Electronic device, method for identifying freshness in the electronic device and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

This document relates to an electronic device and a method of operation in the electronic device. According to one embodiment, the electronic device comprises a sensor module including at least one sensor, a memory, and at least one processor connected to the sensor module and the memory. The processor may be configured to acquire designated reference information, set a plurality of measurement conditions of the at least one sensor, acquire food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions, identify a target food among the stored foods based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information, acquire freshness-related information of the target food, and identify the freshness of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information. Other embodiments are also possible.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Various embodiments of this document relate to electronic devices, methods, and non-transient storage media for identifying the freshness of food being stored. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, electronic devices are evolving into various forms to enhance user convenience. Electronic devices, such as home appliances capable of storing food, are developing into forms that not only fulfill their original functions but also communicate with other external electronic devices, provide video and audio, and offer a variety of services. The problem to be solved

[0003] Among home appliances, refrigerators capable of storing food not only provide the function of keeping food fresh through refrigeration and freezing, but also offer various services for managing the stored food.

[0004] However, although home appliances such as refrigerators can keep food fresh compared to room temperature, spoilage proceeds slowly, so it is necessary to manage the freshness of the stored food and encourage users to consume the stored food within an appropriate time.

[0005] According to various embodiments, an electronic device, a method, and a non-transient storage medium may be provided for identifying types of stored food and identifying the freshness of food according to the identified types of food. means of solving the problem

[0006] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present document comprises a sensor module including at least one sensor, a memory, and at least one processor connected to the sensor module and the memory, wherein the processor may be configured to acquire designated reference information, set a plurality of measurement conditions of the at least one sensor, acquire food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions, identify a target food among the stored foods based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information, acquire freshness-related information of the target food, and identify the freshness of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information.

[0007] A method of operation in an electronic device according to one embodiment may include: acquiring designated reference information; setting a plurality of measurement conditions of at least one sensor; acquiring food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions; identifying a target food among the stored foods and acquiring freshness-related information of the target food based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information; and identifying the freshness of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information.

[0008] In a non-transient storage medium according to one embodiment, the program may include an executable command such that, when executed by a processor, the processor performs the operation of obtaining designated reference information; the operation of setting a plurality of measurement conditions of at least one sensor; the operation of obtaining food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions; the operation of identifying a target food among the stored foods and obtaining freshness-related information of the target food based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information; and the operation of identifying the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information. Effects of the invention

[0009] According to the embodiments of this document, depending on the electronic device and the method of operation in the electronic device, the type of food is identified based on information measured from foods stored in the storage compartment of the electronic device and designated reference information, and freshness is determined for each type of food. This increases the accuracy of identifying the freshness of foods with different degrees of spoilage, and has the effect of inducing the stored food to be stored under optimal conditions or consumed in a fresh state within an appropriate time.

[0010] According to one embodiment, since the electronic device can detect different gases generated from different foods using a single sensor based on multiple measurement conditions set on the single sensor, there is no need to provide sensors in proportion to the number of food types, thus having the effect of reducing the cost required for hardware configuration. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network environment according to various embodiments. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of communication between an electronic device and external electronic devices according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an operation method of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIGS. 6a and FIGS. 6b are drawings illustrating examples of specified reference information according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIGS. 8A and FIGS. 8B are drawings illustrating examples of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIGS. 9a and 9b are drawings illustrating examples of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a drawing showing an example of a method of operation in an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a method of operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment. This is a drawing showing an example of the operation of a second electronic device according to various embodiments. In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] Hereinafter, electronic devices according to various embodiments will be examined with reference to the attached drawings. In the various embodiments, the term "user" may refer to a person using the electronic device or a device using the electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0014] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., program (140)), for example, and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module (176) or communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., central processing unit or application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., graphics processing unit, neural processing unit (NPU), image signal processor, sensor hub processor, or communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0015] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence is performed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0016] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0017] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0018] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0019] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0020] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0021] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0022] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gas sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0023] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0024] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0025] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0026] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0027] The power management module (188) can manage the power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0028] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0029] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0030] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna.

[0031] The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., a second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for realizing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for realizing URLLC.

[0032] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0033] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0034] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0035] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services, for example, using distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within a second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0037] An electronic device according to one embodiment described below may be described, for example, as a home appliance for storing food (e.g., a refrigerator) or a device for controlling a home appliance for storing food. The freshness described according to one embodiment may refer to a degree of freshness in which the food is not spoiled by bacteria or in which volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) is below a certain level.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device (201) according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may be configured to include a processor (210), a sensor module (220), a communication module (230), a memory (240), and a display (250). The electronic device (201) is not limited thereto and may be configured to include various additional components or to exclude some of the above components.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, the processor (210) of an electronic device (201) according to one embodiment (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) may be configured to be electrically connected to a sensor module (220), a communication module (230), a memory (240), and a display (250).

[0041] According to one embodiment, a processor (210) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) may obtain specified reference information for freshness determination from memory or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102 or 103) of FIG. 1 or server (108)).

[0042] When the processor (210) executes an operation for freshness measurement, it may receive specified reference information from an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102 or 103) of FIG. 1 or the server (108)) at the request of the user or prior, and store it in memory (240). The specified reference information may include odor pattern information by type of food and freshness reference data by type of food. The types of food are classified into foods that produce different odors, and may represent foods that produce different odors, such as meat (e.g., chicken, pork, beef, or lamb) or fish. For example, if different odors are produced in different parts of the same type of food, the types of food may be further classified by parts of the same type of food.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can set a plurality of measurement conditions for the at least one single sensor included in the sensor module (220). For example, the at least one single sensor may be a gas sensor having different characteristics of reactivity (or response frequency). The plurality of measurement conditions may be conditions for controlling the operating temperature of the at least one single sensor based on the fact that the reactivity according to the measurement conditions of the sensor varies according to the change in odor-causing gas generated for each food item.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can control the operating temperature of at least one single sensor at a specified period based on a plurality of set measurement conditions. The operating temperature of at least one single sensor can be sequentially controlled to temperature values ​​set for each of the plurality of measurement conditions during a set measurement period. For example, the temperature values ​​set for each of the plurality of measurement conditions can be set based on the fact that the gas reactivity of at least one sensor (e.g., gas sensor) varies depending on the food. Each of the plurality of measurement conditions may include different temperature values ​​for controlling the operating temperature of the sensor. For example, the processor (210) can set a first measurement condition including a reference temperature value (e.g., 400 degrees (°C)). The processor (210) can set the operating temperature to a first temperature value lower than the reference temperature value (e.g., 400 degrees (°C)) so that at least one sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic of having a high response frequency to a gas with low reactivity, and can set a second measurement condition including the first temperature value. The processor (210) can set the operating temperature to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value so that at least one sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic that has a high response frequency to a highly reactive gas, and can set a third measurement condition including the set second temperature value. In addition, the processor (210) can, for example, set the temperature values ​​of at least one single sensor by classifying them according to the type of food that generates different odor-causing gases.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can set a single measurement condition if the operating temperature of at least one single sensor is not variable. If the operating temperature of at least one single sensor is variable, the processor (210) can set a plurality of measurement conditions based on temperature values ​​for controlling the operating temperature of at least one single sensor. The processor (210) can change the plurality of measurement conditions set based on information related to the freshness of the target food.

[0046] According to another embodiment, the processor (210) may include a plurality of separate sensors having different reactivity and may set different measurement conditions for each of the plurality of sensors. Each of the plurality of sensors may have characteristics with different reactivity.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) acquires environmental information indicating the food storage status of the food storage container of the electronic device (201) and can set a plurality of measurement conditions by reflecting the acquired environmental information to improve the accuracy and reliability of the measurement information of the food. For example, the processor (210) can adjust the measurement cycle of at least one single sensor based on the environmental information.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can obtain food measurement information based on measurement signals detected by at least one single sensor. The processor (210) can obtain food measurement information based on food-specific measurement signals detected by at least one single sensor sequentially according to a plurality of measurement conditions during a specified period.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can identify a type of food based on food measurement information and designated reference information, and can identify the identified type of food as a target food. The processor (210) can generate an odor pattern based on the acquired food measurement information, and can identify a type of food (e.g., chicken) that corresponds to or has a similar pattern to the designated odor pattern information (e.g., chicken odor pattern) or similar pattern based on the generated odor pattern and the odor pattern information (e.g., chicken odor pattern and / or pork odor pattern) (811 and 813) included in the designated reference information as a target food.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can obtain freshness-related information of a target food based on designated reference information and food measurement information, and can determine the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information. The processor (210) can identify freshness reference data of the identified target food based on freshness reference data included in the designated reference information, and can identify a freshness stage of the target food including at least one of fresh, edible, consumption within a short period, or spoilage stage by comparing the identified freshness reference data of the target food with measurement signals. The processor (210) can identify the freshness of the target food based on the identified freshness stage. For example, the freshness-related information may include at least one of information indicating a freshness stage including at least one of fresh, edible, consumption within a short period, or spoilage stage of the target food, the shelf life (consumption period) of the target food, or additional information (e.g., safe cooking method or recommended dish).

[0051] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may display the acquired freshness-related information or a guidance message generated based on the freshness-related information on the display (250). The electronic device may transmit the acquired freshness-related information to an external electronic device through a communication module (250) (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may be a hardware module or a software module (e.g., an application program) and may be a hardware component (function) or a software element (program) comprising at least one of various sensors provided in the electronic device (201), a data measurement module, an input / output interface, a module for managing the state or environment of the electronic device (201), or a communication module.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may include, for example, one or more combinations of hardware, software, or firmware. The processor (210) may be configured to omit at least some of the components or to include additional components for performing image processing operations in addition to the components.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 2, a sensor module (220) according to one embodiment may be configured to include at least one single sensor and / or multiple different sensors. The at least one single sensor may be, for example, a gas sensor having different characteristics (or functions) of gas reactivity. For example, as a single gas sensor that detects the reaction between gas and oxygen, etc., it may detect odors generated from different types of stored food. The operating temperature of the at least one single sensor may be controlled to a set temperature value under the control of the processor (210). To control the operating temperature, the at least one single sensor may control the operating temperature by heating a heater (not shown) connected to a sensing film (not shown) to a set temperature value (e.g., 400°C). For example, the operating temperature of the at least one single sensor may be changed sequentially to temperature values ​​set for each of the multiple measurement conditions during a set measurement cycle. Multiple different characteristics of the at least one single sensor may be operated sequentially in response to multiple measurement conditions. For example, if the operating temperature of at least one single sensor is set to a first temperature value (e.g., a temperature lower than a reference temperature), it may operate with sensor characteristics that are sensitive to gases with low gas reactivity. For example, if the operating temperature of at least one single sensor is set to a second temperature value (e.g., a temperature higher than a reference temperature), it may operate with sensor characteristics that are sensitive to gases with high gas reactivity. For example, the temperature values ​​of at least one single sensor may be set separately for each type of food that generates different odor-causing gases.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, a communication module (230) according to one embodiment may communicate with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, the server (108) of FIG. 1, or another user's electronic device). For example, the communication module (230) may transmit at least one of food measurement information, identification information of the target food (e.g., type of food), or freshness-related information of the target food to the external electronic device. For example, the communication module (230) may receive food measurement information from the external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the communication module (230) may include a cellular module, a Wi-Fi (wireless-fidelity) module, a Bluetooth module, or a near field communication (NFC) module.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, a memory (240) according to one embodiment (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1) can store applications. For example, the memory (240) can store applications (functions or programs) for determining the freshness of food, and applications for food management. A memory (240) according to one embodiment can store various data generated during the execution of a program (140), including a program used for functional operation (e.g., program (140) of FIG. 1). The memory (240) may largely include a program area (140) and a data area (not shown). The program area (140) can store program information related to the operation of the electronic device (201), such as an operating system (OS) (e.g., operating system (142) of FIG. 1) that boots the electronic device (201). The data area (not shown) can store transmitted and / or received data and generated data according to various embodiments. Additionally, the memory (240) may be configured to include at least one storage medium among flash memory, hard disk, multimedia card micro type memory (e.g., secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory), RAM, and ROM. According to one embodiment, the memory (240) may store food measurement information, designated reference information, and / or freshness-related information of the target food.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2, a display (250) according to one embodiment may be implemented in the form of a touch screen. When the display (250) is implemented in the form of a touch screen together with an input module, it may display various information generated according to the user's touch operation. According to one embodiment, the display (250) may display information related to freshness obtained or a guidance message generated based on the information related to freshness obtained. According to one embodiment, the display (250) may be composed of at least one of an LCD (liquid crystal display), a TFT-LCD (thin film transistor LCD), an OLED (organic light emitting diodes), an LED, an AMOLED (active matrix organic LED), a flexible display, and a 3-dimensional display. Additionally, some of these displays may be configured as transparent or light-transmitting so that the outside can be seen through them. This may be configured in the form of a transparent display including a TOLED (transparent OLED). According to another embodiment, in addition to the display (250), other display modules (e.g., an extended display or a flexible display) may be further included.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (201) may further include an audio module (not shown) (e.g., the audio module (170) of FIG. 1) or a vibration module (not shown) (e.g., the haptic module (179) of FIG. 1). The audio module may output sound and, for example, may output identification information of the target food (e.g., type of food) and / or information related to the freshness of the target food as an audio signal among an audio codec, a microphone (MIC), a receiver, an earphone output (EAR_L), or a speaker. For example, the vibration module may output identification information of the target food (e.g., type of food) and / or information related to the freshness of the target food as vibration.

[0059] As such, in one embodiment, the main components of the electronic device were described through the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2. However, in various embodiments, not all components illustrated in FIG. 2 are essential components, and the electronic device (201) may be implemented with more components than illustrated, or with fewer components. Additionally, the positions of the main components of the electronic device (201) described above in FIG. 2 may be changed according to various embodiments.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of communication between an electronic device and external electronic devices according to one embodiment.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 3, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (201) may be, for example, a home appliance (e.g., a refrigerator) capable of storing food. As illustrated in FIG. 3 (a), the electronic device (201) may be configured to include a storage container (301) for keeping food fresh and separate inside, and at least one single sensor (e.g., a gas sensor) (303) for measuring odors generated from food stored in the storage container (301). For example, at least one single sensor (303) may be mounted inside the storage container (301) and may be a gas sensor that detects odors in a gaseous state generated from food. According to another embodiment, the electronic device (201) may be configured to include a plurality of different sensors (e.g., gas sensors) having different gas reactivity.

[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 3(b), according to one embodiment, the electronic device (201) may form a display (250) on the outer surface (e.g., front surface) of the housing, and may form a processor (210) within an adjacent area of ​​the display (250) to determine the freshness of food stored in the storage container (301) by controlling the display (250) and at least one sensor. The processor (210) may collect environmental information related to food storage, including at least one of whether the door of the electronic device (201) is open or closed, the cooling control status, or whether food is stored, and may further apply the collected environmental information when determining freshness to set a plurality of measurement conditions and determine the freshness of the target food. The electronic device (201) may control the display (250) to display the type of the identified target food and / or information related to the freshness of the acquired target food. The electronic device (201) can provide information regarding the type of the identified target food and / or the freshness of the acquired target food in voice through an audio module (e.g., the audio module (170) of FIG. 1).

[0063] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an electronic device (201) according to one embodiment may obtain specified reference information from a first database (411) and a second database (413) managed by at least one external electronic device (401) (e.g., electronic device (102 or 103) or server (108) of FIG. 1) connected via wired and / or wireless communication through a communication module (e.g., communication module (230) of FIG. 2). The electronic device (201) may transmit measurement signals detected from at least one single sensor (301), information about the identified target food, and / or freshness-related information obtained as freshness determination result information of the target food through the communication module (e.g., communication module (230) of FIG. 2) to at least one of at least one other external electronic devices (403, 405, or 407).

[0064] According to another embodiment, the electronic device (201) may be configured without including a display (250). In this case, the electronic device (201) may transmit measurement signals detected from at least one single sensor (301), information about the identified target food, and / or information related to the freshness of the target food as result information of freshness determination, through a communication module (e.g., communication module (230) of FIG. 2) to display result information of freshness determination of the target food and / or additional information on an external electronic device equipped with a display (not shown).

[0065] According to another embodiment, the electronic device (201) may be an electronic device of a portable device (e.g., a smartphone) that interacts with a home appliance (e.g., a refrigerator) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1). The home appliance (e.g., a refrigerator) may not perform a function (program or algorithm) for determining freshness, but may transmit measurement signals detected from a sensor to the electronic device (201) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) through a communication module (e.g., the communication module (230) of FIG. 2).

[0066] In the description of FIG. 3 above, the electronic device (201) according to one embodiment was described as an example of a home appliance (e.g., refrigerator) capable of storing food items, but the electronic device (201) may be, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, or a wearable device that is linked with the home appliance (e.g., refrigerator) capable of storing food items.

[0067] An electronic device according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2) comprises a sensor module including at least one sensor, a memory, and at least one processor connected to the sensor module and the memory, wherein the processor may be configured to acquire designated reference information, set a plurality of measurement conditions of the at least one sensor, acquire food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions, identify a target food among the stored foods based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information, acquire freshness-related information of the target food, and identify the freshness of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the electronic device further includes a display connected to the processor, and the processor may be configured to control the display to display freshness-related information of the identified target food.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the electronic device further includes a communication module connected to the processor, and the processor may be configured to control the communication module to transmit freshness-related information of the identified target food to an external electronic device.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor may be further configured to identify the expected shelf life of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the processor may control the at least one sensor to adjust the operating temperature of the at least one sensor in correspondence with temperature values ​​included in the plurality of measurement conditions. When adjusting the operating temperature of the at least one sensor, the processor may set the operating temperature to a first temperature value lower than a reference temperature value so that the at least one sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with low gas reactivity, and set the operating temperature to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value so that the at least one sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with high gas reactivity.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the at least one sensor detects different gases generated from stored foods. cast It may be a gas sensor for detection. The at least one sensor may be a single sensor having a plurality of sensor characteristics with different reactivity to the gas. The plurality of sensor characteristics may operate in response to each of the plurality of measurement conditions.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the specified reference information may include at least one of odor pattern information or freshness reference data.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the freshness-related information may include at least one of information indicating the freshness stage of the target food, an expected shelf life, or additional information.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to acquire environmental information indicating the food storage status of the electronic device and, when setting the plurality of measurement conditions, to adjust the measurement cycle of the at least one sensor based on the environmental information.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to change the measurement conditions set based on the freshness-related information of the target food.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to control the storage environment, etc., to maintain the quality of the target food based on the freshness-related information of the target food.

[0079] The method of operation in the electronic device described above will be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment, FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b are drawings showing examples of specified reference information according to one embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 5, in operation 501, an electronic device according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2) may obtain specified reference information. The specified reference information may include food-specific reference odor pattern information and specified reference information. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6a, the specified reference information may include general bacterial counts (CFU / g, cm²) according to food requiring fresh storage (e.g., beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or duck), location (e.g., slaughterhouse, meat packaging processing plant, and meat sales outlet), or time. 2 ) and E. coli count (CFU / g, cm²) 2It may include standard freshness reference data indicating volatile basic nitrogen (VBN, mg / 100g), etc. The specified reference information may include reference data (601) indicating the correlation between sensor signals and storage periods, as shown in FIG. 6b, for example, and / or reference data (603 and 605) indicating the correlation between general bacterial count / VBN and storage periods for specified foods (e.g., beef and pork) based on the standard freshness reference data.

[0082] 503 In operation, the electronic device may set multiple measurement conditions for at least one single sensor. The electronic device may set temperature values ​​to control the operating temperature of at least one single sensor and set multiple measurement conditions based on the set temperature values. For example, the electronic device may set a single measurement condition if the operating temperature of at least one single sensor does not vary. For example, if the operating temperature of at least one single sensor varies, the electronic device may set multiple measurement conditions based on the temperature values ​​to control the operating temperature of at least one single sensor. The multiple measurement conditions may be conditions for controlling the operating temperature of at least one single sensor based on the fact that the reactivity (or frequency of response) according to the sensor's measurement conditions varies according to the change in odor-causing gas generated for each food item. For example, among the multiple measurement conditions, the first condition may be a condition set based on the operating temperature of the sensor as a first temperature value (e.g., 400 degrees (°C)), the second condition may be a condition set based on the operating temperature of the sensor as a second temperature value (e.g., a temperature lower than 400 degrees (°C)), and the third condition may be a condition set based on a third temperature value (e.g., a temperature higher than 400 degrees (°C)).

[0083] In operation 505, the electronic device can obtain food measurement information based on measurement signals detected from at least one single sensor based on a plurality of set measurement conditions.

[0084] In operation 507, the electronic device can identify a target food based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information and obtain information regarding the freshness of the target food. The electronic device can generate an odor pattern (701) based on the measurement signals as shown in FIG. 7 (a), and identify a type of food (e.g., chicken) as the target food that corresponds to a designated odor pattern having a similar pattern (e.g., one of the chicken odor patterns (711, 713, and 715) in FIG. 7 (c)) based on the generated odor pattern (701) and designated odor patterns included in the designated reference information such as FIG. 7 (c) and (d) (e.g., chicken odor patterns (711, 713, and 715) and / or pork odor patterns (721, 722, and 723)). For example, the electronic device may represent the odor pattern information by type of food included in the reference information (e.g., designated odor patterns (711, 713 and 715, 721, 722 and 723) as in FIG. 7 (c) and (d), as a distribution of coordinate values ​​on a plane for identifying the foods, as in FIG. 7 (b). In the distribution as in FIG. 7 (b), the electronic device may identify, for example, an area (703) where coordinate values ​​related to chicken odor patterns (711, 713 and 715) are distributed, and an area (705) where coordinate values ​​related to pork odor patterns (721, 723 and 725) are distributed. The electronic device may identify the type of target food as chicken as the coordinate value (707) of the generated odor pattern (701) of the measured signals is identified in an area adjacent to the area (705) where the coordinate values ​​of the chickens are distributed.

[0085] In the operation of 509, the electronic device can identify the freshness of a target food based on freshness-related information obtained. For example, the freshness-related information may include at least one of information indicating a freshness stage including at least one of fresh, edible, consumption within a short period, or spoilage stage of the target food, the shelf life (consumption period) of the target food, or additional information (e.g., safe cooking method or recommended dish).

[0086] In operation 511, the electronic device may display the acquired freshness-related information or a guidance message generated based on the freshness-related information on a display (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1 or the display (250) of FIG. 2). The electronic device may transmit the acquired freshness-related information to an external electronic device via a communication module (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (230) of FIG. 2). The electronic device may perform an operation to control the storage environment of an electronic device (or storage container (e.g., the storage container (301) of FIG. 3)) that stores food.

[0087] FIGS. 8A, FIGS. 8B, and FIGS. 8C are drawings illustrating examples of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 8a, an electronic device according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2) can obtain reference data (e.g., first reference data) representing the correlation between a sensor signal and a storage period designated for determining freshness by food type by adding a weight (803) to each of the sensor signals (801) corresponding to each of the plurality of measurement conditions. As shown in FIG. 8a (c), the reference data (e.g., first reference data) can be represented by matching the reference data (805) to which the weight (803) has been applied and the standard reference data (807). As shown in FIG. 8b (b), the electronic device can provide graphs matching the reference data (805) and the standard reference data (807) to the user.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may obtain reference data (e.g., second reference data) (811 or 821) indicating a correlation between the storage period and the general bacterial count or VBN (standard freshness indicator), as illustrated in FIG. 8b (a) and (c). The electronic device may determine the change in freshness of the food over the storage period based on the reference data (811 or 821). For example, the electronic device may determine the fresh, edible, ready-to-consume, or spoiled stage of the food based on the reference data (811 or 821).

[0090] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may obtain weighted reference data (813 or 823) and standard reference data (815 or 825) as reference data (e.g., third reference data) representing the correlation between the sensor signal and the general bacterial count or VBN (standard freshness indicator), as illustrated in FIG. 8b (b) and (d). The electronic device may determine changes in the freshness of the food according to the sensor signal based on the reference data (at least one of 813, 823, 815, or 825). For example, the electronic device may determine the freshness, edible, consumption within a short period, or spoilage stage of the food based on the reference data (at least one of 813, 823, 815, or 825).

[0091] FIGS. 9a and 9b are drawings illustrating examples of a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can identify a sensor signal (e.g., 585.06) corresponding to a current measurement signal obtained from at least one single sensor in reference data (e.g., third reference data) (815 or 825) indicating the correlation between the sensor signal and the general bacterial count or VBN, as shown in FIG. 9a (a) and (b), and can identify a general bacterial count (e.g., TVB 4.1 log CFU / g) or VBN (e.g., 8 mg / 100 g) corresponding to the identified sensor signal. The electronic device can set a point in the reference data indicating the identified sensor signal and the identified general bacterial count or VBN as a reference point (911) for determining freshness. The electronic device can determine that the target food (e.g., chicken) is fresh based on identifying that the set reference point (911) is included in an area indicating a fresh stage.

[0093] An electronic device according to one embodiment can identify a reference point (911) corresponding to a sensor signal (e.g., 585.06) identified in reference data (e.g., first reference data) (807) indicating a correlation between a sensor signal and a storage period, as illustrated in (c) of FIG. 9a, and can identify a storage period (e.g., 76 hours) indicated by the identified reference point (911). The electronic device can determine that the target food is in a fresh state based on identifying that the identified reference point (e.g., first reference point) (911) and / or a reference point (e.g., second reference point) (913) indicating a current measurement value detected by at least one single sensor is included in an area indicating a fresh stage.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 9b, the electronic device can identify a current measurement value (e.g., 664.42) and a storage period (72 hours 30 minutes) corresponding to the measurement value included in food measurement information obtained from a single sensor, and can identify a rate of change of the measurement value (e.g., 340.63) from a reference point (1005) indicating the identified measurement value and storage period. For example, the electronic device can calculate the rate of change based on the previous measurement value and the measurement value at the time of determination. The electronic device can identify a sensor signal value (e.g., 585.06) and a storage period (76 hours) similar to the measurement value and storage period identified in reference data (e.g., first reference data) (807) indicating the correlation between the sensor signal and the storage period, and can identify a reference point (917) indicated by the identified sensor signal value (e.g., 585.06) and storage period (76 hours). The electronic device can identify the current position of the measurement value (stage of decay) based on a reference point (917) identified in reference data (e.g., first reference data) (807) of a graph as shown in FIG. 9b.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can determine the estimated shelf life of a target food, which indicates the period during which the food is edible before spoilage, based on the rate of change and the direction of change of the measured value for the target food. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9a (a), the electronic device can calculate the estimated shelf life (e.g., 56 hours) by subtracting the identified shelf life (e.g., 76 hours) based on one day (24 hours) prior to the time (156 hours) corresponding to the time when spoilage of the target food begins (e.g., bacterial count (TVB 6.6 log CFU / g)) (e.g., 156-24-76=56 hours).

[0096] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing an example of a method of operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 10, in operation 1001, an electronic device according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2) can check the control status of a storage box (e.g., the storage box (301) of FIG. 3), and in operation 1003, check whether the closing of the door and the fan operation of the electronic device are stopped. For example, since the measurement environment of a sensor for determining food freshness is variable due to temperature changes when opening and closing the door of a food storage device such as a refrigerator, the electronic device can set the signal measurement cycle of the sensor based on the opening and closing of the door and the fan operation to obtain accurate measurement information. The set signal measurement cycle may be included in a plurality of measurement conditions.

[0098] If, as a result of checking in operation 1003, the electronic device door is closed and the fan operation is stopped, operation 1005 is performed, and if not, operation 1001 can be performed again.

[0099] In operation 1005, the electronic device checks the elapsed time (T) after the door is closed and the fan operation is stopped, and in operation 1007, if the elapsed time (T) is greater than the specified time (T0), the electronic device (201) can perform operation 1009. If it is determined that the elapsed time (T) is not greater than the specified time (T0), the electronic device can perform operation 1001 again.

[0100] 1009 In operation, the electronic device can acquire measurement signals of foods through at least one sensor during a set signal measurement period.

[0101] In operation 1011, the electronic device can obtain food measurement information by removing noise and processing signals of the acquired measurement signals.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can identify a target food (e.g., chicken) among the foods stored in a container based on the food measurement information obtained by the operation method of FIG. 10 and the specified reference information, as in operations 507 and 509 of FIG. 5, obtain freshness-related information of the target food, and identify the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information. For example, the freshness-related information may include at least one of information indicating a freshness stage including at least one of fresh, edible, consumption within a short period, or spoilage stage of the target food, the shelf life (consumption period) of the target food, or additional information (e.g., safe cooking method or recommended dish).

[0104] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a screen according to the operation method of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 11, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (201) may display freshness-related information obtained by the operation method of FIG. 5 and FIG. 11, or a guidance message (1103) generated based on the obtained freshness-related information, on the execution screen (1101) of a display (250). The electronic device (201) may identify the type of target food as, for example, chicken, identify the freshness level of the identified target food as fresh, and identify the expected storage period as 3 days, thereby displaying a guidance message ("The current state of the chicken currently being stored is fresh. Please consume it within 3 days. The recommended cooking method is...") (1103). For example, the electronic device (201) may also display specific information (not shown) regarding the recommended cooking method based on the freshness-related information on the display (250). According to one embodiment, the electronic device may transmit the obtained freshness-related information and the guidance message (1103) to an external electronic device for display on the external electronic device.

[0106] A method of operation in an electronic device according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (201) of FIG. 2) may include the operation of obtaining designated reference information, the operation of setting a plurality of measurement conditions of at least one sensor, the operation of obtaining food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions, the operation of identifying a target food among the stored foods and obtaining freshness-related information of the target food based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information, and the operation of identifying the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of displaying information related to the freshness of the identified target food on a display of the electronic device.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the operation of transmitting freshness-related information of the identified target food to an external electronic device through a communication module of the electronic device.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the operation of identifying the expected shelf life of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of adjusting the storage environment to maintain the quality of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of controlling the at least one sensor to adjust the operating temperature of the at least one sensor in correspondence with temperature values ​​included in the plurality of measurement conditions. The operation of controlling the operating temperature of the at least one sensor may include an operation of setting the operating temperature to a first temperature value lower than a reference temperature value so that the at least one sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with low gas reactivity, and an operation of setting the operating temperature to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value so that the at least one sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with high gas reactivity.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the at least one sensor detects different gases generated from stored foods. cast It may be a gas sensor for detection. The at least one sensor may be a single sensor having a plurality of sensor characteristics with different reactivity to the gas. The plurality of sensor characteristics may operate in response to each of the plurality of measurement conditions.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the specified reference information may include at least one of odor pattern information or freshness reference data.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the freshness-related information may include at least one of information indicating the freshness stage of the target food, an expected shelf life, or additional information.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the operation of acquiring environmental information indicating the food storage state of the electronic device and the operation of adjusting the measurement cycle of the at least one sensor based on the environmental information when setting the plurality of measurement conditions.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the method may further include an operation to change the measurement conditions set based on the freshness-related information of the target food.

[0118] Computer-readable storage media may include hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic media (e.g., magnetic tape), optical media (e.g., CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory), DVD (digital versatile disc), magneto-optical media (e.g., floptical disk), hardware devices (e.g., ROM (read only memory), RAM (random access memory), or flash memory, etc.). Additionally, program instructions may include machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0119] According to various embodiments, in a non-transient storage medium, the program may include an executable command such that, when executed by a processor, the processor performs the operation of obtaining designated reference information; the operation of setting a plurality of measurement conditions of at least one sensor; the operation of obtaining food measurement information of stored foods from the at least one sensor based on the plurality of measurement conditions; the operation of identifying a target food among the stored foods and obtaining freshness-related information of the target food based on the food measurement information and the designated reference information; and the operation of identifying the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information.

[0120] Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this document are presented for the purpose of explaining and understanding the disclosed technical content and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology described in this document. Accordingly, the scope of this document should be interpreted to include all modifications or various other embodiments based on the technical concept of this document.

[0121] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0122] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0123] The term “module” as used in the various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0124] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0126] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added. Explanation of the symbols

[0128] 100: Network Environment 101: Electronic Device 201: First electronic device 210: Processor 220: Sensor module 230: Communication module 240: Memory 250: Display

Claims

Claim 1 In an electronic device, a sensor module comprising a gas sensor for detecting different gases generated from stored foods and a single sensor having multiple sensor characteristics having different reactivity to the gases; memory; and includes at least one processor connected to the sensor module and the memory, wherein the processor acquires specified reference information, sets a plurality of measurement conditions of the single sensor, and adjusts the operating temperature of the single sensor to the temperature values ​​included in the plurality of measurement conditions during a measurement period included in the plurality of measurement conditions, and when adjusting the operating temperature of the single sensor: during a first period in the measurement period, the operating temperature is set to a first temperature value lower than the reference temperature value so that the single sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with low gas reactivity, and during a second period after the first period in the measurement period, the operating temperature is set to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value so that the single sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with high gas reactivity, and acquires food measurement information of stored foods based on measurement signals detected from the single sensor according to the set first temperature value and second temperature value, generates an odor pattern based on the food measurement information, and identifies a target food among the stored foods based on comparing the generated odor pattern with odor pattern information included in the specified reference information, and the target food An electronic device configured to acquire freshness-related information and to identify the freshness of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information. Claim 2 The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprises a display connected to the processor; and a communication module connected to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to display freshness-related information of the identified target food, control the communication module to transmit freshness-related information of the identified target food to an external electronic device, and identify the expected shelf life of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the freshness-related information comprises at least one of information indicating the freshness stage of the target food, an expected shelf life, or additional information. Claim 7 delete Claim 8 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor acquires environmental information indicating the food storage state of the electronic device, and when setting the plurality of measurement conditions, adjusts the measurement cycle of the single sensor based on the environmental information, changes the set measurement conditions based on the freshness-related information of the target food, and adjusts the storage environment to maintain the quality of the target food based on the freshness-related information of the target food. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 A method of operation in an electronic device comprises: an operation of acquiring designated reference information; an operation of setting multiple measurement conditions of a single sensor having multiple sensor characteristics with different reactivity to the gas, which is a gas sensor for detecting different gases generated from stored foods of the electronic device; an operation of adjusting the operating temperature of the single sensor to the temperature values ​​included in the multiple measurement conditions during a measurement period included in the multiple measurement conditions; when adjusting the operating temperature of the single sensor: an operation of setting the operating temperature to a first temperature value lower than a reference temperature value so that the single sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with low gas reactivity during a first period of the measurement period; an operation of setting the operating temperature to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value so that the single sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to a gas with high gas reactivity during a second period after the first period of the measurement period; and an operation of acquiring food measurement information of the stored foods based on measurement signals detected from the single sensor according to the set first temperature value and second temperature value. A method comprising: generating an odor pattern based on the above food measurement information; identifying a target food among the stored foods and obtaining freshness-related information of the target food based on comparing the generated odor pattern with odor pattern information included in the above specified reference information; and identifying the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information. Claim 12 The method of claim 11 further comprises: an operation of displaying freshness-related information of the identified target food on a display of the electronic device to display the information; an operation of transmitting the freshness-related information of the identified target food to an external electronic device through a communication module of the electronic device; and an operation of identifying the expected shelf life of the target food based on the acquired freshness-related information. Claim 13 delete Claim 14 delete Claim 15 delete Claim 16 delete Claim 17 The method of claim 11 further comprises: an operation of acquiring environmental information indicating the food storage state of the electronic device; an operation of adjusting the measurement cycle of the single sensor based on the environmental information when setting the plurality of measurement conditions; an operation of changing the set measurement conditions based on the freshness-related information of the target food; and an operation of adjusting the storage environment to maintain the quality of the target food based on the freshness-related information of the target food. Claim 18 delete Claim 19 delete Claim 20 In a non-transient storage medium storing one or more instructions, the instructions stored in the non-transient storage medium, when executed by a processor, include: an operation in which the processor obtains designated reference information; an operation in which a single sensor, which is a gas sensor for detecting different gases generated from stored foods of an electronic device and has multiple sensor characteristics having different reactivity to the gases, sets multiple measurement conditions; an operation in which the operating temperature of the single sensor is adjusted to temperature values ​​included in the multiple measurement conditions during a measurement period included in the multiple measurement conditions; and when adjusting the operating temperature of the single sensor: an operation in which, during a first period of the measurement period, the operating temperature is set to a first temperature value lower than a reference temperature value so that the single sensor operates with a first sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to gases with low gas reactivity. A non-transient storage medium comprising an executable command to perform the following operations: setting the operating temperature to a second temperature value higher than the reference temperature value during a second period following the first period of the above measurement cycle, such that the single sensor operates with a second sensor characteristic having a high response frequency to the gas with high gas reactivity; obtaining food measurement information of stored foods based on measurement signals detected from the single sensor according to the set first temperature value and the second temperature value; generating an odor pattern based on the food measurement information; identifying a target food among the stored foods and obtaining freshness-related information of the target food based on comparing the generated odor pattern with odor pattern information included in the specified reference information; and identifying the freshness of the target food based on the obtained freshness-related information.

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