DRYING MACHINE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/KR 2024/011700, filed Aug. 7, 2024, and claims foreign priority to Korean Application No. 10-2023-0126671, filed Sep. 21, 2023, and Korean Application No. 10-2023-0163855, filed Nov. 22, 2023. International Application No. PCT/KR 2024/011700, Korean Application No. 10-2023-0126671, and Korean Application No. 10-2023-0163855, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002]The disclosure relates to a dryer that may sterilize an object to be dried accommodated in a drum, and a method for controlling the dryer.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003]In general, a clothes dryer is a device that forcibly blows hot air into a drum to dry wet laundry in the drum. The clothes dryer has a similar appearance to a drum washing machine, and may dry an object to be dried by forcibly circulating hot air, heated through a heater and a blower fan, into the drum.

[0004]Even when a drying process ends, the object to be dried may not be completely dry, and when the undried object is left in the drum, bacteria may multiply or a bad odor may be emitted.

[0005]Accordingly, a method of sterilizing the object to be dried inside the dryer during or after the drying process is required.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

[0006]An aspect of the disclosure provides a dryer that may sterilize an object to be dried accommodated in a drum, after a drying process is completed or during the drying process.

Technical Solution

[0007]According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dryer may include: a main body; a drum rotatably installed inside the main body and configured to accommodate an object to be dried; a driving device configured to provide a rotational force to the drum; a plurality of lifters mounted on an inner circumferential surface of the drum; and a processor configured to control the driving device, wherein at least one lifter of the plurality of lifters may include at least one sterilizing lamp, and the processor may be configured to determine a reference position of the at least one lifter including the at least one sterilizing lamp, and control the driving device to locate the at least one lifter including the at least one sterilizing lamp at the reference position.

[0008]According to an embodiment of the disclosure, in a method for controlling a dryer including a main body, a drum rotatably installed inside the main body and configured to accommodate an object to be dried, a driving device configured to provide a rotational force to the drum, and at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp, configured to perform a sterilization process, among a plurality of lifters mounted on an inner circumferential surface of the drum, the method may include: identifying whether a preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied; determining a reference position of the at least one lifter including the at least one sterilizing lamp, in response to the sterilization process start condition being satisfied; and locating the at least one lifter including the at least one sterilizing lamp at the reference position.

Advantageous Effects

[0009]According to an aspect of the disclosure, sterilization efficiency may be increased by locating a sterilizing lamp that performs a sterilization process at an optimal distance according to a load amount of an object to be dried accommodated in a drum.

[0010]According to an aspect of the disclosure, energy efficiency may be increased by locating a sterilizing lamp at an optimal position and then operating the sterilizing lamp.

[0011]According to an aspect of the disclosure, an object to be dried may be uniformly sterilized during a sterilization process by rearranging the object to be dried.

[0012]The effects that may achieved by the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical art to which the disclosure belongs from the following description.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an exterior of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0014]FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a cross-section of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0015]FIG. 3 illustrates another example of a cross-section of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0016]FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a lifter mounted inside a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0017]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of a power supply device 124 supplying power to a sterilizing lamp according to an embodiment.

[0018]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an auxiliary holder couplable to an inner surface of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0019]FIG. 7 is an example of a control block diagram of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0020]FIG. 8 illustrates communication between a dryer and a user device according to an embodiment.

[0021]FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a reference position of one lifter including one sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in a drum of a dryer is greater than or equal to a reference value.

[0022]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a reference position of one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in a drum of a dryer is less than a reference value.

[0023]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of determining a reference position of one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in a drum of a dryer is less than a reference value.

[0024]FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining reference positions of a plurality of lifters including at least one sterilizing lamp.

[0025]FIG. 13 illustrates an example of determining a position of at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when an auxiliary holder is coupled according to an embodiment.

[0026]FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating moving at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp to a reference position according to an embodiment.

[0027]FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for performing a sterilization process according to an embodiment.

[0028]FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for performing a sterilization process after rearranging an object to be dried according to an embodiment.

[0029]FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for determining a reference position of at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp according to an embodiment.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

[0030]Various embodiments and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein to specific forms, and the disclosure should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives to the corresponding embodiments.

[0031]In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar constituent elements.

[0032]The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.

[0033]In the disclosure, phrases, such as “A or B”, ““A, or B”, at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A, and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “at least one of A, or B”, “A, B or C”, “A, B, or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, and C”, “at least one of A, B or C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases.

[0034]As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0035]It will be understood that the terms “first”, “second”, or the like, may be used only to distinguish one component from another, not intended to limit the corresponding component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

[0036]When it is said that one (e.g., first) component is “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively”, it means that one component may be connected to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0037]It will be understood that when the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.

[0038]An expression that one component is “connected”, “coupled”, “supported”, or “in contact” with another component includes a case in which the components are directly “connected”, “coupled”, “supported”, or “in contact” with each other and a case in which the components are indirectly “connected”, “coupled”, “supported”, or “in contact” with each other through a third component.

[0039]It will also be understood that when one component is referred to as being “on” or “over” another component, it may be directly on the other component or intervening components may also be present.

[0040]A dryer according to various embodiments may perform a drying process. The dryer is an example of a clothes treating apparatus, and the clothes treating apparatus encompasses an apparatus for washing clothes (object to be washed, object to be dried), an apparatus for drying clothes, and an apparatus capable of performing both washing and drying clothes.

[0041]The dryer according to an embodiment may include a washing machine that may perform a drying process. In addition, the dryer according to an embodiment may include a clothes care apparatus for caring for clothes by supplying hot air to clothes hung on a hanger.

[0042]In the following description, any device capable of performing a drying process for drying clothes may correspond to the dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0043]FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an exterior of a dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a cross-section of a dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates another example of a cross-section of a dryer according to an embodiment.

[0044]The dryer shown in FIG. 2 is a dryer that may perform only a drying process for drying clothes.

[0045]The dryer shown in FIG. 3 is a dryer that may perform both a washing process for washing clothes and a drying process for drying clothes.

[0046]Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a dryer according to an embodiment may include a main body 110 that forms an exterior, a drum 120 rotatably installed in the main body 110 and accommodating an object to be dried, a door 130 for opening or closing the drum 120, a driving device 60 for rotating the drum 120, and a heat pump device 75 for producing hot air to dry the laundry (hereinafter also referred to as ‘object to be dried’) in the drum 120.

[0047]The main body 110 may include a front cover 12. An opening 12a is arranged at the front cover 12, and the door 130 for opening or closing the opening 12a may be rotatably installed at the front cover 12.

[0048]On an upper portion of the front cover 12, a user interface device 40 including an input interface for receiving control commands from the user and an output interface for displaying a screen to present various information about operations of the dryer 1 or guiding the user to input may be disposed.

[0049]The object to be dried may be accommodated in a chamber 30a formed by the drum 120.

[0050]The drum 120 may be shaped like a cylinder with front and rear sides open.

[0051]Inside the main body 110, a front support plate 220 and a rear support plate 230 are fixedly installed on the inner front part and inner rear part of the main body 110 to cover the front and rear openings of the drum 120, respectively.

[0052]The drum 120 may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in the main body 110 by driving force of the driving device 60.

[0053]The front support plate 220 and the rear support plate 230 may support the front and rear openings of the drum 120 to allow the drum 120 to be rotatable. In this instance, slippery pads 240 for reducing frictional resistance may be arranged in a portion where the front support plate 220 and the drum 120 contact and a portion where the rear support plate 230 and the drum 120 contact, respectively. In addition, rollers 241 that rotationally support the drum 120 may be arranged under the front support plate 220 and the rear support plate 230, respectively. Accordingly, the drum 120 may be smoothly rotated.

[0054]During a drying process or a sterilization process, the drum 30 may be rotationally driven by the driving device 60.

[0055]The driving device 60 may include a driving motor for generating power for rotating the drum 120 and a driving circuit for operating the driving motor.

[0056]According to various embodiments, the driving motor of the driving device 60 may be connected only to the drum 120, or may be connected to the drum 120 and a blower fan 151. In an embodiment, one end of a shaft 242 of the driving motor of the driving device 60 may be coupled with a pulley connected to the drum 120, and the other end may be coupled with the blower fan 151.

[0057]Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a motor for rotating the drum 120 is defined as a drum motor, and a motor for rotating the blower fan 151 is defined as a fan motor.

[0058]However, the drum motor and the fan motor may be the same motor or different motors.

[0059]The heat pump device 75 may include a heat exchanger 70, a compressor 73, and an expansion valve (not shown).

[0060]The heat exchanger 70 may include an evaporator 71 and a condenser 72.

[0061]The heat pump device 75 may include a refrigerant circulation path that passes from the compressor 73 through the condenser 72, the expansion valve and the evaporator 71 and back to the compressor, and the condenser 72 and the evaporator 71 serve as the heat exchanger 70.

[0062]The evaporator 71 may be located farther upstream of the air flow than the condenser 72.

[0063]The heat exchanger 70 may heat the air supplied into the drum 120.

[0064]The air that has passed through the chamber 30a formed by the drum 120 may be dried while passing the evaporator 71, heated while passing the condenser 72, and may flow back into the chamber 30a.

[0065]The blower fan 151 may force the air that has passed through the chamber 30a formed by the drum 120 to pass the evaporator 71 and the condenser 72 and then flow back into the chamber 30a.

[0066]That is, the blower fan 151 may make an air flow that circulates to the inside (chamber 30a) of the drum 120 and the heat exchanger 70. To this end, the blower fan 151 may be arranged in a duct 180 in which the air discharged from the drum 120 flows.

[0067]In an embodiment, the blower fan 151 may be disposed downstream from the condenser 72, but the location of the blower fan 151 is not limited thereto, and the blower fan 151 may be installed anywhere at which an air flow may be made in the duct 180.

[0068]According to various embodiments, the dryer 1 may further include a heater 170. The heater 170 is for heating the air supplied into the chamber 30a more quickly, and may operate for a predetermined time at the beginning of the drying process.

[0069]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include a load detector 160 for detecting the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120.

[0070]The load detector 160 may be positioned inside the drum 120, and may output an electric signal corresponding to the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120. Here, the load amount of the object to be dried may refer to the total weight of objects to be dried accommodated in the drum 120.

[0071]The load detector 160 may include at least one of an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and/or a weight sensor.

[0072]In a case where the load detector 160 includes an optical sensor or an infrared sensor, the load detector 160 may obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried in the form of the amount of light reflected from the object to be dried.

[0073]In addition, in a case where the load detector 160 includes a weight sensor, the load detector 160 may detect a change in stress caused when the object to be dried is introduced into the drum 120, and obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried in the form of data of a change in electrical resistance due to the change in stress through a strain gauge, or the like.

[0074]The load detector 160 positioned inside the drum 120 may allow direct detection of the weight (i.e., the load amount) of the object to be dried in a contact/non-contact manner, thereby enabling relatively accurate weight measurement.

[0075]In the dryer 1 according to another embodiment, the load detector 160 may be positioned outside the drum 120 to obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120.

[0076]In this instance, the load detector 160 may include a current sensor, and the current sensor may obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried by measuring an electrical signal according to a change in electrical resistance.

[0077]To this end, the load detector 160 may be directly connected to one of the wires or cables connected to the driving motor among the driving circuits constituting the driving device 60, or may be provided in a form that clamps around the wire, or may be provided in a form that detects current through passage of the wire therethrough.

[0078]In the case where the load detector 160 is positioned outside the drum 120 as described above, the accuracy of the detected load amount of the object to be dried may be relatively low depending on the efficiency and performance of the driving motor. However, the load amount of the object to be dried may be detected relatively simply by utilizing the relationship between the torque and current generated by the rotation of the driving motor. In addition, protection against water and chemicals is not required because the load detector 160 is not located inside the drum 120 in a humid environment.

[0079]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include a humidity detector 161 for detecting a humidity of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120. The humidity detector 161 may be positioned on the inner surface of the drum 120.

[0080]The humidity detector 161 may obtain information about an electrical signal that varies depending on the moisture content contained in the object to be dried, based on contact with the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120.

[0081]The humidity detector 161 may include a plate-bar type touch sensor or a capacitive sensor, and obtain information about an electrical signal that varies depending on the moisture content by measuring the resistance when the object to be dried contacts.

[0082]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include a door open/close detector 162 for obtaining information about the opening/closing of the door 130.

[0083]For example, the door open/close detector 162 may include a Hall sensor provided in the main body 110 of the dryer 1 and a permanent magnet arranged on the door 130. The Hall sensor may be positioned outside the front support plate 220 of the main body 110, but is not limited thereto. In this instance, the door open/close detector 162 may obtain information about the opening/closing of the door by detecting a change in the magnetic field depending on the distance between the Hall sensor and the permanent magnet as the door 130 opens and closes.

[0084]In addition, the door open/close detector 162 may include an optical sensor. The door open/close detector 162 may obtain information about the opening/closing of the door based on a change in the amount of light detected by the optical sensor.

[0085]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include a lint removing device 90. In addition to the door 130 that opens or closes the opening 12a, an auxiliary door for opening or closing the space in which the lint removing device 90 is accommodated may be further provided at the front cover 12.

[0086]A user may take out or put in the lint removing device 90 through the auxiliary door.

[0087]The lint removing device 90 may collect and remove the lint contained in the air discharged from the chamber 30a. To this end, the lint removing device 90 may include a filter.

[0088]The lint removing device 90 may be positioned in the duct 180 where the air discharged from the drum 120 flows. The lint removing device 90 may be disposed upstream from the heat exchanger 70, and the lint removing device 90 may prevent accumulation of lint on the heat exchanger 70 by removing lint from the air that has passed through the drum 120.

[0089]The dryer 1a shown in FIG. 2 and the dryer 1b shown in FIG. 3 differ in terms of whether a washing process may be performed.

[0090]The dryer 1a shown in FIG. 2 may perform a drying process that supplies hot air into the chamber 30a while rotating the drum 120.

[0091]The dryer 1b shown in FIG. 3 may perform not only the drying process that supplies hot air into the chamber 30a while rotating the drum 120, but also a laundry cycle for washing the laundry accommodated in the chamber 30a. The laundry cycle may include a water supply process, a rinsing process, a washing process and/or a spin-drying process.

[0092]Referring to FIG. 2, in the dryer 1a according to an embodiment, the heat exchanger 70, the blower fan 151, and the lint removing device 90 may be disposed in a lower portion of the main body 110. For example, the heat exchanger 70, the blower fan 151, and the lint removing device 90 may be arranged in the duct 180.

[0093]A first duct 181 may be located below the drum 120 to guide the air discharged from the drum 120 to be dehumidified, heated and flow back into the drum 120. The heat exchanger 70 may be accommodated in the first duct 181. The first duct 181 may be referred to as a lower frame. A first circulation path 191 may be formed in the first duct 181.

[0094]A second duct 182 may be located behind the drum 120 to guide air toward the drum 120. The air that has passed the heat exchanger 70 may be supplied into the drum 120 through the second duct 182. The second duct 182 may form a portion of the circulation path 190. The blower fan 151 may be accommodated in the second duct 182. A second circulation path 192 may be formed in the second duct 182. In an embodiment, the heater 170 may be arranged in the second duct 182.

[0095]A third duct 183 may be located in front of the drum 120 to guide the air of the inside 30a of the drum to go to the heat exchanger 70. The air from inside 30a of the drum may flow to the heat exchanger 70 through the third duct 183. The third duct 183 may form a portion of the circulation path 190. A third circulation path 193 may be formed in the third duct 183.

[0096]According to various embodiments, the lint removing device 90 may be positioned in the first duct 181, the second duct 182 or the third duct 183.

[0097]In an embodiment, the lint removing device 90 may be positioned in the third duct 183.

[0098]The second duct 182 and the third duct 183 may allow the air from the inside 30a of the drum to circulate through the circulation path 190 in the main body 110.

[0099]The dryer 1a may further include the circulation path 190. The circulation path 190 may include the first circulation path 191, the second circulation path 192 and the third circulation path 193. The first circulation path 191 may be formed by the first duct 181, the second circulation path 192 may be formed by the second duct 182, and the third circulation path 193 may be formed by the third duct 183.

[0100]The blower fan 151 may circulate the air in the circulation path 190.

[0101]Referring to FIG. 3, the dryer 1b in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 may further include components for performing the laundry cycle as compared to the dryer 1a in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

[0102]In an embodiment, the dryer 1b may include a tub 115 arranged in the main body 110, and the drum 120 arranged in the tub 115 to accommodate and rotate the laundry.

[0103]A water supply device 14 may be positioned above the tub 115. The water supply device 14 may include a water supply valve 14b for controlling water supply and water supply tube 14a. A detergent supply device 80 may also be installed above the tub 115 to supply a detergent into the tub 115 during the water supply process. The detergent supply device 80 may also be installed at the front cover 12. The detergent supply device 80 may be disposed in the main body 110. The water flowing into the dryer 1 through the water supply device 14 may flow into the detergent supply device 80.

[0104]According to various embodiments, the detergent supply device 80 may be installed below the tub 115.

[0105]The detergent supply device 80 may be connected to the tub 115 through a supply tube 17. Water supplied through the water supply tube 14a passes through the detergent supply device 80 to be mixed with the detergent, and the mixed water in which the water and the detergent are mixed may be supplied into the tub 115.

[0106]The water supplied into the dryer 1b through the water supply device 14 may flow into the detergent supply device 80. The water passing the water supply tube 14a may flow into a detergent container. For example, the water supply tube 14a may be arranged on the detergent container to supply the water into the detergent container arranged below. A detergent may be accommodated in the detergent container, and the water supplied from the water supply tube 14a into the detergent container may be mixed with the detergent. The water mixed with the detergent in the detergent container may flow into the tub 115. For example, the supply tube 17 may be connected to the detergent container and the tub 115 under the detergent container to supply the water mixed with the detergent in the detergent container to the tub 115.

[0107]The detergent container may be disposed at the front cover 12 to be pulled out. According to various embodiments, the detergent container and the lint removing device 90 may be arranged at the front cover 12 to be pulled out. Although the lint removing device 90 is shown as being disposed behind the tub 115, the lint removing device 90 may be disposed on a side of the heat exchanger 70 above the tub 115. The lint removing device 90 may be disposed between a top surface 11e of the main body 110 and the tub 115. The heat exchanger 70 may be disposed between the top surface 11e of the main body 110 and the tub 115.

[0108]The tub 115 may store the mixed water in which water and the detergent are mixed, and may have a substantially cylindrical shape. The tub 115 may be fixed to the inside the main body 110. The opening 12a of the front cover 12 and the tub 115 may be connected by a diaphragm. The diaphragm may seal the space between the front cover 12 and the tub 115.

[0109]A drain device 50 may be installed below the tub 115, and may include a drain pipe (not shown), a drain valve (not shown), a drain pump, etc., to drain the water from the tub 115.

[0110]The tub 115 may be elastically supported from the main body 110 by a spring (not shown) above and dampers below. That is, the spring and the dampers are arranged to absorb vibration energy between the tub 115 and the main body 110 to dampen vibrations that occur during the rotation of the drum 120 and that are transferred to the tub 115 and the main body 110.

[0111]In the dryer 1b according to an embodiment, the heat exchanger 70, the blower fan 151, and the lint removing device 90 may be disposed in an upper portion of the main body 110. For example, the heat exchanger 70, the blower fan 151, and the lint removing device 90 may be arranged in the duct 180.

[0112]The first duct 181 may be located above the drum 120 and the tub 115 to guide the air discharged from the drum 120 to be dehumidified, heated and flow back into the drum 120. The heat exchanger 70 may be accommodated in the first duct 181. The first duct 181 may be referred to as an upper frame. The first circulation path 191 may be formed in the first duct 181.

[0113]The second duct 182 may be located in front of the drum 120 and the tub 115 to guide air toward the drum 120. The air that has passed the heat exchanger 70 may be supplied into the drum 120 through the second duct 182. The second duct 182 may form a portion of the circulation path 190. The blower fan 151 may be accommodated in the second duct 182. The second circulation path 192 may be formed in the second duct 182.

[0114]The third duct 183 may be located behind the drum 120 and the tub 115 to guide the air from the inside 30a of the drum to flow to the heat exchanger 70. The air from inside 30a of the drum may flow to the heat exchanger 70 through the third duct 183. The third duct 183 may form a portion of the circulation path 190. The third circulation path 193 may be formed in the third duct 183. In an embodiment, the heater 170 may be disposed in the third duct 183.

[0115]According to various embodiments, the lint removing device 90 may be positioned in the first duct 181, the second duct 182 or the third duct 183.

[0116]In an embodiment, the lint removing device 90 may be positioned in the first duct 182.

[0117]The second duct 182 and the third duct 183 may allow the air from the inside 30a of the drum to circulate through the circulation path 190 in the main body 110. In addition, as the air discharged from the second duct 182 may flow into the tub 115 and the drum 120 through the diaphragm, the diaphragm may also allow the air to circulate through the circulation path 190 in the main body 110.

[0118]The dryer 1b may further include the circulation path 190. The circulation path 190 may include the first circulation path 191, the second circulation path 192 and the third circulation path 193. The first circulation path 191 may be formed by the first duct 181, the second circulation path 192 may be formed by the second duct 182, and the third circulation path 193 may be formed by the third duct 183.

[0119]According to an embodiment, the dryer 1 may further include a plurality of lifters 121 inside the drum 120, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0120]FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a lifter mounted inside the dryer according to an embodiment.

[0121]A plurality of lifters 121 may be arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 120. The plurality of lifters 121 may protrude toward the center from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 120.

[0122]The plurality of lifters 121 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 120 may tumble an object to be dried to prevent tangling of the object to be dried and to allow uniform drying of the object to be dried.

[0123]According to an embodiment, at least one lifter 122 of the plurality of lifters 121 may further include a sterilizing lamp 123 that performs a sterilization process for sterilizing the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 during or after a drying process. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the lifter including the sterilizing lamp is referred to as the lifter 122, and the lifter without the sterilizing lamp is referred to as the lifter 121, distinguishing the reference numbers.

[0124]According to various embodiments, the dryer 1 may include a single lifter 122 including a sterilizing lamp and the plurality of lifters 121 without a sterilizing lamp, as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4. In addition, the dryer 1 may also include a plurality of lifters 122 including sterilizing lamps and a plurality of lifters 121 without sterilizing lamps.

[0125]The sterilizing lamp 123 according to an embodiment may include at least one ultraviolet (UV) lamp 123a. The UV lamp 123a may irradiate ultraviolet radiation (hereinafter, referred to as ‘UV’) of 200-280 nm onto the object to be dried to sterilize or inactivate bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens.

[0126]The at least one UV lamp 123a may be implemented in an array form as shown in FIG. 4. The sterilizing lamp 123 including the UV lamp array may be arranged on the upper outer surface of the lifter 122, and may irradiate UV from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 120 toward the center, i.e., toward the object to be dried.

[0127]Although the sterilizing lamp 123 is shown as being arranged on the uppermost outer surface of the lifter 122 in the drawing, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The sterilizing lamp 123 may be arranged at any position, as long as the UV lamp 123a in the sterilizing lamp 123 may irradiate UV onto the object to be dried to perform the sterilization process. For example, the sterilizing lamp 123 including the UV lamp array may be arranged on the sides of the lifter 122.

[0128]According to an embodiment, the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 may further include a sterilizing lamp position detector 163 for identifying the position of the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0129]The sterilizing lamp position detector 163 may include a Hall sensor mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the drum 120, and a permanent magnet arranged at an arbitrary position on the inner surface of the tub 115.

[0130]The sterilizing lamp position detector 163 may obtain information about the position of the sterilizing lamp 123 or the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123, by detecting a change in the magnetic field between the Hall sensor and the permanent magnet caused by rotation of the drum 120.

[0131]However, the above-described position of the permanent magnet is merely an example, and any position that may accurately measure the position of the sterilizing lamp 123 may be used as the position of the permanent magnet.

[0132]According to an embodiment, the lifter 122 may further include a power supply device 124 that supplies power to the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0133]The power supply device 124 may include a generator 125 that generates electrical energy through the rotational movement of the drum 120, and at least one capacitor 126 that stores the electrical energy generated by the generator 125.

[0134]The generator 125 is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, and may include a rotor or an alternator that converts mechanical energy generated by the rotational movement of the drum 120 into electrical energy.

[0135]In addition, the generator 125 may further include a transformer that adjusts the voltage of electrical energy generated by the interaction of the rotor and the alternator, or a rectifier that stabilizes the current. The generator 125 may further include other components for generating electrical energy.

[0136]The capacitor 126 acts as a type of accumulator to temporarily store electrical energy and release the stored energy when required. The capacitor 126 may be configured with an insulator between two polarized metal plates.

[0137]According to FIG. 4, the power supply device 124 that supplies power to the sterilizing lamp 123 may be positioned inside the drum 120. On the other hand, the power supply device 124 according to an embodiment may be positioned outside the drum 120, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0138]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of the power supply device 124 supplying power to a sterilizing lamp according to an embodiment.

[0139]The power supply device 124 positioned outside the drum 120 may include a power terminal 127 electrically connected to the sterilizing lamp 123 or a power supply 128 that supplies power to the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0140]The power terminal 127 and the power supply 128 may supply power to the sterilizing lamp 123 via a wire, or through contact. A switch, an overload protector, and the like, may be further included between the power terminal 127 and the power supply 128.

[0141]The power terminal 127 may be disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the drum 120. The lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 may be positioned on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 120 corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the drum 120 where the power terminal 127 is disposed.

[0142]The power supply 128 may be disposed outside the drum 120, and may be connected to an external power source that supplies power to a motor of the dryer 1.

[0143]Meanwhile, the power supply 128 may be positioned outside the shaft 242 of the driving device 60 (i.e., disposed outside the drum 120), and may include a generator that converts mechanical energy generated by the rotational movement of the shaft 242 according to the driving of the driving device 60 into electrical energy.

[0144]According to an embodiment, in a case where the power supply device 124 that supplies power to the sterilizing lamp 123 is positioned outside the drum, the influence of moisture, water, chemicals, etc., inside the drum 30a, may be reduced, which may facilitate maintenance and repair.

[0145]FIG. 5 shows that the power supply device 124 including the power terminal 127 or the power supply 128 is included in the dryer 1b that may perform both washing process and drying process described in FIG. 3. However, the power supply device 124 including the aforementioned power terminal 127 or power supply 128 may also be included in the dryer 1a that performs only the drying process described in FIG. 2.

[0146]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an auxiliary holder 250 couplable to an inner surface of the dryer according to an embodiment.

[0147]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include the auxiliary holder 250 that may be coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120.

[0148]At least one chamber may be formed in the auxiliary holder 250. Each chamber of the auxiliary holder 250 is adjustable to fit the type and size of an object to be dried. An object to be dried may be placed in each chamber of the auxiliary holder 250 to prevent the object to be dried from being displaced or mixed with other items inside the drum 30a.

[0149]The object to be dried placed on the auxiliary holder 250 may be shoes, bags, etc., in addition to clothes.

[0150]For example, in a case where shoes are placed on the auxiliary holder 250, the inside or outside of the shoes may be dried and moisture may be removed by utilizing the hot air inside the drum 30a. In addition, bacteria or microorganisms inside or outside the shoes may be removed by the sterilizing lamp 123 included in the lifter 122.

[0151]The front support plate of the drum 120 of the dryer 1 according to an embodiment may include at least one groove 251 in which the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled.

[0152]The at least one groove 251 may be formed on the front support plate of the dryer 1 or a support member of the lint removing device 90.

[0153]By inserting a part of the auxiliary holder 250 into the at least one groove 251, the auxiliary holder 250 may be stably fixed even when hot air is supplied into the drum 30a.

[0154]When the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the at least one groove 251, the two coupling points may be fixed to each other by fastening with screw-bolt for more stable fixation.

[0155]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include an auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 (not shown) for determining whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the drum 120.

[0156]The auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may be disposed in some or all of the at least one groove 251.

[0157]The auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may include a Hall sensor that detects a change in magnetic field to identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the at least one groove 251.

[0158]As the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 including a Hall sensor is positioned in the groove 251, a magnet may be attached to the part of the auxiliary holder 250 that is inserted into the groove 251. When a part of the auxiliary holder 250 is inserted into the at least one groove 251, the Hall sensor may detect a change in the magnetic field and output a signal corresponding to the detected value.

[0159]The Hall sensor may be used relatively simply and may detect changes in the magnetic field in real time. Accordingly, the dryer 1 equipped with the Hall sensor may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled in real time.

[0160]According to various embodiments, the dryer 1 may further include other types of sensors to identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the drum 120. In this instance, any sensor that may efficiently identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the drum 120 may be used. For example, the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may include an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0161]FIG. 7 is an example of a control block diagram of the dryer 1 according to an embodiment.

[0162]Referring to FIG. 7, the dryer 1 according to an embodiment may include the user interface device 40, the driving device 60, the communication circuitry 150, the power supply device 124, a sensor portion 165, and/or a controller 50.

[0163]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include components to perform a washing process, such as a water supply device, a detergent supply device, and a drainage device.

[0164]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may further include the heat pump device 75 and the heater 170 for performing a drying process.

[0165]According to embodiments, the dryer 1 may not include some components (e.g., the heater 170).

[0166]The user interface device 40 may include at least one input interface 41 and at least one output interface 42.

[0167]The at least one input interface 41 may convert sensory information received from a user into an electrical signal.

[0168]The at least one input interface 41 may include a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial (or a course selection button), and a wash/rinse/spin-dry/dry setting button. The at least one input interface 41 may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and/or a microphone.

[0169]The at least one output interface 42 may transmit various information related to the operation of the dryer 1 to the user by generating sensory information.

[0170]For example, the at least one output interface 42 may transmit information related to a drying course and an operating time of the dryer 1, a washing course and an operating time of the dryer 1, and a wash setting/rinse setting/spin-dry setting/dry setting to the user. The information about the operation of the dryer 1 may be output as a screen, an indicator, or a voice. The at least one output interface 42 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, and the like.

[0171]The driving device 60 may include a drum motor that provides driving force for rotating the drum 120, and a driving circuit that drives the drum motor. The drum motor may operate based on a driving current supplied from the driving circuit. The driving device 60 may operate based on a control signal from the controller 50.

[0172]In an embodiment, the controller 50 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120 during the drying process.

[0173]In an embodiment, the driving device 60 may include a fan motor that provides driving force for rotating the blowing fan 151, and a driving circuit that drives the fan motor.

[0174]As described above, the drum motor and the fan motor may be the same motor or different motors.

[0175]In an embodiment, the driving device 60 may be electrically connected to the power supply 128 that supplies power to the sterilizing lamp 123 according to an embodiment.

[0176]The communication circuitry 150 may communicate with an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, and/or a home appliance) by wire and/or wirelessly.

[0177]The communication circuitry 150 may include at least one of a short-range wireless communication module or a long-range wireless communication module.

[0178]The communication circuitry 150 may transmit data to an external device or receive data from an external device. For example, the communication circuitry 150 may establish communication with a server, a user device, and/or other home appliance, and transmit and receive various data (e.g., user global positioning system (GPS) information or user input).

[0179]For the communication, the communication circuitry 150 may support establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between external devices, and communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the communication circuitry 150 may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power-line communication module). A corresponding one of the communication modules may communicate with an external device over a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi direct or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (e.g., a remote communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as a plurality of separate components (e.g., a plurality of chips).

[0180]The short-range wireless communication module may include a Bluetooth communication module, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication module, a near field communication (NFC) communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication module, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication module, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, and the like, without being limited thereto.

[0181]long-range wireless communication module may include a communication module performing various long-range wireless communications, and may include mobile communication circuitry. The mobile communication circuitry may transmit and receive radio signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, or a server over a mobile communication network.

[0182]In an embodiment, the communication circuitry 150 may communicate with an external device, such as a server, a user device, and a home appliance through a nearby access point (AP). The access point (AP) may connect a local area network (LAN) to which the dryer 1, another home appliance, and/or a user device are connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The dryer 1, the other home appliance, and/or the user device may be connected to the server via the wide area network (WAN).

[0183]Hereinafter, transmitting and receiving information through communication with a user device via the communication circuitry 150 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 8.

[0184]The power supply device 124 may supply power to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123. The power supply device 124 may supply power to the sterilizing lamp 123 (e.g., the UV lamp 123a included in the sterilizing module) by a control signal from the controller 50, and thus ultraviolet radiation of 200-280 nm may be irradiated toward an object to be dried.

[0185]The sensor portion 165 of the dryer 1 according to an embodiment may include the load detector 160, the humidity detector 161, the door open/close detector 162, the sterilizing lamp position detector 163, and/or the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164.

[0186]The sensor portion 165 may transmit, to the controller 50, information about the detected load amount of the object to be dried, the humidity of the object to be dried, whether the door 130 is open or closed, the position of the sterilizing lamp 123, and/or whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled.

[0187]The load detector 160 may obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 based on a control signal from the controller 50.

[0188]For example, the controller 50 may control the load detector 160 to obtain information about the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 in a washing process, a drying process, or a sterilization process, and may receive the information to determine the load amount of the object to be dried.

[0189]The humidity detector 161 may obtain information about the humidity of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 after the washing process and/or the drying process ends, and may transmit the obtained humidity information to the controller 50.

[0190]The controller 50 may identify the humidity of the object to be dried based on the information received from the humidity detector 161, and may determine whether to perform the sterilization process based on the humidity of the object to be dried.

[0191]The door open/close detector 162 may obtain information for identifying whether a user opens the door 130 to take out the object to be dried in the entire process including the washing process, the drying process, or the sterilization process, and may transmit the obtained information to the controller 50.

[0192]The controller 50 may identify whether there has been a user's action, such as whether the user has opened the door 130 and taken out the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120, based on the information received from the door open/close detector 162. Accordingly, the controller 50 may determine whether to perform the sterilization process based on whether there has been a user's action.

[0193]The sterilizing lamp position detector 163 may obtain information for identifying the position of the sterilizing lamp 123 performing the sterilization process or the position of the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp in the sterilization process, and may transmit the obtained information to the controller 50.

[0194]The controller 50 may identify the position of the sterilizing lamp 123 or the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp (specifically, whether the sterilizing lamp 123 or the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp is located at a reference position) based on the information obtained by the sterilizing lamp position detector 163.

[0195]The auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may collect information for identifying whether a part of the auxiliary holder 250 is inserted into the groove 251 provided in the drum 120. The auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may transmit the obtained information to the controller 50. The controller 50 may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the groove 251 provided in the drum 120 based on the sensor data obtained by the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164.

[0196]The controller 50 may control various components of the dryer 1 (e.g., the driving device 60, the communication circuitry 150, the power supply device 124, the compressor 73, and/or the heater 170).

[0197]The controller 50 may control various components of the dryer 1 to perform at least one process including water supply, washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and/or drying according to user input. For example, the controller 50 may control the driving device 60 to adjust a rotation speed of the drum 30, may control the compressor 73 and/or the heater 170 to maintain a temperature of the air flowing into the inside 30a of the drum at a predetermined target temperature, and may control the power supply device 124 to supply power to the sterilizing lamp 123 so that UV for sterilization is irradiated.

[0198]In addition, the controller 50 may receive information about a load amount collected from the load detector 160, and may detect the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the inside 30a of the drum based on processing the received data.

[0199]The controller 50 may process the information collected from the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164, and may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inside 30a of the drum based on processing the information collected from the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164.

[0200]For example, the controller 50 may be mounted on a printed circuit board provided on the rear surface of a control panel, which is an example of the user interface device 40.

[0201]The controller 50 may be electrically connected to the user interface device 40, the driving device 60, the communication circuitry 150, the power supply device 124, and the sensor portion 165.

[0202]The controller 50 may include hardware such as a CPU, a Micom, and memory, and software such as a control program. For example, the controller 50 may include at least one memory 52 that stores algorithms and program-type data for controlling the operation of components in the dryer 1, and at least one processor 51 that performs the operations described above and operations to be described below using the data stored in the at least one memory 52. The memory 52 and the processor 51 may be implemented as separate chips. The processor 51 may include one or more processor chips or one or more processing cores. The memory 52 may include one or more memory chips or one or more memory blocks. In addition, the memory 52 and the processor 51 may be implemented as a single chip.

[0203]The processor 51 may determine a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123, and may control the driving device 60 to locate the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at the reference position.

[0204]In this instance, the processor 51 may identify whether a preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied after the drying process ends, and determine the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 in response to the sterilization process start condition being satisfied.

[0205]The processor 51 may identify the humidity of the object to be dried based on the information obtained by the humidity detector 161, and may identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied based on the humidity of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a preset humidity.

[0208]The processor 51 may identify whether the user is absent for a preset second period of time after the drying process ends, based on the user GPS information received from the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150, and may identify that the preset condition is satisfied in response to the user being absent for the second period of time.

[0209]The at least one processor 51 may transmit information about the end of the drying process to the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150, and then may identify that the preset condition is satisfied in response to receiving a control command to start the sterilization process from the user device 2.

[0210]The at least one processor 51 may determine the reference position of the lifter 122 to locate the lifter 122 at the uppermost part of the drum, based on the detected load amount of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a preset reference amount.

[0211]Based on the load amount of the object to be dried being less than the preset reference amount, the at least one processor 51 may determine the reference position of the lifter 122 so that a distance between the lifter 122 and the object to be dried falls within a preset reference distance range based on the load amount of the object to be dried.

[0212]The at least one processor 51 may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the drum 120 based on a detection value of the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164, and may determine the position of the lifter 122 to locate the lifter 122 at the uppermost part of the drum based on the auxiliary holder 250 being coupled to the drum 120.

[0213]The at least one processor 51 may control the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123 for a reference time, in response to the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 being positioned at the determined reference position.

[0214]The at least one processor 51 may control the power supply device 124 to turn off the sterilizing lamp 123 based on an elapse of the reference time, and then control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120, and then control the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0215]The at least one memory 52 may store cycle profiles corresponding to a drying course and an operating time of the dryer 1, a washing course and an operating time of the dryer 1, and a wash setting/rinse setting/spin-dry setting/dry setting. The cycle profiles may include a rotation speed of the drum 120 in the drying process, a target temperature of the air supplied to the inside 30a of the drum, and the like.

[0216]The at least one memory 52 may store information data about a load height of the object to be dried in the drum corresponding to the load amount of the object to be dried. In addition, the at least one memory 52 may store data about an optimal distance range between the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 and an object to be dried according to a load height or a load amount of the object to be dried, so as to perform the sterilization process with optimal efficiency.

[0217]FIG. 8 illustrates communication between a dryer and a user device according to an embodiment.

[0218]The dryer 1 according to an embodiment may include the communication circuitry 150 that may communicate with other home appliances, the user device 2, or a server 3, the user interface 40 that receives user input or outputs information to a user, the at least one processor 51 that controls the operation of the dryer 1, and the at least one memory 52 that stores a program for controlling the operation of the dryer 1.

[0219]The server 3 may include a communication module communicating with the dryer 1 or the user device 2, at least one processor that processes data received from the dryer 1 or the user device 2, and at least one memory that stores programs for processing data or processed data. The server 3 may be implemented as a variety of computing devices, such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, a data station, and the like. The server 3 may be implemented as one or more server physically or logically separated based on a function, detailed configuration of function, or data, and may transmit and receive data through communication between servers and process the transmitted and received data.

[0220]The server 3 may perform functions, such as managing a user account, registering the dryer 1 in association with the user account, managing or controlling the registered dryer 1, and the like. For example, a user may access the server 3 via the user device 2 and may create a user account. The user account may be identified by an identifier (ID) and a password set by the user. The server 3 may register the dryer 1 with the user account according to a predetermined procedure. For example, the server 3 may link identification information of the dryer 1 (e.g., a serial number or MAC address) to the user account to register, manage, and control the dryer 1.

[0221]The user device 2 may include a communication module capable of communicating with the dryer 1 or the server 3, a user interface that receives a user input or outputs information to a user, at least one processor that controls an operation of the user device 2, and at least one memory that stores a program for controlling the operation of the user device 2.

[0222]The user device 2 may be carried by a user, or placed in a user's home or office, or the like. The user device 2 may include a personal computer (PC), a terminal, a portable telephone, a smartphone, a handheld device, a wearable device, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0223]The memory of the user device 2 may store a program for controlling the dryer 1, i.e., an application. The application may be sold installed on the user device 2, or may be downloaded from an external server for installation.

[0224]By running the application installed on the user device 2 by a user, the user may access the server 3, create a user account, and communicate with the server 3 based on the login user account to register the dryer 1.

[0225]For example, by operating the dryer 1 to allow the dryer 1 to access the server 3 according to a procedure guided by the application installed on the user device 2, the server 3 may register the dryer 1 with the user account by assigning the identification information (e.g., a serial number or a MAC address) of the dryer 1 to the corresponding user account.

[0226]A user may control the dryer 1 using the application installed on the user device 2. For example, by logging into a user account with the application installed on the user device 2, the dryer 1 registered in the user account appears, and by inputting a control command for the dryer 1, the control command may be delivered to the dryer 1 via the server 3.

[0227]For example, the user may input a control command to start a sterilization process into the user device 2, and the input control command to start a sterilization process may be transmitted to the dryer 1 through the server 3.

[0228]A network may include both a wired network and a wireless network. The wired network may include a cable network or a telephone network, and the wireless network may include any networks transmitting and receiving a signal via radio waves. The wired network and the wireless network may be interconnected.

[0229]The network may include a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an AP. The short-range wireless network may include Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, near field communication (NFC), and Z-Wave, but is not limited thereto.

[0230]The access point (AP) may connect the dryer 1 or the user device 2 to a WAN connected to the server 3. The dryer 1 or the user device 2 may be connected to the server 3 via a WAN.

[0231]The AP may communicate with the dryer 1 or the user device 2 using wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), and the like, and access a WAN using wired communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0232]According to various embodiments, the dryer 1 may be directly connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 without going through the AP.

[0233]The dryer 1 may be may be connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 via a long-range wireless network or a short-range wireless network.

[0234]For example, the dryer 1 may be connected to the user device 2 via a short-range wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct).

[0235]In another example, the dryer 1 may be connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 via a WAN using a long-range wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication module).

[0236]In still another example, the dryer 1 may access a WAN using wired communication, and may be connected to the user device 2 or the server 3 via a WAN.

[0237]When accessing a WAN using wired communication, the dryer 1 may also act as an AP. Accordingly, the dryer 1 may connect another home appliance to a WAN to which the server 3 is connected. In addition, the other home appliance may connect the dryer 1 to the WAN to which the server 3 is connected.

[0238]The dryer 1 may transmit information about an operation or state to other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3 via the network. For example, the dryer 1 may transmit information about an operation or state to other home appliances, the user device 2 or the server 3 upon receiving a request from the server 3, in response to an event (e.g., an end of a drying process) in the dryer 1, or periodically or in real time. Upon receiving the information about the operation or state from the dryer 1, the server 3 may update the stored information about the operation or state of the dryer 1 and transmit the updated information about the operation and state of the dryer 1 to the user device 2 via the network. Here, updating the information may include various operations in which existing information is changed, such as adding new information to the existing information, replacing the existing information with new information, and the like.

[0239]That is, the communication circuitry 150 of the dryer 1 may transmit information about the end of the drying process to the user device 2 via network.

[0240]The dryer 1 may obtain various information from other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3, and may provide the obtained information to the user. For example, the dryer 1 may obtain information related to the functions of the dryer 1 (e.g., washing methods), various environmental information (e.g., weather, temperature, humidity, etc.), and/or information about the user (e.g., user GPS information), from the server 3, and may output the obtained information through the user interface 40.

[0241]The dryer 1 may operate in accordance with a control command received from other home appliances, the user device 2, or the server 3. For example, in response to receiving a control command to start a sterilization process from the user device 2. the dryer 1 may identify that a preset condition is satisfied, and may control the driving device 60, the load detector 160, the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164, and/or the power supply device 124 to start the sterilization process.

[0242]In addition, the dryer 1 may operate in accordance with a control command received from the server 3, based on a prior authorization obtained from a user to operate in accordance with the control command of the server 3 even without a user input. Here, the control command received from the server 3 may include a control command input by the user via the user device 2 or a control command based on a preset condition, but is not limited thereto.

[0243]The user device 2 may transmit information about a user to the dryer 1 or the server 3 via the communication module. For example, the user device 2 may transmit information about a user's location (e.g., user GPS information), a user's health condition, a user's preference, a user's schedule, and the like, to the server 3. The user device 2 may transmit information about the user to the server 3 based on the user's prior authorization.

[0244]The dryer 1, the user device 2, or the server 3 may use techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI) to determine a control command. For example, the server 3 may receive information about an operation or a state of the dryer 1 or information about a user of the user device 2, process the received information using techniques, such as AI, and transmit a processing result or a control command to the dryer 1 or the user device 2 based on the processing result.

[0245]Accordingly, the processor 51 of the dryer 1 may start the sterilization process based on the user input transmitted from the user device 2 during or after the drying process.

[0246]For example, the processor 51 may identify whether the user is outside a preset geopolitical range from the dryer 1 for a preset period of time after the drying process ends, based on the user GPS information received from the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150.

[0247]In response to identifying that the user is absent, the processor 51 may identify that the preset condition is satisfied.

[0248]The at least one processor 51 may transmit information about the end of the drying process to the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150, and then may identify that the preset condition is satisfied in response to receiving a control command to start the sterilization process from the user device 2.

[0249]Identifying whether the preset condition for starting the sterilization process of the dryer 1 is satisfied has been described above. Hereinafter, determining a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 in response to the preset condition being satisfied will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0250]FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a reference position of one lifter including a single sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in the drum of the dryer is greater than or equal to a reference value.

[0251]According to an embodiment, the processor 51 may detect a load amount of an object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 based on data received from the load detector 160.

[0252]The processor 51 may determine a load height of the object to be dried corresponding to the detected load amount of the object to be dried, based on information data about the load height of the object to be dried in the drum corresponding to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52.

[0253]In this instance, the processor 51 may identify whether the determined load height of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to a reference height Hr. The reference height is a height from the lowest part Hm of the drum 120, and may be preset during manufacturing of the dryer 1, and may be set or changed based on user input entered via the user interface 40.

[0254]For example, the reference height may correspond to the radius of the drum 120. In a case where the reference height corresponds to the radius of the drum 120 and the load height of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to the reference height, the object to be dried may be stacked to a position higher than the radius of the drum 120.

[0255]In the case where the determined load height of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to the reference height, the processor 51 may identify that the detected load amount of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to a preset reference amount. The preset reference amount may be set or changed as the preset reference height is set or changed.

[0256]Accordingly, the processor 51 may determine the reference position of the lifter 122 to locate the lifter 122 at the uppermost part of the drum, based on the detected load amount of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to the preset reference amount.

[0257]In this instance, the uppermost part of the drum 120 may correspond to the maximum height HM of the lifter 122 within its height range (i.e., Hm or more and HM or less in FIG. 9) while the drum 120 is rotated by the driving device 60.

[0258]The total amount of UV per unit area irradiated from the UV lamp 123a included in the sterilizing lamp 123 (i.e., the UV irradiance of the UV lamp 123a) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Accordingly, in the case where the load amount of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to the preset reference amount, the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 may be positioned at the uppermost part of the drum 120 to increase the total amount of UV reaching the object to be dried per unit area, and thus, a powerful sterilization process may be performed.

[0259]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a reference position of one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in the drum of the dryer is less than a reference value.

[0260]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of determining a reference position of one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when a load amount of an object to be dried in the drum of the dryer is less than the reference value.

[0261]In a case where a determined load height (H₁ in FIG. 10 or H₂ in FIG. 11) of an object to be dried is less than a reference height (H_r in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11), the processor 51 may identify that the detected load amount of the object to be dried is less than a reference amount.

[0262]In the case where the detected load amount of the object to be dried is less than the reference amount and the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 is positioned at the uppermost part of the drum 120, the distance between the object to be dried and the sterilizing lamp 123 may be greater than when the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 is located at other positions. As a result, the sterilization efficiency may decrease. Accordingly, an optimal position of the lifter 122 requires to be determined based on the load height according to the load amount of the object to be dried.

[0263]For example, comparing FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the greater the load amount of the object to be dried, the higher the load height of the object to be dried (i.e., H₁>H₂).

[0264]Assuming that the lifter 122 is at the same position, that is, when the vertical distance from the lowest part Hm of the drum is the same as H₁′, the greater the load amount of the object to be dried, the shorter the vertical distance from the lifter 122 to the uppermost surface of the object to be dried (i.e., the distance from the position of the lifter 122 in the drum to the position where the lifter-facing surface of the object to be dried in the direction of gravity) (i.e., H₁′−H₁<H₁′−H₂).

[0265]Accordingly, as the load amount of the object to be dried increases, the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the lifter 122 to reach the object to be dried increases, and thus the amount of UV reaching the object to be dried per unit area may decrease.

[0266]In other words, in a case where the position of the lifter 122 is fixed, the sterilization efficiency may vary depending on the load amount of the object to be dried, even when the output of the sterilizing lamp 123 is the same.

[0267]Accordingly, a reference distance range between the lifter 122 and the object to be dried requires to be determined to achieve optimal sterilization efficiency depending on the load amount of the object to be dried. Here, the reference distance range between the lifter 122 and the object to be dried refers to the range of the distance d in which the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 reaches the object to be dried.

[0268]In this instance, the processor 51 may determine the reference distance range between the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried, based on data about a distance that may achieve optimal sterilization efficiency according to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52.

[0269]The data about the distance to achieve optimal sterilization efficiency according to the load amount of the object to be dried may be stored in the memory 52 in advance during manufacturing of the dryer 1 based on a plurality of experimental values, and the data may be updated by the server 3 or the user device 2, as described above with reference to FIG. 8.

[0270]Accordingly, the processor 51 may determine the reference position of the lifter 122 to locate the lifter 122 at a position within the reference distance range from the object to be dried, based on determining the reference distance range between the lifter 122 and the object to be dried.

[0271]FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining reference positions of a plurality of lifters including at least one sterilizing lamp.

[0272]According to an embodiment, the dryer 1 may include a plurality of lifters 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123.

[0273]In this instance, the method of determining a reference position of a single lifter 122 may be applied to the method of determining a reference position of each of the plurality of lifters 122 in the same manner.

[0274]In a case where a plurality of lifters 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123 are provided, the amount of UV irradiated to an object to be dried may increase as the number of lifters 122 increases.

[0275]In addition, UV may be irradiated from various directions depending on the position of each lifter 122.

[0276]Accordingly, the processor 51 may determine a reference distance range between the plurality of lifters 122 and the object to be dried, considering the increased amount of UV and the irradiation direction, in addition to the detected load amount of the object to be dried.

[0277]That is, the processor 51 may determine the reference distance range between the plurality of lifters 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried, based on data about a distance to achieve optimal sterilization efficiency according to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52, and in consideration of the increased amount of UV and the irradiation direction.

[0278]In this instance, the reference distance range between each lifter 122 and the object to be dried may be the same or different.

[0279]Accordingly, the processor 51 may determine a reference position of each lifter 122 such that the plurality of lifters 122 are located at positions within the reference distance range from the object to be dried, based on determining the reference distance range between the plurality of lifters 122 and the object to be dried.

[0280]Although FIG. 12 shows that the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from each of the plurality of lifters 122 to the object to be dried is the same, the disclosure is not limited thereto. As long as each lifter 122 is located at a position that satisfies the reference distance range, the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from each lifter 122 to reach the object to be dried may be different.

[0281]FIG. 13 illustrates an example of determining a position of at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp when an auxiliary holder is coupled according to an embodiment.

[0282]As described above, the processor 51 may receive a detection value of the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 positioned inside the groove 251, and may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120.

[0283]In a case where the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 and an object to be dried, such as shoes, is accommodated in at least one chamber formed in the auxiliary holder 250, the positions of the auxiliary holder 250 and the object to be dried may be fixed even when the drum 120 rotates by the driving device 60.

[0284]Because the auxiliary holder 250 and the object to be dried placed on the auxiliary holder 250 may occupy a large volume in the inside 30a of the drum, the efficiency of the sterilization process may vary depending on the position of the lifter 122.

[0285]For example, in a case where the lifter 122 is located at a vertical height equal to or less than the radius of the drum 120, the UV irradiated from the sterilizing lamp 123 may not reach the object to be dried due to the auxiliary holder 250.

[0286]In addition, in a case where shoes are placed on the auxiliary holder 250, the inside of the shoes primarily requires sterilization. In this case, when the lifter 122 is located at a vertical height equal to the radius of the drum 120, UV may only reach the left or right side of the outer surface of the shoes, but not the inner surface.

[0287]Accordingly, to achieve optimal sterilization efficiency, the processor 51 may determine the position of the lifter 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to be at the uppermost part of the drum.

[0288]Although it has been described that the position of the lifter 122 is determined to be the uppermost part of the drum, any position of the lifter 122 may be determined as long as it is an appropriate position for sterilizing the object to be dried placed on the auxiliary holder 250.

[0289]Determining the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 according to whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 of the dryer 1 or according to the load amount of the object to be dried has been described above with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 according to various embodiments.

[0290]Hereinafter, moving the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to the reference position by the processor 51 controlling the driving device 60 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14.

[0291]FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating moving at least one lifter including at least one sterilizing lamp to a reference position according to an embodiment.

[0292]The processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120 and identify whether the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 is located at a position within a reference distance range.

[0293]To this end, the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 may include an optical sensor for detecting light reflected from an object to be dried.

[0294]In this instance, the direction of light irradiated to the object to be dried is the same as the direction of light irradiated from the sterilizing lamp 123 to the object to be dried.

[0295]In addition to the optical sensor, any sensor that may output a detection value for determining a distance between the object to be dried and the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 may be used.

[0296]The processor 51 may identify whether the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 is located at a position within the reference distance range while rotating the drum 120, based on the real-time detection value of the optical sensor.

[0297]Accordingly, the processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to continue rotating the drum 120 until the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to reach the object to be dried satisfies the reference distance range.

[0298]In other words, the processor 51 may repeatedly rotate the drum 120 until the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to reach the object to be dried falls within the reference distance range.

[0299]FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for performing a sterilization process according to an embodiment.

[0300]Referring to FIG. 15, the dryer 1 according to an embodiment may identify whether a preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied, and start a sterilization process in response to the sterilization process start condition being satisfied (1501).

[0301]The processor 51 may identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied based on a humidity of an object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 being greater than or equal to a preset humidity.

[0302]The processor 51 may receive information about the humidity of the object to be dried from the humidity detector 161, and identify whether the humidity of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 is greater than or equal to the preset humidity based on the received information.

[0303]The preset humidity may be preset during manufacturing of the dryer 1 and may be stored in the memory 52, and may be set and/or changed by a user through the user interface 40.

[0304]The processor 51 may identify whether the door 130 has been opened for a preset first period of time from an end time of a drying process, and may identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied in response to the door 130 not being opened for the first period of time.

[0305]The processor 51 may identify whether a door opening event has occurred for the preset first period of time, based on information related to opening and closing of the door 130 received from the door open/close detector 162. Based on identifying that the door 130 has remained closed for the first period of time (i.e., a case in which it is identified that no door opening event has occurred, which may include cases where the user has not taken any action after the drying process ends), the processor 51 may identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied.

[0306]In another example, the processor 51 may identify whether the user is outside a preset geopolitical range from the dryer 1 for a preset second period of time after the drying process ends, based on user GPS information. Here, the user GPS information is included in user information received from the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150.

[0307]The processor 51 may identify that the user is absent, when the user is outside the preset geopolitical range from the dryer 1 for the preset second period of time. In response thereto, the processor 51 may identify that the preset condition is satisfied.

[0308]In this instance, determining whether the user is absent may be performed by the user device 2 or the server 3, and the result of determination may be transmitted to the dryer 1 via wireless or wired communication.

[0309]In this instance, the preset first period of time or the preset second period of time may be preset during manufacturing of the dryer 1 and stored in the memory 52, and may be set and/or changed by the user through the user interface 40.

[0310]In still another example, the processor 51 may transmit information about the end of the drying process to the user device 2 via the communication circuitry 150, and then may identify that the preset condition is satisfied in response to receiving a control command to start the sterilization process from the user device 2.

[0311]In addition, in a case where a user input for starting the sterilization process is received from the user interface 40 during or after the drying process, the processor 51 may identify that the preset condition is satisfied and start the sterilization process.

[0312]The processor 51 may determine a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 based on starting the sterilization process (1502).

[0313]The reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 may be determined by determining a reference distance range of a distance d for the UV irradiated from the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 included in the at least one lifter 122 to reach the object to be dried in the drum 120.

[0314]The processor 51 may determine the reference distance range based on data about an optimal distance d for UV to reach the object to be dried according to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52.

[0315]In a case where a plurality of lifters 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123 are provided, the reference distance range may be determined by additionally considering the increased amount of UV and the irradiation directions according to the number of lifters 122.

[0316]In addition, in a case where a plurality of lifters 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123 are provided, the reference distance range between each lifter 122 and the object to be dried may be the same or different. Accordingly, a vertical distance from the determined reference position of each lifter 122 may be the same or different.

[0317]In addition, the processor 51 may determine the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 depending on whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum, which will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 17.

[0318]Once the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 is determined, the processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120 (1503).

[0319]The processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120 and identify whether the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to reach the object to be dried falls within the reference distance range, based on the information obtained by the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 included in the lifter 122.

[0320]That is, as described above with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the processor 51 may rotate the drum 120 such that the lifter 122 is located at a position that satisfies the reference distance range between the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried.

[0321]While the drum 120 rotates, the processor 51 may identify whether the distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried satisfies the reference distance based on the information obtained by the sterilizing lamp position detector 163.

[0322]That the distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried satisfies the reference distance may indicate that the distance d for the ultraviolet radiation irradiated from the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to reach the object to be dried falls within the reference distance range.

[0323]In a case where the distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried does not satisfy the reference distance (No in operation 1504), the processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to repeatedly rotate the drum 120. That is, the processor 51 may repeatedly rotate the drum to move the at least one lifter 122 to a position where the distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried satisfies the reference distance.

[0324]In this instance, the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 may detect the change in the magnetic field between the Hall sensor and the permanent magnet as the drum 120 rotates.

[0325]For example, in a case where the permanent magnet of the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 is fixed at an arbitrary position on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 115, when the drum 120 rotates and the Hall sensor of the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 approaches the permanent magnet, an increase in the magnetic field may be detected, and when the Hall sensor of the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 moves away from the permanent magnet, a decrease in the magnetic field may be detected.

[0326]Because the sterilizing lamp position detector 163 may accurately detect even minute position changes, the processor 51 may precisely control the sterilizing lamp 123 (or the lifter 122 including the sterilizing lamp) to be exactly at the reference position based on the information about the magnetic field change detected by the sterilizing lamp position detector 163.

[0327]In a case where the distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried satisfies the reference distance (Yes in operation 1504), the processor 51 may identify that the at least one lifter 122 is located at the reference position, and may control the power supply device 124 to turn on the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 included in the lifter 122 (1505).

[0328]By locating the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at a position that may achieve optimal sterilization efficiency and then turning on the sterilizing lamp 123, power efficiency may be increased.

[0329]When the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 is turned on by the power supply device 124 according to the control signal of the processor 51, UV may be irradiated to the object to be dried, and the sterilization process may be performed.

[0330]FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for performing a sterilization process after rearranging an object to be dried according to an embodiment.

[0331]In a case where objects to be dried are stacked inside the drum 120 of the dryer 1, the amount of UV reaching the lower part of the stacked objects to be dried is less than that reaching the uppermost part. Accordingly, the objects to be dried require to be rearranged during a sterilization process.

[0332]The processor 51 may identify whether a reference time has elapsed after the sterilizing lamp 123 is turned on (1601).

[0333]In this instance, the reference time is a preset value and may be received from a user through the user interface 40. In addition, the reference time may be determined by the processor 51 based on data about the reference time according to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52.

[0334]In this instance, the reference time according to the load amount of the object to be dried stored in the memory 52 may be updated through the user device 2 or the server 3.

[0335]When the reference time has not elapsed (No in operation 1601), the processor 51 may maintain the sterilizing lamp 123 in an ON state to allow the sterilization process to be performed for the reference time.

[0336]Based on identifying that the reference time has elapsed (Yes in operation 1601), the processor 51 may control the power supply device 124 to turn off the sterilizing lamp 123 (1602).

[0337]After turning off the sterilizing lamp 123, the processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum to rearrange the object to be dried in the drum 120 (1603).

[0338]In this instance, the output of the driving device 60 may be determined according to the detected load amount of the object to be dried, the type of object to be dried, and whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled.

[0339]For example, in a case where the load amount of the object to be dried is relatively low, the object to be dried may be rearranged in the drum 120 with a low output and a high output may damage the object to be dried. Accordingly, the output of the driving device 60 may be determined to be relatively low.

[0340]After rotating the drum 120 with the determined output, the processor 51 may control the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123 again (1604).

[0341]Accordingly, UV may be irradiated to the object to be dried in a state where the object to be dried are rearranged in the drum 120, and thus the sterilization process may be performed more efficiently than when the sterilizing lamp 123 is continuously turned on without rotating the drum.

[0342]FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example control method of a dryer for determining a reference position of at least one lifter 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123 according to an embodiment.

[0343]According to an embodiment, the processor 51 may determine a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 in the drum, based on whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 or the load amount of the object to be dried.

[0344]The processor 51 may identify whether the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 based on a detection value received from the auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 (1701).

[0345]Based on identifying that the auxiliary holder 250 is not coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 (No in operation 1701), the processor 51 may detect the load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 based on the data received from the load detector 160 (1702).

[0346]In this instance, based on identifying that the detected load amount of the object to be dried is less than a reference amount (No in operation 1702), the processor 51 may determine the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 such that a distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried falls within a reference distance range (1703).

[0347]However, in a case where it is identified that the auxiliary holder 250 is coupled to the inner surface of the drum 120 (Yes in operation 1701), or in a case where it is identified that the detected load amount of the object to be dried is greater than or equal to the reference amount (Yes in operation 1702), the processor 51 may determine the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 to locate the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at the uppermost part of the drum (1704).

[0348]In response to determining the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123, the processor 51 may control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120 to locate the lifter at the determined position (i.e., operation 1503 of FIG. 15).

[0349]According to an aspect of the disclosure, an object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120 may be sterilized during or after a drying process.

[0350]According to an aspect of the disclosure, sterilization efficiency may be increased by locating the sterilizing lamp 123 that performs a sterilization process at an optimal distance according to a load amount of an object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120.

[0351]According to an aspect of the disclosure, energy efficiency may be increased by locating the sterilizing lamp 123 at an optimal position and then operating the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0352]According to an aspect of the disclosure, an object to be dried may be uniformly sterilized during a sterilization process by rearranging the object to be dried.

[0353]The effects that may achieved by the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical art to which the disclosure belongs from the following description.

[0354]According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a dryer 1 may include: a main body 110; a drum 120 rotatably installed inside the main body and configured to accommodate an object to be dried; a driving device 60 configured to provide a rotational force to the drum 120; a plurality of lifters 121 and 122 mounted on an inner circumferential surface of the drum 120; and a processor 51 configured to control the driving device, wherein at least one lifter 122 of the plurality of lifters 121 and 122 may include at least one sterilizing lamp 123, and the processor 51 may be configured to determine a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123, and control the driving device 60 to locate the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at the reference position.

[0355]The processor 51 may be configured to identify whether a preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied after an end of a drying process, and determine the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123, in response to the sterilization process start condition being satisfied.

[0356]The dryer 1 may further include a humidity detector 161 configured to obtain information about a humidity of the object to be dried in the drum 120, wherein the processor 51 may be configured to identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, based on the humidity of the object to be dried based on the information being greater than or equal to a preset humidity.

[0359]The processor 51 may be configured to

[0360]identify whether the door is open for a preset first period of time from an end time of the drying process, based on the information about whether the door 130 is open, the information being received from the door open/close detector, and identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, in response to the door 130 not being opened for the first period of time.

[0361]The dryer 1 may further include communication circuitry 330 configured to communicate with a user device, wherein the processor 51 may be configured to: identify whether a user is absent for a preset second period of time from an end time of the drying process, based on user information including user global positioning system (GPS) information received from the user device 2, and identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, in response to the user being absent for the preset second period of time.

[0362]The processor 51 may be configured to: transmit information about the end of the drying process to the user device 2 through the communication circuitry 330, and identify that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, in response to receiving a control command to start a sterilization process from the user device 2.

[0363]The dryer 1 may further include a load detector 160 configured to obtain information about a load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120. The load detector 160 may include at least one of a weight sensor, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or a current sensor. In this instance, the current sensor may be configured to detect a torque value generated by rotation of the driving device.

[0364]The processor 51 may be configured to determine the reference position of the lifter to locate the lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at an uppermost part of the drum 120, based on the detected load amount of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a preset reference amount.

[0365]The processor 51 may be configured to determine a reference distance range between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried based on the load amount of the object to be dried, based on the load amount of the object to be dried being less than the preset reference amount, and determine the reference position of the lifter to allow a distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried to fall within the reference distance range.

[0368]The auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 may include a Hall sensor.

[0369]The dryer 1 may further include a power supply device 124 configured to supply power to the sterilizing lamp 123, and the power supply device 124 may include a generator 125 configured to generate power to be supplied to the sterilizing lamp 123, or at least one capacitor 126 connected between the generator 125 and the sterilizing lamp 123, the generator and the at least one capacitor being disposed in the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123.

[0370]The power supply device 124 may include a power terminal 127, which is disposed on an upper part of an outer circumferential surface of the drum 120 and electrically connected to the sterilizing lamp 123, and a power supply 128 which is disposed outside the drum 120 and connected to the power terminal to supply power to the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0371]The processor 51 may be configured to control the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123 for a preset reference time, in response to the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 being positioned at the determined reference position.

[0372]The processor 51 may be configured to control the power supply device 124 to turn off the sterilizing lamp 123 based on an elapse of the reference time, control the driving device 60 to rotate the drum 120, and then control the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123.

[0373]In a method for controlling a dryer 1 including a main body 110, a drum 120 rotatably installed inside the main body 110 and configured to accommodate an object to be dried, a driving device 60 configured to provide a rotational force to the drum 120, and at least one lifter 122 including at least one sterilizing lamp 123, configured to perform a sterilization process, among a plurality of lifters 121 and 122 mounted on an inner circumferential surface of the drum 120, the method may include: identifying whether a preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied; determining a reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123, in response to the sterilization process start condition being satisfied; and locating the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at the reference position.

[0374]The identifying of whether the preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied may include identifying that the preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied, based on a humidity of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a preset humidity, the humidity of the object to be dried being detected by a humidity detector 161.

[0375]The identifying of whether the preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied may include identifying whether the door 130 is open for a preset first period of time from an end time of a drying process, based on information about whether the door 130 is open, the information being received from a door open/close detector 162, and identifying that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, in response to the door 130 not being opened for the first period of time.

[0376]The identifying of whether the preset sterilization process start condition is satisfied may include transmitting information about the end of the drying process to a user device 2 through the communication circuitry 330, and identifying that the sterilization process start condition is satisfied, in response to receiving a control command to start a sterilization process from the user device 2.

[0377]The dryer 1 may further include a load detector 160 configured to detect a load amount of the object to be dried accommodated in the drum 120. The determining of the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 may further include determining the reference position of the lifter 122 to locate the lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 at an uppermost part of the drum 120, based on the detected load amount of the object to be dried being greater than or equal to a preset reference amount.

[0378]The determining of the reference position of the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 may further include determining a reference distance range between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried based on the load amount of the object to be dried, based on the load amount of the object to be dried being less than the preset reference amount, and determining the reference position of the lifter 122 to allow a distance between the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 and the object to be dried to fall within the reference distance range.

[0379]The dryer 1 may further include at least one groove 251 in which an auxiliary holder 250 is couplable and an auxiliary-holder coupling detector 164 provided inside the at least one groove 251.

[0383]The method may further include controlling the power supply device 124 to turn on the sterilizing lamp 123 for a preset reference time, in response to the at least one lifter 122 including the at least one sterilizing lamp 123 being positioned at the determined reference position.

[0384]Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium that stores instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program codes, and when executed by a processor, the instructions may create a program module to perform operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0385]The computer-readable recording medium may include all kinds of recording media storing instructions that can be interpreted by a computer. For example, the computer-readable recording medium may be read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disc, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0386]The machine-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, when a storage medium is referred to as “non-transitory”, it may be understood that the storage medium is tangible and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but rather that data is semi-permanently or temporarily stored in the storage medium. For example, a “non-transitory storage medium” may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0387]The method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) online or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., downloadable app) may be stored at least semi-permanently or may be temporarily generated in a recording medium, such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.

[0388]Although embodiments of the disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, a person having ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate that other specific modifications may be easily made without departing from the technical spirit or essential features of the disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting in all aspects.