Control method of refrigerator

Abstract

This invention provides a refrigerator control method. The control method includes: acquiring information about the food to be stored; acquiring a suitable storage compartment in the refrigerator for storing the food; and opening the refrigerator door corresponding to the storage compartment. This configuration enables the automatic opening of the storage compartment door corresponding to the suitable storage location of the food to be stored.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control method for a refrigerator, and more particularly to a control method for a refrigerator used for food storage. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerators, as the primary storage container for household food, are essential equipment for ensuring the nutritional health of food. As people's demands for refrigerator quality increase, intelligent transformation has become a new direction for refrigerator improvement. Currently, when users need to store food, they often have to manually open the refrigerator door. This is inconvenient, especially when both hands are occupied with multiple items; users must first put the food down before storing it, significantly impacting the user experience. Existing technology has led to refrigerators that can automatically open their doors. These typically operate based on infrared human body sensing technology or voice interaction technology, opening the door when someone approaches or a command is given. However, this design has the following drawbacks: the refrigerator door often opens all or most of the storage compartments, causing unnecessary cold air loss and affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control method for a refrigerator that can automatically open the door of a storage compartment corresponding to the appropriate storage location of the food to be stored.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a refrigerator control method, the control method comprising:

[0005] Retrieve the information of the ingredients to be stored;

[0006] Obtain a suitable storage compartment in the refrigerator for storing the food ingredients;

[0007] Open the refrigerator door corresponding to the storage compartment.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control method for "acquiring the information of the ingredients to be stored" is specifically as follows:

[0009] Monitor the identification items placed in the identification box;

[0010] Obtain the food information corresponding to the identification item taken out from the identification box.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the control method further includes

[0012] Determine whether any identification item has been returned to the identification box;

[0013] If so, determine whether the refrigerator door is closed;

[0014] If not, close the refrigerator door.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the refrigerator includes a cabinet with a storage compartment inside, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment, an identification box disposed on the outside of the refrigerator, a plurality of identification elements disposed in the identification box, and a control module. The identification elements are marked with specific food information, and the control module can control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door according to the identification elements that are removed.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the label has a clamping part, and the label is clamped onto the food to be stored by the clamping part.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, after acquiring the food information to be stored, the control method further includes: starting the printing device to print food labels.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the refrigerator includes a cabinet with a storage compartment inside, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment, a printing device installed on the refrigerator and capable of printing food labels, and a control module for controlling the printing device and the refrigerator door.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, the printing device has an interactive module through which the user inputs the ingredient information.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the printing module and the control module are connected via Bluetooth.

[0021] As a further improvement of the present invention, the food label is adhesive and can adhere to the food to be stored, and the food label carries visible information such as the food name, storage date, and shelf life.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention is that it can automatically open the storage room door corresponding to the appropriate storage location of the food to be stored. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the control method for the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Exploded view of the sign box and sign components;

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating how a refrigerator obtains information about the food items to be stored.

[0028] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A flowchart of the control method after the refrigerator door is opened;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another preferred embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the control method for the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, a control method for a refrigerator includes...

[0033] Retrieve the information of the ingredients to be stored;

[0034] Obtain a suitable storage compartment 2 in the refrigerator for storing the food ingredients;

[0035] Open the refrigerator door 3 corresponding to the storage compartment 2.

[0036] The food to be stored refers to the food that the user has actually brought to the vicinity of the refrigerator and intends to place inside for storage. The food information refers to information that the refrigerator can recognize and that allows the refrigerator to establish a correspondence between the information and a specific food item. This food information can be presented in various forms, such as text, voice, or image information.

[0037] After obtaining information about the food to be stored, the refrigerator can use database retrieval and other methods to determine the best storage method for preserving the food. Then, the refrigerator can select the storage compartment 2 that can provide that storage method and control the refrigerator to open and close the refrigerator door 3 on the storage compartment 2.

[0038] For example, if a user walks near the refrigerator carrying a lot of fruit, the refrigerator will obtain the information of the food to be stored as fruits and vegetables according to the pre-set recognition method. Then, the refrigerator will query the database to find that the best storage method for fruits and vegetables is refrigeration. The refrigerator will then find that the refrigerator compartment can provide refrigeration storage. Finally, the refrigerator can control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 3 on the refrigerator compartment.

[0039] The refrigerator of this invention shall have two or more storage compartments 2 and two or more refrigerator doors 3 respectively closed on different storage compartments 2. The storage compartments 2 may include the refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment of a general refrigerator, and may also include a drying compartment that can provide a special storage environment, such as a drying compartment that can provide a dry environment for storing dried fruits and vegetables, or a quick-freezing compartment that can provide a quick-freezing environment for quick-freezing food.

[0040] This setup allows the two doors of the storage compartments to automatically open, corresponding to the appropriate storage locations for the food items. This is more conducive to food preservation and improves the user experience. In addition, it avoids the loss of cold air and unnecessary energy waste caused by opening too much storage space to the outside environment.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the central label box 4 and label component 5.

[0043] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the refrigerator includes a body 1 with a storage compartment 2 inside, a refrigerator door 3 for opening and closing the storage compartment 2, an identification box 4 disposed on the outside of the refrigerator, a plurality of identification pieces 5 disposed in the identification box 4, and a control module. The identification pieces 5 are marked with specific food information, and the control module can control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 3 according to the identification pieces 5 that are removed.

[0044] The label box 4 can be installed on the outside of the refrigerator door 3. The label 5 can have a visible label with specific food information attached to its exterior, such as a text label or image label with information such as meat or fruit. The label 5 can have an electronic tag inside that corresponds one-to-one with the visible label on its exterior. The control module can have a radio frequency antenna 6 and use radio frequency identification technology to identify the specific information carried in the electronic tag inside the label 5.

[0045] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A flowchart for the process of obtaining information about the food items to be stored in a refrigerator.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the control method for "acquiring the information of ingredients to be stored" is specifically as follows:

[0047] Monitor the identification element 5 placed in the identification box 4;

[0048] Obtain the food information corresponding to the identification piece 5 taken out from the identification box 4.

[0049] In practical use, when a user needs to store food ingredients, they can take out the corresponding identification piece 5 from the identification box 4 according to the visual label, and attach the identification piece 5 to the food ingredient to be stored. The control module can obtain the information of the food ingredient to be stored by obtaining the information of the electronic tag of the identification piece 5 taken out from the identification box 4.

[0050] This setup enables accurate acquisition of information about the food to be stored, allowing the refrigerator door 3 on the storage compartment 2 corresponding to the appropriate storage location of the food to be stored to be automatically opened. This is beneficial for food storage and preservation, improves the user experience, and avoids the loss of cold air and unnecessary energy waste caused by opening too much storage space to the outside environment. At the same time, it has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and has high accuracy and reliability.

[0051] Furthermore, the label 5 may have a clamping part 7, which clamps the label 5 onto the food to be stored. This design makes it easy for users to clamp the tube onto specific food items, and the structure is simple and easy to operate.

[0052] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A flowchart of the control method after the refrigerator door is opened.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown, the control method further includes

[0054] Determine whether any identification item 5 has been returned to the identification box 4;

[0055] If so, determine whether the refrigerator door 3 is closed;

[0056] If not, close the refrigerator door 3.

[0057] In actual use, after the user takes food out of the refrigerator, they will remove the label 5 previously attached to the food and place it in the label box 4. Sometimes, the user may not close the door properly or forget to close it after taking out the food. To prevent the refrigerator door 3 from not closing properly and causing the loss of cold air in the refrigerator storage compartment 2, the refrigerator can be controlled to close automatically.

[0058] This design allows the refrigerator door 3 to be automatically closed after the user finishes using the refrigerator, and to automatically close the door if it is not closed, thus avoiding unnecessary loss of cold air and energy waste in the storage compartment 2 and improving the user experience.

[0059] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another preferred embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[0060] like Figure 6 As shown, the refrigerator includes a cabinet 1 with a storage compartment 2 inside, a refrigerator door 3 for opening and closing the storage compartment 2, a printing device 8 installed on the refrigerator and capable of printing food labels, and a control module for controlling the printing device 8 and the refrigerator door 3.

[0061] Preferably, after acquiring the food information to be stored, the control method further includes: starting the printing device 8 to print food labels.

[0062] In practical use, since users often forget what food is stored in the refrigerator and the storage date, etc., a small printing device 8 that can print labels on the food can be installed on the refrigerator door. Users can obtain specific information about the food by checking the food labels attached to the food.

[0063] This structural design makes it easier for users to manage ingredients and improves the user experience.

[0064] Furthermore, the food label is adhesive, allowing it to adhere to the food to be stored. The label carries visible information such as the food name, storage date, and shelf life. This design facilitates user attachment of the food label to the corresponding food, while also enabling users to obtain necessary information about the food by viewing the label, thus simplifying food management and improving the user experience.

[0065] Preferably, the printing device 8 may have an interactive module 9, through which the user inputs the ingredient information.

[0066] The user interaction module 9 can have a manual text input function. During use, the refrigerator's control module can obtain the information of the food to be stored by acquiring the text information manually input by the user through the interaction module 9. This setup is simple in structure, convenient to operate, and highly reliable. It can accurately acquire the information of the food to be stored, so as to automatically open the door of the storage compartment 2 corresponding to the appropriate storage location of the food, which is beneficial to the storage and preservation of food and can improve the user experience.

[0067] Furthermore, by setting up the interactive module 9, users can print food labels with arbitrary information without being restricted by the refrigerator, meeting users' personalized and diverse needs and improving the user experience.

[0068] The printing device 8 and the control module are connected via Bluetooth. This configuration is simple in structure, easy to operate, and inexpensive.

[0069] In summary, the refrigerator control method of this invention solves the problem in existing automatic door opening technologies where the refrigerator door 3 often opens all or most of the storage compartment 2, causing unnecessary cold air loss and affecting the user experience. Using the technical solution in this application, the refrigerator door 2 corresponding to the appropriate storage location for the food to be stored can be automatically opened, which is more conducive to food storage and preservation, improves the user experience, avoids cold air loss and unnecessary energy waste caused by opening too much storage space to the outside environment, and also enables automatic closing of the refrigerator door 3 and personalized customization of food labels. The structure is simple, the operation is convenient, and the reliability is high.

[0070] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0071] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that, The control method includes Retrieve the information of the ingredients to be stored; Obtain a suitable storage compartment in the refrigerator for storing the food ingredients; Open the refrigerator door corresponding to the storage compartment; The step of obtaining the food information to be stored includes: The system monitors changes in the identification components removed from the identification box located on the outside of the refrigerator door, and determines the information of the food to be stored based on the information carried by the electronic tag inside the removed identification component. Determine whether any identification item has been returned to the identification box; If so, determine whether the refrigerator door is closed; If the refrigerator door is not closed, then close the refrigerator door.

2. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a cabinet with a storage compartment inside, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment, an identification box on the outside of the refrigerator, several identification items in the identification box, and a control module. The identification items are marked with specific food information, and the control module can control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door according to the identification items that are removed.

3. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The label has a clamping part, and the label is clamped onto the food ingredient to be stored by the clamping part.

4. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After acquiring the food information to be stored, the control method further includes: starting the printing device to print food labels.

5. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The refrigerator includes a cabinet with a storage compartment inside, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment, a printing device installed on the refrigerator and capable of printing labels for the food items, and a control module for controlling the printing device and the refrigerator door.

6. The control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The printing device has an interactive module through which the user inputs the ingredient information.

7. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The printing device and the control module are connected via Bluetooth.

8. The refrigerator control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The food label is adhesive and can adhere to the food to be stored. The food label carries visible information such as the food name, storage date, and shelf life.

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