Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that operates during cooling operation, and updates software at timing when a compressor stops during the cooling operation.SOLUTION: A first region 27a and a second region 27b are provided in a main memory 27 in a control microcomputer 26 that controls a refrigerator; operation software 29 that operates the refrigerator is stored in the first region 27a; when update information is acquired from the outside, update software 30 containing the update information is written in the second region 27b; and at a specific timing, the control microcomputer 26 is switched from the first region 27a to the second region 27b and operates with the update software 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator whose control software is updatable. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which control software is updated before defrosting, and the update is performed while cooling is stopped before defrosting begins. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-34204 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a refrigerator that operates during cooling operation and updates software when the compressor stops during the cooling operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The refrigerator according to the present disclosure includes a control microcomputer that controls the refrigerator, and a main memory in the control microcomputer is treated as having two virtual areas (a first area and a second area) through software processing, and operating software for operating the refrigerator is stored in the first area, and when update information is obtained from an external source, update software including the update information is written in the second area, and at a specific timing, the control microcomputer is switched from the first area to the second area and operates with the update software. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In the refrigerator according to the present disclosure, software updates are performed when the compressor is stopped during cooling operation, so that software updates can be performed while cooling the storage compartment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] External perspective view of a refrigerator [Diagram 2] Schematic diagram of a refrigerator [Diagram 3] System configuration diagram of the first embodiment [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the process of the first embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, more detailed explanation than necessary will be omitted.

[0009] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) 1 and 2, refrigerator 1 is composed of an outer box 2 made of metal (e.g., iron plate) that opens at the front, an inner box 3 made of hard resin (e.g., ABS), and a heat insulating material 4 such as hard foamed urethane that is foamed and filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. Vacuum heat insulating material 4a that is configured by sealing a core material with an outer covering material made of a metal film such as an aluminum sheet is embedded in the heat insulating material 4 to enhance its heat insulating properties.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 has a plurality of storage compartments formed by partitions inside. These storage compartments are, from the top of the refrigerator 1, a refrigerator compartment 5, a switchable compartment 6 located below the refrigerator compartment 5, an ice-making compartment 7 arranged alongside the switchable compartment 6, a freezer compartment 8 located below the switchable compartment 6 and the ice-making compartment 7, and a vegetable compartment 9 located below the freezer compartment 8. The front of the refrigerator compartment 5 is closed by a double door 10 that can be opened and closed freely, and the front parts of the switchable compartment 6, the ice-making compartment 7, the freezer compartment 8, and the vegetable compartment 9 are closed by drawer doors 11, 12, and 13 (hereinafter referred to as drawer doors) that can be opened and closed freely.

[0012] Each of the doors 10 to 13 is filled with rigid urethane foam and has vacuum insulation material 4a embedded therein to provide thermal insulation, similar to the refrigerator 1. Also, an illuminance sensor 15 is provided to detect the illuminance of the environment surrounding the refrigerator.

[0013] At the rear of the refrigerator 1, there is a cooling compartment 16, which is provided with a cooler 17 for generating cold air, a blower fan 18 for supplying cold air to each compartment, and a damper (not shown) for adjusting the amount of air flowing into the refrigerator compartment 5. Also, a compressor 19 is provided at the back of the top surface of the main body of the refrigerator 1, and a refrigerant is sealed in a refrigeration cycle that is formed by connecting a condenser (not shown), a heat dissipation pipe 20 for dissipating heat, a capillary tube 21, and the cooler 17 in sequence in a ring shape, to perform a cooling operation.

[0014] In addition, a control board 22 is arranged on the top surface of the outer box 2, and the control board 22 controls the entire refrigerator, such as controlling the temperature sensors (not shown) in each storage compartment, controlling the operation of the blower fan 18, opening and closing of dampers (not shown), and controlling the operation of the compressor 19.

[0015] In addition, a hinge (not shown) that enables the door 10 to be opened and closed is supported on the top surface of the outer box 2, and a wireless communication unit 23 is arranged near the hinge, and wirelessly communicates with a server 25 via a public line 24 such as the Internet.

[0016] The control microcomputer 26 of the control board 22 that controls the refrigerator has a main memory 27, and software processing is carried out as if the main memory 27 had two virtual areas (a first area 27a and a second area 27b).

[0017] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the main parts in control board 22, and shows a state in which operating software 29 for operating the refrigerator is stored in first area 27a, and update software 30 is stored in second area 27b.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of the embodiment.

[0019] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the operation of the control board 22 is controlled by the operating software 29 stored in the first area 27a of the main memory 27 in the control microcomputer 26 (step S101).

[0020] If the server 25 stores update software 30 for the refrigerator 1 (step S102), the server 25 notifies the refrigerator 1 of the presence of the update software 30. If the server 25 determines that the update software 30 is suitable for controlling the refrigerator 1, the server 25 acquires the update software (step S103) and writes the update software to the second area 27b of the main memory 27 (step S104).

[0021] At this time, the refrigerator 1 controls the operation of the control board 22 with the operation software 29 in the first area 27a, while the update software is written to the second area 27b.

[0022] If the software does not match, the update software 30 is not written to the second area 27b, and the operation continues under the control of the operating software in the first area 27a.

[0023] If no problem occurs while writing the software update 30 to the second area 27b (YES in step S105), the process waits until the timing of the update after writing is completed.

[0024] Moreover, if a problem occurs while writing the update software to the second area 27b (step S105, NO), the update software is acquired again.

[0025] Then, while the updated software 30 remains stored in the second area 27b, the refrigerator 1 can continue the cooling operation under the control of the pre-update operating software stored in the first area 27a of the main memory 27 of the control microcomputer 26.

[0026] The operation of compressor 19 is duty-controlled for on / off operation based on a temperature sensor (not shown) in freezer compartment 8, and when the timing for updating comes (Yes in step S106), not during defrosting operation but during normal cooling operation, the update starts when freezer compartment 8 reaches a predetermined temperature and compressor 19 goes from operating (hereinafter, ON) to stopped (hereinafter, OFF) or while it is OFF, and operating software 29 that controls the refrigerator is switched from first area 27a to second area 27b in main memory 27 of control microcomputer 26 (step S107). The switching takes place in a few seconds.

[0027] If the switching is successful (step S108, Yes), at the timing when the software is switched to the update software 30 in the second area 27b, the compressor 19 starts up regardless of the temperature sensor (not shown) in the freezer compartment 8, and operation control begins using the update software 30 (step S109).

[0028] If the switching fails (step S108, No), operation continues with the operating software 29 before the switching.

[0029] Furthermore, when new update software is obtained (step S110, YES), the flow chart of FIG. 4 is repeated, and the new update software is written to the first area 27a while controlling operation with the update software 30 in the second area 27b (step S104).

[0030] The operation of compressor 19 is duty-controlled for on / off operation based on a temperature sensor (not shown) in freezer compartment 8, and when the time to update arrives (step S107, Yes), the update is started not during defrosting operation but during normal cooling operation, when freezer compartment 8 reaches a predetermined temperature, and compressor 19 is stopped (hereinafter, OFF), and control microcomputer 26 that controls the refrigerator is switched from second domain 27b to first domain 27a (step S107).

[0031] Once the switching is complete, the new updated software in the first area 27a starts up and controls the operation of the refrigerator.

[0032] If new updated software is not to be obtained (No in step S110), the software is not updated and the process continues as is.

[0033] Moreover, when the compressor 19 is OFF and at least the refrigerator compartment door 10 among the doors is closed, the area is switched from the first area 27a to the second area 27b.

[0034] As a result, during the above-mentioned update, the notification means 10a provided on the refrigerator compartment door 10 is displayed or lit and blinks, thereby urging the user not to open the refrigerator compartment door 10.

[0035] This is because if the microcomputer area is switched when the refrigerator compartment door 10 is open, there is a risk that the interior light (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment 5 will be temporarily turned off; by switching the microcomputer area when the door 10 of the refrigerator compartment 5, which has an interior light, is closed, this problem can be prevented.

[0036] Furthermore, the timing for updating in step S106 is when compressor 19 is OFF. However, if an illuminance sensor 15 is provided on refrigerator compartment door 10 and the illuminance around refrigerator 1 becomes dark and falls below a predetermined value, it may be determined that there are no users nearby, and the timing when compressor 19 is OFF may be determined to be the timing for updating, and switching to update software 30 may be performed.

[0037] In this case, since there are no users nearby, the door will not be opened and no load will be applied from the outside, so the temperature inside the storage unit can be maintained to a certain degree.

[0038] In addition, the time can be measured using a timer built into the control board 22, and when a preset time period (for example, between 2:00 and 4:00 am) arrives, it can be determined that it is time to update, and the software can be switched to the update software 30 when the compressor 19 is turned off.

[0039] The time setting by the timer may be set by learning the time period during which the user will not open the door from the correlation between the illuminance sensor 15 and a door open switch (not shown) that detects the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 10.

[0040] This allows the refrigerator to learn and set the time periods when the refrigerator is not used for each user, and the software can be switched to update software 30 at that timing, so that the update can be performed while maintaining the cooling performance of each storage compartment.

[0041] As described above, in this embodiment, there is provided control microcomputer 26 which controls refrigerator 1, and main memory 27 in control microcomputer 26 which is provided with two virtual areas formed by software processing, first area 27a and second area 27b. Operation software 29 for operating the refrigerator is stored in first area 27a. When update information is acquired from the outside, refrigerator 1 continues to control its operation using operation software 29 while update software 30 including the update information is written in second area 27b. At a specific timing, control microcomputer 26 is switched from first area 27a to second area 27b and operates using update software 30.

[0042] As a result, the main memory is treated as two virtual areas, so that the update software 30 can be written while continuing the cooling operation without stopping the refrigerator, and further, at a specific timing, the operation software 29 in the first area 27a is switched to the update software 30 in the second area 27b to control the operation of the refrigerator 1, so that the switching (update) can be performed while maintaining the cooling performance of each storage compartment.

[0043] Furthermore, since the switching from the first area 27a to the second area 27b is performed when the compressor 19, which is in operation / stop mode, stops, it is possible to switch to the update software 30 without waiting for the timing for defrosting the cooler 17, which is set after a specified accumulated time or a fixed time, and since the switching is completed in a few seconds, the cooling performance of each storage compartment can be maintained even during the switching.

[0044] In addition, the refrigerator is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 10 that allows the opening of the storage compartment to be opened and closed, and updates are performed when the refrigerator compartment door 10 is closed, thereby preventing problems such as the interior lighting going out for a moment.

[0045] In addition, the refrigerator compartment door 10 is provided with an illuminance sensor 15 on the outside for detecting the surrounding illuminance, and when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 15 falls below a predetermined value, the update starts, so that the door is prevented from being opened during the update.

[0046] In addition, the refrigerator is provided with a built-in timer that measures the time and starts the update when a preset time period arrives. This allows the refrigerator user to perform the update at a time that is convenient for the user. In particular, if the update period is set to late at night, there is no risk of the door being opened or closed during the update, and the update can be performed while maintaining the cooling performance of the storage compartment.

[0047] Therefore, during cooling operation of each storage compartment, the software can be updated when the compressor 19 is stopped during cooling operation, so that the update can be performed without stopping the cooling operation, and the cooling performance of each storage compartment can be maintained.

[0048] Furthermore, although the timing of updates can be set automatically, the user may manually set the timing of updates using a communication terminal via a public line 24 such as the Internet.

[0049] The above-described embodiment is one embodiment of the present invention, and any modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can be suitably used as a refrigerator capable of updating software while cooling the storage compartment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Refrigerator 19 Compressor 26 Control microcomputer 27 Main Memory 29 Operating Software 30 Update Software

Claims

1. The refrigerator comprises a control microcomputer that controls a refrigerator; and a first area and a second area in a main memory in the control microcomputer, wherein the first area stores operating software for operating the refrigerator, and when update information is acquired from an external source, update software including the update information is written in the second area, and the control microcomputer is switched from the first area to the second area at a specific timing to operate with the update software.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the update software is written to the second area while the refrigerator is operating with the operating software in the first area.

3. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first region to the second region is performed when a compressor that performs an on / off operation is stopped.

4. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising a door that enables an opening of a storage compartment of the refrigerator to be opened and closed, and switching from the first area to the second area is performed when the door is in a closed state.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising an illuminance sensor on a door of the refrigerator for detecting an ambient illuminance, and when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor falls below a predetermined value, switching from the first area to the second area is started.

6. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising a timer built in the refrigerator, which measures time and starts switching from the first area to the second area when a preset time period is reached.

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