KR20110097335A - A control method of a refrigerator comprising a terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

It is another object of the present invention to provide a control method of a refrigerator capable of performing self-diagnosis on an operating state, and to provide a control method of a refrigerator in which a after-sales service application can be made more quickly and conveniently in case of failure. There is a purpose.
The present invention that can achieve this object comprises the steps of (A) determining whether the refrigerator is abnormally operated or malfunction; (B) displaying information related to a component which causes abnormal operation or failure in a display unit in case of a failure; (C) determining whether a user has applied for a service for repairing the refrigerator by operating the display unit; (D) provides a control method of a refrigerator having a terminal, comprising the step of providing a repair reservation service by searching for a service center and a service engineer when applying for a service.

Description

A control method of a refrigerator comprising a terminal

The present invention relates to a control method of a refrigerator having a terminal, and in particular, a self-diagnosis of an operating state, and when an abnormality is found in operation, a control method of a refrigerator that can apply for after-sales service quickly. It is about.

Refrigerators are home appliances that can easily store or freeze storage such as food using a refrigerant cycle.

A typical refrigerator includes a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment, and a dispenser provided in the door to extract ice or water.

The door of the conventional refrigerator is provided with a display device that can display information such as the operation state of the refrigerator, that is, the temperature of the refrigerating or freezing chamber or whether ice is frozen or the like, so that the user can be informed of such information.

However, in the conventional refrigerator, there was no function of periodically diagnosing the operating state of the refrigerator, and when an error occurred, the user could know it and apply for an after-sales service. And even if a failure occurs, an error code displayed like a password is displayed so that the user cannot know what caused the failure.

Even after applying for after-sales service, there was a need for users to call each other, so a need for a method for implementing a faster and more convenient after-sales service was raised.

The present invention is to meet such a need, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a refrigerator capable of performing a self-diagnosis of the operating state, and also, in the event of a failure after the service application can be made more quickly and conveniently It is another object to provide a control method of the refrigerator.

The present invention for achieving this object

(A) determining whether the refrigerator is abnormally operated or a failure occurs;

(B) displaying information related to a component which causes abnormal operation or failure in a display unit in case of a failure;

(C) determining whether a user has applied for a service for repairing the refrigerator by operating the display unit;

(D) provides a control method of a refrigerator having a terminal, comprising the step of providing a repair reservation service by searching for a service center and a service engineer when applying for a service.

Step (B) comprises the step of putting a window on the display module to inform the occurrence of abnormal operation or failure;

And indicating the position of the component that causes abnormal operation or failure.

The display module is composed of a touch screen,

Step (C) is performed by determining whether the user touches the service request button generated on the touch screen.

Step (D) may include searching for a service center within a predetermined distance range in a region where a refrigerator is currently located;

If the user selects one of the discovered fulfillment centers,

Displaying service reservation schedules of service articles belonging to the selected service center and service articles in a list form;

And if the user selects a specific service article, performing a service reservation for the selected service article.

Step (D) may include searching for a service article belonging to a service center within a predetermined distance range in a region where a refrigerator is currently located;

Displaying service articles in the form of a list among the searched service articles having no other service schedule at a desired time;

If the user selects one of the service articles on the list, characterized in that it comprises the step of performing a service reservation for the selected service article.

In addition, the present invention comprises the steps of (E) determining whether the refrigerator operates abnormally or a failure occurs;

(F) displaying information related to a component which causes abnormal operation or failure in the display module when a failure occurs;

(G) if a failure has occurred, sending a failure or abnormal operation to a service center;

(H) As a result of the determination of the service center, when the failure or abnormal operation is a recall target or a repair subject through the service technician, the content provided by the service center is displayed on the display unit.

(I) transmitting from the service center to determine whether the user has applied for a service center call or a service engineer reservation in response to a malfunction or abnormal operation displayed on the display unit;

(J) if it is determined that the call or reservation request is made by operating the display unit, it is characterized in that it comprises the step of reserving a request for repair or recall for the service center and service technician within a predetermined distance.

Step (J) is characterized in that to display the information about the service article in the form of a list so that the user can select a specific service article.

By self-diagnosing the refrigerator according to the present invention, it is possible to check whether there is an abnormality in the storage capacity of the refrigerator, and even if the failure is not reached, the cause can be easily displayed by the user even when the capacity is reduced.

Therefore, when the user is not in the malfunction of the refrigerator but is in a degraded state, there is an advantage that the failure can be prevented in advance through the service application.

In addition, even in the event of a breakdown or the application of the service due to a decrease in the capacity of the refrigerator, it is necessary to call the service center and arrange the time with the person in charge to reserve a time. It is possible to save time and effort of the user because the schedule can be viewed by looking at the schedule of working repairman.

In addition, even when communication between the terminal of the refrigerator and the service center is determined that the failure of the refrigerator is subject to recall, there is an advantage that the recall application and repair process according to the recall can be made quickly.

In addition, when the refrigerator is connected to other electrical appliances on the home network, the terminal of the refrigerator may serve as a monitoring function for normal operation of all electrical appliances, and the service application may be performed according to the result.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator provided with a terminal according to the present invention.
2 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator having a terminal according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is an initial screen displayed on the terminal of the refrigerator according to the present invention.
4 is a view illustrating an operation state display window displayed on the terminal of the refrigerator according to the present invention.
Figure 5 shows a diagnostic result window displayed on the terminal of the refrigerator according to the present invention.
Figure 6 shows that the service center search results displayed on the terminal of the refrigerator according to the present invention is displayed on a map.
7 shows a list of repair technicians displayed on the terminal of the refrigerator according to the present invention.
8 illustrates a reservation display window displayed on a terminal of a refrigerator according to the present invention.
9 to 12 are control flowcharts of a refrigerator having a terminal according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 according to the present invention includes a main body 100a, a door 101b provided on the front surface of the main body, and a handle 100c mounted to the door.

The door 101b is provided with a dispenser 110 capable of extracting cold water or ice, and a terminal 200 capable of displaying operation state information of the refrigerator and information related to power rates or power consumption.

The terminal 200 is provided in the form of a terminal. Specifically, the terminal 200 may include a display module 241 for displaying predetermined information and inputting a predetermined command by a touch.

The display module 241 may be configured as a touch screen in which an input and a display may be simultaneously implemented. However, it is also possible to have a general display module having only a display function and a button type input device provided separately from the display module.

The terminal 200 may be fixed to the front of the door, or provided detachably, so that the user may attach or remove the terminal 200 to a refrigerator as needed.

2, the refrigerator terminal 200 according to the present invention includes a wireless communication unit 210, an A / V input unit 220, a user input unit 230, an output unit 240, and a memory. 250, an interface unit 260, an RFID reader unit 270, a control unit 280, and a power supply unit 290 may be included. Since the components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, the refrigerator terminal 200 having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

 The communication unit 210 may include one or more modules that enable the Internet to be used between the refrigerator terminal 200 and the wired / wireless communication system or in an internet network where the refrigerator terminal 200 is located.

For example, the communication unit 210 may include a broadcast receiving module 211, a mobile communication module 212, an internet module 213, a short range communication module 214, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 211 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel and reproduces it on the display module 241 under the control of the controller 280.

The mobile communication module 212 transmits and receives a wireless signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The internet module 213 refers to a module for wired / wireless internet access. The wireless internet technologies include wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) or the like may be used.

The internet module 213 enables communication and data transmission and reception with a service center through internet access and retrieval.

The short range communication module 214 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

The A / V input unit 220 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 221 and a microphone 222.

The camera 221 processes image information such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image information may be displayed on the display module 241.

The image data processed by the camera 221 may be stored in the memory 250 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 210. Two or more cameras 221 may be provided according to a usage environment.

The microphone 222 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data.

The user input unit 230 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the refrigerator terminal 200. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a direction key, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The output unit 240 is used to generate an output related to visual or audio, and may include a display module 241 and a sound output module 242.

The display module 241 displays (outputs) information processed by the refrigerator terminal 200.

For example, when displaying information related to the refrigerator terminal 200 and the refrigerator 100, information related to the refrigerator 100 may be displayed in a form of a widget (UI) or a user interface (GUI) such as a widget or an icon. Interface).

As described above, the display module 241 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), The display device may include at least one of a flexible display and a 3D display.

When the display module 241 and a sensor for detecting a touch motion (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter, referred to as a touch screen), the display module 241 may be used in addition to an output device. Can also be used as an input device.

The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 241 or capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display module 241 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to a touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 280. As a result, the controller 280 may determine which area of the display module 241 is touched.

The sound output module 242 outputs data including audio included in the memory 250 or outputs sound for notifying a user of an operation state associated with the refrigerator 100. The sound output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The memory 250 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 280, and stores information related to the operation of the refrigerator.

 In addition, the memory 250 stores graphic data that provides a user with various visual effects and messages and information related to the operation information of the refrigerator.

As described above, the memory 250 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory). Etc.), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EPEROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), At least one type of storage medium may include a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

The interface unit 260 serves as a path to all external devices connected to the refrigerator terminal 200. The interface unit 260 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the refrigerator terminal 200, or transmits data inside the refrigerator terminal 200 to an external device.

For example, wired / wireless headset ports, external charger ports, wired / wireless data ports, memory card ports, ports for connecting devices with identification modules, audio input / output (I / O) ports, The video input / output (I / O) port, the earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 260.

The controller 280 typically controls the overall operation of the refrigerator terminal 200. In this case, the controller 280 may be a microprocessor in the refrigerator 100.

The controller 280 may be connected to each component of the refrigerator such as the compressor 310 or the defrost heater 320 provided in the refrigerator 100 to control the operation thereof, whether these are normally operated or the like. You can also check your ability.

The power supply unit 290 receives power supplied from the refrigerator 100 or the external power supplied through the interface unit 260 under the control of the controller 280, and supplies power required for the operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions.

 In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the controller 280 itself.

According to the software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

 Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 250 and executed by the controller 280.

3 is an initial screen shown in the terminal 200 according to the present invention.

On the initial screen, the current date, family schedule and current weather are displayed. On the right side, a storage state of a stored object currently stored in the refrigerator is displayed.

In addition, menu icons 330 for displaying various menus are disclosed on the lower side of the screen of the display module 241 of the terminal. When a user touches any one of the menu icons 330, information related to the menu is displayed on the screen. Will float on.

If you touch the Self-check button to check whether the refrigerator operates normally among the menu icons 330, a screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display module 241 displays an operation state display window 400 indicating a state of the current refrigerator, and the operation state display window 400 displays an energy consumption degree derived by a conventional self-diagnosis. (Indicated by energy consumption), compressor performance (in compressor performance), and cooling efficiency in simplified bar graph form.

By the length of the bar graph, it is easy to know whether the energy consumption degree, compressor performance, cooling efficiency, etc. are normal, excessive or insufficient. In addition, the operation status display window 400 displays the date of the last self-diagnosis (in this embodiment, displayed as August 21, 2009).

Then, a message is displayed at the bottom of the operation state display window 400, and a Yes key 400a and a No key 400b are displayed below the self-diagnosis. To be possible.

When pressing the Yes key (400a) in the operation state display window 400, as shown in Figure 5, the diagnostic result window 410 is displayed, if the component is operating normally, it will display that the normal operation, but the configuration If there is an error in the operation of some of the elements, or the capacity is degraded, a failure message or a message indicating the reduced capacity as shown in Fig. 5 appears in the diagnosis result window 410.

In this case, the diagnosis result window 410 displays a component that is found to be a failure or the ability is not in a normal state so that the user can easily understand, and displays the place where the component is located in a graphic form.

In the diagnostic result window 410 shown in FIG. 5, a message indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the compressor is displayed, and it is indicated by using the X mark that the compressor is located in the upper part of the refrigerator.

When the state of the refrigerator is not normal as described above, a message is displayed asking whether to connect to a service center for receiving a service, and a Yes key 410a and a No key 410b are displayed below the message.

When the Yes key 410a is touched, the service center nearest to the current location is searched on the map 420 as shown in FIG. In this case, an enlarged display window 421 is displayed on the map 420 to enlarge and display the geography of the service center in order to inform the location of the service center more clearly.

When the nearest service center is searched by the searching process, as shown in FIG. 7, the service article list 430 in the service center is displayed.

In the service article list 430, a personal information display window 431 displaying a picture, a name, and an evaluation score of each service article is displayed, and a schedule display window 432 displaying a service schedule of each service article is displayed.

The schedule display window 432 displays the service reservation status and time available for service reservation (displayed as Available) for each service article.

Reference numeral 433 denotes a current time display line indicating a current time, and a user may apply for a service trip reservation by referring to the current time display line 433 and the reservation time available for each service driver.

In this state, the user can easily perform a service reservation by touching and selecting a service article on the display module 241 which does not have another service schedule in a desired time zone.

That is, if the current time is 11:30 am and the user thinks that he wants to receive the service at about 15 o'clock, the available time zone (14:30 ... 16:30), as shown in FIG. 8, a reservation display window 440 is displayed in which the personal information of the reserved service engineer and the service reservation time are written along with a message that the D reservation is completed.

Hereinafter, an overall control flow of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 9, when a user starts a self-diagnosis by touching a command for self-diagnosis (S901), it is diagnosed whether the refrigerator is normally operated (S902).

The self-diagnosis determines whether there is an abnormal operation or failure of the refrigerator (S903), and if a failure or abnormal operation is determined, the status is displayed as a message (S904), and a part or configuration that causes abnormal operation or failure is indicated. The name of the element and its position are displayed (S905).

As described above, it is determined whether the user inputs the service request button in the failure or abnormal operation state (S906), and if so, searches for a predetermined distance or the nearest service center at the current location and displays it on a map on the display module (S907).

If there are several searched service centers, the user may select any one of them (S908). However, if the nearest service center is searched, this selection process may be omitted.

And, as shown in Figure 10, the repair technician belonging to the service center and their travel time is displayed (S1001), if the user enters a specific repair engineer and the travel request time (S1002, S1003), display The service reservation completion message is displayed on the module (S1004).

11 shows another embodiment of a control method according to the present invention. When the user starts a self-diagnosis by touching a command for self-diagnosis (S1101), it is diagnosed whether the refrigerator is normally operated (S1102).

The self-diagnosis determines whether there is an abnormal operation or failure of the refrigerator (S1103), and if a failure or abnormal operation is determined, the status is displayed as a message (S1104), and a part or configuration that causes abnormal operation or failure The name of the element and its position are displayed (S1105). Up to this point, the control method of FIG. 9 is the same.

In this state, the abnormal operation or failure of the refrigerator is transmitted to the adjacent service center irrespective of a user input (S1106). This transmission and reception process is performed through wired and wireless Internet communications.

The service center receives the abnormal operation or failure details of the refrigerator and examines the received contents to determine whether the abnormal operation or failure details are a recall target or a business trip service target.

The determination result is sent back to the terminal of the refrigerator by the service center and received at the refrigerator terminal, and the received contents are displayed on the terminal (S1107).

 Then, it is determined whether the user has made a service request to the service center with reference to the displayed contents (S1108), and determines whether the service request is a repair request or a recall request (S1201).

The user's request for repair or recall will most likely be based on a decision already sent by the service center.

If the service content requested in step S1201 is a repair request of the refrigerator, a predetermined distance or the nearest service center is searched from the current location and displayed on a map on the display module (S1202).

If there are several searched service centers, the user may select any one of them (S1203). However, if the nearest service center is searched, this selection process may be omitted.

Then, the repair technicians belonging to the corresponding service center and their travel time are displayed (S1204), and when the user inputs a specific repair engineer and the travel request time (S1205, S1206), service reservation is completed on the display module of the terminal. A message is displayed (S1207).

On the other hand, in step S1201, even when the user requests a recall, a predetermined distance or the nearest service center from the current location is searched and displayed on the map on the display module (S1209).

If there are several searched service centers, the user may select any one of them (S1210). However, if the nearest service center is searched, this selection process may be omitted.

In addition, the recall center is called and the recall is taken so that the recall can be repaired by taking the refrigerator (S1211).

When the recall reservation step is completed, the display module of the terminal undergoes the step of displaying the reservation completion indication of the recall and the expected time required according to the recall (S1212).

200: refrigerator terminal 210: communication unit
211: broadcast receiving module 212: mobile communication module
213: Internet module 214: Local area communication module
220: A / V input unit 221: camera
222: microphone 230: user input unit
240: output unit 241: display module
242: sound output module 250: memory
260: interface unit 270: RFID reader unit
280: control unit 290: power supply unit
330: menu icon 400: operation status display window
410: Diagnostic result window 420: Map
430: Service article list 440: Reservation display window

Claims (8)

(A) determining whether the refrigerator is abnormally operated or a failure occurs;
(B) displaying information related to a component which causes abnormal operation or failure in a display unit in case of a failure;
(C) determining whether a user has applied for a service for repairing the refrigerator by operating the display unit;
(D) a method for controlling a refrigerator having a terminal, wherein the service center and a service technician are searched to provide a repair reservation service when the service is applied for. The method of claim 1,
Step (B) comprises the step of putting a window on the display module to inform the occurrence of abnormal operation or failure;
Control method of a refrigerator having a terminal comprising the step of indicating the position of the component that causes abnormal operation or failure. The method of claim 1,
The display module is composed of a touch screen,
Step (C) is a control method of a refrigerator having a terminal, characterized in that performed by determining whether the user touches the service request button generated on the touch screen. The method of claim 1,
Step (D) may include searching for a service center within a predetermined distance range in a region where a refrigerator is currently located;
If the user selects one of the discovered fulfillment centers,
Displaying service reservation schedules of service articles belonging to the selected service center and service articles in a list form;
And if the user selects a specific service article, performing a service reservation for the selected service article. The method of claim 4, wherein
Step (D) may include searching for a service article belonging to a service center within a predetermined distance range in a region where a refrigerator is currently located;
Displaying service articles in the form of a list among the searched service articles having no other service schedule at a desired time;
And if the user selects any one of the service articles on the list, performing a service reservation for the selected service article. (E) determining whether the refrigerator operates abnormally or has a malfunction;
(F) displaying information related to a component which causes abnormal operation or failure in the display module when a failure occurs;
(G) if a failure has occurred, sending a failure or abnormal operation to a service center;
(H) The control method of the refrigerator having a terminal, characterized in that the display unit displays the contents provided by the service center when the failure or abnormal operation is a recall target or a repair target by the service technician. The method of claim 6,
(I) transmitting from the service center to determine whether the user has applied for a service center call or a service engineer reservation in response to a malfunction or abnormal operation displayed on the display unit;
(J) if it is determined that the call or reservation request is made by operating the display unit, the control method of the refrigerator comprising the step of reserving a request for repair or recall for a service center and a service technician within a predetermined distance. The method of claim 7, wherein
Step (J) is a control method of a refrigerator having a terminal, characterized in that to display a list of information about the service article so that the user can select a specific service article.

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