Refrigerator and food material management method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerator and a food material management method thereof. The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a refrigerating system, a weight sensor, an NFC read-write device and a controller, and the NFC read-write device is further provided with a signal detection module. The controller is configured to read food material information stored in the electronic tag when the electronic tag is close to the NFC read-write device, and determine that the current action is a food material input action or a food material deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether a signal of the signal detection module is received or not; if the current action is a food material input action, taking a box body weight added value detected by a weight sensor as a food material weight, and inputting the food material weight and food material information into a food material management system of the refrigerator; and if the current action is the food material deleting action, deleting the food material information from a food material management system of the refrigerator. According to the invention, automatic detection of the weight of the food materials and accurate input and deletion of the food material information can be realized, the cost is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a refrigerator and a food management method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards improve, smart homes are becoming more and more popular, and refrigerators are becoming more and more intelligent. Based on users' needs for food management, the prior art has proposed a variety of refrigerator food management solutions, specifically, by recording the placement and removal of food to achieve food management. The current food management solutions include mobile phone editing records, image recognition records, and electronic tag records.

[0003] Although the method of recording and editing by mobile phone can accurately identify the food information, it is cumbersome to use and the user experience is not good; although the method of recording by image recognition does not require manual input and deletion of food information, due to the changeable shape of food when placed in the refrigerator, it may be in a cut shape and most of them are bagged or boxed, which is prone to identification errors, and its production cost is relatively high; the method of recording by electronic tags generally uses NFC (Near Field Communication) tags and NFC antennas for touch sensing for recording and deletion, and usually has two sensing areas for recording and deleting, correspondingly requiring two NFC antennas, and its cost is relatively high. In addition, the food management scheme of the prior art generally only records the type and date of the food, and cannot monitor the weight of the food. If the weight of the food needs to be entered, the user needs to weigh and enter it by himself, which is a cumbersome process and poor user experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a food management method thereof, which realizes automatic detection of food weight and accurate entry and deletion of food information by using a weight sensor and an improved NFC reader / writer, thereby reducing costs and solving the problem of cumbersome food entry and deletion process on a mobile phone.

[0005] The refrigerator provided in the first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0006] The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside;

[0007] A refrigeration system, which is arranged in the box, includes a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a fan and an expansion valve;

[0008] A weight sensor is disposed in the box and is used to detect a weight change of the box;

[0009] An NFC reader / writer, which is provided on the box and is used to identify electronic tags and input or delete food information;

[0010] The NFC reader / writer comprises an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area; the input food sensing area and the delete food sensing area are both arranged at the NFC antenna, and the input food sensing area or the delete food sensing area is provided with a signal detection module, and the signal detection module is used to detect an input food signal or a delete food signal;

[0011] The controller is configured to read the food information stored in the electronic tag when the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, and determine whether the current action is a food entry action or a food deletion action based on the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received; if the current action is a food entry action, the increased weight of the box detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight, and the food weight and the food information are entered into the food management system of the refrigerator; if the current action is a food deletion action, the food information is deleted from the food management system of the refrigerator.

[0012] In the refrigerator provided by the second embodiment of the present invention, determining the current action as an ingredient input action or an ingredient deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received specifically includes:

[0013] When the signal detection module is set in the food input sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food input action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action;

[0014] When the signal detection module is set in the food deletion sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food entry action.

[0015] In the refrigerator provided by the third embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor.

[0016] In the refrigerator provided by the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module is an induction switch. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry induction area or the food deletion induction area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the induction switch is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the induction switch.

[0017] In the refrigerator provided by the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further comprises a door switch sensor, which is arranged in the box body and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door;

[0018] When entering ingredients, the opened compartment is determined to be the first compartment according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the ingredient information; wherein the first compartment is any compartment in the cabinet.

[0019] In the refrigerator provided in the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor is arranged in the compartment inside the box body, and is used to detect the weight change of the compartment; if the current action is the food input action, the weight increase value of the compartment inside the box body detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight.

[0020] In the food management method for a refrigerator provided in the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the method is applied to a refrigerator including a cabinet, a refrigeration system, a weight sensor and an NFC reader / writer, wherein the NFC reader / writer includes an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area; the input food sensing area or the delete food sensing area is provided with a signal detection module; the food management method includes:

[0021] When the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, the food information stored in the electronic tag is read, and according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received, it is determined that the current action is an food input action or an food deletion action;

[0022] If the current action is a food input action, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight, and the food weight and the food information are input into the food management system of the refrigerator;

[0023] If the current action is an ingredient deletion action, the ingredient information is deleted from the ingredient management system of the refrigerator.

[0024] In the refrigerator food management method provided by the eighth embodiment of the present invention, determining the current action as a food input action or a food deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received specifically includes:

[0025] When the signal detection module is set in the food input sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food input action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action;

[0026] When the signal detection module is set in the food deletion sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food entry action.

[0027] In the food management method for a refrigerator provided in the ninth embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor.

[0028] In the refrigerator food management method provided by the tenth embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module is an induction switch. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the induction switch is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the induction switch.

[0029] In the food management method for a refrigerator provided by the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further comprises a door switch sensor, which is disposed in the box body and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door;

[0030] When entering ingredients, the opened compartment is determined to be the first compartment according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the ingredient information; wherein the first compartment is any compartment in the cabinet.

[0031] In the food management method for a refrigerator provided in the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor is arranged in a compartment inside the box body, and is used to detect the weight change of the compartment; if the current action is a food input action, the weight increase value of the compartment inside the box body detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of a refrigerator and its food management method provided by an embodiment of the present invention are: by using a weight sensor to detect the weight of the box, and using an NFC reader / writer with a signal detection module, the automatic detection of food weight and the accurate entry and deletion of food information are realized, and the problem of the cumbersome process of editing, entering and deleting food information using a mobile phone is solved. The present invention sets the food entry area and the food deletion area at the same NFC antenna, which reduces the number of NFC antennas and saves costs compared with the prior art. The present invention realizes the automatic detection of food weight, the accurate entry and deletion of food information, and reduces the production cost at the same time. It also solves the problem of the cumbersome process of food entry and deletion on the mobile phone side, improves the user experience when using the refrigerator to manage food, and makes the refrigerator more intelligent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator body provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the position of a weight sensor of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the position of a door switch sensor of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the location of an NFC reading and writing device for a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of an NFC reading and writing device in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a signal connection diagram of a food management system for a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a working process of a refrigerator controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a working process of a refrigerator controller provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Fig.10 It is a flow chart of a method for managing food in a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0045] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0047] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present invention comprises:

[0048] The box body 10, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, is provided with a plurality of compartments inside;

[0049] The refrigeration system 20 is arranged in the housing 10 and includes a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a fan and an expansion valve. The compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator. The fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and send the heat-released air to the refrigerator compartment.

[0050] A weight sensor 30 is disposed in the box 10 and is used to detect a weight change of the box 10;

[0051] An NFC reader / writer 40 is provided on the box 10 and is used to identify electronic tags and input or delete food information; the NFC reader / writer comprises an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area; the input food sensing area and the delete food sensing area are both provided at the NFC antenna, and the input food sensing area or the delete food sensing area is provided with a signal detection module, and the signal detection module is used to detect an input food signal or a delete food signal;

[0052] The controller 50 is configured to read the food information stored in the electronic tag when the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, and determine whether the current action is a food entry action or a food deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received; if the current action is a food entry action, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight, and the food weight and the food information are entered into the food management system of the refrigerator; if the current action is a food deletion action, the food information is deleted from the food management system of the refrigerator.

[0053] Specifically, a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a box body 10, a refrigeration system 20, a weight sensor 30, an NFC reader / writer 40 and a controller 50. Figure 2 , Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator body provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator in this embodiment has an approximately rectangular shape, and the refrigerator includes a body 10 that defines a storage space. The body 10 serves as a supporting structure of the refrigerator, and is provided with a chamber inside, wherein the chamber includes a component storage cavity for placing components in the refrigerator, such as a compressor, etc., and also includes a storage space for storing food, etc. The storage space can be divided into a plurality of storage rooms (i.e., compartments), and the storage rooms can be configured as a refrigeration room, a freezing room, and a temperature-changing room (also called a fresh-keeping room) according to different uses. One or more door bodies 200 are provided at the opening of each storage room, for example, Figure 2 The upper storage room is a cold storage room, which is provided with a double-opening door body. The door body 200 includes a door body outer shell 210 located outside the box body 10, a door body inner liner 220 located inside the box body 10, an upper end cover 230, a lower end cover 240, and an insulation layer located between the door body outer shell 210, the door body inner liner 220, the upper end cover 230, and the lower end cover 240; usually, the insulation layer is filled with foam material. The door body can be pivotally arranged at the opening of the box body, and can also be opened in a drawer-like manner to achieve drawer-like storage.

[0054] The refrigerator performs refrigeration operation through the refrigeration system, providing cold energy to be transmitted to the compartment so that the compartment is maintained at a constant low temperature state. Specifically, the refrigeration system of the refrigerator in this embodiment can be a single refrigeration system or a dual refrigeration system. The working structure of the refrigeration system includes compression process, condensation process, throttling process and evaporation process.

[0055] The compression process is as follows: plug in the refrigerator power cord, and when the box needs to cool, the compressor starts to work, and the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor, compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas in the compressor cylinder, and then discharged to the condenser;

[0056] The condensation process is as follows: the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas dissipates heat through the condenser, the temperature continues to drop, and is gradually cooled to a saturated vapor at room temperature and high pressure, and further cooled to a saturated liquid, the temperature no longer drops. The temperature at this time is called the condensation temperature, and the pressure of the refrigerant remains almost unchanged during the entire condensation process;

[0057] The throttling process is as follows: the condensed refrigerant saturated liquid is filtered through a drying filter to remove moisture and impurities and then flows into the capillary tube, through which it is throttled and depressurized, and the refrigerant becomes wet steam at room temperature and low pressure;

[0058] The evaporation process is as follows: it then begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator and its surroundings, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The refrigerant coming out of the evaporator passes through the gas-liquid separator and returns to the compressor again, repeating the above process to transfer the heat in the refrigerator to the air outside the box, thus achieving the purpose of refrigeration.

[0059] The fan allows air to continuously enter the fins of the evaporator for heat exchange, and at the same time sends the air that has cooled after the evaporator releases heat into the refrigerator room through the air duct. In this way, the air in the room circulates continuously to achieve the purpose of lowering the temperature.

[0060] See also Figure 3 , is a schematic diagram of the position of a weight sensor of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor 30 is disposed in the body of the refrigerator, specifically installed at the bottom of the refrigerator, for detecting the overall weight change of the refrigerator. In another embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor 30 can also be disposed in a special space inside the body, specifically installed at the bottom of the special space, for detecting the overall weight change of the special space; wherein the special space includes a single storage room or multiple storage rooms.

[0061] The embodiment of the present invention detects the weight of the box body by using a weight sensor to realize automatic detection of the weight of the food. The existing refrigerator with food management function usually cannot realize automatic detection of the weight of the food, and the user needs to weigh the food manually and then enter it into the food management system. The process is cumbersome and the user experience is poor. In addition, there are some refrigerators with weighing functions in the prior art, but the weight sensor is usually set on a compartment of a certain compartment, which not only has a limited weighing range, but also occupies the space of the compartment, and the user experience is also poor. The weight sensor of a refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present invention is arranged in the box body, specifically installed at the bottom of the refrigerator, for detecting the overall weight change of the refrigerator, and then obtaining the weight of the food from the increase in the overall weight of the refrigerator. Therefore, the user only needs to put the food into any position of the refrigerator to obtain the weight information of the food, which simplifies the step that the user needs to put the food in a specific position to weigh it, and because the weight sensor is arranged at the bottom of the refrigerator, rather than in the internal space of the compartment, it will not occupy the use space of the refrigerator compartment, and the user experience is better. The weight sensor of the refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present invention meets the user's demand for detecting the weight of food when using the refrigerator for food management, realizes automatic detection of the weight of food, is convenient and simple for the user to operate, improves the intelligence of the refrigerator with food management function, and provides a better user experience.

[0062] See also Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of the position of a door switch sensor of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The door switch sensor 60 is arranged in the box body, and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door. In one embodiment of the present invention, the door switch sensor 60 can detect the switch state of each compartment door in the refrigerator, and is used to determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment when the food is entered, and the location information of the first compartment is included in the corresponding food information; wherein, the first compartment is any compartment in the box body. In another embodiment of the present invention, the door switch sensor 60 can detect the switch state of each compartment door in the special space, and is used to determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment when the food is entered, and the location information of the first compartment is included in the corresponding food information; wherein, the special space includes a single compartment or multiple compartments, and the first compartment is any compartment in the special space. The embodiment of the present invention can automatically enter the location information of food for the user, so that the user can quickly find and manage food through the cloud food management system.

[0063] See also Figure 5 , is a schematic diagram of the position of an NFC reader / writer of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, the NFC reader / writer 40 is arranged on the box body, including an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area, which are used to identify food information of the electronic tag, input food information and delete food information. Figure 6 , is a structural schematic diagram of an NFC reading and writing device in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The NFC reading and writing device 40 includes a first sensing area 11, a second sensing area 12 and a signal detection module 13. The first sensing area 11 and the second sensing area 12 are both arranged in the same NFC antenna area, and the signal detection module 13 is arranged in the first sensing area 11. In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module 13 is used to detect the input food signal; the first sensing area 11 is the input food sensing area. When the electronic tag touches the first sensing area 11, the signal detection module 13 generates the input food signal, and the controller receives the food information of the electronic tag read by the NFC reading and writing device, and enters the corresponding food information into the food management system of the refrigerator; the second sensing area 12 is the deleting food sensing area. When the electronic tag touches the second sensing area 12, the controller receives the food information of the electronic tag read by the NFC reading and writing device, and deletes the corresponding food information from the food management system of the refrigerator. In another embodiment of the present invention, the signal detection module 13 is used to detect the food deletion signal; the first sensing area 11 is the food deletion sensing area. When the electronic tag touches the first sensing area 11, the signal detection module 13 generates a food deletion signal, and the controller receives the food information of the electronic tag read by the NFC reader / writer, and deletes the corresponding food information from the food management system of the refrigerator; the second sensing area 12 is the food recording sensing area. When the electronic tag touches the second sensing area 12, the controller receives the food information of the electronic tag read by the NFC reader / writer, and records the corresponding food information into the food management system of the refrigerator. Optionally, the surfaces of the food recording sensing area and the food deletion sensing area are respectively provided with silk screen marks, so that users can easily distinguish between the two areas. Exemplarily, the silk screen mark of the food recording sensing area is the text "entry sensing area", and the silk screen mark of the food deletion sensing area is the text "deletion sensing area".

[0064] See also Figure 7, is a flow chart of a food management system for a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, before storing food, the food information of the electronic tag is predefined, specifically: the electronic tag 90 can be associated with the food information defined on the mobile terminal 100 by touching the mobile terminal 100 with the NFC function, and the associated information is updated to the food management system in the cloud through the mobile terminal 100. Optionally, the food information predefined and input by the user on the mobile terminal 100 is information such as "food name", "food type", and "shelf life". In this embodiment, when storing food, the electronic tag 90 is used to touch the food sensing area 41 for recording, the NFC reading and writing device 40 reads the food information in the electronic tag 90, and transmits the information to the refrigerator MCU (i.e., controller 50); the refrigerator controller 50 confirms that the current action is the action of recording food; the door switch sensor 60 detects the switch state of the current refrigerator door, determines that the opened compartment is the first compartment and transmits the signal to the controller 50, and the controller 50 classifies the position information of the first compartment into the food information; the weight sensor 30 detects the weight change of the current refrigerator as a whole, and transmits the detected weight increase value of the refrigerator to the controller 50, and the controller 50 enters the weight increase value of the refrigerator detected by the weight sensor 30 as the food weight into the food management system of the refrigerator; the controller 50 merges the acquired food weight and food information and uploads them to the cloud food management system 80 through the WIFI network module 70; the user can view the refrigerator food information in the cloud food management system 80 through the mobile terminal 100. When taking away the food, use the electronic tag 90 to touch the food deletion sensing area 42, the NFC reader / writer 40 reads the food information in the electronic tag and transmits the information to the controller 50; the signal detection module 43 generates a food deletion signal and transmits the generated food deletion signal to the controller 50; the refrigerator controller 50 receives the food deletion signal and confirms that the current action is the food deletion action; the controller 50 deletes the food information corresponding to the electronic tag 90 from the cloud food management system 80 through the WIFI network module 70.

[0065] As one of the optional embodiments, after performing the action of entering ingredients and before performing the action of deleting ingredients, the ingredient information may be updated by performing the action of entering ingredients again. Specifically, after the food input action is performed and before the food input action is performed, the electronic tag 90 is used to touch the food input sensing area 41, the NFC reader / writer 40 reads the food information in the electronic tag and transmits the information to the refrigerator MCU (i.e., controller 50); the refrigerator controller 50 confirms that the current action is the food input action; the door switch sensor 60 detects the current switch state of the refrigerator door, determines that the opened compartment is the first compartment and transmits the signal to the controller 50, and the controller 50 classifies the position information of the first compartment into the food information; the weight sensor 30 detects the current weight change of the entire refrigerator, transmits the detected weight increase value of the refrigerator to the controller 50, and the controller 50 enters the weight increase value of the refrigerator detected by the weight sensor 30 as the food weight into the food management system of the refrigerator; the controller 50 merges the acquired food weight and food information and uploads them to the cloud food management system 80 through the WIFI network module 70; the user can view the updated refrigerator food information in the cloud food management system 80 through the mobile terminal 100.

[0066] The embodiment of the present invention realizes the accurate entry and deletion of food information by using an NFC reader / writer with a signal detection module, and solves the problem of the cumbersome process of editing, entering and deleting food information using a mobile phone. In some prior arts, users can enter and delete food by editing records on the mobile phone, which is cumbersome to use. Some prior arts use NFC tags and NFC antennas for inductive entry and deletion, but to accurately distinguish between entry and deletion actions, two inductive areas are usually required, and two NFC antennas are required accordingly. The NFC reader / writer provided in the embodiment of the present invention is arranged on a box body, and the inductive area of ​​the same NFC antenna is divided into two inductive areas, and a signal detection device with a lower cost than the NFC antenna is used to further distinguish between the entry food induction signal and the deletion food induction signal, which is lower in cost than the prior art, and can realize the accurate entry and deletion of food information, and can also perform multiple entries of the same food to update food information. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present invention can realize the accurate entry and deletion of food information, with lower production cost, and solves the problem of the cumbersome process of editing, entering and deleting food information using a mobile phone, and improves the user experience.

[0067] See also Figure 8, is a schematic diagram of the workflow of a refrigerator controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the signal detection module is installed in the food deletion sensing area, and the workflow of the refrigerator controller is: when the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, read the food information stored in the electronic tag; determine whether the signal of the signal detection module is received; if the result is no, then according to the weight change signal detected by the weight sensor, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight; then according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment, and classify the position information of the first compartment into the food information, wherein the first compartment is any compartment of the box; finally, the food weight and food information are combined and entered into the food management system of the refrigerator; if the result is yes, the food information is deleted from the food management system of the refrigerator.

[0068] See also Fig. 9 , is a schematic diagram of the workflow of a refrigerator controller provided by another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the signal detection module is installed in the food input sensing area, and the workflow of the refrigerator controller is: when the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, read the food information stored in the electronic tag; determine whether the signal of the signal detection module is received; if the result is yes, then according to the weight change signal detected by the weight sensor, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight; then according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment, and classify the position information of the first compartment into the food information, wherein the first compartment is any compartment of the box; finally, the food weight and food information are combined and input into the food management system of the refrigerator; if the result is no, the food information is deleted from the food management system of the refrigerator.

[0069] As one of the optional embodiments, the signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor. Specifically, the light sensor is installed in a hole on the plane of the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area. When the electronic tag is placed in the area where the light sensor is installed, the light sensing hole is blocked, causing the light sensor to generate a signal. Optionally, the light sensing hole can be covered and sealed with a transparent material to ensure that light can pass through while playing a waterproof and dustproof role.

[0070] As one of the optional embodiments, the signal detection module is an induction switch. When the electronic tag is close to the food input induction area or the food deletion induction area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the induction switch is triggered, and the food input signal or food deletion signal is detected by the induction switch. Specifically, the induction switch can be any one of an infrared induction switch, a microwave induction switch, an ultrasonic induction switch, a piezoelectric induction switch, an electromagnetic induction switch, and a capacitive induction switch.

[0071] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is connected to the cloud-based food management system via a WIFI network module to enable entry, modification and deletion of food information.

[0072] Specifically, the food information includes: food name information, shelf life, weight information, location information, placement date, and update date; the placement date is the date when the food corresponding to the electronic tag is first entered; the update date is the date when the food corresponding to the electronic tag is not entered for the first time.

[0073] See also Fig.10 , a flowchart of a method for managing food materials in a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The method for managing food materials in a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator including a cabinet, a refrigeration system, a weight sensor, a door switch sensor and an NFC reader / writer, wherein the cabinet, as a supporting structure of the refrigerator, is provided with a plurality of compartments inside; the refrigeration system, which is arranged in the cabinet, includes a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a fan and an expansion valve; the weight sensor, which is arranged in the cabinet, is used to detect the weight change of the cabinet; the door switch sensor, which is arranged in the cabinet, is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door; the NFC reader / writer, which is arranged on the cabinet, is used to identify the electronic tag, enter or delete food materials information; the NFC reader / writer includes an NFC antenna, an entry food materials sensing area and a deletion food materials sensing area; the entry food materials sensing area and the deletion food materials sensing area are both arranged at the NFC antenna, and the entry food materials sensing area or the deletion food materials sensing area is provided with a signal detection module, and the signal detection module is used to detect the entry food materials signal or the deletion food materials signal; the food materials management method includes:

[0074] S1: When the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, the food information stored in the electronic tag is read;

[0075] S2: determining whether the current action is an ingredient input action or an ingredient deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether a signal from the signal detection module is received;

[0076] S3: If the current action is the food input action, the added value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight;

[0077] S4: determining that the opened compartment is the first compartment according to the opening and closing state of the refrigerator door detected by the door opening and closing sensor, and classifying the position information of the first compartment into the food information;

[0078] S5: Combining the weight of the food and the food information and entering it into the food management system of the refrigerator;

[0079] S6: If the current action is an ingredient deletion action, the ingredient information is deleted from the ingredient management system of the refrigerator.

[0080] As one of the optional embodiments, S2: determining that the current action is an ingredient input action or an ingredient deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received, specifically includes:

[0081] When the signal detection module is set in the food input sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food input action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action;

[0082] When the signal detection module is set in the food deletion sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food entry action.

[0083] As one of the optional embodiments, in the refrigerator food management method provided in this embodiment, the signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or the food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor. Specifically, the light sensor is installed in a hole on the plane of the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area. When the electronic tag is placed in the area where the light sensor is installed, the light sensing hole is blocked, causing the light sensor to generate a signal. Optionally, the light sensing hole can be covered and sealed with a transparent material to ensure that light can pass through while playing a waterproof and dustproof role.

[0084] As one of the optional embodiments, in the refrigerator food management method provided in this embodiment, the signal detection module is a sensor switch, and when the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the sensor switch is triggered, and the food entry signal or food deletion signal is detected by the sensor switch. Specifically, the sensor switch can be any one of an infrared sensor switch, a microwave sensor switch, an ultrasonic sensor switch, a piezoelectric sensor switch, an electromagnetic sensor switch, and a capacitive sensor switch.

[0085] As one of the optional embodiments, in the refrigerator food management method provided in this embodiment, the weight sensor is arranged in the refrigerator body, specifically installed at the bottom of the refrigerator, for detecting the overall weight of the refrigerator. In another embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor is arranged in a special space inside the body, specifically installed at the bottom of the special space, for detecting the overall weight of the special space; wherein the special space includes a single storage room or multiple storage rooms.

[0086] As one of the optional embodiments, in the food management method of the refrigerator provided in this embodiment, the door switch sensor is arranged in the box body, and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door. In one embodiment of the present invention, the door switch sensor can detect the switch state of each compartment door in the refrigerator, and is used to determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment when the food is entered, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the corresponding food information; wherein, the first compartment is any compartment in the box body. In another embodiment of the present invention, the door switch sensor can detect the switch state of each compartment door in the special space, and is used to determine that the opened compartment is the first compartment when the food is entered, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the corresponding food information; wherein, the special space includes a single compartment or multiple compartments, and the first compartment is any compartment in the special space.

[0087] As one of the optional embodiments, after performing the action of entering ingredients and before performing the action of deleting ingredients, the ingredient information can be updated by performing the action of entering ingredients again. Specifically: after performing the action of entering ingredients and before performing the action of deleting ingredients, use the electronic tag to touch the entry ingredient sensing area, the NFC reader / writer reads the ingredient information in the electronic tag, and transmits the information to the refrigerator controller; the refrigerator controller confirms that the current action is the action of entering ingredients; the door switch sensor detects the switch state of the current refrigerator door, determines that the opened compartment is the first compartment and transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller classifies the location information of the first compartment into the ingredient information; the weight sensor detects the overall weight change of the current refrigerator, and transmits the detected refrigerator weight increase value to the controller, and the controller enters the refrigerator weight increase value detected by the weight sensor as the ingredient weight into the refrigerator's ingredient management system; the controller merges the acquired ingredient weight and ingredient information and uploads them to the cloud ingredient management system through the WIFI network module; the user can view the updated refrigerator ingredient information in the cloud ingredient management system through the mobile terminal.

[0088] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is connected to the cloud-based food management system via a WIFI network module to enable entry, modification and deletion of food information.

[0089] Specifically, the food information includes: food name information, shelf life, weight information, location information, placement date, and update date; the placement date is the date when the food corresponding to the electronic tag is first entered; the update date is the date when the food corresponding to the electronic tag is not entered for the first time.

[0090] The embodiment of the present invention detects the weight of the box using a weight sensor and uses an NFC reader / writer with a signal detection module to achieve automatic detection of the weight of the food, as well as accurate entry and deletion of food information, and also solves the problem of the cumbersome process of editing, entering and deleting food information using a mobile phone. The present invention sets the food entry area and the food deletion area at the same NFC antenna, which reduces the number of NFC antennas and saves costs compared to the prior art. The present invention achieves automatic detection of the weight of the food, accurate entry and deletion of food information, while reducing production costs, and also solves the problem of the cumbersome process of food entry and deletion on the mobile phone side, improving the user experience when using the refrigerator to manage food, making the refrigerator more intelligent.

[0091] It should be noted that the system embodiment described above is merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. In addition, in the drawings of the system embodiment provided by the present invention, the connection relationship between the modules indicates that there is a communication connection between them, which may be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines. A person of ordinary skill in the art may understand and implement it without paying any creative effort.

[0092] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside; A refrigeration system, which is arranged in the box, includes a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a fan and an expansion valve; A weight sensor is disposed in the box and is used to detect a weight change of the box; An NFC reader / writer, which is provided on the box and is used to identify electronic tags and input or delete food information; The NFC reader / writer comprises an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area; the input food sensing area and the delete food sensing area are both arranged at the NFC antenna, and the input food sensing area or the delete food sensing area is provided with a signal detection module, and the signal detection module is used to detect an input food signal or a delete food signal; The controller is configured to read the food information stored in the electronic tag when the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, and determine whether the current action is a food entry action or a food deletion action according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received; if the current action is a food entry action, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight, and the food weight and the food information are entered into the food management system of the refrigerator; If the current action is an ingredient deletion action, the ingredient information is deleted from the ingredient management system of the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining, according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received, that the current action is an ingredient input action or an ingredient deletion action specifically includes: When the signal detection module is set in the food input sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food input action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; When the signal detection module is set in the food deletion sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food entry action.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The signal detection module is an induction switch. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry induction area or the food deletion induction area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the induction switch is triggered, and the food entry signal or food deletion signal is detected by the induction switch.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerator further comprises a door switch sensor, which is arranged in the box body and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door; When entering ingredients, the opened compartment is determined to be the first compartment according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the ingredient information; wherein the first compartment is any compartment in the cabinet.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weight sensor is arranged in the compartment inside the box body, and is used to detect the weight change of the compartment; if the current action is the food input action, the weight increase value of the compartment inside the box body detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight.

7. A method for managing food materials in a refrigerator, characterized in that: The method is applied to a refrigerator including a box, a refrigeration system, a weight sensor and an NFC reader / writer, wherein the NFC reader / writer includes an NFC antenna, an input food sensing area and a delete food sensing area; the input food sensing area or the delete food sensing area is provided with a signal detection module; the food management method includes: When the electronic tag is close to the NFC reader / writer, the food information stored in the electronic tag is read, and according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received, it is determined that the current action is an food input action or an food deletion action; If the current action is a food input action, the increased value of the box weight detected by the weight sensor is used as the food weight, and the food weight and the food information are input into the food management system of the refrigerator; If the current action is an ingredient deletion action, the ingredient information is deleted from the ingredient management system of the refrigerator.

8. The method for managing food materials in a refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The determining, according to the position of the signal detection module and whether the signal of the signal detection module is received, that the current action is an ingredient input action or an ingredient deletion action specifically includes: When the signal detection module is set in the food input sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food input action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; When the signal detection module is set in the food deletion sensing area, if the signal of the signal detection module is received, the current action is determined to be the food deletion action; if the signal of the signal detection module is not received, the current action is determined to be the food entry action.

9. The method for managing food materials in a refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that: The signal detection module is a light sensor. When the electronic tag is close to the food entry sensing area or the food deletion sensing area of ​​the NFC reader / writer, the light sensor is triggered, and the food entry signal or food deletion signal is detected by the light sensor.

10. The refrigerator food management method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The refrigerator further comprises a door switch sensor, which is arranged in the box body and is used to detect the switch state of the refrigerator door; When entering ingredients, the opened compartment is determined to be the first compartment according to the switch state of the refrigerator door detected by the door switch sensor, and the position information of the first compartment is included in the ingredient information; wherein the first compartment is any compartment in the cabinet.

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