions.

Therefore, when vibration in the x-axis direction generated by a knock is transmitted to the viewing windows 21 and 31, the 3-axis sensor module 111 detects the vibration in the x-axis direction. For this purpose, in this embodiment, the three-side sensor module 111 is arranged so that the x-axis direction matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock.

At this time, since vibration in the x-, y-, and z-axis directions caused by arbitrary causes may occur in addition to vibration caused by a knock, the 3-axis sensor module 111 can detect all of these vibrations.

The three-axis sensor module 111 can generate a vibration detection signal corresponding to the detected vibration. In another embodiment, the generated vibration detection signal may be input to the sensor microcomputer 114 through the filter unit 112 and the amplification unit 113.

The sensor microcomputer 114 can analyze vibration detection signals in the x, y, and z axes to determine whether a user's knock has been input, that is, whether vibration has occurred due to the user's knock. If it is determined that the user's knock has been input, the control unit 150 may be notified that the user's knock has been input. [S40: Vibration detection stage]

The control unit 150, which controls the operation of the home appliance 1, can turn on/off the lamps 160 and 161 when notified of the user's knock input from the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b. If vibration due to a knock is detected while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off, the lamps 160 and 161 may be turned on. If vibration due to a knock is detected while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on, the lamps 160 and 161 may be turned off.

In detail, when the user knocks on the viewing window (21, 31) with the lamps (160, 161) turned off and the sensor assembly (110a, 110b) determines that the user's knock has been input, the control unit 150 turns on the lamps (160, 161). You can make it come on.

In addition, when the user knocks on the viewing window 21 and 31 while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on, and the sensor assembly 110a and 110b determines that the user's knock has been input, the control unit 150 turns off the lamps 160 and 161. can do. [S50: Lamp operation stage]

Meanwhile, in another embodiment, the control unit 150 may determine whether a set period of time has elapsed while the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on. Whether time has elapsed can be checked using the timer 140. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the lamps 160 and 161 may be automatically turned off.

As a result, the user turns on the lamps 160 and 161 by knocking on the viewing windows 21 and 31 to check the inside of each accommodation space 23 and 32 through the viewing windows 21 and 31, and then turns off the lamps 160 and 161. Even if you forget to do so, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented by automatically turning off the lamps 160 and 161 after a certain period of time.

Through this process, the user can view the inside of each accommodation space (23.32) from the outside through the viewing windows (21, 31) mounted on the door (20, 30) with a simple knocking action in the home appliance (1). .

With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 , the process of distinguishing between doors 20 and 30 on which knocks have been applied will be described in detail.

When a knock is applied to the doors 20 and 30, vibration is generated in the doors 20 and 30 due to the knock, and the vibration is transmitted to the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b through solid parts. Accordingly, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b detect the vibration transmitted in this way.

At this time, the sensor assemblies 110a and 110b can detect all vibrations caused by knocks applied to the doors 20 and 30. For example, the first sensor assembly 110a is installed at a position corresponding to the first door 20, but vibration caused by a knock applied to the first door 20 as well as a knock applied to the second door 30 can be detected. In addition, the second sensor assembly 110b is installed at a position corresponding to the second door 30, but not only vibrates due to a knock applied to the second door 30, but also vibrates due to a knock applied to the first door 20. can also be detected. Of course, not only vibration caused by a knock but also vibration caused by other causes can be detected. [S110: Vibration detection step]

When the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) detect vibration in this way, they generate vibration detection signals (S1, S2) corresponding to the detected vibration. [S120: Vibration detection signal generation step]

Thereafter, the sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) determine whether there is a portion of the vibration detection signals (S1, S2) generated as described above whose size is greater than the preset reference value (Zth0). For example, it is determined whether the maximum value of the vibration detection signal is greater than the reference value (Zth0).

This determination is to confirm which door (20, 30) the vibration detection signal was caused by the knock.

Figure 16 is an example of an example in which vibration is detected in the first sensor assembly 110a and corresponding vibration detection signals S1 and S2 are generated. Of course, the same applies to the second sensor assembly 110b.

As shown in (a), for example, among the vibration detection signals generated by the first sensor assembly 110a, there is a signal S1 greater than the reference value Zth0, so in this case, it is determined that a knock has been applied to the first door 20. .

As shown in (b), for example, since there is no signal greater than the reference value (Zth0) among the vibration detection signals generated by the first sensor assembly 110a, in this case, it is determined that a knock has been applied to the second door 30. That is, in (b), since the generated vibration detection signal S2 is smaller than the reference value, it is determined that the vibration is transmitted from the second door 20, not the first door 20.

For example, as shown in (c), if a signal (S1) larger than the reference value (Zth0) and a signal (S2) smaller than the reference value (Zth0) exist simultaneously among the vibration detection signals generated by the first sensor assembly (110a), the large signal (S1) is transmitted to the first door. It is determined that a knock has been applied to (20), and the small signal (S2) is determined to indicate that a knock has been applied to the second door (30).

This is because the first sensor assembly 110a is disposed in a position corresponding to the first door 20, that is, closer to the first door 20 than the second door 30, so that the knock applied to the first door 20 The vibration detection signal (S1) due to is greater than the vibration detection signal (S2) due to the knock applied to the second door (30). This is because the magnitude of the vibration transmitted from a distant door is attenuated as it is transmitted. In particular, when the absorption member 70 is disposed between the first and second doors 20 and 30, the size difference between the two signals S1 and S2 becomes larger.

At this time, the reference value (Zth0) is a value set to distinguish between the vibration detection signal (S1) caused by the knock applied to the first door 20 and the vibration detection signal (S2) caused by the knock applied to the second door 20.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the vibration detection signals S1 and S2 are compared with a reference value to determine which of the first and second doors 20 and 30 the knock was applied to.

At this time, in another embodiment, if the vibration detection signal is smaller than the reference value (Zth0), the corresponding signal has not been knocked on, so the signal can be ignored.

Here, the first sensor assembly 110a determines that a knock has been applied to the first door 20, includes its own identification information in the knock-on signal, and transmits it to the control unit 150. And when the second sensor assembly 110b determines that a knock has been applied to the second door 30, it includes its own identification information in the knock-on signal and transmits it to the control unit 150. [S130: Signal comparison step]

Afterwards, it is determined whether the corresponding vibration detection signal is a vibration detection signal caused by a knock. The process of determining whether a vibration detection signal is caused by a knock is explained in detail below. This is to distinguish whether the vibration is caused by a knock or another cause. [S140: Knock vibration judgment step]

In this way, when it is determined whether the vibration is caused by a knock and which door the knock was applied to, the control unit 150 turns on or turns on the lamps 160 and 161 installed inside the accommodation spaces 23 and 32 corresponding to the corresponding doors 20 and 30. Turn it off. In other words, it is turned off in the on state and turned on in the off state. [S150: Lamp on/off stage]

The knock vibration determination step (S140) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19. Since these steps are equally applied to each door 20 and 30, the first door 20 will be described below. Of course, this also applies to the second door 30.

The sensor microcomputer 114 can analyze vibration detection signals in the x, y, and z axes to determine whether a user's knock has been input, that is, whether vibration has occurred due to the user's knock. If it is determined that the user's knock has been input, a knock-on signal can be output to the control unit 150 to notify that the user's knock has been input.

Assuming that the direction of vibration caused by a knock is in the That is, since the vibration caused by the knock input to the door 20 is in the x-axis direction, only the vibration in the x-axis direction is considered.

Since the sensor microcomputer 114 knows in advance that only the vibration in the x-axis direction is the vibration of the knock input to the door 20, it analyzes the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, but at some point, the and compare the vibration detection signals in the z-axis direction.

The reason is that although the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction is a signal corresponding to vibration caused by a knock, the vibration in the x-axis direction can actually be detected by vibration in the y-axis and z-axis directions. This is explained in detail below.

As shown in the figure, it is determined whether the intensity of the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction is greater than the first threshold (Zth1). The intensity of the x-axis direction vibration detection signal may appear corresponding to the intensity of the knock. In other words, if you knock hard, the intensity of the vibration detection signal may increase.

Additionally, since the vibration detection signal corresponds to vibration caused by a knock, residual vibration may occur in the aftermath of the vibration caused by the knock. Therefore, the vibration detection signal may also include a signal corresponding to residual vibration.

Here, the time during which the vibration 201 caused by the 1st knock and the resulting residual vibration 202 appear is called the 1st knock maintenance time and is denoted as T1.

If there is a vibration detection signal with a magnitude greater than Zth1, it waits for the set time. In other words, when knocking “knock knock,” there is a time interval between the 1st knock and the 2nd knock. This time interval is referred to as the set time and is denoted as T2. T2 can be the time to wait for the 2nd knock after the 1st knock is input.

At T2, a vibration detection signal smaller than Zth1 may appear. In other words, after the 1st knock vibration (201) occurs at T1, vibration may not occur until the 2nd knock vibration (204) occurs, or even if it does occur, a subtle vibration (203) smaller than Zth1 may occur.

The vibration 203 in T2 may be a vibration that occurs slightly due to other factors after the vibration 201 caused by the 1st knock of T1 and the remaining vibration 202 disappear.

After T2 has elapsed, it can be determined whether there is a vibration detection signal greater than a preset second threshold (Zth2). Vibration detection signals above Zth2 after T2 are caused by the 2nd knock.

Here, the time during which the vibration 204 due to the 2nd knock and the resulting residual vibration 205 appear is called the 2nd knock maintenance time and is denoted as T3.

The vibration caused by the 2nd knock (204) and its residual vibration (205) also have a similar pattern to the vibration caused by the 1st knock (201) and its residual vibration (202). Of course, the size of the signal may vary depending on the strength of the 1st knock and 2nd knock.

If there is a vibration detection signal from the 2nd knock with a size greater than Zth2, it waits for a certain period of time. This may be the time (T3) during which the residual vibration 205 is reduced.

However, when knocking with “knock knock,” the waiting time for a certain period of time after the 2nd knock is displayed as T4. The waiting time of T4 can be the time to compare the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction with the vibration detection signal in the other y and z-axis directions after the 2nd knock.

That is, as described above, in this embodiment, for example, since the x-axis direction is the direction of vibration caused by a knock, the x-axis direction vibration detection signal is analyzed and compared with the y-axis and z-axis direction vibration detection signals at T4.

This comparison process is very important in the present invention. Specifically, although the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction is a signal corresponding to vibration caused by a knock, it may also be a signal generated as an aftereffect of vibration occurring in the y-axis and/or z-axis directions.

For example, when the user impacts the side or top of the cabinet or when the user steps down strongly, strong vibration may occur in the y-axis or z-axis direction and vibration may also occur in the x-axis direction.

In this case, even if a vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction is detected, it is not a vibration detection signal caused by an actual knock, so cases such as the above example must be excluded from the knock-on signal.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by comparing the signal detection signal in the x-axis direction with the signal detection signal in the y-axis and z-axis directions, the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in either the y-axis or the z-axis direction is that of the x-axis direction. If it is greater than the maximum value of the vibration detection signal, it is determined that the vibration is not caused by a knock. This is to exclude cases where a strong knock is input in the y- and z-axis directions and vibration is detected in the x-axis direction.

In another embodiment, T4, that is, the time for comparing the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction and the vibration detection signal in the y and z-axis directions, may be between T2 and T3.

After T4, there is a time when the vibration caused by the 2nd knock disappears. This time is denoted as T5. This is a section to confirm that vibration in the x-axis direction no longer occurs. From this, it can be confirmed that vibration no longer occurs after T5 time has elapsed.

In T5, vibration caused by knocking disappears, but vibration caused by other factors may occur. Therefore, at T5, by comparing the third threshold (Zth3) with the magnitude of the vibration detection signal, it can be determined that the vibration caused by the 2nd knock is disappearing if the magnitude of the vibration detection signal is smaller than Zth2. Although the oscillation caused by the 2nd knock is disappearing, fine oscillations (206) due to other factors may appear. This does not affect knock detection if it is less than Zth3.

As an example shown in the drawing, if a vibration 207 greater than Zth3 is detected at T5, it is a vibration caused by other factors and is therefore greater than Zth1 and Zth2, but is not detected as a vibration caused by a knock. Zth3 can be set to 40-70% of Zth2, and is preferably set to 60%.

In this way, in the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, a vibration detection signal (201) greater than Zth1 due to the 1st knock and a vibration detection signal (202) due to the remaining vibration appear at T1, and while waiting for the input of the 2nd knock, fine vibration occurs. There is a T2 in which a vibration detection signal (203) appears, and then there is a T3 in which a vibration detection signal (204) greater than Zth2 by the 2nd knock and a vibration detection signal (205) by its remaining vibration appear, and thereafter. If there is a T5 in which a vibration detection signal 206 due to fine vibration appears while the vibration caused by the 2nd knock disappears, the sensor microcomputer 114 may determine that a “knock knock” knock has been input to the viewing window 21. , In this case, a knock-on signal notifying the occurrence of knock is transmitted to the control unit 150.

As shown in FIG. 18, in the case of a general knock in one embodiment, a vibration detection signal 301 due to the 1st knock and a vibration detection signal 302 due to the remaining vibration may appear at T1. T2 is the waiting time for the 2nd knock after the 1st knock, and microvibration may or may not be detected.

After a certain period of time T2 has elapsed, a vibration detection signal 303 due to the 2nd knock and a vibration detection signal 304 due to the remaining vibration may appear.

In the case of this general knock, T2 time can be secured at a certain interval. This T2 time interval can be determined depending on the intensity of the 1st knock.

When the vibration detection signal 301 caused by the 1st knock is not large, that is, when the 1st knock is input not strong enough, Zth1 and Zth2 can be set to the same size.

However, as shown in FIG. 19, in another embodiment, when the 1st knock is input more strongly than a certain level, after the vibration detection signal 305 due to the 1st knock and the vibration detection signal 306 due to the remaining vibration appear at T1, In the T2 section, a vibration detection signal 307 exceeding Zth2 and a vibration detection signal 308 for the remaining vibration may appear.

This is a signal overlap phenomenon in which the two vibration detection signals 306 and 307 overlap. That is, the latter vibration detection signals 307 and 308 are not signals that appear after T2 has elapsed, and therefore are not general knock signals as shown in FIG. 12. This may appear to be two knock signals even though it is actually a 1st knock because the input of the 1st knock is strong and the decay time of the vibration caused by the 1st knock is long.

In this case, the sensor microcomputer 114 may determine that it is a knock input because the vibration detection signal 305 of Zth1 or more appears and later the vibration detection signal 307 of Zth2 or more appears. Therefore, to prevent this, set Zth2 larger than Zth1. do.

In this embodiment, Zth2 can be set to be equal to or greater than Zth1, and since the strength of the 1st knock must be considered, it can be set to be proportional to the strength of the vibration detection signal by the 1st knock. In other words, it can be set variably in proportion to the intensity of the vibration detection signal by 1st knock.

Referring to Figure 20, in the operation of the home appliance 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the user sees the inside of the receiving space 23 of the home appliance 1 through the viewing window 21 mounted on the door 20. You can knock on the viewing window 21 to view from the outside. [S210: Knock input stage]

When a knock is made on the viewing window 21, the location of the knock becomes a vibration source and vibration may occur. At this time, the vibration generated at one point of the viewing window 21 has a certain direction. In other words, vibration occurs in the forward and backward directions at that point.

In this embodiment, vibration in the front-back direction is described as the x-axis direction of the 3-axis sensor module 111. Therefore, when the viewing window 21 is knocked, vibration may occur in the x-axis direction. [S220: Vibration generation stage]

The vibration generated in this way can be transmitted through a plurality of solid parts constituting the home appliance (1) and spread to the entire area of the home appliance (1).

Specifically, the home appliance 1 is made up of a plurality of large and small solid parts that are physically combined as described above, so when vibration occurs in one place, it will be transmitted to the entire home appliance 1 through these plural solid parts. You can.

Of course, the intensity of the vibration may be attenuated to some extent depending on the connection state of the solid parts and the distance over which they are transmitted, but since each solid part is physically connected to each other, even minute vibrations can be transmitted. [S230: Vibration transmission step]

Vibration transmitted through solid parts may also be transmitted to the sensor assembly 110 installed at a certain distance away from the door 20 in the home appliance 1. Accordingly, the sensor assembly 110 can detect the transmitted vibration.

As described above, since the vibration caused by the knock applied to the viewing window 21 occurs in the x-axis direction, the sensor assembly 110 can detect the vibration in the x-axis direction.

Specifically, the sensor assembly 110 may include a 3-axis sensor module 111. The 3-axis sensor module 111 can detect vibration in 3-axis directions, that is, x, y, and z-axis directions.

Therefore, when vibration in the x-axis direction generated by a knock is transmitted to the viewing window 21, the 3-axis sensor module 111 detects the vibration in the x-axis direction.

Of course, since vibration in the x-, y-, and z-axis directions may occur due to any cause in addition to vibration caused by a knock, the 3-axis sensor module 111 can detect all of these vibrations.

The three-axis sensor module 111 can generate a vibration detection signal corresponding to the detected vibration. The vibration detection signal can be input to the sensor microcomputer 114 through the filter unit 112 and the amplification unit 113.

The sensor microcomputer 114 can analyze vibration detection signals in the x, y, and z axes to determine whether a user's knock has been input, that is, whether vibration has occurred due to the user's knock. If it is determined that the user's knock has been input, the control unit 150 may be notified that the user's knock has been input. [S240: Vibration detection step]

The sensor microcomputer 114 can only extract a vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction when a vibration detection signal in the x, y, and z-axis directions is input. This is to consider only vibration in the x-axis direction because the vibration caused by the knock input to the viewing window 21 is in the x-axis direction.

Since the sensor microcomputer 114 knows in advance that only the vibration in the x-axis direction is the vibration of the knock input to the viewing window 21, the vibration detection signal for the vibration in the y-axis and z-axis directions is not primarily considered. Afterwards, the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction can be compared with the vibration detection signal in the y-axis and z-axis directions.

From the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction detected as above, it is determined that the vibration is caused by a knock. This determination can be made using the pattern of the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. In other words, it can be determined whether the vibration is caused by a knock by comparing the vibration detection signal and Zth1 to Zth3 in the section T1 to T5 [S250: Determination step for knock vibration]

If it is determined that the vibration is caused by a knock from the above determination result, it is determined whether it is an exception situation in which the lamp 16 will not be turned on. Even if a knock is input by the user, it is necessary to prevent the lamp 160 from turning on in certain situations, such as when self-cleaning is being performed in the oven. [S260: Determination step for exception situation]

If it is determined that it is an exceptional situation from the above judgment result, it is determined whether the door 20 is opened or closed. When the door 20 is open, there is no need to turn on the lamp 160, and it is necessary to turn on the lamp 160 only when the door 20 is closed. Since whether the door 20 is opened or closed affects the on/off of the lamp 160, whether the door 20 is opened is determined. [S270: Door opening determination step]

As described above, if it is determined that the vibration is caused by a knock and the door 20 is closed unless there is an exception, the on/off state of the lamp 160 is checked. [S280: Lamp status check step]

If the lamp 160 is in an off state, the lamp 160 is turned on. This is to turn on the lamp 160 to illuminate the accommodation space 23 so that the inside of the accommodation space 23 cannot be seen from the outside when the lamp 160 is turned off. [S290: Ramp-on phase]

Conversely, when the lamp 160 is in the on state, the lamp 160 is turned off. This is for the user to turn off the lamp 160 by knocking after checking the inside of the receiving space 23. [S300: Ramp off stage]

Meanwhile, if it is not determined that the vibration is due to a knock, there is no exception, or the door 20 is open, the vibration detection signal is ignored and the operation process is terminated. [S301: Vibration signal ignore step]

Meanwhile, although not shown, not only vibration corresponding to a knock by the user may occur in T1 to T5, but also vibration due to other causes may occur. The vibration detection signal caused by such vibration may also be included in the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction.

Even in this case, the sensor microcomputer 114 can distinguish that the vibration is caused by a “knock knock” knock when the vibration detection signal has a certain pattern in T1 to T5.

The first threshold (Zth1) can be set to a fixed value and the second and third thresholds (Zth2, Zth3) can be changed. These second and third thresholds (Zth2, Zth3) can be set dynamically according to the size of the first threshold (Zth1). More preferably, it can be set dynamically in proportion to the size of the vibration detection signal of the 1st knock.

Of course, Zth1 has a fixed value, but may be set to a value other than the above example. In other words, if Zth1 is set large, Zth2 and Zth3 can also be set proportionally large.

Here, it is desirable to set Zth2 equal to or larger than Zth1. The reason is that Zth1 is a threshold for determining whether it is a 1st knock, and Zth2 is a threshold for determining whether it is a 2nd knock. Therefore, if the 1st knock is input strongly, the vibration caused by the 1st knock may be misperceived as the input of the 2nd knock. In order to rule out possible cases, Zth2 is made larger to make the judgment standard for the 2nd knock higher. This allows for more accurate judgment of the 2nd knock.

As described above, even if the pattern of the vibration detection signal appears the same in the y-axis or z-axis direction, the sensor microcomputer 114 does not determine that the vibration is caused by a knock. This is because the vibration caused by the knock applied to the viewing window 21 has only the x-axis direction. However, because the Compare with each other.

Meanwhile, even if vibration detection signals with intensities greater than Zth1 and Zth2 appear continuously at a certain interval from T1 to T4, whether to input the knock is determined by comparing it with the pattern of vibration caused by the knock as described above.

Figure 21 is a graph of experimental results of a vibration detection signal to explain the detection of a knock input in a home appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 22 and 23 are a graph showing the sense of knock input in a home appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention. This is a graph of the experimental results of the vibration detection signal to explain this. Figures 21 to 23 show experimental results in which vibration detection signals are detected only on the x-axis and y-axis.

Referring to FIG. 21, for the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, a vibration detection signal greater than the first threshold (Zth1) appears at T1, and after the waiting time of T2, a vibration detection signal greater than the second threshold (Zth2) appears at T3. And, since a vibration detection signal below the third threshold (Zth3) appears at T5, the sensor microcomputer 114 determines that it is a pattern of a vibration detection signal caused by a knock.

The vibration detection signal at T1 is due to the 1st knock, and the vibration detection signal at T3 is due to the 2nd knock. In the experiment of Figure 18, since 1st knock was not strongly input, Zth1 and Zth2 were set to the same value.

Accordingly, the sensor microcomputer 114 detects that a knock has been input to the viewing window 21 and transmits a knock-on signal to the control unit 150, and the control unit 150 can turn the lamp 160 on or off.

Referring to FIG. 22, for the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, a vibration detection signal greater than Zth1 appears at T1, and after T2, a vibration detection signal greater than Zth2 appears at T3, but vibration in the x-axis direction appears at T1 and T3. Since the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in the y-axis direction is greater than the maximum value of the detection signal, although the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction appears as a pattern of a vibration detection signal caused by a knock, the results in FIG. It is detected as not a vibration. The reason is that the vibration in the x-axis direction is detected by the vibration in the y-axis direction.

In this case, the sensor microcomputer 114 recognizes that the vibration detection signal is not a knock and does not output the knock-on signal to the control unit 150. The control unit 150 does not output a control signal to the lamp 160.

Referring to Figure 23, for the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction, a vibration detection signal greater than Zth1 appears at T1, and after T2, a vibration detection signal greater than Zth2 appears at T3, but a vibration detection signal greater than Zth3 appears at T5. Therefore, even though the vibration detection signal in the x-axis direction appears in the pattern of a vibration detection signal due to a knock, the result of FIG. 20 detects that the vibration is not caused by a knock.

In other words, in T5, even though it is the section where the vibration caused by the 2nd knock disappears, vibration (indicated by a circle) continues to occur, so it is not judged to be vibration caused by the knock.

In this case, the sensor microcomputer 114 recognizes that the vibration detection signal is not a knock and does not output the knock-on signal to the control unit 150. The control unit 150 does not output a control signal to the lamp 160.

As described above, in the present invention, a viewing window is mounted on the front door, and when a knock is applied to the viewing window, the vibration caused by the knock is detected and the lighting installed in the internal receiving space is turned on to illuminate the inside, thereby receiving the light from the outside through the viewing window. We provide home appliances that allow you to see the inside of a space.

At this time, when a knock is applied to the viewing window, vibration occurs in a specific direction due to the knock, and a vibration detection signal corresponding to the vibration in this specific direction is detected and compared with the pattern of the vibration detection signal caused by the knock to determine whether the knock is input. Let us judge.

In particular, since the direction of vibration caused by the knock is a specific direction, vibration occurring in other directions is not considered. Accordingly, even if the pattern of the vibration detection signal is the same as the vibration detection signal due to a knock, if the direction of the vibration is different, it is ignored.

In the present invention, a 3-axis acceleration sensor is used to accurately detect the direction of vibration and fine vibration. Sensor Microcomputer applies the pattern from T1 to T5 to the vibration detection signal detected by the 3-axis acceleration sensor to determine whether the vibration is caused by a knock.

When vibration caused by a knock applied to a plurality of doors (20, 30) is detected, the plurality of sensor assemblies (110a, 110b) determine which door (20, 30) the knock was applied to, and determine whether the vibration was caused by the knock. By making the decision, the control unit 150 can determine which lamps 160 and 161 to turn on/off. If a knock is input while the lamps 160 and 161 are off, the lamps 160 and 161 are turned on. Conversely, if a knock is input while the lamps 160 and 161 are on, the lamps 160 and 161 are turned off.

Meanwhile, in the specification and drawings according to the present invention, as an example, it is disclosed that the lamp is turned on/off by detecting a knock applied to each door of a double door, but the present invention is applicable to a home appliance having two or more doors. It can also be applied to devices.

In this case, each sensor assembly is installed at a position corresponding to each door, and the same principle as described above also allows it to determine which door the knock was applied to based on the vibration detection signal.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be manufactured in various different forms, and can be manufactured in various different forms by those skilled in the art. It will be understood by those who understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical spirit or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

1: Home appliance 10: Cabinet
11: upper surface 20: first door
21: first viewing window 23: first accommodation space
25: first handle part 26: second handle part
30: second door 31: second viewing window
32: second accommodation space 40: door
50: Display unit 51: Knock on button
52: Lamp button 53: Self-clean button
62: lever operation unit 70: absorption member
110a, 110b: Sensor assembly 111: 3-axis sensor module
112: filter unit 113: amplification unit
114: sensor microcomputer 115: storage unit
120: door lock switch 130: door switch
140: Timer 150: Control unit
160: first lamp 161: second lamp

Claims (22)

Cabinets forming the exterior;
first and second receiving spaces provided to accommodate objects inside the cabinet, respectively;
first and second doors that open and close open surfaces of the first and second accommodation spaces, respectively, and are equipped with a viewing window;
First and second sensor assemblies respectively installed at positions corresponding to the first and second doors and detecting vibration in three axes orthogonal to each other to determine whether vibration is caused by a user's knock;
first and second lamps illuminating the interior of the first and second accommodation spaces, respectively;
It includes a control unit that turns on/off the first and second lamps by distinguishing knock-on signals according to vibration detection output from the first and second sensor assemblies,
A home appliance wherein an absorption member is disposed to absorb and attenuate vibration transmitted from the first door and the second door, and the first and second sensor assemblies are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the absorption member. According to paragraph 1,
The first and second sensor assemblies, respectively,
A home appliance installed on the first door and the second door and detecting vibration caused by a knock applied to the first and second doors. According to paragraph 1,
The first and second sensor assemblies, respectively,
A home appliance that is installed at a location other than the first and second doors and detects vibration generated and transmitted by a knock applied to the first and second doors. According to paragraph 3,
The first and second sensor assemblies, respectively,
A home appliance installed inside one side of the handle unit installed on the front part of the first and second doors. delete According to paragraph 1,
The first and second sensor assemblies, respectively,
A home appliance that stores its own identification information internally and transmits a knock-on signal containing the identification information to the control unit when vibration caused by the knock is detected. According to clause 6,
The control unit,
When the knock-on signal is transmitted, the sensor assembly that transmitted the knock-on signal is identified using the identification information included in the knock-on signal, and the first or second lamp corresponding to the sensor assembly that transmitted the knock-on signal is turned on. /Turns off home appliances. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A home appliance that turns on the lamp when vibration due to the knock is detected in the sensor assembly while the lamp is in the off state, and turns off the lamp when vibration due to the knock is detected in the sensor assembly while the lamp is in the on state. According to paragraph 1,
The first and second sensor assemblies, respectively,
a 3-axis sensor module that detects vibration transmitted in the 3-axis direction and generates vibration detection signals corresponding to the vibration transmitted in the 3-axis direction;
A home appliance including a sensor microcomputer that determines whether there is vibration due to the knock based on the vibration detection signal generated by the 3-axis sensor module. According to clause 9,
The 3-axis sensor module is,
Contains 3 acceleration sensors,
The three acceleration sensors are,
A home appliance including a first acceleration sensor that detects vibration in the first axis direction among the three axes, a second acceleration sensor that detects vibration in the second axis direction, and a third acceleration sensor that detects vibration in the third axis direction. device. According to clause 10,
A home appliance in which one of the three acceleration sensors is installed so that the axis direction for detecting vibration coincides with the direction of vibration caused by the knock. According to clause 9,
The 3-axis sensor module is,
A home appliance including a three-axis acceleration sensor that simultaneously detects vibration in the three axes. According to clause 12,
The three-axis acceleration sensor,
A home appliance installed so that the direction of any one of the three axes coincides with the direction of vibration caused by the knock. In paragraph 9
The sensor microcomputer,
A home appliance that extracts a vibration detection signal in one direction that matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock among the vibration detection signals in the three axes and determines whether or not there is vibration in response to the knock using the extracted vibration detection signal. According to clause 14,
The sensor microcomputer,
In the extracted vibration detection signal, if the magnitude of the vibration detection signal by the 1st knock is greater than the set first threshold, and after the set time has elapsed, if the magnitude of the vibration detection signal by the 2nd knock is greater than the set second threshold, vibration due to the knock A home appliance that determines whether According to clause 15,
The second threshold is greater than the first threshold and is proportional to the size of the vibration detection signal caused by the 1st knock. According to clause 9,
The sensor microcomputer,
Among the three-axis vibration detection signals, a vibration detection signal in one axis direction (first axis direction) that matches the direction of vibration caused by the knock is extracted, and a vibration detection signal in two axis directions (second axis direction) other than the extracted vibration detection signal is extracted. A home appliance that determines whether there is vibration in response to the knock by comparing vibration detection signals in 3 axes directions. According to clause 17,
The sensor microcomputer,
When the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in at least one of the second or third axis directions is greater than the maximum value of the vibration detection signal in the first axis direction, it is determined that the vibration is not caused by the knock. Home appliances. According to paragraph 1,
A display unit displaying at least one of a knock-on button for turning on/off the knock-on function by a user's touch or a lamp button for turning a lamp on/off by a user's touch is displayed on the top or front of the cabinet. Including home appliances. According to clause 19,
The control unit,
A home appliance that does not turn the lamp on/off even when a knock is input by the user while the knock-on function is set to off. According to clause 19,
The control unit is a home appliance that does not turn the lamp on/off even when a knock is input by the user while the lamp button is turned on by touching the lamp button. According to paragraph 1,
A home appliance further comprising a heating means for heating the air inside the receiving space.

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