Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

• US 6,842,721 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Young, Lee, Dae Gui
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cherry, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 725/110, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 701/29, 701/32, 701/33, 701/203, 701/207, 395/240, 705/26, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/15 Power, e.g. by voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/122 of freezer compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

In a method for requesting a repair of a refrigerator through the Internet and a system therefor, and particularly in a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same, a failure of a refrigerator can be quickly and accurately repaired although a user can not recognize the failure of the refrigerator by setting a self-checkup function of a refrigerator, comparing failure relation data sensed by various sensing means to preset reference data stored in a database and transmitting a compared result to a service center or a serviceman through the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a product, comprising:

receiving information manually input from a user indicating a failure state of the product;

generating failure related information corresponding to the failure state;

transmitting the failure related information through a network;

determining whether the failure related information transmitted through the network was received at an intended destination; and

displaying contact information of a service center on a display of the product if the failure related information was not received at the intended destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a self-checkup operation which includes sensing a error condition of the product; and

automatically transmitting information indicative of the error condition through a network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving information manually input by a user for setting the self-checkup operation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the product is a refrigerator, and wherein the self-checkup operation includes:

sensing data corresponding to at least one of a temperature state inside a storage space of the refrigerator and a power state of the refrigerator;

comparing the sensed data to preset failure reference data; and

sensing the failure state in accordance with a result of the comparing step.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically retrieving at least one of user information and intrinsic information of the product from a database; and

transmitting at least one of the user information and intrinsic information of the product with the failure relation information through the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure related information is transmitted through an electronic mail.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information manually input by the user setting a manual service request operation; and

displaying a prompt on a display of the product requesting the user to manually enter said failure state information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a message on a display of the product indicating that contact failure occurred if the failure related information was not received at the intended destination.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation through the network indicating that the failure state information was received; and

displaying information indicative of the confirmation on a display of the product.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the failure state information is manually input by the user using an input device of the product.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet.