US 11,840,790 B2
Washing machine and method for operating washing machine
Miyoung Park, Seoul (KR); Soyeon Ko, Seoul (KR); Yoomee Song, Seoul (KR); and Mijin Jung, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 16/957,448
Filed by LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Dec. 4, 2018, PCT No. PCT/KR2018/015260
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 24, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/132284, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2017-0184683 (KR), filed on Dec. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0362497 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. D06F 34/32 (2020.01); D06F 33/32 (2020.01); G10L 15/22 (2006.01); D06F 101/02 (2020.01); D06F 101/20 (2020.01); D06F 34/05 (2020.01); D06F 101/00 (2020.01); D06F 25/00 (2006.01); D06F 39/00 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 34/32 (2020.02) [D06F 33/32 (2020.02); G10L 15/22 (2013.01); D06F 25/00 (2013.01); D06F 34/05 (2020.02); D06F 39/00 (2013.01); D06F 2101/00 (2020.02); D06F 2101/02 (2020.02); D06F 2101/20 (2020.02); G10L 2015/225 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A washing machine, comprising:
a washing tub;
a voice sensor configured to receive voice information;
a touch screen configured to output one or more graphic objects corresponding to a washing-related function executable by the washing tub; and
a controller configured to:
sense a proximity between a user and the washing machine, display a first graphic object on the touch screen based on the proximity between the user and the washing machine,
activate a voice recognition function in response to recognizing the voice information corresponding to a starting phrase,
control the touch screen to switch the first graphic object to a second graphic object indicating that the voice recognition function is activated,
based on the voice information, recognize that the starting phrase corresponds to the user, generate a response sound matching user information corresponding to the user, and output the response sound,
based on the voice recognition function being activated, recognize that the voice information relates to laundry, and
output a feedback sound related to washing of the laundry based on recognizing that the voice information relates to the laundry,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the second graphic object to a third graphic object corresponding to the washing-related function while outputting the response sound.