Patent ID: 7984617

Claim:
A method for controlling an operation of a compressor of a refrigerator, the method comprising: varying a compression capacity of a compressor installed in a refrigerator, wherein the compression capacity of the compressor increases when the compressor is rotated in a first rotation direction with respect to a rotational axis of the compressor and decreases when the compressor is rotated in a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction, and wherein varying the compression capacity comprises: detecting a current rotation direction of the compressor; setting an operation range of a temperature sensor that senses a temperature inside the refrigerator according to the detected current rotation direction of the compressor, the operation range of the temperature sensor set to a first temperature range of the refrigerator when the current rotation direction of the compressor is detected to be in the first rotation direction, and the operation range of the temperature sensor set to a second temperature range of the refrigerator different from the first temperature range when the current rotation direction of the compressor is detected to be in the second rotation direction; and controlling the cooling capacity of the compressor based on whether the temperature inside the refrigerator is detected to be in the first temperature range or the second temperature range, and wherein varying the compression capacity further comprises: performing a defrosting operation when a temperature inside the refrigerator and a pre-set defrosting temperature are identical; when the defrosting operation is terminated, rotating the compressor in the first rotation direction, stopping the compressor, and rotating the compressor in the second rotation direction at pre-set time periods; when an operation mode of the refrigerator is selected by a user, selecting the rotation direction of the compressor according to an amount of cooling air supply corresponding to the selected operation mode, and controlling a rotation speed of the compressor in the selected rotation direction by varying an operation frequency of the compressor based on a temperature inside the refrigerator; when the operation mode of the refrigerator selected by the user is a power saving operation mode, rotating the compressor in the second rotation direction, and when the temperature inside the refrigerator is higher than a first pre-set temperature, rotating the compressor in the first rotation direction; and when the operation mode of the refrigerator selected by the user is a standard operation mode, rotating the compressor in the first rotation direction, and when the temperature inside the refrigerator reaches a second pre-set temperature, rotating the compressor in the second rotation direction.