Cold storage system

Abstract

To perform preliminary cooling of a refrigerator properly.SOLUTION: A communication device (2) includes: a preliminary cooling determination part (202) using at least one of a position of a user before increase when the number of articles increases in a refrigerator (1) in the past and the time until the number of articles increases in the refrigerator (1) and a present position of the user to determine whether the user has acquired an article to load into the refrigerator (1), derives loading time to load an article into the refrigerator (1), and when the loading time is within first prescribed time, transmits an instruction of preliminarily cooling the refrigerator (1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to refrigeration systems. [Background technology]

[0002] With the advancement of IoT technology, technology for connecting refrigerators to external networks has been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a control device that acquires the storage temperature of items and the estimated location of a user, and changes the set temperature of a refrigerator from a first set temperature to a second set temperature that is lower than the first set temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-020730 A (Published on January 26, 2017) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A refrigerator cools by repeatedly turning the compressor on and off. To pre-cool, it takes about 30 minutes. If the compressor is not kept on for about 30 minutes, the food inside and the insulated walls will not be cooled.

[0005] In the above-mentioned cited document 1, when the user unlocks the house or when the user's location is within a limited range from the home, the refrigerator temperature is changed to a second set temperature, i.e., pre-cooling is started. However, even if pre-cooling is started when the user unlocks the house, it is unlikely that a sufficient pre-cooling time can be secured. In addition, if pre-cooling is started based only on location information, it is unclear by what means (train, car, bicycle, walking, etc.) the user will use to return home from that location, and there is a possibility that a sufficient pre-cooling time cannot be secured. Conversely, if the user makes a detour, the pre-cooling may be wasted.

[0006] In addition, in the cited document 1, the storage temperature of the item is obtained by using POS information. However, in order to obtain the POS information, it is necessary to link with the POS device, which is troublesome. Also, it is not realistic to link with all POS devices in the world.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has a purpose to realize a control device or the like that can appropriately pre-cool a refrigerator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A refrigeration system according to one embodiment includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a mobile communication terminal, and a control unit that notifies the mobile communication terminal to confirm the start of a pre-cooling process to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator when the mobile communication terminal stays for a predetermined period of time or longer at a registered location registered as a place to purchase food.

[0009] A terminal in one embodiment includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user, and a transmission unit that transmits the user's location information to execute a first control in which the temperature inside the storage unit is made higher than the previous temperature set based on the user's location information, based on the user's location information. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, pre-cooling can be started taking into consideration the time it takes for an item to be put into a refrigerator, thereby providing the effects of ensuring an appropriate pre-cooling time and preventing pre-cooling from being wasted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a determination table. [Diagram 5] 13(a) to 13(f) are diagrams illustrating a flow of generating a judgment table. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a pre-cooling process in the refrigerator. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a rapid cooling process in the refrigerator. [Figure 8] 11 is a table showing parameter settings in the refrigerator. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a pre-cooling process in the refrigeration system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing examples of a display displayed on the mobile communication terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow in which the communication device transmits a pre-cooling start instruction. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow in which the communication device transmits a pre-cooling start instruction and then transmits a pre-cooling stop instruction. [Figure 13] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams for explaining a process for determining predicted purchase conditions in the communication device. [Figure 14] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams for explaining a process for determining predicted purchase conditions in the communication device. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow when a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention determines whether or not to perform a defrosting process. [Figure 16] 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process for accelerating a defrosting process in the communication device. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow for determining whether or not a purchase preliminary forecast condition is satisfied, in the communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Embodiment 1] 〔overview〕 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. First, an outline of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a refrigeration system 10 according to this embodiment includes a refrigerator 1, a communication device (control device) 2, a router 3, an information server 4, a mobile communication terminal 5, and a network 6. Note that, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 and the communication device 2 are described separately, but the refrigerator 1 may have the functions of the communication device 2. Also, in this embodiment, a freezer compartment is used as an example for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to compartments other than the freezer compartment, such as a refrigerator compartment and a vegetable compartment.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, communication device 2 connects refrigerator 1 to network 6 via router 3. That is, in this embodiment, refrigerator 1 and network 6 are not directly connected, and communication device 2 serves as a buffer zone (DMZ). Also connected to network 6 are information server 4 and a user's mobile communication terminal 5. Information server 4 transmits various types of information to mobile communication terminal 5 and refrigerator 1 via network 6. Note that if information provided by information server 4 is not required, information server 4 does not need to be included in refrigeration system 10.

[0014] In the refrigeration system 10 according to this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the user has purchased food or the like (items) that need to be frozen, using the user's location acquired from the mobile communication terminal 5 and a determination table (details of which will be described later) stored in the communication device 2. If it is determined that a purchase has been made, an estimated time the user will arrive home is derived, and pre-cooling is performed in the refrigerator 1 based on the derived estimated time the user will arrive home.

[0015] This prevents pre-cooling from being started based only on position information as in the conventional technology, thereby preventing a shortage of pre-cooling time and pre-cooling from being wasted.

[0016] In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the frozen food purchase decision and pre-cooling instruction are executed by the communication device 2, but these processes may be executed by the refrigerator 1.

[0017] [Communication device 2] Next, the communication device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the communication device 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication device 2 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, a network communication unit 220, and a transmission / reception unit 230.

[0018] The storage unit 210 stores various data used in the processing in the communication device 2, including a judgment table 211. The judgment table 211 is a table used for judging whether or not to start pre-cooling in the communication device 2. The judgment table 211 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The control unit 200 controls each unit of the communication device 2, and includes a location information acquisition unit 201, a pre-cooling judgment unit (acquisition judgment unit, input time derivation unit, pre-cooling instruction transmission unit) 202, a defrost judgment unit (defrost postponement instruction transmission unit) 203, a control command generation unit (pre-cooling instruction transmission unit, defrost postponement instruction transmission unit) 204, and a judgment table generation unit (location registration unit, location designation reception unit) 205.

[0020] The location information acquisition unit 201 periodically acquires the location of the mobile communication terminal 5 as the user's location via the network 6. The acquisition period can be set appropriately.

[0021] The pre-cooling judgment unit 202 uses the user's position acquired by the position information acquisition unit 201 and the judgment table 211 to judge whether or not to cause the refrigerator 1 to start pre-cooling, and determines the start timing if pre-cooling is to be started.

[0022] The defrost determination unit 203 determines whether to cause the refrigerator 1 to start defrosting or whether to postpone defrosting, using the user's position acquired by the position information acquisition unit 201 and the determination table 211. Note that if the defrost determination is not performed, the defrost determination unit 203 may be omitted.

[0023] When the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines that the refrigerator 1 should start pre-cooling, the control command generation unit 204 generates a control command indicating that effect and transmits the control command to the refrigerator 1 via the transmission / reception unit 230. In addition, when the defrost determination unit 203 determines that the refrigerator 1 should start defrosting or determines that defrosting should be postponed, the control command generation unit 204 generates a control command indicating that effect and transmits the control command to the refrigerator 1 via the transmission / reception unit 230.

[0024] The judgment table generating unit 205 generates and updates the judgment table 211 using the refrigerator compartment temperature, freezer compartment temperature, door open / close information, and compressor operating status acquired from the refrigerator 1, and the user's location acquired by the location information acquiring unit 201. The details of generating and updating the judgment table 211 will be described later.

[0025] The network communication unit 220 connects the communication device 2 to the network 6 via the router 3. The transmission / reception unit 230 communicates with the refrigerator 1.

[0026] [Refrigerator 1] Next, referring to Fig. 2, a description will be given of the configuration of the main parts of the refrigerator 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the refrigerator 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 100, a memory unit 110, a transmitting / receiving unit (receiving unit) 120, an ambient temperature detector 131, a freezer temperature detector 132, a refrigerator temperature detector 133, a door open / close detector 134, a compressor 135, a blower 136, a damper 137, and a defrost heater 138.

[0027] The control unit 100 controls each unit of the refrigerator 1 in an integrated manner, and includes a pre-cooling processing unit 101, a rapid-cooling processing unit 102, a defrosting processing unit 103, and an inquiry unit 104.

[0028] The pre-cooling processing unit 101 executes a pre-cooling process in the refrigerator 1. The pre-cooling process includes lowering the temperature of the freezer compartment, increasing the number of revolutions of the compressor, and lowering the temperature of the refrigerator compartment for the purpose of hastening freezing. The contents of the pre-cooling process can be set by parameters described later. Furthermore, these parameters may be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, the pre-cooling process time is assumed to be 30 minutes, but it is not limited to this and may be increased or decreased depending on the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1, the season, etc. For example, it may be set longer in summer.

[0030] The rapid-cooling processing unit 102 executes the rapid-cooling process in the refrigerator 1. The contents of the rapid-cooling process can be set by parameters described later. Moreover, these parameters may also be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0031] The defrosting processing unit 103 executes the defrosting process in the refrigerator 1 and controls the execution timing of the defrosting process.

[0032] When receiving a pre-cooling start instruction from the communication device 2, the inquiry unit 104 confirms with the user whether or not to start the pre-cooling process. More specifically, the inquiry unit 104 transmits a pre-cooling confirmation to the mobile communication terminal 5, requesting a confirmation from the user.

[0033] The storage unit 110 stores various data used in the processing in the refrigerator 1. The transmission / reception unit 120 communicates with the communication device 2. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 120 receives a pre-cooling start instruction and parameters of the freezer and refrigerator compartments from the communication device 2, and transmits the operating status of the refrigerator 1 (the current temperature setting, error information, an evaluation value indicating the need for defrosting, etc.). The transmission / reception unit 120 also periodically transmits information detected by various detectors and the like of the refrigerator 1, which will be described later, to the communication device 2.

[0034] The ambient temperature detector 131 detects the temperature around the refrigerator. The freezer compartment temperature detector 132 detects the temperature of the freezer compartment. The refrigerator compartment temperature detector 133 detects the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The door opening / closing detector 134 detects whether the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened or closed.

[0035] Compressor 135 compresses the gaseous refrigerant stored inside refrigerator 1. The compressed gaseous refrigerant is liquefied in a condenser (not shown), and its pressure is reduced by a capillary tube (not shown). The reduced-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is sent to an evaporator (not shown) and vaporized in the evaporator, thereby cooling the evaporator. Note that by increasing the rotation speed of compressor 135, the temperature of the evaporator becomes lower.

[0036] The blower 136 draws air inside the cabinet into the evaporator, expels it as low-temperature air into the cabinet, and blows air for circulation.

[0037] Damper 137 is a valve body provided in an air flow path connecting blower 136 and the refrigerator compartment. When damper 137 is opened, air cooled by the evaporator is sent to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. When damper 137 is closed, air cooled by the evaporator is sent only to the freezer compartment.

[0038] The defrosting heater 138 is a heater for melting the frost that has adhered to the evaporator.

[0039] [Details of Processing by the Decision Table Generator 205] Next, details of the process in the judgment table generating unit 205 and the judgment table 211 generated by the judgment table generating unit 205 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the judgment table 211. Also, (a) to (f) of Fig. 5 are diagrams for explaining the flow of generating the judgment table 211.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the judgment table 211 is associated with a location (location information), a time distance (average, shortest), the presence or absence of purchases other than food, shopping frequency, the probability of cooling food within 5 minutes after returning home (frozen food, refrigerated food), the average stay time, the average door open time after returning home (freezer door, refrigerator door), and the temperature rise value of the temperature detector after opening the door after returning home (freezer, refrigerator). The time distance (time information) is a distance expressed in time, and indicates the time required by the user to travel from the location (A department store, etc.) shown in the judgment table 211 to the user's home. That is, the judgment table 211 is associated with information that can recognize when the inventory in the refrigerator has increased (the probability of cooling food within 5 minutes after returning home) and the user's stay location before the increase (location (location information)). In addition, these are also associated with the time (time distance) from when the user leaves the stay location until the inventory in the refrigerator increases.

[0041] For example, in the first row of the judgment table 211, the location (location information) is "Department Store A", the time distance (average, shortest) is "55 minutes on average, 52 minutes at the shortest", whether or not a purchase other than food was made is "Yes", the shopping frequency is "5 times / month", the probability of cooling food within 5 minutes after returning home (frozen food, refrigerated food) is "50% for frozen food, 50% for refrigerated food", the average stay time is "30 minutes", the average door opening time after returning home (freezer door, refrigerator door) is "30 seconds for freezer door, 20 seconds for refrigerator door", and the temperature rise value of the temperature detector after opening the door after returning home (freezer, refrigerator) is "3.5K (Kelvin) for the freezer, 2.5K for the refrigerator". The second and subsequent rows are similarly associated.

[0042] By using the judgment table 211, for example, when the location is A department store (direct return), the time distance (average) is 55 minutes, so if pre-cooling is started 20 minutes after moving away from A department store, 55-20=35>30, and it is understood that a pre-cooling time of about 30 minutes can be secured. Therefore, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 can determine an appropriate timing for starting pre-cooling by using the judgment table 211. Similarly, for example, in the case of C supermarket, the time distance is 10 minutes, so if pre-cooling is started after starting to move to go home, the pre-cooling time will be insufficient. Therefore, if pre-cooling is started 10 minutes after entering C supermarket, the average stay time is 30 minutes, so 30-10+10=30, and it is understood that a pre-cooling time of about 30 minutes can be secured. In addition, in the case of C supermarket, it is also possible to lower the set temperature when entering C supermarket and increase the compressor rotation speed when leaving C supermarket.

[0043] Next, a method for generating the judgment table 211 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a time series of the relationship between the opening and closing status of the door of the freezer compartment, the operating state of the compressor 135, and the temperature state of the freezer compartment (whether or not it has become high temperature).

[0044] As shown in (a) of FIG. 5, after the freezer door is opened and closed, the rotation speed of the compressor 135 increases and the increased state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours), and if the temperature of the freezer continues to be high for a predetermined time after the rotation speed of the compressor 135 increases, the judgment table generating unit 205 judges that food has been put into the freezer. The opening and closing status of the freezer door, the rotation speed of the compressor 135, and the temperature state of the freezer are notified to the communication device 2 from the refrigerator 1. The criteria for judging that food has been put into the freezer are not limited to this, and can be set appropriately based on the operating status of the compressor 135 and the temperature state of the freezer when food has been put into the freezer. Similarly, it can also be judged whether food has been put into the refrigerator compartment.

[0045] Then, when the judgment table generating unit 205 judges that food has been put into the freezer, it acquires time series data of the user's location information from the time when the food was put into the freezer, in other words, from the time when the freezer door was opened (a little after 12:00 in the example of FIG. 5(a)) to a time going back a predetermined time. In other words, for the periodically acquired location information, it acquires time series data from the time when the refrigerator door was opened to a time going back a predetermined number of times.

[0046] Examples of time series data are shown in (b) to (d) of Fig. 5. (b) to (d) of Fig. 5 show 20 times (a predetermined period of time) of time series data, with the position indicated by the circled number "1" being the time when the freezer door was opened, the position indicated by the circled number "2" being the position immediately before, and the position indicated by the circled number "3" being the position immediately before that. This is the same up to the circled number "20".

[0047] The judgment table generation unit 205 then compares the multiple situations ((b) to (d) in Figures 5) in which it has been determined that food has been put into the freezer, and determines the location (position) that occurs significantly more frequently than other locations as a place for purchasing frozen foods, and registers this in the judgment table 211. An example of a location to be registered is shown in Figure 5(e). In Figure 5(e), each location is shown by overlapping Figure 5(b) to (d). In the example shown in Figure 5(e), section 501 is registered as a place for purchasing frozen foods.

[0048] In addition, the time distance between the place where frozen foods are purchased and the home where a refrigerator is located, as well as the duration of stay, can be calculated by counting the number of pieces of location information data. An example of the time distance between the place where frozen foods are purchased and the home where a refrigerator is located, and the duration of stay is shown in Figure 5 (f). In Figure 5 (f), the duration of stay at the place where frozen foods are purchased is 30 minutes the first time, 35 minutes the second time, and 25 minutes the third time, with an average of 30 minutes. Also, the time distance is always 25 minutes.

[0049] Items in judgment table 211 other than those mentioned above can also be acquired from the position information and the state of the refrigerator after the door is opened or closed. After creating judgment table 211, judgment table generating unit 205 updates judgment table 211 every time it is determined that food has been put into the freezer. The timing of the update may be every time it is determined that food has been put into the freezer, or every time the number of times it has been determined that food has been put into the freezer reaches a predetermined number.

[0050] In addition, whether or not food has been placed in the freezer compartment may be determined not by the temperature inside the refrigerator but by an item sensor, an interior camera, etc.

[0051] The judgment table generating unit 205 may register the places where frozen foods are purchased as follows.

[0052] The time series data of the location information is g(x,y,t), where x and y are the location coordinates, and t is the order of the time series data until the door opens.

[0053] The effective range of the map for location information is divided into I×J columns, and is represented as m(i,j).

[0054] The divided maps are weighted as follows:

[0055] w(i,j) = Σ(t=N)(1 / N)W(i,j,t) W(i,j,t)=1 (when g(x,y,t) is within the range of m(i,j)) W(i,j,t)=0 (when g(x,y,t) is not within the range of m(i,j)) Then, from the distribution of the weighted data w(i,j), locations with statistically high values ​​are extracted, the home location is removed, and the remaining locations are registered as places to purchase frozen (or refrigerated) foods.

[0056] In the above example, the location where the frozen food is purchased is registered using the user's behavior history, but the user may manually register the location. In addition, the registered location is the location where the user purchases the frozen food, but is not limited to this, and for example, a location where the freezer is used after visiting the location, such as a fishing location, can also be registered as the registered location.

[0057] [Processing flow in refrigerator 1] Next, the flow of processes in the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of pre-cooling processes in the refrigerator 1. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of rapid-cooling processes in the refrigerator 1. Fig. 8 is a table showing parameter settings in the refrigerator 1.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, when the pre-cooling process is executed, the pre-cooling processing unit 101 of the refrigerator 1 operates according to the pre-cooling setting (S601). An example of the pre-cooling setting is shown in FIG. 8. In the example shown in FIG. 8, in the case of the pre-cooling setting, the compressor and the blower are operated at maximum, the freezer is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator is set to 0°C. The time limit is set to 2 hours. The time limit may be changed according to the ambient temperature. Then, when the pre-cooling end condition is satisfied (YES in S602), the setting is returned to the normal setting (S603) and the refrigerator is operated. The pre-cooling end condition is satisfied when the set time has elapsed, a pre-cooling stop command is received, and the like. An example of the normal setting is shown in FIG. 8. In the example shown in FIG. 8, in the case of the normal setting, the compressor and the blower are operated automatically, the freezer is set to -18°C, and the refrigerator is set to 4°C. The set temperatures of the freezer and the refrigerator can be set appropriately by the user. The above is the flow of the pre-cooling process.

[0059] The pre-cooling time may be increased or decreased depending on the amount of goods. That is, the amount of goods to be refrigerated may be estimated based on the user's stay time, etc., and if the amount is less than a predetermined amount, the pre-cooling time may be shortened, and if the amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, the pre-cooling time may be lengthened.

[0060] Next, the flow of the rapid cooling process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, when the rapid cooling process is performed, the rapid cooling processing unit 102 of the refrigerator 1 operates according to the freezer compartment priority setting (S701). An example of the freezer compartment priority setting is shown in FIG. 8. In the example shown in FIG. 8, in the case of the freezer compartment priority setting, the compressor and the blower are operated at maximum, the freezer compartment is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 6°C. The time limit is set to one hour. The time limit may be changed depending on the ambient temperature. Then, when the set time has elapsed (YES in S702), the rapid cooling processing unit 102 operates according to the freezing operation setting (S703). An example of the freezing operation setting is shown in FIG. 8. In the example shown in FIG. 8, in the case of the freezing operation setting, the compressor and the blower are operated at maximum, the freezer compartment is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 4°C. The time limit is set to eight hours. The time limit may be changed depending on the ambient temperature. Then, when the rapid cooling end condition is satisfied (YES in S704), the normal setting is restored (S705) and operation is resumed. The rapid cooling end condition is satisfied when a set time has elapsed, the temperature inside the refrigerator falls below a predetermined temperature, etc.

[0061] The setting parameters shown in FIG. 8 may be stored in the storage unit 110 of the refrigerator 1 or in the storage unit 210 of the communication device 2.

[0062] When the set parameters are stored in the storage unit 110 of the refrigerator 1, the refrigerator 1 operates according to the set parameters based on the instructions received from the communication device 2. When the set parameters are stored in the storage unit 210 of the communication device 2, the refrigerator 1 acquires the parameters from the communication device 2 and operates accordingly.

[0063] [Process flow in refrigeration system 10] Next, the flow of processing in the refrigeration system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of pre-cooling processing in the refrigeration system 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display displayed on the mobile communication terminal 5.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, when performing pre-cooling process, a pre-cooling start command is transmitted from communication device 2 to refrigerator 1 (S901). Details of the process of determining whether to transmit a pre-cooling start command will be described later. When refrigerator 1 receives a pre-cooling start command from communication device 2 (YES in S902), refrigerator 1 transmits a pre-cooling confirmation to mobile communication terminal 5 via communication device 2 to confirm with the user whether to start pre-cooling process (S903). When mobile communication terminal 5 receives the pre-cooling confirmation from refrigerator 1 (S904), it displays a pre-cooling permission screen on the display unit (S905). An example of the pre-cooling permission screen is shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the pre-cooling permission screen displays a screen that requests the user to permit the start of pre-cooling. Then, mobile communication terminal 5 accepts the user's instruction and transmits an instruction to permit or not permit pre-cooling to refrigerator 1 (S906). When the refrigerator 1 receives the instruction, if the instruction indicates that pre-cooling is permitted (YES in S908), it executes the pre-cooling process (S909). On the other hand, if the instruction indicates that pre-cooling is not permitted (NO in S908), it operates according to normal settings (S910). This concludes the flow of the pre-cooling process in the refrigeration system 10.

[0065] [Processing flow in communication device 2] Next, the flow of processing in the communication device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 11 to Fig. 14. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in which the communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling start instruction. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in which the communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling stop instruction after sending a pre-cooling start instruction.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 11, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 of the communication device 2 determines whether or not the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (S1101, acquisition determination step). The purchase prediction condition is a condition for determining whether or not the user has purchased food, etc. that needs to be frozen or refrigerated. In other words, when the purchase prediction condition is satisfied, it means that the user has purchased food, etc. that needs to be frozen or refrigerated. Details of the purchase prediction condition determination process will be described later.

[0067] Then, when the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (YES in S1101), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 predicts the user's return home time (input time) using the judgment table 211 (S1102, input time derivation step). For example, when the purchase prediction condition is satisfied when the user enters Shopping Mall B, according to the judgment table 211, the time distance (average) of Shopping Mall B is 20 minutes and the average stay time is 40 minutes, so the predicted return home time is 60 minutes later. Also, when the purchase prediction condition is satisfied 35 minutes after the stay, the predicted return home time is 25 minutes later. That is, the predicted return home time is calculated by the following formula. Predicted home time = average stay time - stay time + time required for the route home (time distance) The predicted return home time may be configured to be only the time required for the route home, or may be the time from when the user acquires the item to when the user leaves the staying position plus the time required for the route home.

[0068] Also, the time required for the route home may be obtained not from the decision table 211 but from a well-known navigation service.

[0069] Then, if the predicted time the user will arrive home is within 30 minutes (within the first predetermined time) (YES in S1103), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 transmits a pre-cooling start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1104, pre-cooling instruction transmission step). On the other hand, if the predicted time the user will arrive home is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1103), the process returns to step S1102. The above is the flow of the process in which the communication device 2 transmits a pre-cooling start instruction.

[0070] In the above, 30 minutes is given as an example of the first predetermined time, but the first predetermined time is not limited to 30 minutes as long as it is longer than the time required to lower the temperature of the refrigerator 1 to a predetermined value. The time required to lower the temperature of the refrigerator 1 to a predetermined value varies depending on the external environment of the refrigerator 1, and in this embodiment, the time required to lower the temperature to a predetermined value is derived depending on the external environment.

[0071] Next, the flow of the process of sending a pre-cooling stop instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 judges whether the time that has elapsed since sending the pre-cooling start instruction is within a set time or not (S1201). If the elapsed time exceeds the set time (NO in S1201), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 sends a pre-cooling stop command to the refrigerator 1 (S1208) and returns the settings of the refrigerator 1 to the normal settings (S1209).

[0072] On the other hand, if the time that has elapsed since the pre-cooling start instruction was sent is within the set time (YES in S1201), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether or not the user has gone directly home (S1202) using the user's location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201. If it is determined that the user has not gone directly home (NO in S1202), the process proceeds to step S1208. This is because it can be determined that the user has not gone directly home = that the user has made a detour.

[0073] If the user has gone directly home (YES in S1202), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the user's location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201 to determine whether the user has gone directly to the kitchen after returning home (S1203). If the user has not gone directly to the kitchen (NO in S1203), the process proceeds to step S1208. Whether the user has gone directly to the kitchen may be determined using the location information as described above, or may be determined from the status of the house (the light in the bedroom is turned on, the television is turned on, etc.).

[0074] If the user has gone directly to the kitchen (YES in S1203), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether the freezer door has been opened or closed from the refrigerator information acquired from the refrigerator 1 (S1204). If the door has been opened or closed (NO in S1204), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a pre-cooling stop command to the refrigerator 1 (S1206) and sends a rapid-cooling start command (S1207). This is because if the freezer door is opened after the user has gone directly to the kitchen, it can be determined that frozen food has been put in.

[0075] If the door is not opened or closed (YES in S1204), the pre-cooling process continues (S1205). That is, the communication device 2 does not send any further instructions to the refrigerator 1. The above is the flow of the process in which the communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling start instruction and then a pre-cooling stop instruction.

[0076] In addition, the instruction to stop pre-cooling may be issued not by the process described above, but by matching the user's past behavioral patterns with their current behavioral patterns, and the pre-cooling process may be stopped when the current behavioral pattern deviates from the typical behavioral pattern of putting frozen foods into the freezer.

[0077] [Prediction of Purchase Conditions] (1) Example 1 of judgment process When the evaluation value exceeds a threshold, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines that the purchase prediction condition is satisfied. Examples of the evaluation value include the distance from the refrigerator, the coordinates, and the distance from the registered position.

[0078] For example, in the case where the evaluation value is the distance from the registered position and the evaluation value decreases with distance from the registered position, if a predetermined distance from the registered position is set as a threshold, it is possible to determine whether the user has entered the vicinity of the registered position based on whether the evaluation value exceeds the threshold. This will be described with reference to (a) of FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the process of determining the expected purchase conditions in the communication device 2. In the graph of (a) of FIG. 13, the vertical axis indicates the evaluation value and the horizontal axis indicates time. The position log indicates the position of the user in each time period. As shown in the graph of (a) of FIG. 13, it can be seen that the evaluation value increases as the user's position shown in the position log approaches the registered position.

[0079] Then, at a certain point in time, it exceeds the threshold a. The point in time when this threshold a is exceeded is the point in time when the user enters the registered location. In other words, it is the point in time when the user enters the place where frozen foods are purchased. Therefore, by determining whether the evaluation value exceeds the threshold a, it is possible to determine whether the user has entered the place where frozen foods are purchased. This allows us to consider that "the purchase prediction condition is met" = "the user has purchased frozen foods."

[0080] Moreover, a process of setting a plurality of thresholds may be performed. An example of setting two thresholds is shown in FIG. 13(b). In the example shown in FIG. 13(b), in addition to the above-mentioned threshold a, threshold b is set. Threshold b is set to a value lower than threshold a. Therefore, when the evaluation value exceeds threshold b, it means that the user has not entered the registered position but has approached the registered position to some extent. Therefore, by using this threshold b, it is possible to determine, for example, whether to postpone the defrosting process (details will be described in the second embodiment described later). (2) Example 2 of judgment process Next, another example of the determination process will be described with reference to (a) of Fig. 14. (a) of Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the determination process of the expected purchase conditions in the communication device 2.

[0081] In this example, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether the purchase prediction condition is satisfied based on whether the user stays at the registered location for a predetermined time or more. If the user stays at the registered location for a predetermined time or more, there is a high possibility that the user will purchase frozen food. Therefore, by determining whether the purchase prediction condition is satisfied based on whether the user stays at the registered location for a predetermined time or more, an accurate determination can be made.

[0082] A specific example is shown in Fig. 14(a). In the example shown in Fig. 14(a), a threshold c is set for the evaluation value, and a threshold d is set for the time when the evaluation value exceeds threshold c. Whether or not the threshold c is exceeded can be used to determine whether or not the user has entered a registered position, and whether or not threshold d is exceeded can be used to determine whether or not the stay time at the registered position has exceeded a predetermined time. Therefore, if the stay time at the registered position is short, pre-cooling may not be performed. (3) Example 3 of judgment process Next, still another example of the determination process will be described with reference to (b) of Fig. 14. (b) of the figure is a diagram for explaining the determination process of the expected purchase condition in the communication device 2.

[0083] In this example, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 grasps the time-series data of the location information indicating the user's location as an image. Then, the image is matched with the image indicated by the time-series data at the time of registering the location, and whether or not the purchase prediction condition is satisfied is determined based on whether or not the similarity exceeds a threshold. Since the time-series data at the time of registration is the time-series data at the time of purchasing the frozen food, by matching with this, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the purchase prediction condition is satisfied.

[0084] A specific example is shown in (b) of Fig. 14. The example shown in (b) of Fig. 14 shows a case where time-series data of location information indicating the user's location is grasped as an image. This image is matched with the image of the time-series data of the location information at the time of registration ((b) to (d) of Fig. 5), and the similarity is calculated. Depending on whether the similarity exceeds a threshold, it is determined whether the purchase prediction condition is satisfied.

[0085] In this example, similarly to the above-mentioned example, two thresholds may be set and processing may be performed in two stages.

[0086] As described above, in this embodiment, purchase judgment and pre-cooling processing are performed using the user's location and judgment table 211. This allows pre-cooling to start automatically when the user is in a location where the user is expected to purchase frozen food. In addition, since the judgment table 211 is created using the user's behavior history, pre-cooling can be performed taking into consideration the time it takes to travel from the registered location to the user's home, the amount of frozen food purchased at the registered location, and the like.

[0087] Furthermore, since the user does not need to input the contents, quantity, etc. of the frozen food, this can be realized without imposing an excessive burden on the user.

[0088] Furthermore, since no information that requires linking in advance, such as POS information, is used, this can be implemented without going through complicated processing.

[0089] It should be noted that if it is determined from the acquired location information that the user is making a detour, the pre-cooling process may be interrupted.

[0090] [Embodiment 2] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 17. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] In this embodiment, in addition to the judgment of whether to perform pre-cooling as described in the first embodiment, a judgment is made of whether to postpone the defrosting process or to accelerate the defrosting process. Normally, the defrosting process is performed about once a day, but the cooling process cannot be performed during the defrosting process. Therefore, if frozen food is added during or immediately after the defrosting process, there is a possibility that the temperature inside the refrigerator will rise and power consumption will increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, when frozen food is expected to be added, the defrosting process is postponed, or the defrosting process is accelerated so that there is enough time before the frozen food is added after the defrosting process.

[0092] This makes it possible to prevent the above-mentioned problems that may occur when frozen food is introduced during or immediately after the defrosting process.

[0093] The flow of processing by the communication device 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the communication device 2 when determining whether to perform the defrosting process.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 15, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 of the communication device 2 judges whether or not the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (S1501). If the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (YES in S1501), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 predicts the user's return time using the judgment table 211 (S1502). Then, if the predicted user's return time is within 30 minutes (within a second predetermined time) (YES in S1503), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 transmits a defrost postponement instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1504). Furthermore, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 transmits a pre-cooling start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1505). On the other hand, if the predicted user's return time is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1503), the process returns to step S1502. The above is the flow of the process in which the communication device 2 transmits a pre-cooling start instruction.

[0095] Next, the flow of the process of accelerating the defrosting process will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flow chart showing the flow of the process of accelerating the defrosting process.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 16, in the case of accelerating the defrosting process, first, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 of the communication device 2 judges whether or not the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (S1601). If the purchase prediction condition is satisfied (YES in S1601), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 predicts the user's homecoming time using the judgment table 211 (S1602). Then, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 judges whether or not the predicted user's homecoming time is within 120 minutes (S1603), and if it is within 120 minutes (YES in S1603), next, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 judges whether or not the user's homecoming time is within 30 minutes (S1604). Then, if the user's homecoming time is within 30 minutes (YES in S1604), a defrosting postponement instruction is transmitted to the refrigerator 1 (S1605). Furthermore, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 transmits a pre-cooling start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1606). On the other hand, if the predicted time the user will return home is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1604), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 judges whether or not to perform defrosting (S1607), and if it judges that defrosting is necessary (YES in S1608), it transmits a defrosting start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1609). If it judges that defrosting is not necessary (NO in S1608), the process returns to step S1602.

[0097] The determination of whether defrosting is necessary in steps S1607 and S1608 can be performed, for example, as follows. The current amount of frost and the amount of frost due to future pre-cooling operation or rapid cooling operation are predicted, and a determination is made based on whether the sum of these exceeds the amount of frost that requires defrosting. That is, it is determined that defrosting is necessary when the following formula is satisfied. Note that since prediction of the amount of frost can be performed using conventional technology, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0098] Current amount of frost + amount of frost due to pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) operation > amount of frost that requires defrosting For example, consider a refrigerator in which the amount of frost formed per hour when the compressor is operated at a temperature of 30°C and a relative humidity of 80% RH is 2g, the amount of frost formed when the freezer door is opened and closed once is 8g, and the amount of frost formed when the refrigerator door is opened and closed once is 10g, and defrosting is required when the amount of frost formed on the evaporator exceeds 200g. If the operating time from the previous defrosting process to the current time in this refrigerator is 12 hours, the number of times the freezer door has been opened and closed is 6, and the number of times the refrigerator door has been opened and closed is 4, the amount of frost formed is 24 + 48 + 40 = 112g. In addition, if the operation time from the current time until the end of pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) is 9 hours (1 hour until arrival, 8 hours of rapid cooling operation), the freezer door is opened and closed 5 times, and the refrigerator door is opened and closed 10 times, the expected amount of frost until the end of pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) is 18 + 40 + 100 = 158g. Therefore, the current amount of frost (112g) + amount of frost due to pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) operation (158g) = 268g > amount of frost that needs to be defrosted (200g), and defrosting is required.

[0099] The above is the flow of the process in which the communication device 2 speeds up the defrosting process.

[0100] Also, before determining whether the purchase prediction condition is satisfied, it may be determined whether a preliminary purchase prediction condition is satisfied, and if the preliminary purchase prediction condition is satisfied, it may be determined whether to postpone the defrosting process or to advance the defrosting process. Note that the preliminary purchase prediction condition corresponds to the above-mentioned case where the threshold b in the judgment process example 1 is exceeded, the case where the threshold c in the judgment process example 2 is exceeded, and the case where the threshold e in the judgment process example 3 is exceeded.

[0101] The flow of the process of determining whether or not a purchase preliminary forecast condition is satisfied will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process of determining whether or not a purchase preliminary forecast condition is satisfied.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 17, first, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 of the communication device 2 judges whether or not the preliminary purchase prediction condition is satisfied (S1701). If the preliminary purchase prediction condition is satisfied (YES in S1701), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 predicts the user's home time using the judgment table 211. Then, if the predicted user's home time is within 30 minutes (YES in S1702), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 transmits a defrost postponement instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1703). On the other hand, if the predicted user's home time is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1702), the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 judges whether or not to perform defrost processing (S1704), and if it is judged that defrost processing is necessary (YES in S1705), it transmits a defrost start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1706). If it is judged that defrosting is unnecessary (NO in S1705), the process ends as it is.

[0103] Moreover, after the process shown in Fig. 17 described above, it is also possible to perform the process of determining whether or not to transmit a pre-cooling start command shown in Fig. 11. This makes it possible to realize the process in the above-described example of the determination process in which two thresholds are set.

[0104] As described above, in this embodiment, when the defrosting process is executed, if it is determined that the frozen food purchased by the user cannot be appropriately cooled, that is, if it is determined that the user will return home early, the defrosting process is postponed. This allows the frozen food purchased by the user to be appropriately cooled.

[0105] [Additional Note 1] The above-mentioned registered location may be configured to be shareable with other users. For example, a location where other users have purchased frozen foods may be registered as the purchase location of the frozen foods of the user.

[0106] Also, the pre-cooling process may be started based on the location information of another person. More specifically, the pre-cooling process may be started based on the location information of another person linked to the registered location. For example, a store selling frozen foods may be running a mobile sales business, and the pre-cooling process may be started when a store employee leaves the store.

[0107] [Embodiment 3] In the refrigeration system 10 according to this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the user has purchased food or the like (item) that needs to be frozen, using the user's location acquired from the mobile communication terminal 5 and a determination table stored in the communication device 2. If it is determined that a purchase has been made, an estimated time of the user's return home is derived, and other processing other than pre-cooling may be performed in the refrigerator 1 based on the derived estimated time of return home.

[0108] If the refrigerator is equipped with an automatic ice maker, ice making can be performed if there is sufficient ice storage. If the refrigerator has a rapid ice making function, ice can be made in a short time. Increasing the amount of ice storage improves the cooling capacity of the refrigerator, allowing the refrigerator to properly cool the frozen foods purchased by the user.

[0109] Furthermore, the cooling mode may be switched from one prioritizing energy saving to one prioritizing cooling capacity, and in that case, a display or notification may be provided that cooling is being performed for the storage of frozen foods later. In other words, unnecessary opening of the refrigerator door can be reduced, and the temperature rise inside the refrigerator can be suppressed. The other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned first and second embodiments.

[0110] [Additional Note 2] In the above-described embodiment, a refrigerator has been used as an example; however, the present invention is not limited to refrigerators, and by combining the disclosed technical means, the present invention can be applied to cooking appliances such as a rice cooker that can cook rice around the time of arriving at home, a bath water heater that fills the bath with hot water around the time of arriving at home, an air conditioner that provides a comfortable temperature around the time of arriving at home, an automatic vacuum cleaner that finishes cleaning around the time of arriving at home, an air purifier that finishes purifying the air by the time of arriving at home, and the like.

[0111] [Software implementation example] The control blocks of the refrigerator 1 and the communication device 2 (particularly the control unit 200 (location information acquisition unit 201, pre-cooling determination unit 202, defrost determination unit 203, control command generation unit 204, determination table generation unit 205) and the control unit 100 (pre-cooling processing unit 101, rapid-cooling processing unit 102, defrost processing unit 103)) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0112] In the latter case, refrigerator 1 and communication device 2 each include a CPU that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or storage device (these are referred to as "recording media") in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or CPU), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which the program is expanded. The object of the present invention is achieved when the computer (or CPU) reads the program from the recording media and executes it. The recording media may be "non-transitory tangible media" such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) capable of transmitting the program. One aspect of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0113] 〔summary〕 The control device (communication device 2) according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a control device that controls a refrigerator (1) and is configured to include an acquisition determination unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202) that determines whether the user has acquired an item to be put into the refrigerator at the user's stay location, using at least one of the user's stay location before the increase in the number of items in the refrigerator and the time from when the user left the stay location to when the number of items in the refrigerator increased in the past, and the current location of the user; an input time derivation unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202) that derives an input time from when the user acquired the item to when the item is input into the refrigerator; and a pre-cooling instruction transmission unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202, control command generation unit 204) that transmits a pre-cooling instruction to the refrigerator to cause the refrigerator to perform a pre-cooling process, if the input time is within a first predetermined time.

[0114] According to the above configuration, when the time it takes for an item to be put into the refrigerator falls within the first predetermined time, a pre-cooling instruction for the refrigerator is transmitted. Therefore, since pre-cooling can be started taking into consideration the time it takes for an item to be put into the refrigerator, it is possible to appropriately secure the pre-cooling time and prevent pre-cooling from being wasted.

[0115] In the control device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the first predetermined time may be longer than a time for lowering the temperature inside the refrigerator by a predetermined amount during normal operation of the refrigerator.

[0116] According to the above configuration, the first predetermined time is longer than the time required to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator to a predetermined value during normal operation of the refrigerator, so that the pre-cooling time can be prevented from being insufficient. For example, if the time required to move from the place where the item was obtained to the refrigerator is shorter than the time required to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator to a predetermined value during normal operation of the refrigerator, pre-cooling starts while the user is still at the place where the item was obtained, so that the pre-cooling time can be prevented from being insufficient.

[0117] The control device according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be configured in such a manner that, in aspect 1 or 2 above, the refrigerator executes a defrost process at a predetermined timing, and includes a defrost postponement instruction transmitting unit (control command generating unit 204) that transmits a defrost postponement instruction to the refrigerator to delay the timing of the defrost process when the input time is within a second predetermined time that is equal to or longer than the first predetermined time.

[0118] According to the above configuration, if the loading time is within the second predetermined time, a command to postpone the defrosting process is transmitted. This makes it possible to prevent the defrosting process from being executed when the item is loaded into the refrigerator.

[0119] The control device according to aspect 4 of the present invention may be configured to include a location registration unit (determination table generation unit 205) that, when inventory in the refrigerator increases, registers the location of the user before the increase as the staying location.

[0120] According to the above configuration, it is possible to automatically register a stay location, which is a location where a user obtained an item that needs to be put into a refrigerator.

[0121] A refrigerator according to aspect 5 of the present invention is configured to include a receiving unit that receives the pre-cooling instruction from the control device, an inquiry unit that inquires of a user as to whether or not it is OK to start pre-cooling processing based on the pre-cooling instruction, and a pre-cooling processing unit that executes the pre-cooling processing based on a response to the inquiry.

[0122] According to the above configuration, before starting pre-cooling, the user is requested to give permission for pre-cooling, and pre-cooling starts only if permission is given, thereby preventing pre-cooling from being started without the user's knowledge.

[0123] A refrigeration system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned control device and the above-mentioned refrigerator, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effects.

[0124] A control method of a control device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a control method of a control device that controls a refrigerator, and includes: an acquisition determination step (S1101) of determining whether the user has acquired an item to be put into the refrigerator at the stay location, using at least one of the user's stay location before the increase in items in the refrigerator in the past and the time from when the user left the stay location to when the items in the refrigerator increased, and the current location of the user; an input time derivation step (S1102) of deriving an input time from when the user acquired the item to when the item is input into the refrigerator, using the time from when the user left the stay location to when the items in the refrigerator increased; and a pre-cooling instruction transmission step (S1104) of transmitting a pre-cooling instruction to the refrigerator to cause the refrigerator to perform a pre-cooling process, if the input time is within a first predetermined time.

[0125] According to the above method, the same effects as those of the above embodiment 1 can be achieved.

[0126] The control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the control device that realizes the control device on a computer by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the control device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0127] A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to start a pre-cooling process before the user leaves the staying location if the first predetermined time is longer than a time from when the user leaves the staying location to when the number of items in the refrigerator increases.

[0128] The control device according to an aspect of the present invention, in any one of the above aspects 1 to 4, may further include a location designation receiving unit (determination table generating unit 205) that receives designation of the stay location from the user.

[0129] The control device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a pre-cooling interruption unit (control command generation unit 204) that temporarily interrupts the pre-cooling process when it is determined from the location information of the user that the time when the number of items in the refrigerator will increase will be delayed after the pre-cooling process is started in any of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 4.

[0130] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1. Refrigerator 2. Communication equipment (control equipment) 5. Mobile communication terminals 10 Refrigeration System 100, 200 Control section 101 Pre-cooling processing section 102 Quenching processing section 103 Defrosting processing unit 104 Inquiry Department 120 Transmitter / receiver (receiver) 202 Pre-cooling judgment unit (acquisition judgment unit, input time derivation unit, pre-cooling instruction transmission unit) 203 Defrost determination unit (defrost postponement instruction transmission unit) 204 Control command generation unit (pre-cooling command transmission unit, defrost postponement command transmission unit) 205 Judgment table generation unit (position registration unit, position designation reception unit) 211 Judgment Table

Claims

1. A location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a mobile communication terminal; a control unit that notifies the mobile communication terminal of a confirmation of the start of a pre-cooling process for lowering a temperature inside the refrigerator when the mobile communication terminal stays for a predetermined period of time or more at a registered location that is registered as a place to purchase food; A refrigeration system comprising:

2. 2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the refrigerator to start the pre-cooling process based on a confirmation result transmitted from the mobile communication terminal in response to a confirmation of the start of the pre-cooling process notified to the mobile communication terminal.

3. The refrigeration system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit postpones a defrosting process of the refrigerator when the control unit causes the refrigerator to start the pre-cooling process.

4. The refrigeration system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit causes the refrigerator to stop the pre-cooling process based on an elapsed time of the pre-cooling process.

5. 5. The refrigeration system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is capable of causing the refrigerator to execute the pre-cooling process and an energy saving process that is more energy efficient than the pre-cooling process, and when the control unit causes the refrigerator to start the pre-cooling process while the energy saving process is being executed, the control unit switches from the energy saving process to the pre-cooling process and notifies the refrigerator of information indicating that the pre-cooling process is being executed.

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