Abstract: A heating cooker including an infrared ray detection device is disclosed. The heating cooker includes a body, an inner case disposed within the body, and provided therein with a cooking chamber to cook food, a detection hole formed at one side wall of the inner case, to allow an infrared ray generated in the cooking chamber to exit outwardly from the cooking chamber, a path change unit disposed in the vicinity of the detection hole, to change a path of the infrared ray passing through the detection hole, and an infrared sensor disposed to be spaced apart from the path change unit, to receive the infrared ray, the path of which has been changed. The path change unit is rotatable to enable the infrared sensor to receive infrared rays having different paths while being generated in different regions in the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A heating cooker having an infrared ray detection device. The heating cooker includes a main body, an inner case disposed within the main body such that a cooking chamber to cook food is provided within the inner case, a detection hole formed on one side wall of the inner case to discharge infrared rays generated from the cooking chamber to the outside of the cooking chamber, a path change unit disposed around the detection hole to change paths of the infrared rays having passed through the detection hole, and an infrared ray sensor separated from the path change unit by a designated distance to receive the infrared rays, the paths of which have been changed, wherein the path change unit is rotatably provided so that infrared rays generated from different regions of the cooking chamber and traveling on different paths are received by the infrared ray sensor.

Abstract: A salinity measuring apparatus to determine salinity of food includes a salinity sensing unit including a pair of measuring electrodes and a capacitor, a switching unit to switch a voltage of the capacitor of the salinity sensing unit, and a control unit to provide a pulse signal with a constant frequency to the switching unit and to determine the salinity of the food which is in contact with the measuring electrodes of the salinity sensing unit based on when the voltage of the capacitor reaches a reference voltage. By providing the pulse signal with the constant frequency to the switching unit, it is possible to minimize the internal impedance variation of the capacitor and to more accurately measure the salinity of the food. Since a period when the voltage of the capacitor is substantially “0” is present, it is possible to minimize accumulation of ions in the measuring electrodes.

Abstract: A storage container with a sensor device to detect a state of food contained in the storage container and a refrigerator having the same. The sensor device is separably mounted to the storage container. The sensor device includes an electrode terminal usable not only to achieve a charging operation, but also to achieve a salinity measuring operation. Thus, the sensor device has user convenience while having a compact size.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a dryer and a drying method of the same. The dryer includes a condensing unit to change water vapor evaporated from a drying object into condensate water by cooling, a condensate water storage container in which the condensate water is stored, a water level sensing device to detect a level of the stored condensate water, and a microcomputer to calculate a change rate of condensation or of the condensate water level based on the detected water level and to determine a value of dryness of the drying object. The dryer effectively performs a drying operation based on the accurately detected value of dryness of the drying object.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a refrigerator and a defrost control method thereof that are capable of sensing an amount of frost formed on an evaporator based on a change amount of absolute humidity in the refrigerator to control a defrost operation. A defrost control method of a refrigerator including a storage chamber and an evaporator to cool the storage chamber, includes sensing absolute humidity in the storage chamber, determining an estimated amount of frost formed on the evaporator using time segments in which the absolute humidity in the storage chamber decreases, and controlling a defrost operation based on the estimated amount of frost. According to the present embodiments, it is possible to perform the defrost operation at the point of time for optimum defrost, thereby maximizing energy efficiency and cooling efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a washing machine that detects the weight of laundry based on the displacement of a rotary tub and a control method thereof. The washing machine includes a rotary tub displaced according to the weight of laundry, at least one sensor module to detect the displacement of the rotary tub, and a controller to calculate the weight of the laundry according to the displacement of the rotary tub. The weight of the laundry is sensed according to the displacement of the rotary tub in which the laundry is directly placed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a washing machine that amplifies the displacement of a tub according to input of laundry such that the displacement of the tub is accurately sensed by a sensor module and a laundry amount detection apparatus thereof. The washing machine includes a housing forming an external appearance thereof, a tub provided in the housing to contain water, an amplification unit to amplify displacement of the tub, and a sensor module to sense weight of laundry using the amplified displacement of the tub.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a washing machine and a control method of the same wherein image change or light amount change based on displacement of an object, which is changed depending upon the weight of laundry, is sensed to detect the weight of the laundry, thereby improving reliability in detecting the weight of the laundry.

Abstract: A washing machine and a laundry amount detection device thereof. The washing machine includes a cabinet, a tub provided in the cabinet, an elastic member to elastically support the tub at the cabinet, and a laundry amount detection device to detect an amount of laundry placed in the tub using a deformation amount of the elastic member.

Abstract: A damper including a cylinder, a piston inserted in the cylinder, a movable member disposed in the piston to be movable in the cylinder in a length direction of the cylinder, and a weight sensor mounted on an inner surface of the cylinder, facing an end of the piston, to perceive weight loaded on the piston through contact with the movable member. When applied to a washing machine, the damper is capable of perceiving accurate weight of the laundry supplied in the washing machine.

Abstract: An oscillatory wave generating unit and an oscillatory wave sensing unit are installed at both ends of a refrigerant pipe of an evaporator of the cooling system, an amount of frost formed on the refrigerant pipe is determined by comparing a wave form of an oscillatory wave generated from one end of the refrigerant through the oscillatory wave generating unit and a wave form of the oscillatory wave sensed by the other one end of the refrigerant through the oscillatory wave sensing unit, and whether or not a defrosting operation is performed is determined by a result of the determination. The cooling system increases the accuracy in sensing the amount of the frost formed on the evaporator of a refrigerator, a Kimchi refrigerator, or an air conditioner, and respectively starts and ends the defrosting operation at proper points of time, thus enhancing a heat-exchanging performance and increasing energy efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a refrigerator and a defrost control method thereof that are capable of sensing an amount of frost formed on an evaporator based on a change amount of absolute humidity in the refrigerator to control a defrost operation. A defrost control method of a refrigerator including a storage chamber and an evaporator to cool the storage chamber, includes sensing absolute humidity in the storage chamber, determining an estimated amount of frost formed on the evaporator using time segments in which the absolute humidity in the storage chamber decreases, and controlling a defrost operation based on the estimated amount of frost. According to the present embodiments, it is possible to perform the defrost operation at the point of time for optimum defrost, thereby maximizing energy efficiency and cooling efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed are a turbidity sensor, which correctly senses a turbidity of water although the surface of the turbidity sensor is covered with foreign substances, such as scale, and an electric home appliance having the turbidity sensor. The turbidity sensor includes a light emitting part emitting light, a first light receiving part receiving light emitted from the light emitting part and travelling straight, a second light receiving part receiving light emitted from the light emitting part and scattered, and a control unit determining a turbidity of water according to a ratio of the amounts of the light received by the plurality of light receiving parts. The first light receiving part is installed in a direction of directly receiving the light emitted from the light emitting part, and the second light receiving part is installed in another direction of not directly receiving the light emitted from the light emitting part.

Abstract: A device to detect a heat source, which can detect position of a heat source faster and more efficiently using a sensor capable of detecting a heat source, a home appliance having such a detecting device and a method of detecting a heat source are disclosed. The heat source detecting method includes performing a first mode to scan an overall area to be searched, performing a second mode to scan at least one specific region included in the area to be searched, and detecting a heat source in the area to be searched by selectively controlling a sensor the first mode and the second mode. Accordingly, a period of renewing position information of a heat source is shortened, and unnecessary detecting operation is eliminated. As a result, the heat source detecting device can more efficiently detect a heat source, using a sensor having limited performance.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air conditioner, in which, when a temperature sensor is rotated, the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is increased or the temperature sensing cycle is elongated in a rotating section where an object does not exist rather than in a rotating section where the object exists. Further, the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is increased or the temperature sensing cycle is elongated if the object is located at a short distance from the air conditioner rather than if the object is located at a normal distance from the air conditioner, and the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is decreased or the temperature sensing cycle is shortened if the object is located at a long distance from the air conditioner rather than if the object is located at a normal distance from the air conditioner.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method to detect a heart-rate and an air conditioning system having the apparatus. As peak points of vital signs acquired from a user are detected via determination of a period, a reliable heart rate variability is calculated based on the peak points. As the emotional state of the user can be diagnosed based on vital signs of the user, optimal air-conditioning control according to physical characteristics or emotional state of the user can be accomplished by sequentially controlling a variety of air-conditioning control factors according to the priority thereof until the user becomes comfortable.

Abstract: A robot cleaner and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner cleans a given cleaning area simultaneously while moving in the cleaning area. The method includes detecting whether an obstacle exists in a traveling path of the robot cleaner, determining whether the detected obstacle is an edge when the obstacle is detected, cleaning a predetermined area centering around the edge when the detected obstacle is determined to be the edge, and determining whether the cleaning area is completely cleaned on the basis of information of the detected edge while cleaning the predetermined area.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a capacitor in a semiconductor device such as a semiconductor memory is disclosed in which a tantalum layer is oxidized to form a tantalum oxide layer. A preferred embodiment of the disclosed method includes the steps of depositing doped polysilicon on a semiconductor substrate to form a node electrode, oxidizing the polysilicon node electrode to form a silicon oxide layer, depositing tantalum by way of a sputtering process, performing an annealing and oxidation process to form tantalum oxide and depositing polysilicon to form a plate electrode. According to the present invention, TaCl.sub.5 is not used as a solid source, and contamination can be reduced.