IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,590,927
Granted Patent B2
US 12,590,927 · App. 18/343,375 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Electronic device and control method therefor

Inventors: Hongseok Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Sunghoon Kang (Seoul, KR); Minkeun Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jiyeon Kim (Yongin-si, KR); Jaeyoung Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G01N29/041G01D21/02G01N22/02G01N21/8803G01N2021/8887
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,590,927
App. No.
18/343,375
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an ultrasonic sensor, an electromagnetic wave sensor, a memory for storing at least one instruction, and a processor electronically connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to control an ultrasonic sensor to emit ultrasonic waves in a direction of clothing, based on the ultrasonic waves, which are reflected by the clothing, are received through the ultrasonic sensor, acquire sound information based on the received ultrasonic waves, control the electromagnetic wave sensor to emit the electromagnetic waves in the direction of the clothing, based on the ultrasonic waves, which are reflected by the clothing, are received through the ultrasonic sensor, acquire spectrum information based on the received electromagnetic waves, and input the sound information and the spectrum information in a neural network model to acquire contamination level information about the clothing.

Claims (107)

1 . An electronic device comprising:

an ultrasonic sensor;

an electromagnetic wave sensor;

a tactile sensor;

a memory storing at least one instruction; and

a processor electronically connected to the memory,

wherein the processor is configured to:

control the ultrasonic sensor to emit ultrasonic waves in a direction of clothing,

based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the clothing being received through the ultrasonic sensor, acquire acoustic information based on the received ultrasonic waves,

control the electromagnetic wave sensor to emit electromagnetic waves in the direction of the clothing,

based on the electromagnetic waves reflected by the clothing being received through the electromagnetic wave sensor, acquire spectrum information based on the received electromagnetic waves, and

input a friction coefficient acquired through the tactile sensor, the acoustic information and the spectrum information into a neural network model and acquire contamination level information of the clothing.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the contamination level information of the clothing comprises:

at least one of a location of a contaminant, a state of the contaminant, a component of the contaminant, an area of the contaminant, and a color of the contaminant,

wherein the state of the contaminant comprises:

at least one of a solid state or a liquid state, and

wherein the component of the contaminant comprises:

at least one of a water-soluble component, a fat-soluble component, or a complex component.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire cleaner information for removing a contaminant based on the contamination level information of the clothing, and

wherein the cleaner information comprises:

a mixed ratio of each of a fat-soluble cleaner,

a water-soluble cleaner, and

a complex cleaner.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a communicator; and

a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit the contamination level information of the clothing to an external server through the communicator, and

based on receiving information on a method for removing a contaminant corresponding to the contamination level information from the external server, control the display to provide the received information.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

input the acoustic information and the spectrum information into the neural network model, and

acquire material information of the clothing, and

wherein the material information comprises:

at least one of cotton, wool, fur, nylon, polyester, leather, or denim.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire cleaner information corresponding to the material of the clothing based on the contamination level information and the material information, and

wherein the cleaner information comprises:

a mixed ratio of each of a fat-soluble cleaner,

a water-soluble cleaner, and

a complex cleaner.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a communicator,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the communicator to transmit at least one of the contamination level information, the material information, or the cleaner information to an external device, and

wherein the external device comprises:

at least one of a clothes management device, a washing machine, a dryer, or an electric iron.

8 . The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:

a display,

wherein the memory is configured to store clothes management information corresponding to each of a plurality of materials, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire clothes management information corresponding to the material of the clothing among the clothes management information, and

provide the acquired clothes management information through the display.

9 . A control method for an electronic device, the control method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves in a direction of clothing;

based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the clothing being received, acquiring acoustic information based on the received ultrasonic waves;

emitting electromagnetic waves in the direction of the clothing;

based on the electromagnetic waves reflected by the clothing being received, acquiring spectrum information based on the received electromagnetic waves;

inputting a friction coefficient acquired through a tactile sensor, the acoustic information and the spectrum information into a neural network model; and

acquiring contamination level information of the clothing.

10 . The control method of claim 9 ,

wherein the contamination level information of the clothes comprises:

at least one of a location of a contaminant, a state of the contaminant, a component of the contaminant, an area of the contaminant, and a color of the contaminant,

wherein the state of the contaminant comprises:

at least one of a solid state or a liquid state, and

wherein the component of the contaminant comprises:

at least one of a water-soluble component, a fat-soluble component, or a complex component.

11 . The control method of claim 9 , further comprising:

acquiring cleaner information for removing a contaminant based on the contamination level information of the clothes,

wherein the cleaner information comprises:

a mixed ratio of each of a fat-soluble cleaner,

a water-soluble cleaner, and

a complex cleaner.

12 . The control method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting the contamination level information of the clothes to an external server; and

based on receiving information on a method for removing a contaminant corresponding to the contamination level information from the external server, providing the received information.

13 . The control method of claim 9 , further comprising:

inputting the acoustic information and the spectrum information into the neural network model; and

acquiring material information of the clothes,

wherein the material information comprises:

at least one of cotton, wool, fur, nylon, polyester, leather, or denim.

14 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:

acquiring cleaner information corresponding to the material of the clothes based on the contamination level information and the material information,

wherein the cleaner information comprises:

a mixed ratio of each of a fat-soluble cleaner,

a water-soluble cleaner, and

a complex cleaner.

15 . The control method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the contamination level information, the material information, or the cleaner information to an external device,

wherein the external device comprises:

at least one of a clothes management device, a washing machine, a dryer, or an electric iron.

16 . The control method of claim 13 ,

wherein the electronic device comprises clothes management information corresponding to each of a plurality of materials, and

wherein the method further comprises:

acquiring clothes management information corresponding to the material of the clothing among the clothes management information, and

providing the acquired clothes management information through a display of the electronic device.

17 . A computer readable recording medium including a program for executing a method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves in a direction of clothing;

based on the ultrasonic waves reflected by the clothing being received, acquiring acoustic information based on the received ultrasonic waves;

emitting electromagnetic waves in the direction of the clothing;

based on the electromagnetic waves reflected by the clothing being received, acquiring spectrum information based on the received electromagnetic waves;

inputting a friction coefficient acquired through a tactile sensor, the acoustic information and the spectrum information into a neural network model; and

acquiring contamination level information of the clothing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2023
From: CHOI, HONGSEOK; KANG, SUNGHOON; KIM, MINKEUN; KIM, JIYEON; LEE, JAEYOUNG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064100/0001 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0188365 · Dec 30, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021019841 · Dec 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230333059A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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