WO2021230627A1

WO2021230627A1 - Water purifier and water purifier control method

Info

Publication number: WO2021230627A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/005894
Authority: WO
Inventors: 홍진혁; 박지훈
Original assignee: 애터미주식회사
Priority date: 2020-05-11
Filing date: 2021-05-11
Publication date: 2021-11-18
Also published as: KR20210137926A; KR102530502B1

Abstract

A water purifier and a water purifier control method are disclosed. A water purifier control method according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise the steps of: controlling the operation of a first valve for movement in either a (1-1)st direction toward a water quality measurement unit for measuring the water quality of raw water inputted into a water purifier and of purified water or a (1-2)nd direction toward a filter unit for filtering the raw water and outputting the purified water; receiving a water quality measurement result of the raw water from the water quality measurement unit; controlling the operation of a second valve so that the purified water moves in either a (2-1)st direction toward the water quality measurement unit or a (2-2)nd direction toward the outside of the water purifier so as to be outputted for drinking; receiving a water quality measurement result of the purified water from the water quality measurement unit; and diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier on the basis of the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water, which have been received from the water quality measurement unit.

Description

Water purifier and water purifier control method

The present disclosure relates to a water purifier and a water purifier control method capable of diagnosing and managing a state of a water purifier based on determination of the quality of raw water and purified water through a water quality measurement function of the water purifier itself.

In general, a water purifier refers to a device that purifies water so that it can be drunk through physical and chemical processes. Classified by type, there is a direct water type that connects directly to the faucet, and a storage type that puts water in a container and passes it through a filter. If classified according to the purification principle or method, it can be divided into natural filtration type, direct filtration type, ion exchange resin type, distillation type, reverse osmosis type, etc.

These water purifiers can purify tap water through several filters and supply hot and cold water. In general, tap water, which is raw water, removes foreign substances from the sediment filter, purifies through a carbon filter, sterilizes through an ultraviolet filter, and hot and cold water for drinking. It is a structure that is supplied divided into tanks.

In the structure of the water purifier, the filter is the most important component, and it is possible to maintain the water quality of the water purifier in an optimal state only when the replacement time of the filter is accurately identified.

Accordingly, in the prior art, the filter life was estimated by the effective amount of purified water, and the filter had to be replaced by visiting each household on a regular basis, or the user had to replace the filter directly according to the filter cycle based on the effective amount of purified water. Here, the effective amount of purified water means the maximum amount of water passed through the influent with 2.0 mg/L of free residual chlorine until 0.4 mg/L (80% removed) of free residual chlorine in the effluent. It was possible to estimate the filter life according to the average value of their use. You have to visit each home on a regular basis to change the filter, or you have to change the filter yourself.

However, the quality of tap water may vary from region to region. That is, since the water purifier is used in different external environments, there is a problem that the actual purification power of the water purifier filter cannot be accurately determined. In addition, since regional variations such as aging of water pipes cannot be taken into account, manpower and money are wasted, such as having to regularly visit each home and inspect the water purifier for more accurate filter replacement.

In addition, as environmental pollution accelerates and health concerns increase, it is necessary to provide more diverse information to consumers of water purifiers, such as the exact filter replacement time, as well as the water quality of the water purifier itself and the water quality of the raw water supplied to the house. this is increasing.

The above-mentioned background art is technical information possessed by the inventor for the derivation of the present invention or acquired in the process of derivation of the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be a known technique disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present invention.

One object of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to improve the efficiency of diagnosis and management of the water purifier by allowing the water quality state of raw water and purified water to be determined through the water quality measurement function of the water purifier itself.

One task of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to identify the water quality information of raw water and purified water and the replacement time for each filter through the self-diagnosis function of the water purifier itself, so that the user can pre-diagnose and manage the state of the water purifier before recognizing the abnormality of the product. is doing

One task of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide objective filter contamination/replacement information in different environments by applying a method of identifying the filter status with a sensor measurement value through water quality analysis between raw water supplied to the home and purified water that has passed through the filter to make it possible

One task of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a filter replacement alarm or water supply blocking function when entering a poor water quality stage by using water quality at the time of acquisition and water quality determination after purification, to improve user satisfaction with products and reliability. .

An object of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to allow residual water inside the water purifier to be drained, and to prevent contamination of water purifier pipes and water storage tanks by verifying the effects of sterilizing water and disinfecting water.

One object of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to reduce the manpower and time required by providing the state of the water purifier in real time after self-diagnosis in the water purifier itself.

An object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a reminder service and a cleaning service by diagnosing the condition of indoor and outdoor piping through comparative analysis of water quality public data by country/region around the world and raw water quality supplied to homes.

One task of the embodiment of the present disclosure is to perform customer-specific sensor data collection and big data processing to enable customer-customized filter selection and filter state management.

Objects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned tasks, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned may be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. will be. It will also be appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by means of the instrumentalities and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.

The method for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the step of pre-inspecting the state of the water purifier by identifying water quality information and replacement timing for each filter through a self-diagnosis function of the water purifier itself.

Specifically, in the water purifier control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the 1-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit for measuring the quality of raw water and purified water input to the water purifier, or the first direction toward the filter unit for filtering raw water and outputting purified water Controlling the operation of the first valve to move in one of the 1-2 directions, receiving the water quality measurement result of raw water from the water quality measurement unit, and the purified water is discharged for drinking or in the 2-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit Controlling the operation of the second valve to move in one of the 2-2 directions toward the outside of the water purifier as much as possible; receiving a water quality measurement result of purified water from a water quality measurement unit; The method may include diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier based on the result and the water quality measurement result of the purified water.

Through the water purifier control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the water quality state of raw water and purified water can be determined through the water quality measurement function of the water purifier itself, thereby improving the efficiency of diagnosis and management of the water purifier.

In addition to this, another method for implementing the present invention, another system, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing the method may be further provided.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the efficiency of diagnosis and management of the water purifier can be improved by enabling the self-diagnosis function of the water purifier itself to identify the water quality information of raw water and purified water and the replacement time for each filter so that the state of the water purifier can be pre-inspected. have.

In addition, by applying the method of identifying the filter status with the sensor measurement value rather than the method of estimating the filter life based on the effective amount of purified water through the water quality analysis between the raw water supplied to the home and the purified water that has passed through the filter, more accurate filter contamination even in different environments /Can provide replacement information.

In addition, by using the water quality at the time of acquisition and water quality judgment after purification, when entering the stage of poor water quality, a filter replacement alarm or water supply blocking function can be added to improve user satisfaction and reliability of the product.

In addition, by draining the residual water remaining inside the water purifier and draining the sterilizing and disinfecting water supplied to the inside of the water purifier, it is possible to prevent contamination of the water purifier pipe and remove residual pressure.

In addition, by measuring the water quality of the residual water, it is possible to determine the condition of the pipe to prevent contamination of the pipe, and to verify the sterilization and disinfection effect by comparing the water quality measurement before and after the supply of sterilizing water and sterilizing water inside the water purifier, thereby increasing the filter maintenance time. water quality can be improved.

In addition, it is possible to reduce the manpower and time required by providing the water purifier status in real time after self-diagnosis in the water purifier itself.

In addition, it is possible to improve the performance and product reliability of water purifiers by diagnosing indoor and outdoor piping conditions through public water quality public data by country/region around the world and comparative analysis of raw water quality supplied to households, and providing reminder service and cleaning service. have.

In addition, it is possible to realize public interest and improve product competitiveness through global water quality information analysis by building global water map big data by reflecting public water quality public data by country/region around the world.

In addition, customer-specific sensor data collection and big data processing are performed to enable customer-customized filter selection and filter status management, thereby improving user satisfaction.

In addition, product performance can be improved by enabling management of the water purifier in consideration of artificial intelligence-based real-time water purifier usage patterns, filters, and water quality.

In addition, although the water purifier itself is a mass-produced uniform product, the user recognizes the water purifier as a personalized device, so that a user-customized product can be created.

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

1 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating a water purifier control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

4 is a block diagram illustrating valve control of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

5 is a block diagram illustrating valve control of a controller for a plurality of filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 is an exemplary view illustrating a flow sequence of water in the water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

8 is a flowchart illustrating in more detail a method for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a water purifier for a plurality of filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them will become apparent with reference to the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms, and includes all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. . The embodiments presented below are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention, and to completely inform those of ordinary skill in the art to the scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted. decide to do

Referring to FIG. 1 , the water purifier control system 1 may include a water purifier 100 , a server 200 , a user terminal 300 , and a network 400 .

The water purifier control system 1 collects water quality information of the water purifier 100 and controls so that diagnosis and pre-management of the water purifier 100 are possible, for example, water quality information of raw water supplied to the home, water quality of purified water It is possible to self-diagnose the state of the water purifier 100 by collecting information and water quality information after passing through each filter, and perform a filter replacement notification function when water pollution occurs or a function to block water supply when the pollution concentration is exceeded. In this case, the water purifier control system 1 may control the valves of the water purifier 100 to enable a function test for each filter so that the filter is replaced according to an optimal replacement time for each filter.

Although not shown in this embodiment, the water purifier includes a case (not shown) that forms an external shape when divided into large parts, and a water acquisition unit 101 , a water outlet unit 102 , a water quality measurement unit 103 and a filter provided inside the case. It may consist of a water purifier body including a part 104 . The outer shape of the water purifier body may be formed by a case, and the shape is not limited.

The case of the water purifier 100 may include a manipulation unit (not shown) through which an operation signal for controlling the water purifier is selectively input by the user, and a display unit (not shown) for displaying the water quality status of the water purifier and the setting mode of the water purifier. have. In this embodiment, the display unit may include a notification unit that visually and/or audibly outputs a notification according to the water quality status of the water purifier to the outside, and the notification unit includes an LED module that outputs light to the outside, a speaker that outputs a notification sound, etc. may include In addition, in this embodiment, when a notification according to the water quality state of the water purifier is output through the display unit, the notification content may be transmitted to the user terminal 300 at the same time, and details thereof will be described later.

Referring to FIG. 2 , looking at the internal configuration included in the body of the water purifier 100 , the water purifier 100 includes a water acquisition unit 101 that receives raw water, which is tap water, and a water outlet unit 102 that receives purified water for drinking. ), a water quality measurement unit 103 for measuring and draining the water quality of water (raw water, purified water, etc.) in the water purifier, and a filter unit 104 for filtering the raw water introduced from the outside and outputting purified water.

The acquisition unit 101 may include a first valve 1011 for controlling the movement of the acquisition line and the raw water obtained from the raw water is obtained from the outside.

In this embodiment, the raw water passing through the acquisition line may be directed toward the filter unit 104 or the water quality measurement unit 103 by the opening and closing operation of the first valve 1011 . At this time, in this embodiment, the direction in which the raw water faces the water quality measuring unit 103 may be referred to as a 1-1 direction, and the direction in which the raw water faces the filter unit 104 may be referred to as a 1-2 direction.

The first valve 1011 may be opened and closed under the control of the control unit 170, and in this embodiment, may be a 3-way solenoid valve. That is, the first valve 1011 may be composed of three pipe connection ports and two orifices, and the three pipe connection ports are a raw water inlet line from which raw water is obtained, a flow path in the 1-1 direction, and a 1-2 direction, respectively. can be connected to the flow path of Also, the two orifices may be connected to the flow path in the 1-1 direction and the flow path in the 1-2 direction. That is, when the orifice in the 1-1 direction is opened and the orifice in the 1-2 direction is closed, the obtained raw water can flow in the 1-1 direction, and the orifice in the 1-1 direction is closed and the first- When the orifice in the two directions is opened, the raw water obtained can flow in the first 1-2 direction.

The water outlet 102 may include a water outlet line through which drinking water is dispensed and a second valve 1021 for controlling the movement of purified water.

In this embodiment, raw water passes through the filter unit 104 and purified purified water may be directed to the water quality measurement unit 103 or the water outlet line by the opening and closing operation of the second valve 1021 . At this time, in the present embodiment, the direction in which the purified water faces the water quality measurement unit 103 may be referred to as a 2-1 direction, and the direction in which the purified water faces the water outlet line may be referred to as a 2-2 direction.

The second valve 1021 may be opened and closed under the control of the controller 170, and in this embodiment, may be a 3-way solenoid valve. That is, the second valve 1021 may be composed of three pipe connection ports and two orifices, and the three pipe connection ports are a flow path through which purified water is obtained from the filter unit 104, a flow path in the 2-1 direction, and a second valve connection port, respectively. It can be connected to the water outlet line in the 2-2 direction. In addition, the two orifices may be connected to the flow path in the 2-1 direction and the water outlet line in the 2-2 direction. That is, when the orifice in the 2-1 direction is opened and the orifice in the 2-2 direction is closed, purified water can flow in the 2-1 direction, the orifice in the 2-1 direction is closed and the orifice in the 2-2 direction is closed When the orifice of is opened, the purified water may flow in the 2-2 direction.

The water quality measurement unit 103 measures the quality of raw water and purified water, and includes a third valve 1031 for holding or draining raw water or purified water in the water storage tank 1032, and a storage tank 1032 for storing raw water or purified water. , located in the water storage tank 1032 may include a water quality measurement sensor 1033 for measuring the quality of raw water or purified water.

In this embodiment, the third valve 1031 may be opened and closed under the control of the controller 170, in this embodiment, may be a 2-way solenoid valve. That is, the third valve 1031 may be closed in order to store raw water or purified water in the water storage tank 1032 for water quality measurement, and after the water quality measurement, the third valve 1031 is opened to drain the raw water or purified water. can make it happen

The water storage tank 1032 is for measuring water quality, the shape and material are not limited, and may be made of a material resistant to corrosion. In addition, in this embodiment, a UV lamp (not shown) and a heater (not shown) may be provided in the water storage tank 1032, and the water storage tank 1032 is dried and disinfected through the UV lamp and heater to be configured to sterilize. can In addition, in the present embodiment, a fan (not shown) serving as a stirrer may be provided in the water storage tank 1032 , and it may be possible to accurately measure the quality of raw water or purified water in the water storage tank 1032 through the fan. In this case, the fan may be installed in the opposite direction to the sensor to protect the sensor, and may be installed in the valve direction to facilitate drainage.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of water quality measuring sensors 1033 may be provided to measure the degree of contamination of raw water and purified water, and may include a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) sensor and a pH sensor. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the water quality measurement sensor 1033 may measure water quality measurement items such as hydrogen ion concentration, dissolved oxygen amount, chemical oxygen demand, sludge concentration, sludge concentration, conductivity, specific resistance, salinity concentration, residual chlorine amount, and turbidity. At least one or more of the available sensors may be combined.

A TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) sensor measures the TDS of water, and TDS may mean the total amount of charged ions with active activity, that is, the total amount of soluble solids in water. For example, TDS may also include minerals, salts, metals, and the like. The unit of measurement can be expressed in mg/L or in parts per million (ppm).

In other words, the TDS value shows how many milligrams of solid substances (minerals, salts, metals, cations, anions, etc.) are contained in 1 liter of water. have. In general, the lower the TDS value, the less heavy metals (chromium, lead, zinc, copper, etc.), soluble salts (calcium, magnesium, ions, etc.), ions (ammonium, sodium acetate, etc.), so it is closer to pure water (water quality). TDS may be based on the electrical conductivity value of water. Pure water has a conductivity value of 0, and TDS can be calculated by multiplying the electrical conductivity (EC) value by a constant constant depending on the degree. In general, when the value of EC is high, the value of the conversion constant that determines TDS also increases.

Generally, TDS values below 300 can be classified as good, 300-600 as fair, 600-900 as poor, and 900-1200 or higher than 1200 as unacceptable. In this case, the TDS value may be determined based on drinking water quality standards of 300 or less, which may be changeable.

A pH sensor measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, known as pH, which is a unit of measure that shows the degree of acidity or alkalinity. It can be measured on a scale from 0 to 14. At this time, the appropriate pH value may be set to 6.5 ~ 8.5, which may be changeable.

The filter unit 104 is to provide purified water by filtering water introduced from the outside, and one or more filters and valves for filtering water, that is, N filters 1042 - (N), N filters 1042 -(N)) may include N-1 fourth valves 1041-(N-1)) for controlling the movement of water between each.

In this embodiment, when two filters are provided, the filter unit 104 may include a fourth valve 1041 , a first filter 1042-1, and a second filter 1042-2. In addition, when four filters are provided, the filter unit 104 includes a 4-1 valve 1041-1, a 4-2 valve 1041-2, and a 4-3 valve 1041-3, and a It may include a first filter 1042-1, a second filter 1042-2, a third filter 1042-3, and a fourth filter 1042-4. That is, in the present embodiment, the first filter 1042-1, the second filter 1042-2, the N-th filter 1042-(N), etc. may be collectively referred to as a filter 1042, and the 4-th filter 1042 - The first valve 1041-1, the 4-2 valve 1041-2, the 4-(N-1) valve 1041-(N-1), etc. may be collectively referred to as the fourth valve 1041 . .

In this embodiment, when raw water flows into the filter unit 104 , it may be directed to the water quality measurement unit 103 or the next filter by the opening/closing operation of the fourth valve 1041 . At this time, in the present embodiment, the direction in which the water flowing into the filter unit 104 is directed toward the water quality measuring unit 103 is the 4-1 direction, and the direction in which the water flowing into the filter unit 104 is directed to the next filter is the 4th direction. It can be named in the -2 direction. At this time, the direction of the flow path through which water flows from each fourth valve 1041 to the water quality measurement unit 103 is collectively referred to as the 4-1 direction, and water flows from each filter 1042 to the next filter. All directions of the flow passages to be used may be collectively referred to as a 4-2 direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, except for the last filter among the filters of the filter unit 104, since the valve corresponding to the filter is connected to the rear end of the filter, if N filters are provided, N-1 valves are provided. can be provided. A detailed description thereof will be provided later.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , it will be described that four filters are provided. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be changed according to the design.

In this embodiment, the filter unit 104 may include a first filter 1042-1, a second filter 1042-2, a third filter 1042-3, and a fourth filter 1042-4. have. For example, the filter unit 104 may include a sediment filter, a pre carbon filter, a membrane filter, a post carbon filter, an ultrafiltration (UF) filter, and a reverse osmosis pressure (Reverse) filter. Osmosis, R/O) filters and nano (nano) filters and the like may be included.

The sediment filter removes contaminants (rust, soil, sand) of 5 micrometers or more, and if the filter is not replaced at the time of replacement, it may cause failure of solenoid valves, pumps, filters, etc. In addition, the free carbon filter adsorbs and removes organic chemicals such as residual chlorine and trihalomethane, and if the filter is not replaced, the membrane may be damaged or the lifespan may be shortened. The membrane removes all foreign substances dissolved in water, such as environmental hormones, heavy metals, viruses, and bacteria, using micropores or electrostatic adsorption. By removing the ingredients to improve the taste of fresh water, there may be a risk of change in the taste of water and the growth of bacteria when the filter is not replaced. In addition, the UF filter is a bamboo-like filter with a hollow in the middle, and has a hole of 0.01 to 0.04 microns or less, which is one tenth the thickness of a human hair. Filters and activated carbon filters, etc. can be forced to pass. And R/O filter is a method that mimics osmotic pressure, a biological phenomenon, and filters impurities such as microorganisms, viruses, heavy metals, inorganic substances, and radioactive substances when it passes through a semi-permeable membrane by applying pressure to water mixed with various impurities. A method that allows only pure water, dissolved oxygen, and trace minerals to pass through can be applied.

In addition, the filter unit 104 may include a 4-1 th valve 1041-1, a 4-2 th valve 1041-2, and a 4-3 th valve 1041-3. At this time, the 4-1 valve 1041-1, the 4-2 valve 1041-2, and the 4-3 valve 1041-3 may be opened and closed under the control of the control unit 170, respectively. In an embodiment, it may be a 3 way solenoid valve. That is, the 4-1 valve 1041-1, the 4-2 valve 1041-2, and the 4-3 valve 1041-3 may include three pipe connection ports and two orifices.

The three pipe connection ports of the 4-1 valve 1041-1 may be respectively connected to the water outlet of the first filter 1042-1, the inlet of the second filter 1042-2, and the flow path in the 4-1 direction. . Also, the two orifices may be connected to a flow path in a 4-1 direction and a flow path in a 4-2 direction. That is, when the orifice in the 4-1 direction is opened and the orifice in the 4-2 direction is closed, the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 may flow to the water quality measuring unit 103 .

In addition, the three pipe connection ports of the 4-2 valve 1041-2 are to be connected to the outlet port of the second filter 1042-2, the inlet port of the third filter 1042-3, and the flow path in the 4-1 direction, respectively. can In addition, the two orifices may be connected to a flow path in a 4-1 direction and a flow path in a 4-2 direction. That is, when the orifice in the 4-1 direction is opened and the orifice in the 4-2 direction is closed, the water passing through the second filter 1042 - 2 may flow to the water quality measuring unit 103 .

In addition, the three pipe connection ports of the 4-3 valve 1041-3 may be connected to the outlet port of the third filter 1042-3, the inlet port of the fourth filter 1042-4, and the flow path in the 4-1 direction, respectively. have. In addition, the two orifices may be connected to the flow path in the 4-1 direction and the flow path in the 4-2 direction, and when the orifice in the 4-1 direction is opened and the orifice in the 4-2 direction is closed, the third filter ( The water passing through 1042-3) may flow to the water quality measuring unit 103 .

Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawings of this embodiment, when the water purifier 100 is a storage type, a water purification tank (not shown) may be additionally provided. The purified water tank is for storing purified water provided by the filter unit 104 , and may be provided between the filter unit 104 and the water outlet unit 102 . That is, the water stored in the purified water tank may be provided to a user or the like through the water outlet 102 connected to the purified water tank or may be drained through the water quality measuring unit 103 .

That is, in this embodiment, the opening and closing operations of the first valve 1011 , the second valve 1021 , the third valve 1031 , and the fourth valve 1041 are controlled by the control unit 170 to control raw water and purified water. After measuring the quality of the water and measuring the quality of the water that has passed through each filter, the drinking water can be discharged. In addition, the water quality measurement result may be transmitted to the server 200 and/or the control unit 170 to provide a water purifier manager or user with information on the state of the water purifier including the water quality measurement result.

The server 200 may be a server for operating the water purifier control system 1 . For example, the server 200 may be an operation server in charge of operating various devices so as to smoothly exchange necessary information by managing new registration of the water purifier 100, checking water quality, replacing filters, and the like.

In addition, the server 200 may be a database server that provides big data necessary for applying various artificial intelligence algorithms and data for operating the water purifier control system 1 . In addition, the server 200 may include a web server or an application server for remotely controlling the operation of the water purifier control system 1 using a water purifier control application installed in the user terminal 300 or a water purifier control web browser. have.

Here, artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science and information technology that studies how computers can do the thinking, learning, and self-development that can be done with human intelligence. It could mean making it possible to imitate intelligent behavior.

Also, artificial intelligence does not exist by itself, but has many direct and indirect connections with other fields of computer science. In particular, in modern times, attempts are being made to introduce artificial intelligence elements in various fields of information technology and use them to solve problems in that field.

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence, which can include fields of study that give computers the ability to learn without explicit programming. Specifically, machine learning can be said to be a technology that studies and builds a system and an algorithm for learning based on empirical data, making predictions, and improving its own performance. Algorithms in machine learning can take the approach of building specific models to make predictions or decisions based on input data, rather than executing strictly set static program instructions.

The server 200 may receive and analyze service request information from the water purifier control system 1 , generate service response information corresponding to the service request information, and transmit it to the water purifier control system 1 .

In the present embodiment, when the voice recognition service is available in the water purifier 100, the server 200 receives the spoken voice corresponding to the user's service request from the water purifier control system 1, and uses the voice recognition processing to recognize the spoken voice. The processing result may be generated as service response information and provided to the water purifier control system 1 .

After accessing the water purifier control application or the water purifier control site, the user terminal 300 may receive a service for operating or controlling the water purifier control system 1 through an authentication process. In this embodiment, the user terminal 300 that has completed the authentication process may operate the water purifier control system 1 and control the operation of the water purifier control system 1 .

In this embodiment, the user terminal 300 is a desktop computer, a smartphone, a notebook computer, a tablet PC, a smart TV, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, a media player, a micro server, a GPS (global) operated by the user positioning system) devices, e-book terminals, digital broadcast terminals, navigation devices, kiosks, MP3 players, digital cameras, home appliances, and other mobile or non-mobile computing devices. Also, the user terminal 300 may be a wearable terminal such as a watch, glasses, a hair band, and a ring having a communication function and a data processing function. The user terminal 300 is not limited to the above, and a terminal capable of web browsing may be borrowed without limitation.

The network 400 may serve to connect the water purifier 100 , the server 200 , and the user terminal 300 in the water purifier control system 1 . The network 400 is, for example, wired networks such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), integrated service digital networks (ISDNs), wireless LANs, CDMA, Bluetooth, and satellite communication. It may cover a wireless network such as, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the network 400 may transmit and receive information using short-distance communication and/or long-distance communication. Here, the short-distance communication may include Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra-wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technologies. Communication may include code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) technology. can

Network 400 may also include connections of network elements such as hubs, bridges, routers, switches, and gateways. Network 400 may include one or more connected networks, eg, multiple network environments, including public networks such as the Internet and private networks such as secure enterprise private networks. Access to network 400 may be provided via one or more wired or wireless access networks. Furthermore, the network 400 may support an Internet of Things (IoT) network and/or 5G communication that exchanges and processes information between distributed components such as things.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the water purifier 100 includes a communication unit 110 , a user interface 120 , a water quality measurement receiving unit 130 , a valve driving unit 140 , a memory 150 , a processing unit 160 , and a control unit 170 . may include

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface required to provide a transmission/reception signal between the water purifier 100, the user terminal 300, and/or the server 200 in the form of packet data in the water purifier control system 1 by interworking with the network 400 can In addition, the communication unit 110 may support various things intelligent communication (Internet of things (IoT), Internet of everything (IoE), Internet of small things (IoST), etc.), and M2M (machine to machine) communication, V2X ( Vehicle to everything communication) communication, D2D (device to device) communication, etc. may be supported. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the communication unit 110 may be configured to include a gateway.

The user interface 120 may include an input interface and an output interface of the water purifier 100 .

The input interface is a configuration in which a user can input information related to the overall operation and control of the water purifier 100. For example, the input interface includes a microphone (not shown) for voice recognition and a touch screen (not shown) for touch input. city) and the like. The microphone is an embodiment, and its location and implementation method are not limited, and an input means for inputting an audio signal may be borrowed without limitation. Also, the touch screen is an embodiment, and the location and implementation method thereof are not limited, and an input means for inputting a user request signal may be borrowed without limitation.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the output interface may include a speaker (not shown), a display screen (not shown), and the like. The speaker may output information related to the operation of the water purifier 100 as auditory data. That is, the speaker may output information related to the operation of the water purifier 100 as audio data. According to the control of the controller 170, notification messages such as warning sounds, notification sounds, water quality status, error status, etc., and the user's voice command Corresponding information, a processing result corresponding to a user's voice command, etc. may be output as audio. The speaker is an embodiment, and its location and implementation method are not limited, and may include all output means for outputting an audio signal.

The output interface is a configuration in which a user can output information related to the overall operation and control of the water purifier 100 . That is, it is a configuration for an interface with a user.

That is, the user interface 120 is a configuration in which a user can input information related to the water purifier 100 as well as check information related to the water purifier 100 , and may refer to a control panel capable of input and output. . Such a user interface 120 may be, for example, a predetermined display member such as an organic light emitting display (OLED) or liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting display (LED) capable of touch recognition.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the user interface 120 may be implemented in the user terminal ( 300 of FIG. 1 ). For example, in this embodiment, a user input and information output may be made possible through a water purifier control application of the user terminal 300 or an access screen of a water purifier control site.

The water quality measurement receiving unit 130 may receive the water quality measurement results of raw water and purified water measured by the water quality measuring unit ( 103 of FIG. 2 ) in the water purifier 100 , and transmit the received water quality measurement results to the control unit 170 . On the other hand, the water quality measurement receiving unit 130 may be omitted or may be provided in the control unit 170, and when the water quality measurement receiving unit 130 is omitted, the control unit 170 receives the water quality measurement result from the water quality measurement unit (103 in FIG. 2) can receive

The valve driving unit 140 introduces raw water according to the control signal of the control unit 170, discharges purified water that has passed through the filter unit (104 in FIG. 2), or switches the flow path to measure the quality of raw water and purified water. , the first valve (1011 in Fig. 2), the second valve (1021 in Fig. 2), the third valve (1031 in Fig. 2) and the fourth valve (Fig. 1041) of 2 can be operated.

The memory 150 may be connected to one or more processors to store codes that, when executed by the processors, cause the processor to support various functions of the water purifier control system 1 . That is, the memory 150 may store a plurality of application programs (or applications) driven in the water purifier control system 1 , information for the operation of the water purifier control system 1 , and commands. At least some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server through wireless communication. Also, the memory 150 may store information about one or more users who want to interact with the water purifier control system 1 . Such user information may include authorization information (eg, face information and body type information, voice information, etc.) that can be used to identify who the recognized user is. For example, in this embodiment, user information of the water purifier manager and at least one user may be stored, respectively. That is, in the present embodiment, the user can be recognized by the stored user information and the corresponding user customized service can be provided.

In addition, the memory 150 may store information about work to be performed by the water purifier control system 1 in response to a user's voice command (eg, a command for controlling the water purifier 100 ).

In this embodiment, the memory 150 may perform a function of temporarily or permanently storing data processed by the controller 170 . Here, the memory 150 may include magnetic storage media or flash storage media, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. The memory 150 may include internal memory and/or external memory, and may include volatile memory such as DRAM, SRAM, or SDRAM, one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, mask ROM, flash ROM, NAND flash memory, or non-volatile memory such as NOR flash memory, SSD, compact flash (CF) card, SD card, Micro-SD card, Mini-SD card, Xd card, or flash drive such as a memory stick , or a storage device such as HDD.

The processing unit 160 may be provided outside the control unit 170 as shown in FIG. 3 , may be provided inside the control unit 170 to operate like the control unit 170 , and may be located inside the server 200 of FIG. 1 . may be provided. That is, the processing unit 160 is for the overall processing of the water purifier control system 1 , and may allow the water purifier itself to process things processed by the server 200 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the processing unit 160 may be omitted.

The control unit 170 as a kind of central processing unit may control the operation of the entire water purifier control system 1 by driving control software mounted in the memory 150 . In this embodiment, the control unit 170 performs overall control of the water purifier 100 , in particular, the first valve 1011 , the second valve 1021 , the third valve 1031 , and the fourth valve 1041 ). It is possible to measure the quality of the water by adjusting the flow direction of raw water and purified water through the opening/closing control of the water purifier, and to diagnose and manage the state of the water purifier 100 .

Meanwhile, the controller 170 may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware having a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed by, for example, a code or a command included in a program. As an example of the data processing device embedded in the hardware as described above, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated (ASIC) circuit) and a processing device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 170 receives the water quality data of the raw water for each customer location, the water quality data of the raw water of the water purifier 100, and the water quality data of the purified water as inputs, and the machine trained to extract the degree of contamination inside and outside the water purifier 100 . Based on the learning-based first learning model, it is possible to determine the degree of pollution inside and outside the water purifier 100 . At this time, water quality data of raw water by customer location can be collected by using API (Application Programming Interface) data of public water quality public data open site, which is a communication technology predetermined so that other programs can access data of a specific program. , refers to the creation of new and diverse services by exposing data or platforms to the outside, and external program developers and users using them. The open water quality public data site may refer to a web site that manages and provides water quality information across the country.

And in this embodiment, the control unit 170 inputs the water quality data of the raw water for each customer location, the raw water quality data of the water purifier 100, the purified water quality data, and the pollution degree data inside and outside the water purifier 100 output through the first learning model The filter type required for the water purifier 100 for each customer may be selected based on the second learning model based on machine learning trained to extract the type of filter required for the corresponding water purifier 100.

And in this embodiment, the control unit 170 receives the water quality data of the raw water of the water purifier 100, the water quality data of the purified water, the water quality data after passing through individual filters, the elapsed time data after replacing the individual filters, and the user water purifier usage data as inputs. Based on the third learning model based on machine learning trained to extract the estimated values of individual filter lifetimes of (100), it is possible to estimate the lifetimes of individual filters of the water purifier 100 and determine replacement times. That is, the controller 170 may perform machine learning such as deep learning, and the memory 150 may store data used for machine learning, result data, and the like.

Here, the first learning model may be a learning model trained using the water quality data of raw water and the water quality data of purified water according to a certain period of the water purifier 100 as training data, and the second learning model is the water purifier 100 for a certain period of time. It can be a learning model trained using water quality data of raw water by customer location according to the location of the registered customer, water quality data of raw water of the water purifier 100 according to a certain period of the water purifier 100, and water quality data of purified water as training data have. In addition, the third learning model uses water quality data of raw water according to a certain period of the water purifier 100, water quality data of purified water, water quality data after passing through individual filters, elapsed time data after replacing individual filters, and user water purifier usage data as training data. It may be a trained learning model.

On the other hand, deep learning technology, a type of machine learning, can learn by going down to a deep level in multiple stages based on data. Deep learning can represent a set of machine learning algorithms that extract core data from a plurality of data as the level increases.

The deep learning structure may include an artificial neural network (ANN). For example, the deep learning structure is composed of a deep neural network (DNN) such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), and a deep belief network (DBN). can be The deep learning structure according to the present embodiment may use various well-known structures. For example, the deep learning structure according to the present invention may include CNN, RNN, DBN, and the like. RNN is widely used in natural language processing, etc., and is an effective structure for processing time-series data that changes with time. DBN may include a deep learning structure composed of multiple layers of restricted boltzman machine (RBM), a deep learning technique. By repeating RBM learning, when a certain number of layers is reached, a DBN having the corresponding number of layers can be configured. CNNs can include models that simulate human brain functions based on the assumption that when a person recognizes an object, it extracts the basic features of an object, then performs complex calculations in the brain and recognizes an object based on the result. .

On the other hand, learning of the artificial neural network can be accomplished by adjusting the weight of the connection line between nodes (and adjusting the bias value if necessary) so that a desired output is produced with respect to a given input. Also, the artificial neural network may continuously update a weight value by learning. In addition, a method such as back propagation may be used for learning the artificial neural network.

That is, the water purifier control system 1 may be equipped with an artificial neural network, that is, the control unit 170 uses an artificial neural network, for example, a deep neural network (DNN) such as CNN, RNN, DBN, etc. may include As a machine learning method of such an artificial neural network, both unsupervised learning and supervised learning may be used. The controller 170 may control to update the artificial neural network structure after learning according to a setting.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the control unit 170 is disclosed as being included in the water purifier 100 , but may be provided as a motherboard connected to the water purifier 100 outside the water purifier 100 . In addition, the communication unit 110 may also be included in the water purifier 100 , but may be provided on a motherboard connected to the water purifier 100 outside the water purifier 100 .

Hereinafter, the control unit 170 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 .

4 is a block diagram illustrating valve control of the controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating valve control of the controller for a plurality of filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. , FIG. 6 is an exemplary view illustrating a flow sequence of water in the water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 3 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the control unit 170 may control the first valve 1011 to direct the obtained raw water to the filter unit 104 or the water quality measurement unit 103 . In addition, the controller 170 may control the second valve 1021 so that the purified water discharged from the filter unit 104 is directed toward the water quality measurement unit 103 or the water outlet. In addition, the controller 170 may control the third valve 1031 so that the raw water and purified water are stored for the water quality measurement unit 103 to measure the quality of the raw water and purified water or drained after the water quality measurement is completed.

5 , the control unit 170 controls the 4-1 valve 1041 so that the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 is directed to the water quality measuring unit 103 or the second filter 1042-2. -1) can be controlled, and the 4-2 th water passing through the second filter 1042-2 is directed to the water quality measuring unit 103 or the N-1 th filter 1042-(N-1). The valve 1041-2 may be controlled. And the control unit 170 is a 4-(N) so that the water passing through the N-1 th filter 1042-(N-1) is directed to the water quality measuring unit 103 or the N-th filter 1042-(N)). -1) can control the valve 1041 - (N-1). At this time, the water that has passed through the Nth filter 1042 - (N) is purified water, and may be directed to or discharged from the water quality measurement unit 103 according to the control of the second valve 1021 of the controller 170 .

That is, the control unit 170 can measure the quality of the purified water that has passed through the entire filter unit 104 , and can measure the quality of the water that has passed through each filter to individually determine the performance status of the filters.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the control unit 170 controls the first valve 1011 to move the raw water in either the 1-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit 103 or the 1-2 direction toward the filter unit 104 . You can control the action. And the control unit 170 controls the operation of the second valve 1021 to move the purified water in either the 2-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit 103 or the 2-2 direction toward the outside of the water purifier so that the water is discharged for drinking. can do. Also, the controller 170 may control the third valve 1031 to store, maintain, or drain raw water or purified water in the water storage tank 1032 .

That is, the controller 170 controls the opening of the first valve 1011 in the 1-1 direction so that the raw water is temporarily stored in the water storage tank 1032 for measuring the quality of the raw water when raw water is obtained, and the third valve 1031 is opened. Closing can be controlled. And the control unit 170 closes and controls the 1-1 direction of the first valve 1011 so that the raw water is drained as the water quality measurement completion signal for raw water is received from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 and the third valve 1031 can be controlled open.

In this case, when the water quality measurement result of the raw water is out of a preset raw water reference range, the controller 170 may determine at least one of raw water contamination and indoor/outdoor pipe contamination. Here, the preset raw water reference range may be set based on raw water quality data for each customer location collected using API data of a water quality public data open site.

Next, the control unit 170 may control the opening of the first valve 1011 in the first and second directions for filtering the raw water to direct the raw water to the filter unit 104 . The control unit 170 controls the opening of the second valve 1021 in the 2-1 direction so that purified water is temporarily stored in the water storage tank 1032 for measuring the water quality of the purified water that has passed through the filter unit 104, and the third valve ( 1031) can be closed control. In addition, the control unit 170 closes and controls the 2-1 direction of the second valve 1021 so that the purified water is drained as the water quality measurement completion signal for purified water is received from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 and the third valve 1031 can be controlled open.

That is, the control unit 170 may diagnose and manage the state of the water purifier 100 based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the purified water quality measurement result received from the water quality measurement unit 103 . At this time, the controller 170 determines that the difference exceeds the reference value based on the comparison of the measurement result of the water quality of the raw water and the measurement result of the purified water, and the second valve can be controlled to open in the 2-2 direction (outflow).

For example, the reference value of the difference between raw water and purified water quality measurement may be set to a TDS value of 100 and a pH value of 1, and in the purified water reference range, a TDS value of 0 to 300, and a pH value of 6.5 to 8.5. At this time, if the TDS value of the raw water is 410, the pH value is 9.6, the TDS value of the purified water is 300, and the pH value is 8.5, the difference between the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water exceeds the reference value, and the water quality of the purified water is measured Since the result is within the preset standard range of purified water, the control unit 170 determines that the filter unit 104 has properly filtered the purified water, and determines that the quality of the purified water is greater than or equal to the reference value, so that the purified water can be dispensed to the user as drinking water. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and even if the difference between the water quality measurement results of raw water and purified water is less than or equal to the reference value, purified water may be discharged when the water quality measurement result of purified water is within a preset standard range of purified water.

On the other hand, the control unit 170 controls the second valve ( 1021) can be closed to block the water outlet for drinking. In addition, the control unit 170 may close the 2-2 direction of the second valve 1021 to block and control the water out for drinking, and then output a signal requesting replacement of the filter of the filter unit 104 . In the present embodiment, if the difference between the comparison of the water quality measurement result of raw water and the water quality measurement result of purified water is less than or equal to the reference value, it may mean that the filter is not properly filtered because the life of the filter has expired. In addition, in this embodiment, both the condition for the difference according to the comparison of the water quality measurement result of raw water and the water quality measurement result of purified water and the condition for the water quality measurement result of purified water are checked to determine whether to block the drinking water output, so the accuracy can improve

For example, if the TDS value of raw water is 410, the pH value is 9.6, the TDS value of the purified water is 350, and the pH value is 9.0, the difference between the water quality measurement result of raw water and the water quality measurement result of purified water is less than the reference value, or As the water quality measurement result is out of the preset standard range for purified water, the control unit 170 is not properly filtered by the filter unit 104, and determines that the quality of the purified water is less than the reference value, so that the purified water is not dispensed to the user. It can block and output a filter replacement request signal.

However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and if the difference between the water quality measurement result of raw water and the water quality measurement result of purified water is less than or equal to the reference value, or if the water quality measurement result of purified water is within a preset standard range of purified water, the filter replacement is requested without blocking the water outlet. It is also possible to output only a signal. In addition, when the difference between the measurement result of the quality of raw water and the measurement result of water quality of purified water is less than or equal to the reference value, when the difference is small because the quality of the raw water is clean, it is possible to set not to output a signal for requesting to cut off the water outlet and replace the filter. That is, a range in which the quality of raw water is determined to be clean may be preset and stored.

Meanwhile, when raw water flows into the filter unit 104 after completing the water quality measurement of the raw water, the control unit 170 may measure the water quality of the water that has passed through each filter of the filter unit 104 .

That is, the control unit 170 controls the 4-1th direction or the first direction in which the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 located at the front end of the 4-1th valve 1041-1 is directed toward the water quality measuring unit 103 . The operation of the 4-1th valve 1041-1 may be controlled so that the water passing through the filter 1042-1 moves in one of the 4-2th directions toward the next second filter 1042-2.

In this case, the controller 170 may control the opening of the 4-1th valve 1041-1 in the 4-1 direction and control the closing of the third valve 1031 . In addition, the control unit 170 receives the water quality measurement result with the water quality measurement completion signal for the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 from the water quality measurement sensor 1033, and controls the first filter 1042-1. The 4-1 direction of the 4-1 valve 1041-1 may be controlled to close and the third valve 1031 may be controlled to open so that the passing water is drained.

The control unit 170 may determine whether to replace the first filter 1042-1 by comparing the result of measuring the quality of the raw water with the result of measuring the quality of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1. In addition, the control unit 170 compares the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed the second filter 1042-2 to determine the quality of the second filter 1042-2. You can decide whether to replace it.

In addition, the control unit 170, starting from the second filter 1042-2 to the N-1 filter (1042-(N-1)), the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the previous filter and the current filter It is possible to determine whether to replace the current filter by comparing the water quality measurement results. And in order to determine whether to replace the N-th filter 1042-(N), which is the last filter of the filter unit 104, the control unit 170 passes through the N-1th filter 1042-(N-1). It may be determined whether to replace the N-th filter 1042 - (N) by comparing the water quality measurement result of water and the water quality measurement result of purified water.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, when the preset condition is satisfied, the control unit 170 moves the first valve 1011 in the 1-1 direction so that the residual water in the pipe in the water purifier 100 moves to the water quality measurement unit 103 . The opening control may be performed, and the opening control of the second valve 1021 may be controlled in the 2-1 direction. Here, the preset condition may be a case in which a predetermined time has elapsed since the water extraction signal from the user is input or a preset residual water drainage cycle has arrived. For example, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the water extraction signal from the user is input, the state in which the residual water in the pipe remains in the pipe (the state in which raw water is not obtained) for a predetermined period of time elapses. Determining that it has elapsed, the pipe residual water may be moved to the water quality measuring unit 103 to determine and remove the contamination level of the pipe residual water. However, in this embodiment, even if the drinking water extraction request signal is not input from the user, it may be set to periodically obtain raw water for water quality measurement. In this case, the preset condition is set to obtain raw water for water quality measurement It can also be included for the non-existent state.

The control unit 170 may determine the degree of contamination of the pipe in the water purifier 100 based on the water quality measurement result of the pipe residual water in the water purifier 100 received from the water quality measurement unit 103 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water quality from being contaminated by removing the residual water from the pipe, and it is possible to output a request signal such as cleaning the pipe before the pipe is contaminated by grasping the degree of contamination of the pipe.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the water purifier 100 may include a general mode for general drinking water (hot water, cold water, purified water, etc.) and a sterilization/disinfection mode for sterilization and disinfection of the water storage tank 1032 .

In the sterilization/disinfection mode of the water purifier 100, the control unit 170 opens the first valve 1011 in the 1-1 direction so that the sterilization and disinfection water flows to the water quality measurement unit 103, and the third valve ( 1031 ) may be closed to control the sterilization and disinfection water to be stored in the water storage tank 1032 . In addition, the control unit 170 may control the opening of the third valve 1031 after a set time has elapsed so that the sterilization and sterilization water are drained, and the sterilization/disinfection mode may be terminated. In this embodiment, the sterilization/disinfection mode may be performed at the user's request, and the sterilization/disinfection mode may be periodically performed according to a set cycle. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the water quality measurement unit 103 can more accurately measure the quality of raw water and purified water, and can remove the residual pressure. Also, the controller 103 may determine the sterilization and disinfection performance by comparing the water quality measurement result of raw water or purified water before the sterilization/disinfection mode with the water quality measurement result of the raw water or purified water after the sterilization/disinfection mode.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 6 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in step S100 , raw water is obtained into the water purifier 100 . At this time, when a drinking water extraction request signal is input from the user, raw water may be obtained under the control of the controller 170 . However, even if a signal for requesting drinking water to be extracted from the user is not input, it may be set to periodically obtain raw water for water quality measurement.

In step S200, the control unit 170 receives the raw water quality measurement result. In this case, the control unit 170 may receive a water quality measurement completion signal for raw water from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 by performing opening/closing control of the first valve 1011 and the third valve 1031 .

In step S300, the control unit 170 filters the raw water as an integer. That is, the control unit 170 directs the raw water to the filter unit 104 to pass through at least one filter to be purified. Here, the filter unit 104 controls the movement of water between one or more filters and valves for filtering water, that is, N filters 1042-(N) and N filters 1042-(N), respectively. and may include N-1 fourth valves 1041 - (N-1).

In step S400, the control unit 170 receives the purified water quality measurement result. That is, the control unit 170 performs opening/closing control of the second valve 1021 and the third valve 1031 to receive a water quality measurement completion signal for purified water that has passed through the filter unit 104 from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 . can receive

In step S500 , the controller 170 diagnoses the state of the water purifier 100 based on the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result. At this time, when the raw water quality measurement result is out of the reference range, the controller 170 may determine that there is an abnormality in the indoor/outdoor piping of the water purifier 100 . In addition, the controller 170 may determine that drinking water cannot be dispensed when the purified water quality measurement result is out of the reference range. In addition, the control unit 170 compares the raw water quality measurement result with the purified water quality measurement result and determines that there is an abnormality in the filter unit 104 when the difference according to the comparison is less than or equal to the reference value, and determines when to replace the individual filters of the filter unit 104 can judge

In step S600, when the state of the water purifier is normal, the control unit 170 dispenses purified water, that is, drinking water for drinking in step S700 (Yes in step S600), and when it is determined that the state of the water purifier is abnormal, in step S800, the purified water is dispensed block (No in step S600). That is, the control unit 170 compares the raw water quality measurement result with the purified water quality measurement result and determines that the difference is normal, and when the water quality measurement result of purified water is normal, it can be dispensed by determining that it is drinkable, and the difference is abnormal, purified water If the water quality measurement result is abnormal, it is judged that drinking is not possible and the water outlet can be blocked.

That is, in this embodiment, when a drinking water extraction request signal is input from the user, the drinking water output is placed in a standby state, and the state of the water purifier can be diagnosed based on the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result. You can decide to block.

8 is a flowchart illustrating in more detail a method for controlling a water purifier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 7 will be omitted.

Referring to the control method of the water purifier in more detail with reference to FIG. 8 , in step S110 , the control unit 170 stores the raw water in the water storage tank 1032 to measure the quality of the raw water. That is, when raw water is obtained, the control unit 170 controls the opening of the first valve 1011 in the 1-1 direction so that the raw water is temporarily stored in the water storage tank 1032 for measuring the quality of the raw water, and the third valve 1031 can be controlled closed. And, when the raw water is filled in the water storage tank 1032 by a predetermined water level, the control unit 170 may control the closing of the 1-1 direction of the first valve 1011 so that the raw water is no longer obtained.

In step S210 , the control unit 170 checks whether the raw water quality measurement completion signal is received from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 .

In step S220, when the raw water quality measurement completion signal is received (Yes in step S210), the control unit 170 causes the raw water to be drained. That is, the control unit 170 closes and controls the 1-1 direction of the first valve 1011 so that the raw water is drained as it receives the water quality measurement completion signal for the raw water from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 and the third valve 1031 ) can be controlled open.

And in step S230, the control unit 170 may inspect the quality of the raw water. In this embodiment, when the water quality measurement result of raw water is out of a preset raw water reference range, the control unit 170 may determine at least one of raw water contamination and indoor/outdoor pipe contamination.

Next, the control unit 170 may control the opening of the first valve 1011 in the first and second directions for filtering the raw water to direct the raw water to the filter unit 104 .

In step S310 , the controller 170 stores purified water in the water storage tank 1032 to measure the quality of the purified water. That is, the control unit 170 controls the opening of the second valve 1021 in the 2-1 direction so that purified water is temporarily stored in the water storage tank 1032 for measuring the water quality of the purified water that has passed through the filter unit 104, and the third valve 1021 is opened. The valve 1031 may be controlled to close. In addition, when purified water is filled in the water storage tank 1032 by a predetermined water level, the control unit 170 may control the closing of the second valve 1011 in the 2-1 direction so that purified water is no longer obtained.

In step S410 , the control unit 170 checks whether a purified water quality measurement completion signal is received from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 .

In step S420 , when the purified water quality measurement completion signal is received (Yes in step S410 ), the controller 170 causes the purified water to be drained. That is, the control unit 170 closes and controls the 2-1 direction of the second valve 1021 so that the purified water is drained upon receiving the water quality measurement completion signal for purified water from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 and the third valve 1031 ) can be controlled open.

Meanwhile, in step S510 , the controller 170 may check the performance of the filter. In this embodiment, when the raw water flows into the filter unit 104 after completing the water quality measurement of the raw water, the control unit 170 may measure the water quality of the water that has passed through each filter of the filter unit 104. , by comparing the quality of the raw water before passing through the filter unit 104 with the water quality of the water passing through the filter located at the first position of the filter unit 104, the performance of the first filter may be tested. Also, the control unit 170 may compare the quality of the water before passing through the filter located at the end of the filter unit 104 with the quality of the purified water passing through the filter unit 104 to check the performance of the filter located at the end. .

Next, in step S610 , the control unit 170 diagnoses the state of the water purifier 100 based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the purified water quality measurement result received from the water quality measurement unit 103 . In this case, the control unit 170 determines whether the difference exceeds a reference value and the result of the water quality measurement of purified water is within a preset standard range of purified water based on a comparison of the result of measuring the quality of raw water and the result of measuring the quality of purified water. For example, the reference value of the difference between raw water and purified water quality measurement may be set to a TDS value of 100 and a pH value of 1, and in the purified water reference range, a TDS value of 0 to 300, and a pH value of 6.5 to 8.5. In this embodiment, based on the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result, it is possible to determine whether to extract drinking water and determine the filter replacement time. In particular, it is possible to determine the performance of the filter by checking whether the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result exceeds the reference value, and determine whether drinking water should be dispensed by checking whether the purified water quality measurement result is within a preset standard range for purified water. can

That is, if the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result exceeds the reference value and the purified water quality measurement result is within a preset purified water reference range (Yes in step S610), in step S710, the control unit 170 closes the second valve Open control in 2-2 direction (outflow). That is, the controller 170 may determine that the purified water is usable as drinking water, and may dispense the purified water to the user.

On the other hand, if the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the purified water quality measurement result is less than or equal to the reference value, or if the water quality measurement result of purified water is out of the preset standard range for purified water (NO in step S601), in step S810, the control unit 170 controls the second valve By closing the 2-2 direction of (1021), the water outlet for drinking is controlled to block. And, in step S900 , the control unit 170 outputs a signal requesting replacement of the filter of the filter unit 104 . In this case, the control unit 170 may output a filter replacement request signal to the terminal of the water purifier manager and/or the user through the communication unit 110 , and display the filter replacement request signal through the user interface 120 to notify the user. .

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, when a plurality of filters are provided in the filter unit 104 , water quality measurement is performed on individual filters to determine when to replace each filter. The filter performance check step (step S510) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9 .

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a water purifier for a plurality of filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 8 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in step S511 , the control unit 170 determines the water quality of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 to measure the water quality of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1. to be directed to That is, the control unit 170 controls the opening of the fourth valve 1041 in the 4-1 direction and the closing control of the third valve 1031 so that the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 is transferred to the water storage tank 1032 . ) can be stored in

Meanwhile, in FIG. 9 , in order to facilitate explanation, two filters, that is, a first filter 1042-1 and an N-th filter 1042-N, are provided in the filter unit 104, and the first filter 1042 It is assumed that a fourth valve 1041 is provided between -1) and the Nth filter 1042-N.

In step S512 , the control unit 170 checks whether a water quality measurement completion signal for water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 is received from the water quality measurement sensor 1033 .

When the water quality measurement completion signal for the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 is received (Yes in step S512), in step S513, the controller 170 controls the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1. let it drain. That is, the controller 170 may control the closing of the fourth valve 1041 in the 4-1 direction and control the opening of the third valve 1031 .

In step S514, the control unit 170 compares the raw water quality measurement result and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1. That is, the control unit 170 may calculate a difference between the measurement result of the raw water quality and the measurement result of the water quality of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1.

In step S515, the control unit 170 inspects the performance of the first filter 1042-1 based on the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1, and the first filter It is decided whether to replace (1042-1). That is, when the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 exceeds the reference value, the control unit 170 determines that it is not time to replace the filter because the filter performance exceeds the replacement reference performance can do. In addition, when the difference between the raw water quality measurement result and the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 is equal to or less than the reference value, the control unit 170 may determine that it is time to replace the filter performance as the replacement reference performance or less. In this case, since the basic performance or effect of the filter may be different for each filter, the reference value for the difference according to the comparison of water quality measurement results may be set differently for each filter. In addition, based on the difference according to the comparison of the water quality measurement results, it is possible to estimate the performance percentage (%) of the current filter compared to 100% performance.

However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and it is also referred to whether the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 exceeds the water quality standard range corresponding to the first filter 1042-1. 1 Whether to replace the filter 1042-1 may be additionally determined. That is, the first filter 1042-1 sets the water quality standard range after filtering in response to the type and function, and when the water quality standard range is exceeded, the filter performance exceeds the replacement standard performance and it can be additionally determined that it is not the replacement time. have. This may also be applied to all filters of the filter unit 104 .

And the control unit 170 may control the opening of the fourth valve 1041 in the 4-2 direction, so that the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 is directed to the N-th filter 1042-N. .

In step S516, the control unit 170 compares the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 and the purified water quality measurement result. That is, the control unit 170 may calculate a difference between the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter 1042-1 and the purified water quality measurement result. Here, the reason for comparing the water quality measurement result of purified water is that the N-th filter 1042-N is a filter located at the end of the filter unit 104, and the water that has passed through the N-th filter 1042-N is the filter unit ( 104), that is, purified water that has been filtered.

In step S517, the control unit 170 compares the water quality measurement result with the purified water quality measurement result. That is, the control unit 170 examines the performance of the N-th filter 1042-N and determines whether to replace the filter based on the difference between the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 and the purified water quality measurement result. . That is, when the difference between the measurement result of water quality of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 and the measurement result of purified water quality exceeds a reference value, the control unit 170 may determine that it is not time to replace the filter performance with the normal value. On the other hand, when the difference between the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter 1042-1 and the purified water quality measurement result is less than a reference value, the control unit 170 may determine that it is time to replace the filter due to poor filter performance.

The embodiment according to the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded in a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium includes a hard disk, a magnetic medium such as a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as CD-ROM and DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floppy disk, and a ROM. , RAM, flash memory, and the like, hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and used by those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of the computer program may include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

In the specification of the present invention (especially in the claims), the use of the term "above" and similar referential terms may be used in both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention as including the invention to which individual values belonging to the range are applied (unless there is a description to the contrary). same as

The steps constituting the method according to the present invention may be performed in an appropriate order, unless the order is explicitly stated or there is no description to the contrary. The present invention is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps are described. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (eg, etc.) in the present invention is merely for the purpose of describing the present invention in detail, and unless defined by the claims, the scope of the present invention is limited by the examples or exemplary terminology. it's not going to be In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, and changes may be made in accordance with design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the scope of the scope of the present invention. will be said to belong to

Claims

As a water purifier,

a filter unit for filtering the raw water obtained from the water purifier and outputting purified water;

a water quality measurement unit for measuring the quality of the raw water and purified water;

a first valve for regulating the movement of the raw water;

a second valve for controlling the movement of the purified water; and

A control unit for controlling the operation of the first valve and the second valve,

The control unit is

controlling the operation of the first valve so that the raw water moves in one of a 1-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit or a 1-2 direction toward the filter unit,

controlling the operation of the second valve so that the purified water moves in either a 2-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit or a 2-2 direction toward the outside of the water purifier so that water is discharged for drinking,

configured to diagnose the state of the water purifier based on a water quality measurement result of the raw water and a water quality measurement result of the purified water received from the water quality measurement unit,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The water quality measurement unit,

a water storage tank in which the raw water or the purified water is temporarily stored;

a water quality sensor positioned in the water storage tank to measure the quality of the raw water or the purified water; and

Comprising a third valve for storing, maintaining or draining the raw water or the purified water in the water tank,

water purifier.
3. The method of claim 2,

The control unit is

Controlling the opening of the first valve in the 1-1 direction and closing the third valve so that the raw water is stored in the water storage tank,

Further configured to close the 1-1 direction of the first valve and control the opening of the third valve so that the raw water is drained according to receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the raw water from the water quality measurement sensor,

water purifier.
3. The method of claim 2,

The control unit is

controlling the opening of the second valve in the 2-1 direction and controlling the closing of the third valve so that the purified water is stored in the water tank;

Further configured to close and control the opening of the third valve and the closing control of the 2-1 direction of the second valve so that the purified water is drained according to receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the purified water from the water quality measurement sensor,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The control unit is

Based on the comparison of the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water, when the difference exceeds a reference value and the water quality measurement result of the purified water is within a preset standard range of purified water, the second valve is opened to the second valve. further configured to control opening in the 2-2 direction,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The control unit is

When the difference is equal to or less than a reference value based on a comparison of the result of measuring the quality of the raw water and the result of measuring the quality of the purified water, or when the result of measuring the quality of the purified water is outside a preset standard range of purified water, the second valve of the second valve -2 further configured to close the direction to block the water outlet for drinking,

water purifier.
7. The method of claim 6,

The control unit is

After closing the 2-2 direction of the second valve to block and control the water out for drinking, further configured to output a signal requesting replacement of the filter of the filter unit,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The control unit is

If the water quality measurement result of the raw water is out of a preset raw water reference range, further configured to determine at least one of raw water contamination and indoor/outdoor pipe contamination,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The filter unit,

Including N filters (where N is a natural number), and further comprising N-1 fourth valves for controlling the movement of water between each of the N filters,

The control unit is

The water passing through the first filter located at the front end of the fourth valve moves in either the 4-1 direction toward the water quality measuring unit or the 4-2 direction in which the water passing through the first filter faces the next second filter to control the operation of the fourth valve to

Further configured to receive a water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter from the water quality measurement unit by controlling the opening of the fourth valve in the 4-1 direction,

water purifier.
10. The method of claim 9,

The control unit is

It is determined whether to replace the first filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the first filter,

It is determined whether to replace the second filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter and the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the second filter,

From the second filter to the N-1 filter, it is determined whether to replace the current filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed the previous filter and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed the current filter,

Further configured to determine whether to replace the N-th filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the N-1 filter and the water quality measurement result of the purified water,

water purifier.
The method of claim 1,

The control unit is

When a preset condition is satisfied, the first valve is controlled to open in the 1-1 direction so that the residual water in the pipe in the water purifier moves to the water quality measuring unit, and the second valve is controlled to open in the 2-1 direction. and

configured to determine the degree of contamination of the pipe in the water purifier based on a water quality measurement result of the pipe residual water in the water purifier received from the water quality measurement unit,

water purifier.
A method of controlling a water purifier comprising:

Operation of the first valve to move in either the 1-1 direction toward the water quality measuring unit that measures the quality of raw water and purified water obtained from the water purifier, or the 1-2 direction toward the filter unit that filters the raw water and outputs purified water controlling the;

receiving a water quality measurement result of the raw water from the water quality measurement unit;

controlling the operation of the second valve so that the purified water moves in one of a 2-1 direction toward the water quality measurement unit or a 2-2 direction toward an outside of the water purifier so that the purified water is discharged for drinking;

receiving a water quality measurement result of the purified water from the water quality measurement unit; and

Diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water received from the water quality measurement unit and the water quality measurement result of the purified water,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

controlling the opening of the first valve in the 1-1 direction so that the raw water is stored in the storage tank in which the raw water is temporarily stored, and closing and controlling the third valve for storing, maintaining or draining the raw water in the storage tank;

receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the raw water from a water quality measurement sensor located in the water storage tank; and

Comprising the step of controlling the closing of the 1-1 direction of the first valve and controlling the opening of the third valve so that the raw water is drained according to receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the raw water,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

controlling the opening of the second valve in the 2-1 direction so that the purified water is stored in a water tank in which the purified water is temporarily stored, and closing control of a third valve for storing, maintaining or draining the purified water in the water tank;

receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the purified water from a water quality measurement sensor located in the water storage tank; and

In response to receiving a water quality measurement completion signal for the purified water, including controlling the closing control of the 2-1 direction of the second valve to drain the purified water and controlling the opening of the third valve,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

The step of diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water,

When the difference exceeds a reference value based on a comparison of the result of measuring the quality of the raw water and the result of measuring the quality of the purified water, and the result of measuring the quality of the purified water is within a preset standard range of purified water, the second valve is opened to the second Including the step of controlling the opening in the 2-2 direction,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

The step of diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water,

When the difference is equal to or less than a reference value based on a comparison of the result of measuring the quality of the raw water and the result of measuring the quality of the purified water, or when the result of measuring the quality of the purified water is outside a preset standard range of purified water, the second valve of the second valve Including the step of blocking the water outlet for drinking by closing the -2 direction,

How to control the water purifier.
17. The method of claim 16,

The step of diagnosing and managing the state of the water purifier based on the water quality measurement result of the raw water and the water quality measurement result of the purified water,

After closing the 2-2 direction of the second valve to block and control the water out for drinking, further comprising the step of outputting a signal requesting replacement of the filter of the filter unit,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

When the water quality measurement result of the raw water is out of a preset raw water reference range, further comprising the step of determining at least one of raw water contamination and indoor/outdoor pipe contamination,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

The filter unit includes N filters (where N is a natural number) and further includes N-1 fourth valves for controlling the movement of water between each of the N filters,

The fourth valve may include a 4-1 direction in which water passing through a first filter located at the front end of the fourth valve is directed toward the water quality measuring unit or a fourth direction in which water passing through the first filter is directed to the next second filter. -2 is configured to move in one of the directions,

receiving a water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter from the water quality measurement unit by controlling the opening of the fourth valve in the 4-1 direction;

determining whether to replace the first filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the raw water with the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the first filter;

determining whether to replace the current filter by comparing the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the previous filter and the water quality measurement result of the water that has passed through the current filter from the second filter to the N-1th filter; and

Comparing the water quality measurement result of the water passing through the N-1 filter and the water quality measurement result of the purified water further comprising the step of determining whether to replace the N-th filter,

How to control the water purifier.
13. The method of claim 12,

When a preset condition is satisfied, the first valve is controlled to open in the 1-1 direction so that the residual water in the pipe in the water purifier is moved to the water quality measuring unit, and the second valve is controlled to open in the 2-1 direction. to do; and

Further comprising the step of determining the degree of contamination of the pipe in the water purifier based on the water quality measurement result of the pipe residual water in the water purifier received from the water quality measurement unit,

How to control the water purifier.