Refrigerator and method for controlling same

Abstract

A refrigerator of the present embodiment includes: a cabinet having a storage compartment; a cooling apparatus which operates to cool the storage compartment; a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the storage space at a set time interval; and a controller for controlling the cooling apparatus, wherein the controller adjusts an output of the cooling apparatus on the basis of at least one of a first factor which is a difference value between a previous temperature of the storage compartment and a current temperature of the storage compartment and a second factor which is a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and a current temperature of the storage compartment, and adjusts the set time interval on the basis of at least one of the first factor and the second factor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet to provide a storage space;   a cooler configured to cool the storage space; and   a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the storage space at a set time interval,   wherein the set time interval is capable of being adjusted.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is adjusted based on a current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is adjusted based on a difference value between a previous temperature of the storage space and a current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein when an absolute value of the difference value increases, the set time interval decreases. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is selected from a plurality of predetermined set times based on an absolute value of a difference value between a previous temperature of the storage space and a current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein when the absolute value of the difference value is less than a first set value, an initial set time is selected, and
 when the absolute value of the difference value is greater than the first set value and less than a second set value, a first set time less than the initial set time is selected.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein when the absolute value of the difference value is greater than the second set value, a second set time less than the first set time is selected. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is adjusted based on a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein when an absolute value of the difference value increases, the set time interval decreases. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is selected from a plurality of predetermined set times based on an absolute value of a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein when the absolute value of the difference value is less than a first set value, an initial set time is selected, and
 when the absolute value of the difference value is greater than the first set value and less than a second set value, a first set time less than the initial set time is selected.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein when the absolute value of the difference value is greater than the second set value, a second set time less than the first set time is selected. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the set time interval is adjusted based on a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space and a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet to provide a storage space;   a cooler configured to cool the storage space; and   a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the storage space at a set time interval,   wherein during a constant temperature control, if a constant temperature control termination condition is satisfied, a normal control is performed, and   during the constant temperature control, the set time interval is variable, and during the normal control, the set time interval is fixed.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein during the normal control, if a constant temperature control start condition is satisfied, the constant temperature control is performed. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein during the constant temperature control, the set time interval is varied based on one or more of a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space and a difference value between a predetermined set temperature and the current temperature of the storage space. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet to provide a storage space;   a cooler configured to cool the storage space; and   a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the storage space at a set time interval,   wherein a set time interval when a set temperature of the storage space is less than a limit temperature is different from a set time interval when the set temperature of the storage space is equal to or greater than the limit temperature.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein, when the set temperature is equal to or greater than the limit temperature, the set time interval is fixed, and when the set temperature is less than the limit temperature, the set time interval varies. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the set time interval when the set temperature is equal to or greater than the limit temperature is greater than the set time interval when the set temperature is less than the limit temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein a variable range of the set time interval when the set temperature is equal to or greater than the limit temperature is less than the variable range of the set time interval when the set temperature is less than the limit temperature.