Refrigerator and home appliance having a door with variable light emission

1 . An appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage therein;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage, the door comprising (i) a lighting device including a light source and (ii) a front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the light source;

at least one sensor configured to detect whether the door is opened; and

a controller configured to control the lighting device based on information detected by the at least one sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to control the light source to change from a first state to a second state based on the door being opened,

wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and

wherein the controller is configured to:

based on the door being opened by a first angle, turn on a first LED among the plurality of LEDs, and

based on the door being opened by a second angle greater than the first angle, turn on a second LED, in addition to the first LED, among the plurality of LED.

2 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor configured to detect at least one of (i) an opening angle of the door relative to the cabinet or (ii) an opening and closing speed of the door.

3 . The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on all of the plurality of LEDs based on the opening angle of the door corresponding to a preset maximum opening angle.

4 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change a state of the light source based on at least one of (i) an opening angle of the door or (ii) an opening and closing speed of the door.

5 . The appliance of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the front plate based on the front plate transmitting the light from the light source; and

control the light source to increase the glowing area in the front plate based on an increase of the opening angle of the door.

6 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on an elapse of a reference time after the door is opened, control the light source to change a state of the light source to thereby indicate a non-closed state of the door.

7 . The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to:

control the light source to emit light in a first color before the reference time elapses after the door is opened; and

control the light source to emit light in a second color based on the elapse of the reference time after the door is opened.

8 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the light source to change from a current state to a third state based on the at least one sensor detecting that the door is closed.

9 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the door is one of:

a first door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage, the first door including a first light source; or

a second door configured to open and close at least another portion of the storage, the second door including a second light source,

wherein the light source is one of the first light source or the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the first light source of the first door to change from the first state to the second state based on the first door being opened.

10 . The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to control the second light source of the second door to change from the first state to the second state based on an opening angle of the first door being equal to or greater than a reference angle.

11 . The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the first door comprises a first front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the first light source, and the second door comprises a second front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the first front plate based on the first front plate transmitting the light from the first light source, and

control the first light source of the first door to increase the glowing area in the first front plate of the first door based on an increase of the opening angle of the first door.

12 . The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the first door comprises a first front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the first light source, and the second door comprises a second front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the first front plate based on the first front plate transmitting the light from the first light source;

based on an increase of the opening angle of the first door, control the first light source of the first door to increase the glowing area of the first door in a direction away the second door; and

based on the first door being closed, control the first light source of the first door to decrease the glowing area in a direction toward the second door.

13 . The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the first door comprises a first front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the first light source, and the second door comprises a second front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the first front plate based on the first front plate transmitting the light from the first light source, and

control the first light source to vary a speed of change of the glowing area in the first front plate of the first door based on an opening and closing speed of the first door.

14 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the light source of the door to change from the first state to the second state based on a rotational speed of the door becoming greater than a reference speed after the at least one sensor detects that the door is opened.

15 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

based on the at least one sensor detecting that the door is opened and then closed, determine whether a warning notification condition is satisfied; and

based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied, control the light source of the door to change from a current state to a third state.

16 . The appliance of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the warning notification condition is satisfied based on at least one of:

a closing speed of the door being greater than a reference speed;

detecting that the door is opened within a set time after the door is closed;

detecting, by a vibration sensor of the door, a vibration being greater than or equal to a set magnitude after the door is closed; or

detecting, by a knock detection sensor of the door, a knock input after the door is closed.

17 . The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the door is one of:

a first door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage, the first door including a first light source; or

a second door configured to open and close at least another portion of the storage, the second door including a second light source,

wherein the light source is one of the first light source or the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether a warning notification condition is satisfied after the first door is opened, and

based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied, change a state of at least one of the first light source or the second light source.

18 . The appliance of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied after the first door is closed, change the state of at least one of the first light source or the second light source.

19 . The appliance of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the warning notification condition is satisfied based on at least one of:

a closing speed of the first door being greater than a reference speed;

detecting the first door is opened within a set time after the first door is closed;

detecting, by a vibration sensor of at least one of the first and second doors, a vibration being greater than or equal to a set magnitude after the first door is closed; or

detecting, by a knock detection sensor of at least one of the first and second doors, a knock input after the first door is closed.

20 . The appliance of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second doors comprises a display, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the display to output warning information based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied after the first door is closed.

21 . The appliance of claim 20 , further comprising a memory configured to store information about a number of times that the warning notification condition is satisfied, and

wherein the display is configured to display the information about the number of times stored in the memory.

22 . The appliance of claim 18 , further comprising an output part configured to output sound information,

wherein the controller is configured to control the output part to output warning information based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied after the first door is closed.

23 . The appliance of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to:

based on the first door being closed, control at least one of the first light source or the second light source to emit light in a first color; and

based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied, change the state of at least one of the first light source or the second light source.

24 . The appliance of claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on determining that the warning notification condition is not satisfied within a predetermined time after the first door is closed, turn off at least one of the first light source or the second light source.

25 . The appliance of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on determining that the warning notification condition is satisfied before detecting that the first door is closed, change the state of at least one of the first light source or the second light source.

26 . The appliance of claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the warning notification condition is satisfied based on an opening speed of the first door or the second door being greater than a reference speed.

27 . An appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage therein;

a first door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage, the first door including a first light source;

a second door configured to open and close at least another portion of the storage, the second door including a second light source;

at least one sensor configured to detect whether at least one of the first door or the second door is opened; and

a controller configured to control at least one of the first light source or the second light source based on information detected by the at least one sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to control the second light source of the second door to change from a first state to a second state based on the first door being opened.

28 . The appliance of claim 27 , wherein the controller is configured to change a state of the second light source of the second door based on at least one of (i) an opening angle of the first door or (ii) an opening and closing speed of the first door.

29 . The appliance of claim 28 , wherein the first door comprises a first front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the first light source, and the second door comprises a second front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the second front plate based on the second front plate transmitting the light from the second light source, and

control the second light source of the second door to increase the glowing area in the second front plate of the second door based on an increase of the opening angle of the first door.

30 . The appliance of claim 29 , wherein the second light source of the second door comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and

wherein the controller is configured to control the second light source of the second door to increase a number of the plurality of LEDs to be turned on based on the increase of the opening angle of the first door.

31 . The appliance of claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to control the second light source to vary a speed of change of the glowing area in the second front plate of the second door based on the opening and closing speed of the first door.

32 . The appliance of claim 31 , wherein the second light source of the second door comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and

wherein the controller is configured to vary a turning-on interval of the plurality of LEDs of the second door to thereby sequentially turn on the plurality of LEDs of the second door based on the opening and closing speed of the first door.

33 . The appliance of claim 27 , wherein the first door comprises a first front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the first light source, and the second door comprises a second front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the second light source, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the second front plate based on the second front plate transmitting the light from the second light source,

while the first door is opened, control the second light source of the second door to increase the glowing area in the second door in a direction away from the first door; and

while the first door is closed, control the second light source of the second door to decrease the glowing area in the second door in a direction toward the first door.

34 . The appliance of claim 27 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the first door being closed, control the second light source of the second door to change from a current state to a third state.

35 . The appliance of claim 27 , wherein the controller is configured to change an operating state of the second light source of the second door to thereby indicate a non-closed state of the first door before a reference time elapses after the first door is opened.

36 . The appliance of claim 35 , wherein the controller is configured to:

control the second light source of the second door to emit light in a first color before the reference time elapses after the first door is opened; and

control the second light source of the second door to emit light in a second color based on an elapse of the reference time after the first door is opened.

37 . An appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage therein;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage, the door comprising (i) a lighting device including a light source and (ii) a front plate configured to transmit light emitted from the light source;

at least one sensor configured to detect whether the door is opened; and

a controller configured to control the lighting device based on information detected by the at least one sensor,

wherein the controller is configured to control the light source to change from a first state to a second state based on the door being opened,

wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and

wherein the controller is configured to change a state of the plurality of LEDs based on an opening and closing speed of the door after the door is opened.

38 . The appliance of claim 37 , wherein the controller is configured to:

define a glowing area in at least a portion of the front plate based on the front plate transmitting the light from the light source; and

control the light source to vary a rate of change of the glowing area in the front plate based on the opening and closing speed of the door.

39 . The appliance of claim 38 , wherein the controller is configured to change a turning-on interval of the plurality of LEDs to thereby sequentially turn on or off the plurality of LEDs based on the opening and closing speed of the door.