Lg Electronics Inc.

Seoul National University

Minho Jang

Hoonbong Lee

Hansu Jung

Jaegwang Bae

Hyunjin Kim

Kyunghoon Kim

Deokjoon Jeong

Ilman Seo

Junho Lee

Dongwook Kim

Changwoo Son

Chungill Lee

Jungmoon Je

Soongkeun Lee

Seungki Sul

Kwangsik Kim

Jayeong Yu

Seungjun Chee

A washing machine and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The amount of laundry that is introduced into the washing machine is measured using gravity and inertia applied during the operation of the motor, whereby it is possible to precisely calculate the amount of laundry and to minimize the effects of the initial position of the laundry and the movement of the laundry. In addition, the current value of the motor that is operated is used to measure the amount of laundry without a sensor. Furthermore, the amount of laundry is measured at the rotational speed of the motor at which the laundry clings to the drum, whereby it is possible to minimize an error due to the movement of the laundry to thus improve accuracy. Moreover, it is possible to determine the amount of laundry within a short time. Consequently, it is easy to commence the spin-drying operation, thereby reducing washing time and saving energy.

Washing machine and method of controlling the same

Disclosed is about an apparatus, a system, and a method aligning a position of a rotor by applying a specific current to align the rotor a plurality of times to reduce vibration and noise when starting an operation of the motor to align the position of the rotor.

Apparatus, system, and method for controlling motor

An amount of laundry that is introduced into a washing machine is determined by identifying gravitational and inertia forces applied during the operation of a motor, whereby it is possible to precisely calculate the amount of laundry and to minimize the effects of the initial position of the laundry and the movement of the laundry. In addition, the current value of the motor that is operated is used to measure the amount of laundry without a sensor. Furthermore, the amount of laundry is measured at the rotational speed of the motor at which the laundry clings to the drum, whereby it is possible to minimize error due to the movement of the laundry to thus improve accuracy. Moreover, it is possible to determine the amount of laundry within a short time. Consequently, it is easy to commence the spin-drying operation, thereby reducing washing time and saving energy.

A motor drive apparatus includes: a DC-side capacitor charged with direct current power; an inverter unit comprising multiple top switches and bottom switches, performing a switching operation so as to convert power stored in the DC-side capacitor into alternating current power, and outputting the converted alternating current power to a motor; a shunt resistor for detecting a current flowing through the DC-side capacitor; and a controller for controlling the inverter unit to perform dynamic braking for stopping the motor. Before the dynamic braking is performed, the controller controls the inverter unit to gradually increase a phase current flowing through the bottom switches.

Motor drive apparatus and control method thereof

An amount of laundry that is introduced into a washing machine is calculated using gravity and inertia applied during the operation of a motor, whereby the amount of laundry is precisely measured and effects of the initial position of the laundry and the movement of the laundry are minimized. In addition, a measured current of the operated motor is used to determine the amount of laundry without a sensor. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the motor is controlled stepwise from a low speed to eliminate variation due to vibration. Moreover, the characteristics of gravity in the low-speed maintenance period are used to effectively calculate the amount of laundry, and the characteristics of inertia in the acceleration period are also used, whereby it is possible to precisely determine the amount of laundry. Consequently, it is easy to commence the spin-drying operation, thereby reducing washing time and saving energy.

A laundry treatment machine includes a wash tub, a pulsator provided inside the wash tub and to be rotated, a motor to rotate at least one of the wash tub and the pulsator, a clutch to selectively transmit torque of the motor to at least one of the wash tub and the pulsator, a clutch drive unit to control driving of the clutch unit, and a controller to control the motor to repeat rotation and braking in a first direction a first number of times during a first time period after operation of the clutch is changed. With this configuration, in the top-loading type laundry treatment machine, the coupling force of the clutch may be increased when operation of the clutch is changed.

Laundry treatment machine

A washing machine and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The amount of laundry that is introduced into the washing machine is measured using gravity and inertia applied during the operation of a motor, whereby it is possible to precisely calculate the amount of laundry and to minimize the effects of the initial position of the laundry and the movement of the laundry. In addition, a current value of the motor that is operated is used to measure the amount of laundry without a sensor. Furthermore, precision in determining the amount of laundry is improved, and the amount of laundry is determined within a short time. Consequently, it is easy to commence the spin-drying operation, thereby reducing washing time and saving energy.

Disclosed are a dryer and a method of controlling the same, the dryer which is capable of: quickly and accurately determining an amount of laundry loaded in the dryer and controlling a drying operation according to the amount of the laundry: measuring a current supplied to rotate the drum and extracting a force applied to laundry in the drum to measure an amount of the laundry, thereby minimizing an error in the amount of laundry and thus enhancing accuracy of the measurement and improving a drying time; setting a drying time in consideration of both a calculated amount of laundry and a type of the laundry, such that damage to the laundry is prevented and over-drying or less-drying of the laundry is solved, thereby efficiently drying the laundry.

Dryer and method of controlling the same

Disclosed are a dryer and a method of controlling the same, the dryer which is capable of: quickly and accurately determining an amount of laundry loaded in the dryer and controlling a drying operation according to the amount of the laundry: measuring a current supplied to rotate the drum and extracting a force applied to laundry in the drum to measure an amount of the laundry, thereby minimizing an error in the amount of laundry and thus enhancing accuracy of the measurement and improving a drying time; setting a drying time in consideration of both a calculated amount of laundry and a type of the laundry, such that damage to the laundry is prevented and over-drying or less-drying of the laundry is solved, thereby efficiently drying the laundry; and setting a drying time or a rotation speed during a drying operation according to an amount of laundry.

The present disclosure relates to a motor driving device and a laundry treatment apparatus. An inverter is configured to convert a DC voltage of DC terminals into an AC voltage according to a switching operation and to output the AC voltage to a motor. A DC terminal voltage detector is configured to detect the voltage of the DC terminals, and an output current detector is configured to detect an output current flowing through the motor. A controller is configured to control the inverter based on the detected output current. The controller controls the motor to operate based on a flux current command value from among the flux current command values and a torque current command value for driving the motor in an overvoltage protection mode when the detected DC terminal voltage is higher than a first predetermined value and power is supplied from the motor to the DC terminals. Abrupt DC terminal voltage increase may be prevented.

Motor driving device and laundry treatment apparatus including the same

A motor driving apparatus includes an inverter to convert a direct current (DC) voltage into an alternating current (AC) voltage through a switching operation and to output the AC voltage to a motor, an output current detector to detect an output current flowing in the motor, and a controller to control the inverter, wherein, at the time of starting the motor, the controller controls a first current, including a DC component and a high-frequency component, to be supplied to the motor during a first period for alignment of the motor, and controls a second current, including a DC component and a high-frequency component, to be supplied to the motor during a second period for alignment of the motor, and the controller calculates the stator resistance and inductance of the motor based on the first current and the second current. Consequently, it is possible to easily calculate the stator resistance and inductance of the motor during the alignment of the motor.

Motor driving appartus and home appliance including the same

A motor driving apparatus included in a home appliance may include an inverter to convert a direct current (DC) power into an alternating current (AC) power through a switching operation and to output the converted AC power to a motor, an output current detector to detect an output current flowing through the motor, a controller to control the inverter, wherein, during a first interval after the motor stops, the controller controls a phase current of a predetermined frequency to flow through the motor to estimate a position of a rotor of the motor, and estimates the position of the rotor of the motor based on the detected output current while the phase current of the predetermined frequency flows through the motor. Thereby, the sensorless motor driving apparatus can easily estimate the position of the motor rotor.

Motor driving apparatus and home appliance including the same

The laundry treatment machine, absent a position sensor to sense the rotor position of a motor, includes a driving unit having an DC/AC inverter, an voltage detection unit to detect output voltage, and an inverter controller to control the inverter. The output voltage detection unit includes a plurality of resistors connected between the inverter and the motor and a comparator to compare voltage detected by some of the resistors with reference voltage and to detect pulse width modulation (PWM)-based output voltage. The voltage detection unit outputs the PWM-based output voltage output from the comparator to the inverter controller in a first mode in which at least one switching device of the inverter is turned on. The voltage detection unit outputs voltage detected by other some of the resistors to the inverter controller in a second mode in which all switching devices of the inverter are turned off.

Motor driving apparatus and laundry treatment machine including the same

Disclosed are a laundry treatment machine and a method of operating the same. The method of operating the laundry treatment machine that processes laundry via rotation of a wash tub includes accelerating a rotational velocity of the tub during an accelerated rotating section, rotating the tub at a constant velocity during a constant velocity rotating section, and determining an amount of laundry in the tub based on a first output current flowing through a motor that is used to rotate the tub during the accelerated rotating section and a second output current flowing through the motor during the constant velocity rotating section. This ensures efficient sensing of amount of laundry.

Laundry treatment machine and method of operating the same

The laundry treatment machine; absent a position sensor to sense a rotor position, includes a driving unit having a DC/AC inverter, an output voltage detection unit to detect output voltage applied to the motor, and an inverter controller to control the inverter to drive the motor based on the output voltage. The output voltage detection unit includes a plurality of resistors electrically connected between the inverter and the motor and a comparator to compare voltage detected by some of the resistors with reference voltage and to detect pulse width modulation (PWM)-based output voltage. Based on the PWM-based output voltage at least one switching device of the inverter is turned on. The output voltage detection unit outputs voltage detected by other some of the resistors to the inverter controller in a second mode in which all switching devices of the inverter are turned off.

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Seoul, South Korea

Minho Jang