Washing machine and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine having a tub, a vibration sensor provided at the tub, a drum accommodating laundry therein and provided to be rotatable in the tub, and a controller configured to measure a value regarding multi-axis vibration occurring in the tub with the vibration sensor at a detection section in which the drum rotates at a specific rotational speed during a dewatering process, determine a predicted value of maximum vibration displacement expected to be generated in the tub based on the measured value, and determine whether to initialize the dewatering process at the detection section based on the determined predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement and a predetermined reference value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine, comprising:
 a tub;   a vibration sensor disposed at the tub;   a drum that is rotatable and disposed inside the tub, the drum being configured to accommodate laundry therein; and   a controller, wherein the controller is configure to:   measure a value regarding multi-axis vibration occurring in the tub with the vibration sensor at a detection section in which the drum rotates at a specific rotational speed during a dewatering process,   determine a predicted value of maximum vibration displacement expected to be generated in the tub based on the measured value, and   determine whether to initialize the dewatering process at the detection section based on at least the determined predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement and a predetermined reference value.   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration sensor measures a plurality of vibration displacement values for a plurality of vibrations occurring along a plurality of different axes with respect to the tub. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the controller calculates information of a plurality of phase differences between the plurality of vibrations. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine of  claim 3 , wherein the information of the plurality of phase differences comprises information regarding phase differences between any one of the plurality of vibrations and the remaining vibrations. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine of  claim 3 , wherein the controller outputs the predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement as an output value by inputting at least one of the plurality of vibration displacement values, the information of the plurality of phase differences, and a rotational speed variation value as an input value of a pre-trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN). 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement comprises a plurality of predicted values of maximum vibration displacement expected to be generated in each of a plurality of different axes. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine of  claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the drum to rotate faster than a specific rotational speed of the detection section when all of the plurality of predicted values of the maximum vibration displacement are equal to or less than the predetermined reference value. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine of  claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the drum to stop rotation of the drum at the detection section when at least one of the plurality of predicted values of the maximum vibration displacement exceeds the predetermined reference value. 
     
     
         9 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined reference value is set according to each of a plurality of different axes. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the specific rotational speed is faster than a speed of the drum rotating while the laundry is compressed against a wall surface of the drum, and the rotational speed is slower than a maximum rotational speed of the dewatering process. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling a washing machine, the method comprising:
 measuring, via a controller, a value regarding multi-axis vibration occurring in a tub that includes a drum with a vibration sensor at a detection section in which the drum rotates at a specific rotational speed during a dewatering process;   determining, via the controller, a predicted value of maximum vibration is displacement expected to be generated in the tub based on the measured value; and   determining, via the controller, whether to initialize the dewatering process at the detection section based on the determined predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement and a predetermined reference value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of vibration displacement values are measured, via the vibration sensor, for a plurality of vibrations occurring along a plurality of different axes with respect to the tub. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the measuring is configured to calculate information of a plurality of phase differences between the plurality of vibrations. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the information of the plurality of phase differences includes information regarding phase differences between any one of the plurality of vibrations and the remaining vibrations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining is configured to output the predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement as an output value by inputting at least one of the plurality of vibration displacement values, the information of the plurality of phase differences, and a rotational speed variation value as an input value of a pre-trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predicted value of the maximum vibration displacement includes a plurality of predicted values of maximum vibration displacement expected to be generated in each of a plurality of different axes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising rotating the drum faster than a specific rotational speed of the detection section when all of the plurality of predicted values of the maximum vibration displacement are equal to or less than the predetermined reference value. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the determining whether to initialize the dewatering process is configured such that the dewatering process is initialized by stopping rotation of the drum at the detection section when at least one of the plurality of predicted values of the maximum vibration displacement exceeds the predetermined reference value. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined reference value is set according to each of a plurality of different axes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the specific rotational speed is faster than a speed of the drum rotating while the laundry is compressed against a wall surface of the drum, and the specific rotational speed is slower than a maximum rotational speed of the dewatering process.