Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a storage compartment, an ice-making tray disposed in the storage compartment, a first ice-making tray including a first ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, a second ice-making tray coupled to the first ice-making tray and including a second ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, wherein the ice-making tray is provided to form a spherical ice-making cell by allowing the first ice-making cell and the second ice-making cell to come into contact with each other by coupling the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray, a water supply pipe provided to supply water to the ice-making tray, a water supply valve configured to open and close the water supply pipe, a user interface configured to receive a user input to select a spherical ice production mode or a hemispherical ice production mode, memory storing one or more computer programs, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the user interface, and the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to, control the water supply valve to allow a first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode, and configured to control the water supply valve to allow a second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage compartment;   an ice-making tray disposed in the storage compartment and comprising:
 a first ice-making tray comprising a first ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, and 
 a second ice-making tray coupled to the first ice-making tray and comprising a second ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, wherein the ice-making tray is provided to form a spherical ice-making cell by allowing the first ice-making cell and the second ice-making cell to come into contact with each other by coupling the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray; 
   a water supply pipe provided to supply water to the ice-making tray;   a water supply valve configured to open and close the water supply pipe;   a user interface configured to receive a user input to select a spherical ice production mode or a hemispherical ice production mode;   memory storing one or more computer programs; and   one or more processors communicatively coupled to the user interface, and the memory,   wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to:
 control the water supply valve to allow a first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode, and 
 control the water supply valve to allow a second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to spherical ice so as to allow the spherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell, and   wherein the second amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to hemispherical ice so as to allow the hemispherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flow sensor configured to detect the amount of water supplied to the ice-making tray.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to:
 control the water supply valve to allow an amount of water detected by the flow sensor to reach the first amount of water based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode; and   control the water supply valve to allow an amount of water detected by the flow sensor to reach the second amount of water based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray comprise a plurality of ice-making cells formed to allow water to be supplied therein and formed to communicate with each other. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 ,
 wherein a communication portion provided to allow the plurality of ice-making cells to communicate with each other is formed in at least one of the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray, and   wherein the communication portion is provided to allow water, which is introduced into one ice-making cell among the plurality of ice-making cells, to move to an adjacent ice-making cell.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the communication portion is disposed at a center of the plurality of ice-making cells. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to supply an amount of water to the communication portion to allow hemispherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ice maker comprising a heater,   wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to:
 perform a heating process for controlling a transparency of spherical ice by the heater before an ice-making process of the spherical ice production mode, and 
 not to perform the heating process before an ice-making process of the hemispherical ice production mode. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to:
 wait for a first ice movement waiting time in the ice-making process of the spherical ice production mode; and   wait for a second ice movement waiting time in the ice-making process of the hemispherical ice production mode.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the second ice movement waiting time is set to be longer than the first ice movement waiting time. 
     
     
         12 . A method of controlling a refrigerator comprising an ice-making tray to which water is supplied, wherein the ice-making tray comprises:
 a first ice-making tray comprising a first ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape; and   a second ice-making tray coupled to the first ice-making tray and comprising a second ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, wherein the ice-making tray is provided to form a spherical ice-making cell by allowing the first ice-making cell and the second ice-making cell to come into contact with each other by coupling the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray,   the method comprising:
 receiving a user input via a user interface to select either a spherical ice production mode or a hemispherical ice production mode, 
 controlling a water supply valve to allow a first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode, and 
 controlling the water supply valve to allow a second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to spherical ice so as to allow the spherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell, and   wherein the second amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to hemispherical ice so as to allow the hemispherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the water supply valve to allow the first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell and the controlling of the water supply valve to allow the second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell, respectively comprises detecting an amount of water supplied to the ice-making tray through a flow sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the controlling of the water supply valve to allow the first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell comprises controlling the water supply valve to allow an amount of water detected by the flow sensor to reach the first amount of water based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode, and   wherein the controlling of the water supply valve to allow the second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell comprises controlling the water supply valve to allow an amount of water detected by the flow sensor to reach the second amount of water based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray comprise a plurality of ice-making cells formed to allow water to be supplied therein and formed to communicate with each other. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 forming a communication portion in at least one of the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray,   wherein water, which is introduced into one ice-making cell among the plurality of ice-making cells, is allowed to move to an adjacent ice-making cell through the communication portion.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 supplying an amount of water to the communication portion to allow hemispherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell,   wherein the communication portion is disposed at a center of the plurality of ice-making cells.   
     
     
         19 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a refrigerator comprising an ice-making tray to which water is supplied, individually or collectively, cause the refrigerator to perform operations, the ice-making tray comprising:
 a first ice-making tray comprising a first ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape; and   a second ice-making tray coupled to the first ice-making tray and comprising a second ice-making cell in a hemispherical shape, wherein the ice-making tray is provided to form a spherical ice-making cell by allowing the first ice-making cell and the second ice-making cell to come into contact with each other by coupling the first ice-making tray and the second ice-making tray,   the operations comprising:
 receiving a user input via a user interface to select either a spherical ice production mode or a hemispherical ice production mode; 
 controlling a water supply valve to allow a first amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the spherical ice production mode; and 
 controlling the water supply valve to allow a second amount of water to be supplied to the spherical ice-making cell based on the selection of the hemispherical ice production mode. 
   
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the first amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to spherical ice so as to allow the spherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell, and   wherein the second amount of water is an amount of water that allows a level of water supplied to the spherical ice-making cell to reach a water level corresponding to hemispherical ice so as to allow the hemispherical ice to be produced in the spherical ice-making cell.