Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator which can properly record shot images in a containing part according to the opening and closing state of a door. The refrigerator is provided with a containing part (20) for containing contained objects, a door (30) for opening and closing the containing part (20), and a power supply part (14). The accommodating part (20) is provided with a door sensor (24) for detecting whether or not the accommodating part (20) is opened by the door. The door (30) has an imaging unit (34) capable of imaging the inside of the housing unit (20), and a door control unit (32) for controlling the imaging unit (34). The power supply unit (14) supplies power to the imaging unit (34) when the door sensor (24) detects that the door (30) opens the housing unit (20). The door control unit (32) has an orientation determination unit (36) that determines the orientation of the door (30) with respect to the housing unit (20). When the posture of the door (30) determined by the posture determination unit (36) becomes a preset imaging posture, the image captured by the imaging unit is stored as an in-box image captured inside the housing unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] In the refrigerator described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-36842, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the door of the refrigerating chamber was opened, the inside of the refrigerating chamber is photographed by a photographing unit, and the in-box photographing data generated by the photographing unit is transmitted to an external device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the refrigerator of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-36842, if the open state of the door of the refrigerating chamber is maintained beyond the predetermined time, the photographing unit starts photographing while the door of the refrigerating chamber is in the open state.

[0004] Therefore, the in-box photographing data transmitted to the external device may include data obtained by photographing outside the refrigerating chamber (accommodating portion).

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of appropriately recording a photographed image inside an accommodating portion according to the open / closed state of a door.

[0006] Solution to Problem According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator includes an accommodating portion, a door, and a power supply portion. The accommodating portion accommodates articles. The door opens and closes the accommodating portion. The accommodating portion has a door sensor. The door sensor detects whether the door has opened the accommodating portion. The door has a photographing portion and a door control portion. The photographing portion can photograph the inside of the accommodating portion. The door control portion controls the photographing portion. When the door sensor detects that the door has opened the accommodating portion, the power supply portion supplies power to the photographing portion. The door control portion has a posture determination portion. The posture determination portion determines the posture of the door with respect to the accommodating portion. When the posture of the door determined by the posture determination portion becomes a preset photographing posture, the image photographed by the photographing portion is stored as an in-box image of the inside of the accommodating portion.

[0007] Advantageous Effects of Invention In the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, the photographed image when the door is in an appropriate photographing posture is recorded as an in-box image. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an example of an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the accommodating portion and the door.

[0010] Figure 3 It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the refrigerator.

[0011] Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the operation of the refrigerator.

[0012] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing another example of the process of the operation of the refrigerator.

[0013] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing yet another example of the process of the operation of the refrigerator. Detailed Embodiments

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will not be repeated.

[0015] First, with reference to Figure 1 the configuration of the refrigerator 10 according to an example of the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 according to an example of the embodiment. The refrigerator 10 is, for example, a refrigerator with a freezer compartment. Figure 1 The refrigerator 10 has a main body portion 12, a power supply portion 14, a main body control portion 16, and a cooling portion 18. In addition, the refrigerator 10 has a first storage portion 20A, a second storage portion 20B, a third storage portion 20C, a first door 30A, a second door 30B, and a third door 30C.

[0016] The power supply portion 14, the main body control portion 16, and the cooling portion 18 are, for example, provided inside the main body portion 12 of the refrigerator 10. The power supply portion 14 supplies power to each part of the refrigerator 10. The power supply portion 14 is, for example, a switching power supply that converts AC power supplied from an external AC power source such as a commercial power supply into DC power used in the refrigerator 10.

[0017] The main body control portion 16 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 including the cooling portion 18. The main body control portion 16 is, for example, a device having a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a processor (for example, a CPU: Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in the storage device.

[0018] The cooling portion 18 is a device that performs heat exchange between the outside of the refrigerator 10 and each storage portion (the first storage portion 20A, the second storage portion 20B, the third storage portion 20C) through, for example, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle using a refrigerant. In Figure 1 it, the evaporator, which is a part of the refrigeration cycle, is shown as the cooling portion 18.

[0019] The first storage section 20A, the second storage section 20B, and the third storage section 20C are spaces for storing items such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals that should be stored at low temperatures. In Figure 1 the refrigerator 10, the first storage section 20A, which is the uppermost layer, is provided with a refrigerating compartment, for example. For example, the freezing compartment is provided as the second storage section 20B, which is the second from the top. The third storage section 20C, which is the lowermost layer, is provided with a vegetable compartment, for example.

[0020] The first storage section 20A, the second storage section 20B, and the third storage section 20C each have a first opening 22A, a second opening 22B, and a third opening 22C as entrances and exits for taking out and putting in stored items. The first door 30A, the second door 30B, and the third door 30C move (approach or separate) relative to the first opening 22A, the second opening 22B, and the third opening 22C, respectively, to open and close the first storage section 20A, the second storage section 20B, and the third storage section 20C.

[0021] As an example, in Figure 1 the refrigerator 10, the first door 30A and the second door 30B are of the left - and - right opening type. The left - and - right opening type means that the first door 30A and the second door 30B can rotate either to the left or to the right relative to the first opening 22A and the second opening 22B. Specifically, hinges with a vertical axis of rotation are provided at both ends in the horizontal direction (the left end and the right end) of the first storage section 20A and the second storage section 20B. And the first door 30A and the second door 30B are each plate members, and both ends in the horizontal direction (the left end and the right end) can be connected to the hinges.

[0022] In addition, the first door 30A has a first door pocket 33A. The first door pocket 33A is a recess provided on the back surface of the first door 30A (the surface facing the inside of the first storage section 20A when the first door 30A is closed). The first door pocket 33A can store small items. Also, the second door 30B has a second door pocket 33B. The structure of the second door pocket 33B is the same as that of the first door pocket 33A in the first storage section 20A.

[0023] In Figure 1In this case, the first door 30A rotates (opens in the right direction) via a hinge provided at the right end portion of the first housing portion 20A, and thus moves between an open position and a closed position with respect to the first opening portion 22A. The open position refers to the position where the first door 30A opens the first opening portion 22A, for example, the position where the first door 30A rotates relative to the first housing portion 20A to an angle of more than 30 degrees. The closed position is the position where the first door 30A closes the first opening portion 22A (the first door 30A covers the first opening portion 22A), for example, the position where the angle of the first door 30A relative to the first housing portion 20A is 0 degrees. Further, when the first door 30A opens in the right direction, the connection between the hinge at the left end portion of the first housing portion 20A and the first door 30A is released.

[0024] Further, the second door 30B rotates (opens in the left direction) via a hinge provided at the left end portion of the second housing portion 20B, and thus moves between an open position and a closed position with respect to the second opening portion 22B. In addition, when the second door 30B opens in the left direction, the connection between the hinge at the right end portion of the second housing portion 20B and the second door 30B is released.

[0025] And Figure 1 The third door 30C of [] is a pull-out type. Specifically, a third door container 33C is provided in the third housing portion 20C, and the third door container 33C can move in and out (can be pulled out) back and forth with respect to the third housing portion 20C. And the third door 30C is a plate member mounted on the front surface of the third door container 33C. By the third door container 33C moving in and out back and forth with respect to the third opening portion 22C, the third door 30C moves between an open position and a closed position with respect to the third opening portion 22C. The open position of the third door 30C refers to the position when the third door container 33C is pulled out from the third housing portion 20C to the maximum extent. The closed position of the third door 30C refers to the position when the third door container 33C is completely housed in the third housing portion 20C and the third door 30C covers the third opening portion 22C.

[0026] The structures in which the first door 30A, the second door 30B, and the third door 30C are respectively used to open and close the first opening portion 22A, the second opening portion 22B, and the third opening portion 22C are not limited to the above-described left-right opening type and pull-out type. For example, the first door 30A, the second door 30B, and the third door 30C can be configured in any combination of a right-opening type that can only rotate to the right, a left-opening type that can only rotate to the left, a double-opening type (French door), or a pull-out type, etc.

[0027] Figure 1 The first housing portion 20A of [] has a first door sensor 24A and a first lighting portion 26A. The first door sensor 24A detects whether the first door 30A has opened the first housing portion 20A. The first door sensor 24A is, for example, a mechanical contact switch. As Figure 1As shown, when the first door 30A opens the first storage section 20A, the first door 30A separates from the first door sensor 24A. When the first door 30A moves away from the first door sensor 24A (for example, when the contact switch is not pressed), the first door sensor 24A detects that the first door 30A has opened the first storage section 20A. In addition, the first door sensor 24A can also be a magnetic contact sensor, a pressure-sensitive contact sensor, or the like. Additionally, Figure 1 The first door sensor 24A of Figure 1 is provided on both the frame at the right end of the first storage section 20A and the frame at the left end of the first storage section 20A. By providing the first door sensor 24A at both the left and right ends, thus, regardless of whether the first door 30A rotates in the right direction or the left direction, the first door sensor 24A can detect that the first door 30A has opened the first storage section 20A.

[0028] The first lighting section 26A irradiates the interior of the first storage section 20A. The first lighting section 26A is a light device (an in-box light) including a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), for example. The first lighting section 26A irradiates the interior of the first storage section 20A during the period when the first door 30A opens the first storage section 20A. That is, when the first door 30A separates from the first door sensor 24A, the first lighting section 26A lights up.

[0029] Similar to the first storage section 20A, the second storage section 20B has a second door sensor 24B and a second lighting section 26B. Additionally, the third storage section 20C has a third door sensor 24C and a third lighting section 26C. The configurations and operations of the second door sensor 24B, the second lighting section 26B, the third door sensor 24C, and the third lighting section 26C are the same as those of the first door sensor 24A and the first lighting section 26A, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0030] Figure 1 The first door 30A of Figure 1 has a first door control section 32A, a first imaging section 34A, and a first acceleration sensor 35A. The first door control section 32A controls the first imaging section 34A. The first door control section 32A is a device having a storage device such as a RAM and a processor (such as a CPU) that executes the program stored in the storage device, for example.

[0031] The first imaging unit 34A is a device for receiving power and performing imaging, and is capable of imaging the interior of the first housing unit 20A. The first imaging unit 34A is, for example, a device including a camera. The first imaging unit 34A is disposed on the back surface of the first door 30A. The first imaging unit 34A is configured such that the entire first housing unit 20A, or a region set as an imaging object within the first housing unit 20A, is within the field of view angle. In addition, the first imaging unit 34A may also be a device including a camera using a lens such as a wide-angle lens or a fish-eye lens that can image a wide range of regions beyond the naked eye. Further, if a reflecting mirror or the like is disposed in the first housing unit 20A, the first imaging unit 34A may also image a part including the interior of the first door pocket 33A. The first imaging unit 34A preferably can image at least one of a still image and a moving image, and can image both a still image and a moving image.

[0032] The first acceleration sensor 35A detects the acceleration of the first door 30A. In other words, the acceleration of the operation of opening or closing the first door 30A is detected by the first acceleration sensor 35A. For example, the first acceleration sensor 35A may be a linear acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor, or a combination of a linear acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. In addition, although a gyro sensor is a sensor that detects the angular velocity of a rotational motion, in a rotational motion, a force that changes the motion direction of an object acts, that is, an acceleration is generated. Therefore, hereinafter, the gyro sensor and the linear acceleration sensor are collectively referred to as acceleration sensors. And hereinafter, the combination of the linear acceleration detected by the linear acceleration sensor in the linear direction and the angular velocity detected by the gyro sensor, that is, the detection amount indicating the movement of the first door 30A is collectively referred to as acceleration.

[0033] Similar to the first door 30A, the second door 30B has a second door control unit 32B, a second imaging unit 34B, and a second acceleration sensor 35B. In addition, the third door 30C has a third door control unit 32C, a third imaging unit 34C, and a third acceleration sensor 35C. The configurations and operations of the second door control unit 32B, the second imaging unit 34B, the second acceleration sensor 35B, the third door control unit 32C, the third imaging unit 34C, and the third acceleration sensor 35C are the same as those of the first door control unit 32A, the first imaging unit 34A, and the first acceleration sensor 35A, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0034] Use Figure 1 、 Figure 2 will be described for the case where the first housing unit 20A, the second housing unit 20B, and the third housing unit 20C are collectively referred to as the housing unit 20. Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the housing unit 20 and the door 30. As Figure 2As shown, corresponding first door 30A, second door 30B, and third door 30C are respectively present in the first housing portion 20A, second housing portion 20B, and third housing portion 20C. And, by moving the first door 30A, second door 30B, and third door 30C relative to the first opening 22A, second opening 22B, and third opening 22C respectively, the first housing portion 20A, second housing portion 20B, and third housing portion 20C are opened and closed. The first housing portion 20A, second housing portion 20B, and third housing portion 20C are slightly different in shape, but the structure of being opened and closed by the corresponding door 30 is common. That is, the structures of the first housing portion 20A, second housing portion 20B, and third housing portion 20C are substantially the same. Therefore, hereinafter, unless otherwise specifically distinguished, the name of the housing portion 20 is used for description. Similarly, for elements that exist in multiple numbers, unless specifically distinguished, the names of the door sensor 24, lighting unit 26, door 30, door control unit 32, imaging unit 34, and acceleration sensor 35 are used for description. Next, Figure 3 The configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be further described. Figure 3 FIG. is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the refrigerator 10. The power supply unit 14 is connected to the main body control unit 16, the cooling unit 18, and the housing unit 20. The power supply unit 14 supplies power to the main body control unit 16, the cooling unit 18, and the housing unit 20. In addition, the power supply unit 14 supplies power to the door sensor 24 and the lighting unit 26 through the housing unit 20.

[0035] The power supply unit 14 is also connected to the door power switch 31. The door power switch 31 is provided on the power transmission line (such as a cable) connecting the power supply unit 14 and the door 30, and is a switch for switching the supply (ON) and cut-off (OFF) of power. Preferably, the door power switch 31 can switch the supply and cut-off of power according to the state of the door 30. The door power switch 31 can be, for example, a unit including a FET (Field Effect Transistor), a relay, etc. The door power switch 31 switches the supply and cut-off of power between the power supply unit 14 and the door 30, thereby switching the supply and cut-off of power to the electrical devices (such as the door control unit 32, imaging unit 34, acceleration sensor 35, etc.) provided on the door 30. In addition, instead of the door power switch 31, the supply power to the lighting unit 26 can be branched and supplied to the door 30. Also, the supply power to the lighting unit 26 can be branched and supplied to the door 30 to replace the door power switch 31. In addition, the door power switch 31 can also switch the supply and cut-off only for specific electrical devices. For example, power can be supplied and cut off only to the imaging unit 34.

[0036] As Figure 3As shown, the door control unit 32 includes a posture determination unit 36, a timer 37, a storage unit 38, and a communication unit 39. The storage unit 38 is a storage device such as a RAM that contains a program for regulating the operation of the door control unit 32 and stores various data. The storage unit 38 can also store the image data captured by the imaging unit 34.

[0037] The posture determination unit 36 determines the posture of the door 30 relative to the housing unit 20. The posture determination unit 36 is, for example, a microcomputer capable of communicating with the door control unit 32. Alternatively, a part of the program stored in the storage unit 38 can also function as the posture determination unit 36.

[0038] The timer 37 measures the elapsed time from the timing specified by the door control unit 32. The timer 37 is, for example, a unit including a crystal oscillator and a counter that counts the number of oscillations of the crystal oscillator.

[0039] The communication unit 39 is a unit capable of communicating with an external device independent of the refrigerator 10. The communication unit 39 is, for example, a wireless communication unit capable of transmitting data to a network (such as the Internet) via a wireless access point or the like. The communication unit 39 is particularly preferably capable of transmitting the in-box image created by imaging the interior of the housing unit 20 by the imaging unit 34 to an external device.

[0040] Next, with reference to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 An example of the flow of operations performed in the refrigerator 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations of the refrigerator 10. First, during the operation of the refrigerator 10 (start), in step S11, the detection signal based on the door sensor 24 is periodically confirmed. Alternatively, when the detection signal of the door sensor 24 changes, the main body control unit 16 is requested to perform an interrupt process.

[0041] In step S11, it is confirmed whether the door sensor 24 has detected that the door 30 has opened the housing unit 20 (the door 30 has opened). If the door 30 is not opened (in step S11, "No"), the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (end) until the detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed next. In addition, in the standby state, the refrigerator 10 cools the housing unit 20 by the cooling unit 18 and maintains it at an appropriate temperature.

[0042] When the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 opens the housing part 20 (Yes in step S11), in step S12, the power supply unit 14 supplies power to the door 30 via the door power switch 31. By supplying power to the door 30, power is also supplied to the imaging unit 34. For example, the door sensor 24 and the door power switch 31 can be linked so that when the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 opens the housing part 20 (for example, when the contact switch is not pressed), the door power switch 31 becomes the supply state (ON). Alternatively, when the detection signal from the door sensor 24 is sent to the main body control unit 16 and the detection signal indicates the open state of the door 30, the main body control unit 16 can send an instruction to switch the door power switch 31 to the supply state.

[0043] Next, in step S13, the imaging unit 34 starts imaging. The image (captured image) captured by the imaging unit 34 is stored in the storage unit 38. The captured image can be still image data or moving image data. The moving image data is data obtained by aggregating a plurality of still image data in time series.

[0044] Then, in step S14, the posture determination unit 36 determines whether the posture of the door 30 relative to the housing part 20 is a preset imaging posture. At the time of imaging in step S13, the door 30 is not limited to the closed posture, so the captured image of the imaging unit 34 sometimes does not become an image of the inside of the housing part 20, that is, an image of the inside of the box. By determining whether the posture of the door 30 is the imaging posture in step S14, it is also determined whether the captured image is an image of the inside of the box.

[0045] The imaging posture refers to the posture of the door 30 that is determined to be suitable for imaging an image of the inside of the box. The imaging posture can be, for example, the closed posture in which the door 30 closes the housing part 20. Alternatively, the imaging posture can also be set to a posture between the open posture and the closed posture in which the door 30 opens the housing part 20. Particularly preferably, the posture of the door 30 just before reaching the closed posture (just before closing), that is, a posture closer to the closed posture than the open posture, is set as the imaging posture. As an example, in the case of a structure in which the door 30 rotates relative to the housing part 20 (such as the structure of the first door 30A and the second door 30B), a posture in which the angle of the door 30 relative to the housing part 20 is 10 degrees or less (≤10°) can be set as the imaging posture. Additionally, as another example, in the case of a structure in which the door 30 moves back and forth relative to the housing part 20 (such as the structure of the third door 30C), a posture in which the distance between the door 30 and the housing part 20 is 5 cm or less can be set as the imaging posture.

[0046] In Figure 4In step S14, the posture determination unit 36 determines whether the door 30 is in the shooting posture based on the captured image. Specifically, in the captured image, when the lighting unit 26 that irradiates the inside of the storage unit 20 is reflected at a preset predicted position, the posture determination unit 36 determines that the door 30 is in the shooting posture.

[0047] The preset predicted position means: when the storage unit 20 is photographed by the photographing unit 34 of the door 30 in the shooting state, the position where the lighting unit 26 is predicted to be reflected in the captured image. The predicted position is determined by the relative positions between the photographing unit 34 and the lighting unit 26 when the door 30 is in the shooting posture. For example, the predicted position can be calculated based on conditions such as the sizes of the storage unit 20 and the door 30, the positions where the lighting unit 26 and the photographing unit 34 are arranged, and the distance between the door 30 and the storage unit 20 in the shooting posture. Alternatively, it is also possible to actually place the door 30 in the shooting posture and attempt to photograph with the photographing unit 34, and determine the predicted position based on the captured image obtained through the attempt.

[0048] The predicted position can be set as a numerical range with a certain degree of width according to the size and arrangement of the lighting unit 26 and the assumed error magnitude. For example, assuming that the entire captured image has a size of 500 pixels horizontally and 1000 pixels vertically, it is predicted that the lighting unit 26 is reflected in the center of the upper end portion in the captured image with a size of 10 pixels horizontally and 5 pixels vertically. The predicted position can also consider the error. As an example, it can be set within a numerical range such as a range from 240 to 260 pixels from the left end of the captured image and from 0 to 10 pixels from the upper end. The predicted position can be set for each model of the refrigerator 10. In addition, for multiple storage units 20 (the first storage unit 20A, the second storage unit 20B, the third storage unit 20C), appropriate predicted positions can also be set respectively.

[0049] The posture determination unit 36 determines whether the lighting unit 26 is reflected within the range of the predicted position in the captured image. The determination of whether the lighting unit 26 is reflected is performed, for example, through image recognition processing on the data of the captured image. In the image recognition processing, for example, it is determined whether the data representing the characteristics of the lighting unit 26, such as a specific color or shape, is included within the predicted position range.

[0050] As data representing the characteristics of the lighting unit 26, for example, the value of brightness is used. The lighting unit 26 irradiates the inside of the storage unit 20 while the door 30 is open to accommodate the storage unit 20. Therefore, if the posture immediately before the door 30 is about to assume the closed posture is set as the shooting posture, the lighting unit 26 reflected in the captured image emits light. For example, if the value of the brightness of the pixels included in the range of the predicted position is above the threshold for determining a light-emitting body, the posture determination unit 36 can determine that the lighting unit 26 is reflected within the range of the predicted position. Generally, in the refrigerator 10, the only object that emits light inside the storage unit 20 is the lighting unit 26. Therefore, the posture determination unit 36 can easily distinguish the lighting unit 26 from the parts other than the lighting unit 26 in the captured image.

[0051] In addition, even when the lighting unit 26 is in a non-light-emitting state, the posture determination unit 36 can detect the position of the lighting unit 26. For example, the posture determination unit 36 can also detect the position of the lighting unit 26 by calculating the contour of the object in the captured image based on the magnitude of the color change in the captured image and comparing the calculated contour with the contour data of the lighting unit 26 stored in advance.

[0052] In the case where the lighting unit 26 is not confirmed to be reflected in the predicted position by the posture determination unit 36 ( "No" in step S14), the door control unit 32 causes the imaging unit 34 to continue imaging (returns to step S13).

[0053] When it is determined that the lighting unit 26 is reflected in the predicted position ( "Yes" in step S14), the posture determination unit 36 determines that the door 30 is in the shooting posture. The door controller 32 stores the captured image when the door 30 is in the shooting posture as an in-box image of the inside of the storage unit 20 in the storage unit 38. The in-box image is, for example, still image data captured by the imaging unit 34 at the moment when the door 30 is in the shooting posture. For example, when it is determined that the door 30 is in the shooting posture, the door control unit 32 can cause the imaging unit 34 to perform imaging and store the captured image as an in-box image.

[0054] In addition, when the shooting posture is set to the closing posture of the door 30 (the state where the door 30 closes the housing portion 20), the shooting unit 34 can also take a picture by irradiating the inside of the housing portion 20 with auxiliary lighting (such as a flash) attached to the door 30. Further, the posture determination unit 36 can determine whether the maximum brightness and the average brightness of the captured image are below a specified value, and store the image that becomes below the specified value and the image captured immediately before, that is, the image before the lighting unit 26 is about to go out, as an in-box image of the inside of the housing portion 20 in the storage unit 38. Alternatively, instead of immediately turning off the lighting unit 26 when the housing portion 20 is closed (the door 30 is in the closed state), the lighting state of the lighting unit 26 can be maintained for a period of time (such as 5 seconds) after the housing portion 20 is closed. If the lighting state of the lighting unit 26 is maintained for a period of time after the door 30 reaches the closed position, the shooting unit 34 can take a picture of the inside of the closed housing portion 20 without auxiliary lighting.

[0055] In addition, when the shooting posture is set to the closing posture of the door 30 (the state where the door 30 closes the housing portion 20), the door power switch 31 can also supply power to the door 30 within a specified time (such as 1 second) after detecting the closing of the door 30. Alternatively, the electrical equipment provided on the door 30 can be made to have a power storage function. Thereby, after the door 30 is closed, the electrical equipment provided on the door 30 can also be temporarily operated.

[0056] Alternatively, information (flag) indicating the attribute of the in-box image can be given to the data corresponding to the in-box image in the captured images already stored in the storage unit 38. In addition, the still image data obtained by intercepting the image at the moment when the door 30 becomes the shooting posture in the moving image data captured by the shooting unit 34 can also be stored as an in-box image.

[0057] Then, in step S15, the door control unit 32 sends the shooting data of the in-box image to an external device through the communication unit 39. The external device can be, for example, a server on the network. The in-box image sent to the server can preferably be viewed by the user of the refrigerator 10 through the network. After the shooting data is sent to the external device, the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (ended) until the detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed next.

[0058] According to Figure 4When the door 30 is in the actual photographing position, the image captured is stored and transmitted as an in-box image of the interior of the storage section 20. The photographing position is a position suitable for photographing the in-box image, such as when the door 30 is determined to be closed or about to be closed. Therefore, the data correctly capturing the interior of the storage section 20 is stored as the in-box image. That is, the refrigerator 10 can appropriately record the in-box image according to the opening and closing state of the door 30. In addition, when the in-box image is transmitted to an external device, the user of the refrigerator 10 can know the internal state of the storage section 20 by confirming the in-box image transmitted to the external device even at a remote location away from the refrigerator 10. In particular, when the in-box image is transmitted to the server, as long as the user can access the network, the user can know the internal state of the storage section 20 from anywhere, which is highly convenient.

[0059] In addition, the door control unit 32 does not communicate with the main body control unit 16, but determines the posture of the door 30 and records the in-box image. Therefore, it does not affect the control of the cooling unit 18 and the like by the main body control unit 16. Thus, no problem occurs in the control of cooling the storage section 20 by the cooling unit 18 and the like through the processing related to the in-box image.

[0060] In addition, since the door control unit 32 does not communicate with the main body control unit 16, designers of the refrigerator 10 and the like can easily add the function of recording the in-box image to the existing refrigerator 10. That is, as long as designers and the like replace the door 30 of the refrigerator 10 without the function of recording the in-box image with a door 30 having a door control unit 32 that performs Figure 4 the action, the function of recording the in-box image can be added to the refrigerator 10. In addition, multiple components such as the door control unit 32 and the photographing unit 34 for executing the function of recording the in-box image can also be integrated and modularized. Designers and the like can add the function of recording the in-box image to the refrigerator 10 only by installing a module including the door control unit 32 and the photographing unit 34 on the door 30 of the refrigerator 10 without the function of recording the in-box image. Moreover, when designers and the like add functions such as when replacing the door 30 or installing the module, communication settings between the main body control unit 16 and the door control unit 32 are not required.

[0061] In addition, when the door 30 is detected to open the storage section 20 by the door sensor 24 (when the door 30 is opened), the power supply unit 14 supplies power to the photographing unit 34. Therefore, power is not supplied to the photographing unit 34 during the period when the door 30 is closed. Therefore, the photographing unit 34 does not consume power during the period when the door 30 is closed, reducing the power consumption.

[0062] In addition, when the shooting posture is set to a posture closer to the closed posture than the open posture, especially the posture just before the door 30 is about to reach the closed posture (just before closing), an image inside the storage section 20 is taken just before the storage section 20 is completely closed. Generally, in the refrigerator 10, during the period until the storage section 20 is closed (the period when the door sensor 24 detects the open state), the lighting section 26 irradiates the inside of the storage section 20. Therefore, even if there is no additional auxiliary lighting for irradiating the inside of the storage section 20 on the door 30, the imaging section 34 can take a clear image inside the box, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 10. Moreover, if there is no auxiliary lighting on the door 30, only the lighting section 26 emits light in the refrigerator 10 during the period when the storage section 20 is open, and the user of the refrigerator 10 does not have to visually recognize the light from various directions, which is highly comfortable. In addition, when the door 30 is in the closed posture, the distance between the stored items in the storage section 20 and the imaging section 34 becomes closer. Therefore, if an image inside the box is taken in the closed posture, the stored items close to the imaging section 34 are reflected larger, which may result in an inconvenient image inside the box for the user. Therefore, compared with taking an image inside the box in the closed posture, taking an image inside the box in a shooting posture between the open posture and the closed posture is more likely to obtain an image inside the box that is highly convenient for the user.

[0063] In addition, as a reference for the posture determination unit 36 to determine the shooting posture, an index body (mark) other than the lighting section 26 may be arranged inside the storage section 20. The posture determination unit 36 may also use the index body instead of the lighting section 26 to determine the posture of the door 30. Specifically, the posture determination unit 36 may determine that the door 30 is in the shooting posture when the index body is reflected at a predicted position preset in the captured image. The predicted position of the index body is set separately from the predicted position of the lighting section 26. In addition, when a plurality of index bodies are arranged, predicted positions are set corresponding to each index body. Even if it is not confirmed that the lighting section 26 is reflected at the predicted position, as long as any one of the index bodies is reflected at the predicted position, it may be determined that the door 30 is in the shooting posture. The index body preferably has a preset shape or color for easy image recognition processing. For example, the index body is difficult to be hidden by the stored items (such as food ingredients) in the storage section 20 and may be arranged on the top surface of the storage section 20, the front surface of the shelf provided inside the storage section 20, etc. If the index body is provided inside the storage section 20, it is easy to determine the shooting posture even when there are many stored items (such as food ingredients) in the storage section 20. For example, when there are many stored items, the lighting section 26 is hidden by the stored items, and sometimes the lighting section 26 cannot be reflected in the captured image. If the index body can be used instead of the lighting section 26 to determine the posture of the door 30, the posture determination unit 36 can determine the posture of the door 30 even when the lighting section 26 is not reflected in the captured image.

[0064] Next, with reference to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 to describe the control for recording the image inside the box when the elapsed time since the door 30 was opened exceeds the limit time. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing another example of the process of the operation of the refrigerator 10. First, during the operation of the refrigerator 10 (start), in step S21, the detection signal based on the door sensor 24 is periodically confirmed. Alternatively, when the detection signal of the door sensor 24 changes, the main body control unit 16 is requested to perform an interruption process.

[0065] In step S21, it is confirmed whether the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 has opened the storage section 20 (the door 30 has been opened). When the door 30 is not opened (in step S21, "No"), the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (end) until the detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed next.

[0066] When the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 has opened the storage section 20 (in step S21, "Yes"), in step S22, the power supply unit 14 supplies power to the door 30 via the door power switch 31. By supplying power to the door 30, power is also supplied to the imaging unit 34.

[0067] When the power supply to the imaging unit 34 starts, the door control unit 32 uses the timer 37 in step S23 to start measuring the elapsed time since the start of power supply (start of timing). Then, in step S24, the imaging unit 34 starts imaging.

[0068] Then, in step S25, the posture determination unit 36 determines whether the lighting unit 26 is reflected at the predicted position in the captured image. When it is determined by the posture determination unit 36 that the lighting unit 26 is reflected at the predicted position (in step S25, "Yes"), the door control unit 32 determines that the door 30 is in the imaging posture, and stores the captured image as an image inside the storage section 20, the in-box image, in the storage unit 38.

[0069] On the other hand, when it is not confirmed that the lighting unit 26 is reflected at the predicted position (in step S25, "No"), the door control unit 32 determines in step S26 whether the elapsed time measured by the timer 37 exceeds a preset limit time. The limit time is set as the maximum time assumed as the continuous opening time of the storage section 20 in the normal use environment of the refrigerator 10 (for example, 10 minutes).

[0070] When the elapsed time does not exceed the limit time (No in step S26), the door control unit 32 causes the imaging unit 34 to continue imaging (returns to step S24). When the elapsed time exceeds the limit time (Yes in step S26), the door control unit 32 causes the imaging unit 34 to perform imaging in step S27, and stores the captured image as an in-box image in the storage unit 38.

[0071] When it is determined that the illumination unit 26 is reflected at the predicted position, or when the elapsed time exceeds the limit time, after the in-box image is stored in the storage unit 38, the door control unit 32 proceeds to step S28. In step S28, the door control unit 32 transmits the captured data of the in-box image to an external device through the communication unit 39. After the captured data is transmitted to the external device, the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (ends) until the detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed next.

[0072] According to Figure 5 the operation, even if the illumination unit 26 is not confirmed to be reflected at the predicted position in the captured image, when the elapsed time from the opening of the door 30 exceeds the limit time, the image captured by the imaging unit 34 is recorded and transmitted as an in-box image. For example, even when there are many items stored in the storage unit 20 and the illumination unit 26 is hidden, or when the camera lens of the imaging unit 34 is blurred and the illumination unit 26 cannot be correctly captured, etc., the in-box image is recorded and transmitted.

[0073] When it is determined that the illumination unit 26 is reflected at the predicted position and when the elapsed time exceeds the limit time, the attributes of the captured data can also be changed. By the user confirming the in-box image and attributes sent to the external device, the user can know that the captured image is an image that has exceeded the elapsed time. For example, the user can know that there are many items stored in the storage unit 20 and the illumination unit 26 is hidden, or that the camera lens of the imaging unit 34 is fogged up and the shooting conditions are not normal. The user who has confirmed the in-box image can tidy up the storage unit 20 or strengthen the countermeasures against condensation of the camera lens, etc., so as to eliminate the situation where the in-box image cannot be correctly captured. That is, by recording and transmitting the in-box image when the elapsed time since the opening of the door 30 exceeds the limit time, the user can grasp the situation where the in-box image cannot be correctly captured in the storage unit 20 and the door 30. And the user can respond to the situation that occurs in the storage unit 20 and the door 30.

[0074] Next, with reference to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 6 ,the control for the posture determination unit 36 to determine the posture of the door 30 based on the acceleration of the door 30 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation process of the refrigerator 10.

[0075] First, during the operation (start) of the refrigerator 10, in step S31, the detection signal based on the door sensor 24 is periodically confirmed. Alternatively, when the detection signal of the door sensor 24 changes, the main body control unit 16 is requested to perform an interruption process.

[0076] In step S31, it is confirmed whether the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 has opened the storage section 20 (the door 30 has opened). When the door 30 is not opened (in step S31, "no"), the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (end) until the next detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed.

[0077] When the door sensor 24 detects that the door 30 has opened the storage section 20 (in step S31, "yes"), in step S32, the power supply unit 14 supplies power to the door 30 via the door power switch 31. By supplying power to the door 30, power is also supplied to the imaging unit 34.

[0078] When power supply to the imaging unit 34 starts, in step S33, the posture determination unit 36 stores the acceleration (magnitude and vector direction) of the door 30 detected by the acceleration sensor 35 as the first acceleration in the storage unit 38. Since the first acceleration is detected when power supply to the imaging unit 34 starts (i.e., when the door 30 is opened), it becomes a vector in the direction away from the storage section 20.

[0079] Then, in step S34, the posture determination unit 36 determines whether it detects the stop of the door 30 moving in the direction of the first acceleration (moving in the direction away from the storage section 20). The detection of the stop of the door 30, in addition to detecting that the speed of the door 30 becomes 0, can also be when the acceleration vector of the door 30 is detected in the direction opposite to the first acceleration and then the acceleration value converges to a value below a specified value. When the stop of the door 30 is not detected (in step S34, "no"), the posture determination unit 36 continues the acceleration detection of the acceleration sensor 35 (returns to step S33).

[0080] When the stop of the door 30 is detected (in step S34, "yes"), the posture determination unit 36 proceeds to step S35 and detects the acceleration of the door 30 again. In step S36, the posture determination unit 36 determines whether the acceleration detected after the stop of the door 30 is a vector in the direction opposite to the first acceleration.

[0081] If the acceleration detected after the door 30 stops is not a vector in the direction opposite to the first acceleration ("No" in step S36), the posture determination unit 36 continues to detect the acceleration of the acceleration sensor 35 (returns to step S35). In addition, the case where the acceleration detected after the door 30 stops is not a vector in the direction opposite to the first acceleration means, for example, the case where the user opens the door 30 wider after opening it halfway.

[0082] When it is detected that the acceleration detected after the door 30 stops is a vector in the direction opposite to the first acceleration ("Yes" in step S36), the posture determination unit 36 stores the acceleration of the door 30 when starting to move in the direction opposite to the first acceleration as the second acceleration in the storage unit 38. The second acceleration becomes a vector in the direction opposite to the first acceleration in the direction away from the housing unit 20, that is, a vector in the direction approaching the housing unit 20.

[0083] Then, in step S37, the posture determination unit 36 uses the acceleration sensor 35 to determine whether the stop of the door 30 moving in the direction of the second acceleration (moving in the direction approaching the housing unit 20) is detected. When the stop of the door 30 is not detected ("No" in step S37), the posture determination unit 36 continues to detect the acceleration until the stop is detected (repeats step S37).

[0084] When the door 30 moving in the second acceleration direction stops ("Yes" in step S37), the posture determination unit 36 determines that the door 30 is in the shooting posture. That is, the posture determination unit 36 determines the posture when the door 30 moving in the second acceleration direction is regarded as stopped as the shooting posture.

[0085] In addition, for the detection of the stop of the door 30, in addition to detecting that the speed of the door 30 becomes 0, it may also be when the direction of the acceleration vector of the door 30 is the same as the first acceleration and an acceleration above a specified threshold is detected.

[0086] Since as the door 30 approaches the closed posture, the speed in the direction approaching the housing unit 20 decreases rapidly, the acceleration vector of the door 30 becomes in the direction away from the housing unit 20. When the posture approaching the closed posture (the posture just before closing) is set as the shooting posture, it is considered that the acceleration of the door 30 in the shooting posture is above a specified value in the direction of the first acceleration. Therefore, assuming that the second acceleration temporarily decreases after the second acceleration is detected in the door 30, and then, when the first acceleration above the specified threshold is detected, it is considered that the door 30 is in the shooting state. The acceleration threshold can be calculated in advance according to the size, mass, etc. of the door 30. Or, for example, the designer of the refrigerator 10 or the like can actually open and close the door 30 and determine the threshold by measuring the acceleration in the shooting posture (when closing).

[0087] In addition, in a general refrigerator, in order to improve the airtightness of the door, many doors are equipped with a gasket with a magnet, and sometimes it will accelerate slightly in the direction approaching the storage part 20 before the door is about to close. When the direction of this acceleration changes, that is, when the second acceleration temporarily decreases after the second acceleration is detected, and the first acceleration is detected after the subsequent increase behavior following the second acceleration, the door 30 can be stopped.

[0088] When the stop of the door 30 is detected in step S37, that is, when the door 30 is in the shooting posture, in step S38, the door controller 32 causes the shooting part 34 to perform shooting. And the door control part 32 stores the captured image as an in-box image of the interior of the storage part 20 in the storage part 38.

[0089] Then, in step S39, the door control part 32 sends the shooting data of the in-box image to an external device through the communication part 39. After the shooting data is sent to the external device, the refrigerator 10 is in a standby state (ended) until the detection signal of the door sensor 24 is confirmed next.

[0090] According to Figure 6 the above operation, the posture determination part 36 can determine the posture of the door 30 regardless of the state inside the storage part 20. Therefore, even when the lighting part 26 is not provided in the storage part 20, or when the stored items hide the lighting part 26, etc., the door control part 32 can correctly record and send the in-box image in the state where the door 30 approaches the storage part 20 (shooting posture).

[0091] In addition, since the determination is made using the second acceleration in the direction opposite to the first acceleration when the door 30 is opened (power is supplied to the shooting part 34 of the door 30), the posture determination part 36 does not need to change the processing content according to the moving direction of the door 30. For example, in the double-opening first door 30A and second door 30B, regardless of whether the first door 30A and second door 30B rotate in the left direction or the right direction, the posture determination part 36 can determine the posture of the door 30 through common processing.

[0092] In addition, when the posture determination part 36 uses the acceleration sensor 35 to determine the posture of the door 30, it is also possible to record and send the image captured by the shooting part 34 as an in-box image when the elapsed time since the door 30 was opened exceeds the limit time.

[0093] In addition, instead of causing the imaging unit 34 to perform imaging at the time point when it is determined that the door 30 assumes the imaging posture, the door control unit 32 may also predict the time point when the door 30 assumes the imaging posture and cause the imaging unit 34 to perform imaging. For example, the door control unit 32 continuously detects the direction and value of the acceleration since the door 30 is detected to be opened through the acceleration sensor 35 and performs integration, thereby being able to calculate the current position and moving speed of the door. Based on this information, the position and time point when the door 30 assumes the imaging posture can be predicted.

[0094] In addition, when the imaging unit 34 is capable of imaging a moving image, the door control unit 32 can also predict the timing (the time point when the door 30 assumes the imaging posture) at which imaging should be performed based on the moving image data. For example, for a specific target object (such as the lighting unit 26) within the storage unit 20, if the closing operation of the door 30 is fast, the target object in the moving image data also moves quickly. Therefore, the door controller 32 can calculate the closing movement speed of the door 30 based on the movement of the target object in the moving image data. And if the closing operation of the door 30 is fast, the door control unit 32 can set the time until the imaging unit 34 performs imaging of the image inside the box to be shorter (make the imaging timing earlier). On the other hand, if the closing operation of the door 30 is slow, the door control unit 32 can set the time until the imaging unit 34 performs imaging of the image inside the box to be longer (postpone the imaging timing).

[0095] As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist. In the accompanying drawings, each component is schematically shown as a main body for easy understanding, and for convenience of drawing, the thickness, length, number, interval, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may be different from the actual ones. In addition, the materials, shapes, sizes, etc. of the components shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes can be made without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention.

[0096] Industrial Applicability The present invention provides a refrigerator, and the present invention has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: The device comprises a storage part for storing the storage object, a door for opening and closing the storage part, and a power supply part. The storage unit has a door sensor that detects whether the door is open. The door includes a camera capable of photographing the interior of the storage unit and a door control unit for controlling the camera. When the door sensor detects that the door has opened the storage unit, the power supply unit supplies power to the imaging unit. The door control unit has a posture determination unit that determines the posture of the door relative to the storage unit. When the posture of the door determined by the posture determination unit becomes a preset shooting posture, the image captured by the shooting unit is stored as an in-box image captured inside the storage unit.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing portion further includes a lighting portion for illuminating the interior of the housing portion. The posture determination unit determines that the door is in the imaging posture when the lighting unit is reflected at a preset predicted position in the image captured by the imaging unit.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door also has an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the door. The posture determination unit determines the posture of the door based on the acceleration of the door detected by the acceleration sensor.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The posture determination unit sets the acceleration of the door detected by the acceleration sensor when the power supply unit starts supplying power to the imaging unit as a first acceleration, the posture determination unit sets the acceleration of the door when the door stops moving in the direction of the first acceleration and then starts moving in the direction opposite to the direction of the first acceleration as the second acceleration, The posture determination unit determines, as the imaging posture, a posture of the door when the door moving in the direction of the second acceleration is regarded as being stopped.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door control unit further includes a timer for measuring the time from when the power supply unit starts supplying power to the imaging unit. When the time measured by the timer exceeds a preset time limit, the image captured by the imaging unit is stored as the in-box image.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door moves between an open position that opens the receiving portion and a closed position that closes the receiving portion, The photographing posture is set to be closer to the closed posture than the open posture.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door control unit further includes a communication unit capable of transmitting the interior image of the box to an external device.

Images