Patent ID: 7900374

Claim:
A controlling method of an automatic drying apparatus, comprising: reading an output voltage of a humidity sensor after a drying process is started; classifying a load that includes one or more drying objects into a first group or a second group based on a weight of the load, wherein a load classified into the first group is assigned a first dryness determination value and a load classified in the second group has a second dryness determination value different from the first dryness determination value, the loads in the first and second groups having different weights, and wherein the weight of the load is classified into the first group or second group is determined based on at least one of: a) a time elapsed from a starting point of the drying process to a point where an output voltage value of the humidity sensor at least substantially equals a minimum value, or b) a level of the minimum voltage value output from the humidity sensor after the drying is started; calculating a difference between a present voltage value and the minimum voltage value in a) or b) output from the humidity sensor; determining a voltage change amount based on a result of said calculation; comparing the voltage change amount with the first dryness determination value or second dryness determination value to determine a dryness of the load, the voltage change amount compared to the first dryness determination value when the load is classified into the first group and compared to the second dryness determination value when the load is classified into the second group; and finishing the drying process when the voltage change amount at least substantially equals or falls within a range that includes the first dryness determination value or the second dryness determination value corresponding to the first group or the second group into which the load is classified, wherein at least one of said reading, classifying, calculating, determining, comparing or finishing is performed by a controller.