Patent ID: 7627919

Claim:
A method for controlling a washing machine, comprising: starting rotation of a washing tub within a water storage tub, wherein washing water in the washing tub is moved from the washing tub into a gap between an outside wall of the washing tub and an inside wall of the water storage tub to be re-introduced into an inside of the washing tub after overflowing the gap; detecting, while rotating the washing tub, the presence of floating laundry; draining the washing water to a level at which washing water will not overflow the gap even if the washing tub is rotated at a highest speed, when floating laundry is present, wherein draining the washing water to a level that will not overflow the gap prevents re-introduction of washing water into the inside of the washing tub and thus prevents re-introduced washing water from splashing off of a surface of the floating laundry and stopping the washing and finishing a washing cycle if a washing time period has reached the preset washing time period.