Refrigerator and refrigerator operation control system

Abstract

Improve the control of energy-saving operation in refrigerators. [Solution] A refrigerator operation control system SYS comprises a refrigerator 1 having a storage compartment with an open front, a control unit 9 for controlling the cooling of the storage compartment, and a door that can open and close the opening; an item information acquisition unit for acquiring item information, which is information about items stored in the storage compartment; and a list generation unit for generating a list of multiple item information sets, wherein the control unit 9 can select and execute a first operation as an operating state, and a second operation which reduces power consumption by having a lower cooling capacity and / or a higher set temperature of the storage compartment than the first operation, and the control unit 9 maintains the second operation when there is no new item information added to the list before and after the door is opened or closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator and an operation control system for a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a light quantity detection unit 21 and a light emitting unit 20 are provided in a storage chamber, and an arithmetic control unit 22 that calculates the change amount of storage in the storage chamber by utilizing the fact that the light from the light emitting unit 20 incident on the light quantity detection unit 21 changes according to the storage amount in the storage chamber is provided. A refrigerator is disclosed that determines the change in the storage amount before and after the door opening / closing operation in response to the detection of the door opening / closing operation, and maintains the energy-saving operation when the change in the storage amount is small (0073, 0078, 0080, FIGS. 7, 8, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, for example, when items that need to be cooled are newly stored after many items are taken out from the storage chamber, the change in the storage amount in the storage chamber is small, or the energy-saving operation continues due to the decrease in the storage amount, and it is conceivable that the cooling of the items newly stored in the storage chamber will be delayed. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in the control of the energy-saving operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A storage chamber with an open front, A door arranged on the opening side of the storage chamber, A cold air supply unit that includes a compressor and cools the storage chamber, An item information acquisition unit that acquires item information, which is information about items stored in the storage chamber, A list generation unit that generates a list of multiple pieces of item information, A refrigerator cooling system equipped with, The control unit can select and execute, as an operating state, a first operation and a second operation which reduces power consumption by lowering the compressor rotation speed and / or raising the set temperature of the storage chamber compared to the first operation. The control unit maintains the second operation if, while the second operation is being performed, there is no new item information added to the list before or after the opening and closing of the door. A refrigerator cooling system characterized by the following features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a refrigerator. [Figure 2] This is a side view of a refrigerator. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the refrigerator with both the left and right doors of the refrigerator compartment open. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the refrigerator with both the left and right doors of the refrigerator compartment open. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the refrigerator's imaging unit, looking up from a diagonal angle below. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an operating control system for a refrigerator. [Figure 7] This is a system configuration diagram of the server for the operation control system. [Figure 8] This figure shows an unprocessed image of the refrigerator compartment taken with the imaging unit of a refrigerator. [Figure 9] This figure shows an image of the freezer taken by the imaging unit. [Figure 10] This is an example of an image of the inside of a warehouse before acquiring item information. [Figure 11] This is an example of a list generated after obtaining item information. [Figure 12] Here are examples of past and latest lists used for comparison. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart (1 / 4) of the operation control of the refrigerator in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart (2 / 4) of the operation control of the refrigerator in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart (3 / 4) of the operation control of the refrigerator in the first embodiment. [Figure 16] It is an example of the temperature chart during the second power-saving mode of the refrigerator 1 in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] It is another example of the temperature chart during the second power-saving mode of the refrigerator 1 in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart (4 / 4) of the operation control of the refrigerator in the first embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart (1 / 2) of the main part of the operation control of the refrigerator in the second embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart (2 / 2) of the main part of the operation control of the refrigerator in the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [First Embodiment] [Configuration of Refrigerator] FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 is a device for cooling foods and the like, and includes a plurality of storage chambers inside the housing. As the storage chambers of the refrigerator 1, in order from the top, there are provided a refrigerating chamber 12, an ice-making chamber 13 and an upper freezing chamber 14 arranged side by side left and right, a vegetable chamber 15, and a lower freezing chamber 16. Hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as "storage chambers 12 to 16". Note that the arrangement of each of the storage chambers 12 to 16 is not limited to this, and for example, the vegetable chamber 15 may be arranged below the lower freezing chamber 16.

[0008] The refrigerator 1 includes a pair of left and right doors that can open and close the refrigerating chamber 12. The left door 121 (door) on the left side of the refrigerating chamber 12 is rotatable about the axis of the hinge at the left end. The same applies to the right door 122 on the right side of the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0009] The ice-making compartment 13 is provided with an ice-making compartment door 131 (door) and an ice-making compartment container (not shown) that can be pulled out together with it. Similarly, the upper freezer compartment 14 is provided with an upper freezer compartment door 141 (door) and an upper freezer compartment container (not shown) that can be pulled out together with it. Similarly, the vegetable compartment 15 is provided with a vegetable compartment door 151 (door) and a vegetable compartment container (not shown), and the lower freezer compartment 16 is provided with a lower freezer compartment door 161 (door) and a lower freezer compartment container (not shown).

[0010] The casing of refrigerator 1 has a structure in which an insulating material such as foamed urethane (not shown) is filled between a steel plate outer box and a resin inner box (not shown). Multiple openings corresponding to each compartment are provided on the front side of the casing of refrigerator 1. For example, when an item is stored inside the refrigerator compartment 12 through the opening, the left door 121 and / or the right door 122 (door) are opened. When the left door 121 and the right door 122 are closed, the opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is sealed. In this way, the left door 121 and the right door 122 have the function of sealing the opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The same applies to the other doors. The imaging unit 11 is used to photograph the inside of each storage compartment 12-16 of refrigerator 1 and is installed on the top surface of the casing of refrigerator 1. The imaging unit 11 is, for example, a camera installed in refrigerator 1.

[0011] Refrigerator 1, although not shown in the figures, is equipped with multiple heaters. In addition to temperature compensation heaters installed in the refrigerator compartment 12, vegetable compartment 15, and ice maker compartment 13, condensation prevention heaters are also provided to prevent condensation on the rotating partition 127 (see Figure 3), etc. The temperature compensation heaters activate when the temperature in these storage compartments drops below the required level, thereby raising the temperature in these compartments. This suppresses low-temperature damage, for example, when items in the vegetable compartment 15 are cooled excessively, and allows for the proper storage of items in refrigerator 1.

[0012] Figure 2 is a side view of refrigerator 1. As shown in Figure 2, the imaging unit 11 comprises a main body 111 and a support unit 112. The main body 111 has the function of photographing each of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1. The support unit 112 supports the main body 111 and is installed on the top surface of the refrigerator 1's casing. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 11 and the casing are fixed together, but the imaging unit 11 and the casing may be separate. In this case, the imaging unit 11 is removablely mounted on the top surface of the casing or the like.

[0013] A lens 113 is provided near the front end of the main body 111. The lens 113 is an optical element that refracts and focuses light. For example, a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens can be used as such a lens 113. The lens 113 is positioned to face downwards so that the imaging unit 11 can photograph the storage compartments 12-16 when one of the doors of the refrigerator 1 is opened. The imaging unit 11 is mounted in a position where it may photograph living spaces other than the storage compartments 12-16 that are the target of photography.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the lens 113 is positioned in front of the front end of the housing. More preferably, the lens 113 is positioned even further in front of the front ends of the closed left door 121 and right door 122. This makes it easier for the refrigerator compartment 12 to come into the field of view of the lens 113 when, for example, the left door 121 and right door 122 of the refrigerator compartment 12 are opened. The imaging unit 11 can also photograph the vegetable compartment 15 and the lower freezer compartment 16. In this way, the lens 113 is positioned so that each of the storage compartments 12 to 16 can be viewed from above.

[0015] Figure 3 is a front view of refrigerator 1 with the left door 121 and the right door 122 open. The refrigerator compartment 12 is equipped with multiple shelves that divide the interior of the refrigerator compartment 12 into predetermined sections. The left door 121 and the right door 122 are equipped with multiple door pockets 125 and 126 on the interior side for storing items. When the left door 121 and the right door 122 are opened, the items stored in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the door pockets 125 and 126 are brought into the field of view of the lens 113 of the imaging unit 11 from above.

[0016] The rotating partition 127 is a partition designed to suppress cold air leakage from the gap between the left door 121 and the right door 122. In the example shown in Figure 3, the rotating partition 127 is located at the end of the left door 121 opposite the hinge axis, and rotates as the left door 121 opens and closes, sealing the gap that occurs when the left door 121 and the right door 122 are closed. The rotating partition 127 is also equipped with a condensation prevention heater (not shown) to suppress condensation caused by the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the storage unit.

[0017] The imaging unit 11 automatically takes a picture when the user opens at least one of the left door 121 and right door 122 of the refrigerator 1, the door of the vegetable compartment 15, or the door of the lower freezer compartment 16. The imaging unit 11 continues to take pictures automatically at predetermined time intervals while the door is open. It is desirable that the first picture taken after either door is opened be taken after a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was opened.

[0018] In this embodiment, if the doors to two or more storage compartments (refrigerator compartment 12, vegetable compartment 15, and lower freezer compartment 16) are opened simultaneously, no image is taken. This ensures that the captured images correspond one-to-one with any of the storage compartments, simplifying processing. Alternatively, an optional button (not shown) may be provided, allowing the user to manually capture images of each storage compartment 12-16 of the refrigerator 1 by pressing the button.

[0019] Figure 4 is a top view of refrigerator 1 with the left door 121 and the right door 122 open. In the example shown in Figure 4, the main body 111 of the imaging unit 11 is positioned slightly to the left of the center of the refrigerator casing 1 in the left-right direction. More specifically, the main body 111 of the imaging unit 11 is positioned directly above the joint between the left door 121 and the right door 122 when the door is closed. By positioning the main body 111 in this way, for example, when the left door 121 and the right door 122 are opened, items in the door pockets 125 and 126 are more easily brought into the field of view of the imaging unit 11.

[0020] Furthermore, when using the refrigerator 1, users are often aware of the seam (boundary) between the left door 121 and the right door 122. Therefore, by positioning the main body 111 directly above the seam between the left door 121 and the right door 122, the discomfort that users may feel can be reduced compared to when the left-right position of the main body 111 is off-center from the seam.

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the imaging unit 11 when viewed from diagonally below. The main body 111 of the imaging unit 11 shown in Figure 5 includes a case and an illumination unit 110, in addition to the lens 113 mentioned above. In the example in Figure 5, the case of the main body 111 is generally elongated in the front-to-back direction and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A circular hole (not shown) is provided on the lower surface near the front end of the case of the main body 111, and the lens 113 is exposed through this hole. The illumination unit 110 is also provided behind the lens.

[0022] The illumination unit 110 is a light source that illuminates the refrigerator compartment 12 and door pockets 125, 126, etc., so that the imaging unit 11 can photograph them under appropriate brightness. The illumination unit 110 is located on the outside of the refrigerator casing 1. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 11 photographs the refrigerator compartment 12 and the like with the illumination unit 110 lit while the interior lighting 18 of the refrigerator 1 is turned off.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, by providing a lens 113 in front of the illumination unit 110, reflected light from the refrigerator compartment 12, etc., can easily enter the lens 113 when the left door 121 and the right door 122 are open. Therefore, the imaging unit 11 can suitably photograph items stored in the refrigerator compartment 12, etc. It is preferable that the illumination unit 110 be located in front of the front end of the refrigerator casing 1. This makes it easier for light emitted from the illumination unit 110 to enter the refrigerator compartment 12, etc., and consequently, makes it easier to obtain clear photographic results. In this embodiment, an infrared camera that expresses the temperature of the object being photographed by color may be provided instead of or in addition to the imaging unit 11.

[0024] <Configuration diagram of the SYS operation control system> Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the SYS operation control system for a refrigerator. The SYS operation control system (refrigerator operation control system) in this embodiment comprises a refrigerator 1 and a server 2 (external terminal). The refrigerator 1 and the server 2 are connected via a network 3.

[0025] Refrigerator 1 has the following hardware components: an imaging unit 11, a communication unit 4, a door sensor 51, a temperature sensor 52, an operation unit 6, a cold air supply unit 8, a control unit 9, a storage unit 7, a notification unit 17, and an interior light 18. Network 3 is a wired or wireless communication network such as the Internet.

[0026] The imaging unit 11 captures images of the interior of each storage compartment 12-16 of the refrigerator 1, as well as the door pockets 125, 126, etc. The communication unit 4 transmits and receives information with the server 2 via the network 3. Specifically, the communication unit 4 transmits the interior images captured by the imaging unit 11 to the server 2, and also receives operation control commands from the server 2.

[0027] The door sensor 51 is a sensor that individually detects the opening and closing of each door of the refrigerator 1. The control unit 9 is configured to acquire a predetermined signal from the door sensor 51 indicating the open / closed state of the door. The temperature sensor 52 is a sensor that individually detects the temperature of each storage compartment 12-16 of the refrigerator 1. The control unit 9 acquires a predetermined signal from the temperature sensor 52 indicating the temperature of each storage compartment 12-16.

[0028] Although Figure 6 shows only one door sensor 51 and one temperature sensor 52, in reality, one door sensor 51 is provided for each door of the refrigerator 1, and one temperature sensor 52 is provided for each storage compartment 12 to 16. The operation unit 6 displays the status of the refrigerator 1 and accepts operations such as changing the operating mode settings of the refrigerator 1, which will be described later. The operation unit 6 is located on the outer surface of the left door 121 and right door 122 of the refrigerator compartment 12, or on the inner surface of the refrigerator compartment 12. In addition, when pairing a user's mobile terminal (not shown) with the refrigerator 1, the pairing setting can also be started by operating the operation unit 6.

[0029] The notification unit 17, when activated, notifies the user of the status of the refrigerator 1. The notification unit 17 is, for example, a door alarm that emits sound. If a signal from the door sensor 51 indicating that any door of the refrigerator 1 is open continues for a predetermined period of time, it emits a sound to prompt the user to close the door. This suppresses the rise in internal temperature caused by the door remaining open for longer than necessary, thereby suppressing the deterioration of items stored in the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, suppressing the rise in internal temperature reduces the operating time of the cold air supply unit 8, leading to a reduction in power consumption.

[0030] The interior lighting 18 illuminates the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 and is installed on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 12. The storage unit 7, although not shown in the diagram, is composed of non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The data stored in the storage unit 7 will be described later.

[0031] The cold air supply unit 8 is a functional unit that supplies cold air to the storage compartments 12-16 of the refrigerator 1. This cold air supply unit 8 includes a compressor 81 (not shown), a heat sink (condenser), a capillary tube (throttling mechanism), and an evaporator, as well as a fan 82 that controls the amount of air supplied to each storage compartment 12-16, and a damper that appropriately shuts off the supply of cold air to any of the storage compartments 12-16. The cold air supply unit 8 cools the air around the evaporator by sequentially circulating the refrigerant through a cooling channel including the compressor 81, heat sink, capillary tube, and evaporator, thereby exchanging heat with the refrigerant, and cools each storage compartment by circulating the air around the evaporator with the fan 82. The compressor 81 is a power unit that circulates the refrigerant through the cooling passage, and pressurizes the refrigerant into the cooling passage by the rotational motion of the rotor or the reciprocating motion of the piston. The faster the rotational speed (hereinafter referred to as rotational speed) or reciprocating speed, that is, the higher the rotational speed of the compressor 81, the more quickly the air inside each storage chamber 12-16 can be cooled.

[0032] The control unit 9 includes a processor (not shown) that loads programs stored in ROM into RAM and executes predetermined processes. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used as such a processor. The control unit 9 transmits images captured by the imaging unit 11 to the server 2 via the communication unit 4, and also performs predetermined communication with each functional unit connected to the control unit 9 to comprehensively control the refrigerator 1.

[0033] The control unit 9 can switch between multiple operating modes that operate the refrigerator 1 in different ways. In this embodiment, the operating modes can be switched between a normal mode, a first power-saving mode, a second power-saving mode, and a rapid cooling mode. In this embodiment, the operating mode is applied uniformly to all storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1, but it may be possible to set and switch the operating mode individually for each storage compartment 12 to 16.

[0034] <Normal Mode> In normal mode, the control unit 9 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to perform normal cooling. In normal cooling, a normal set temperature, a normal cooling start temperature higher than the normal set temperature, and a normal cooling stop temperature lower than the normal set temperature are set for each storage chamber 12 to 16. When the storage chamber temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 52 is equal to or higher than the normal cooling start temperature, the control unit 9 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to start cooling the storage chamber, and stops cooling by the cold air supply unit 8 when it falls below the normal cooling stop temperature, thereby maintaining the storage chamber temperature near the normal set temperature.

[0035] In this embodiment, the normal set temperature is, for example, the factory default temperature of the refrigerator 1. Alternatively, the normal set temperature may be arbitrarily set by the user using the control unit 6 or a portable terminal (not shown) paired with the refrigerator 1.

[0036] Furthermore, in normal cooling, an upper limit on the rotational speed of the compressor 81 (referred to as the normal upper limit rotational speed) is set for each storage chamber. In normal cooling, the compressor 81 operates at a rotational speed corresponding to the internal and external temperatures, within the range of zero rotational speed to the normal upper limit rotational speed. When cooling multiple storage chambers simultaneously, the maximum rotational speed among the normal upper limits set for the storage chambers to be cooled may be used as the normal upper limit rotational speed. Alternatively, a normal upper limit rotational speed may be set for each combination of storage chambers to be cooled.

[0037] In addition, in normal mode, the notification unit 17 will notify the user to close the door if the signal indicating the open state of the refrigerator door 1 obtained from the door sensor 51 continues for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0038] <Power saving mode 1> In the first power-saving mode, the control unit 9 controls the refrigerator 1 so that its power consumption is lower than in the normal mode. In the first power-saving mode, the control unit 9 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to perform the first power-saving cooling. In the first power-saving cooling, a power-saving set temperature, a power-saving cooling start temperature higher than the power-saving set temperature, and a power-saving cooling stop temperature lower than the power-saving set temperature are set for each of the storage compartments 12 to 16. The power-saving set temperature is higher than the normal set temperature. However, in the first power-saving mode, it is not necessary for all of the storage compartments 12 to 16 to be set to the power-saving set temperature; it is also acceptable for only some of the storage compartments to be set to the power-saving set temperature.

[0039] In the first energy-saving cooling mode, as with normal cooling, the control unit 9 starts cooling the storage chamber with the cold air supply unit 8 when the storage chamber temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 52 rises above the energy-saving cooling start temperature, and stops cooling with the cold air supply unit 8 when it falls below the energy-saving cooling stop temperature, thereby maintaining the storage chamber temperature near the energy-saving set temperature. Since the energy-saving set temperature is closer to the outside temperature than the normal set temperature, the energy required for the cold air supply unit 8 to maintain the storage chamber temperature at the set temperature is less in the first energy-saving mode than in the normal mode. For this reason, the first energy-saving mode can reduce power consumption more than the normal mode. In addition, the energy-saving set temperature may be arbitrarily set by the user using the operation unit 6 or a mobile terminal paired with the refrigerator 1.

[0040] In the first energy-saving cooling mode, an upper limit (referred to as the first upper limit rotation speed) for the compressor 81 is set for each storage compartment 12 to 16. In this embodiment, the first upper limit rotation speed of the compressor 81 when cooling at least one of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 may be set lower than the normal upper limit rotation speed for that storage compartment. In the first energy-saving cooling mode, the compressor 81 operates at a rotation speed corresponding to the internal and external temperatures, within the range of zero rotation speed to the first upper limit rotation speed. In storage compartments where the first upper limit rotation speed is set lower than the normal upper limit rotation speed, the maximum cooling power provided by the cold air supply unit 8 is reduced, but the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced. In addition, in the first power-saving cooling method, the rotational speed of the compressor 81 may be reduced by uniformly lowering it by a "predetermined percentage" compared to normal cooling, depending on the internal and external temperatures of the storage chamber. In this case, the first upper limit rotational speed will also be a value that is "predetermined percentage" lower than the normal upper limit rotational speed. Furthermore, when cooling multiple storage chambers simultaneously, the maximum rotational speed among the first upper limit rotational speeds set for the storage chambers to be cooled may be used as the first upper limit rotational speed. In this case, the first upper limit rotational speed may be lower than the normal upper limit rotational speed when cooling multiple storage chambers simultaneously in normal cooling. Alternatively, a first upper limit rotational speed may be set for each combination of storage chambers to be cooled, in which case the first upper limit rotational speed may be lower than the normal upper limit rotational speed for the same combination of storage chambers in normal cooling.

[0041] In addition, in the first power saving mode, a first power saving release temperature is set for each storage chamber 12 to 16. If the temperature of any of the storage chambers 12 to 16 exceeds the first power saving release temperature for that storage chamber, the first power saving mode is released and the system transitions to normal mode.

[0042] Furthermore, in the first power-saving mode, if any of the doors of storage rooms 12 to 16 remain open for a predetermined period of time or longer, it is desirable that the first power-saving mode be deactivated and the system transition to normal mode. Here, the predetermined period is the estimated time it takes for the temperature inside the storage room with the open door to reach the temperature at which the first power-saving mode is deactivated. Thus, the first power-saving mode is automatically deactivated depending on the temperature of storage compartments 12-16 and the duration of the door being open. Therefore, it is possible to properly cool items by switching to normal cooling as needed, while simultaneously reducing power consumption through the first power-saving cooling mode.

[0043] Furthermore, in the first power-saving mode, the notification unit 17 issues a notification prompting the user to close the door if the door remains open. However, in the first power-saving mode, the "predetermined duration" of the door being open, which triggers the notification, is shorter than in the normal mode. This encourages the user to shorten the time the door is open, thereby reducing power consumption compared to the normal mode.

[0044] Furthermore, in the first power-saving mode, the interior lighting 18 and / or the lighting unit 110 may be dimmed compared to the normal mode. This can further reduce power consumption. In addition, in the first power-saving mode, power consumption may be reduced by suppressing the operation of any heaters provided in the refrigerator 1 compared to the normal mode.

[0045] <Second power saving mode> In the second power-saving mode, the control unit 9 controls the refrigerator 1 so that its power consumption is even lower than in the first power-saving mode. In the second power-saving mode, the control unit 9 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to perform the second power-saving cooling. Even in the second power-saving cooling mode, an upper limit on the rotational speed of the compressor 81 (referred to as the second upper limit rotational speed) is set for each storage compartment. In the second power-saving cooling mode, the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is lower than in the first power-saving cooling mode. Specifically, in the second power-saving cooling mode, the second upper limit rotational speed when cooling at least one of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 is lower than the first upper limit rotational speed of that storage compartment. In the second power-saving cooling mode, the compressor 81 operates at a rotational speed corresponding to the internal and external temperatures, within the range of zero rotational speed to the second upper limit rotational speed. This reduces the maximum cooling power provided by the cold air supply unit 8, but it further reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 compared to the first power-saving mode. At this time, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the fan 82 may also be lower than in the first power-saving mode. Furthermore, when cooling multiple storage chambers simultaneously, the maximum rotational speed among the second upper limit rotational speeds set for the storage chambers to be cooled may be used as the second upper limit rotational speed. In this case, the second upper limit rotational speed may be lower than the first upper limit rotational speed used when cooling multiple storage chambers simultaneously in the first energy-saving cooling method. Alternatively, a second upper limit rotational speed may be set for each combination of storage chambers to be cooled, and in this case, the second upper limit rotational speed may be lower than the first upper limit rotational speed used for the same combination of storage chambers in the first energy-saving cooling method.

[0046] In addition, in the second power-saving cooling method, the rotational speed of the compressor 81 may be reduced by uniformly lowering the rotational speed of the compressor 81 by a "predetermined percentage" compared to the first power-saving cooling method, depending on the internal and external temperatures of the storage chamber. In this case, the second upper limit rotational speed will also be a value that is "predetermined percentage" lower than the first upper limit rotational speed.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the set temperature during the second power-saving cooling, the cooling start temperature at which the cold air supply unit 8 begins cooling, and the cooling stop temperature at which the cold air supply unit 8 stops cooling are the same as the power-saving set temperature, the power-saving cooling start temperature, and the power-saving cooling stop temperature, respectively, but they may be set to even higher temperatures.

[0048] Furthermore, in the second power-saving mode, the "predetermined duration" related to the door being open, which triggers the notification unit 17 to issue a notification, may be even shorter than in the first power-saving mode. In addition, in the second power-saving mode, the brightness of the interior lighting 18 and / or the lighting unit 110 may be made even dimmer than in the first power-saving mode. Furthermore, power consumption may be reduced by further suppressing the operation of any heaters provided in the refrigerator 1 compared to the first power-saving mode. This allows for even greater power consumption reduction than in the first power-saving mode.

[0049] In the second power saving mode, a second power saving release temperature is set for each storage chamber 12-16. If the temperature of any of the storage chambers 12-16 exceeds the second power saving release temperature for that chamber, the second power saving mode is deactivated, and the system transitions to the first power saving mode or normal mode. The second power saving release temperature may be the same as or different from the first power saving release temperature.

[0050] Furthermore, during the second power saving mode, if any door of each storage room 12 to 16 remains open for a predetermined period of time or longer, it is desirable that the second power saving mode be deactivated and the system transition to the first power saving mode or normal mode. Here, the predetermined period is the estimated time it takes for the temperature inside the storage room with the open door to reach the temperature at which the second power saving mode is deactivated. Thus, the second power-saving mode is automatically deactivated depending on the temperature of storage compartments 12-16 and the duration of the door being open. Therefore, by switching the second power-saving mode back to the first power-saving mode or normal mode as needed, it is possible to achieve both proper cooling of items and reduced power consumption through the second power-saving cooling mode.

[0051] <Rapid Cooling Mode> In rapid cooling mode, the control unit 9 causes the cold air supply unit 8 to perform rapid cooling. Rapid cooling is an operation that cools items stored in storage chambers 12-16 to a lower temperature and / or allows items to reach the target cooling temperature more quickly compared to other cooling methods (normal cooling, first energy-saving cooling, second energy-saving cooling). Specifically, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the compressor 81 of the cold air supply unit 8 (referred to as the rapid cooling upper limit rotational speed) is set higher than the normal upper limit rotational speed. In rapid cooling, the compressor 81 operates at a rotational speed corresponding to the internal and external temperatures within the range of zero rotational speed to the rapid cooling upper limit rotational speed. As a result, in rapid cooling, the maximum cooling force that the cold air supply unit 8 can output is stronger, allowing items to be cooled quickly as needed. The upper limit of the rotational speed of the fan 82, the damper opening time and / or frequency, and / or some or all of these may be increased compared to other cooling methods. Furthermore, the set temperature of some or all of the storage compartments 12-16 of the refrigerator 1 may be set lower compared to other cooling methods. This allows rapid cooling to lower the temperature and / or cool the items stored in the storage compartments 12-16 more quickly compared to other cooling methods, resulting in cooling that is less likely to impair the freshness of the items.

[0052] <Server 2 Configuration> Figure 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server 2 of the operation control system SYS in this embodiment. The server 2 in this embodiment comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The communication unit 23 is connected to the network 3 and transmits and receives data with external devices. In this embodiment, it receives images transmitted by the refrigerator 1.

[0053] The storage unit 22 is a non-temporary or temporary recording medium for storing various programs and data, and is composed of, for example, an HDD (HARD DISK DRIVE) or flash memory. The storage unit 22 stores a new item determination program 221 that determines whether or not there are new items in the refrigerator 1 (described later), and a cooling determination program 222 that determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the operating mode of the refrigerator 1. It is desirable that the recording medium of the storage unit 22 be large capacity and capable of high-speed access. The control unit 21 executes each program stored in the memory unit 22 using the CPU (CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT). The control unit 21 includes an item information acquisition unit 211, a list generation unit 212, a comparison unit 213, and a cooling determination unit 214.

[0054] The item information acquisition unit 211 acquires information about items stored in the storage compartments 12-16 of the refrigerator 1 (hereinafter referred to as item information MD). The imaging unit 11 of the refrigerator 1 transmits images of the inside of the storage compartments to the communication unit 23 of the server 2 via the communication unit 4. In this embodiment, the item information acquisition unit 211 identifies items from the images of the inside of the refrigerator 1 received by the communication unit 23 and includes item images extracted for each item in the item information MD. Alternatively, the extracted item images may be analyzed, and the resulting feature vectors may be included in the item information MD.

[0055] Furthermore, the item name of an item recognized from an item image or feature vector may be included in the item information MD. Note that "item name" may refer to a type of item such as spinach, cabbage, or pork, or an attribute of an item such as vegetables, meat, or beverages. In this embodiment, the item information acquisition unit 211 is shown acquiring item information MD from an in-fridge image captured by the imaging unit 11, but the item name may be acquired by RFID and included in the item information MD. Additionally, the item name entered by the user as inventory information in a mobile terminal (not shown) connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 3 may be included in the item information MD.

[0056] The list generation unit 212 generates a list corresponding to the items stored in the refrigerator 1 based on the item information MD acquired by the item information acquisition unit 211. In this embodiment, when the control unit 9 acquires door open information from the door sensor 51, the imaging unit 11 takes an image of the inside of the open storage compartments 12 to 16, and the communication unit 4 transmits the captured image to the server 2.

[0057] The list generation unit 212 generates a list based on the item information MD acquired by the item information acquisition unit 211 each time the communication unit 23 receives an image of the inside of the refrigerator. The generated list is stored in the list management unit 223. In this embodiment, the list may be a list that can be viewed by the user on a mobile terminal or the like, or it may be a list that is stored inside the server 2 or refrigerator 1 and cannot be viewed by the user.

[0058] The comparison unit 213 compares two lists generated by the list generation unit 212 and extracts the difference. In this embodiment, the latest list generated by the list generation unit 212 is compared with a past list that was generated before the latest list and stored in the list management unit 213. Here, the past list is, for example, a list stored in the list management unit 213 immediately before the latest list is generated. If the comparison unit 213 finds an item information MD that is not included in the past list but is included in the latest list, it extracts the item corresponding to the item information MD as a newly received item. Furthermore, the past list is not limited to the list immediately before the latest list is generated, but may also be a list from a predetermined time before the latest list is generated.

[0059] The functions of the item information acquisition unit 211, the list generation unit 212, and the comparison unit 213 are realized when the CPU of the control unit 21 executes the new item determination program 221 stored in the storage unit 22.

[0060] The cooling determination unit 214 determines whether or not to switch the operating mode of the refrigerator 1 based on the presence or absence of newly received items extracted by the comparison unit 213 and the operating mode of the refrigerator 1. The flow of the determination by the cooling determination unit 214 will be described later. The command to switch or maintain the operating mode determined by the cooling determination unit 214 is transmitted to the refrigerator 1 by the communication unit 23. The control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 (see Figure 6) switches or maintains the operating mode according to the command received by the communication unit 4 and the current operating status.

[0061] <Description of captured image> Refrigerator 1 is a storage unit comprising storage areas 12 to 16 for storing items, and an imaging unit 11 for photographing the area of ​​items including each storage area. Figure 8 shows an unprocessed image of the refrigerator compartment 12 taken by the imaging unit 11 of the refrigerator 1. The lower half of the image in Figure 8 shows the refrigerator compartment 12. The right side of the image shows the left door 121 and the left door pocket 125. The left side of the image shows the right door 122 and the right door pocket 126. The upper half of the image shows the user's living environment.

[0062] Figure 9 shows an image of the freezer compartment taken by the imaging unit 11. Specifically, Figure 9 shows an unprocessed image of the freezer container 162 and the items stored in the lower freezer compartment 16, taken by the imaging unit 11 of the refrigerator 1. The center of the image shows freezer container 162 being pulled out by the user. The lower half of the image shows the other doors of refrigerator 1. The right, left, and top sides of the image show the user's living environment.

[0063] <Processing for determining newly received items> Figure 10 is an example of an image of the inside of the refrigerator before acquiring item information. Specifically, Figure 10 is an image of the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 taken by the imaging unit 11, which has been trapezoidally corrected and processed into a front view image. The portion of the image shown in Figure 8 that corresponds to the refrigerator compartment 12 has a roughly trapezoidal shape. If this portion is flipped vertically and horizontally to make it roughly rectangular, the image shown in Figure 10 is obtained.

[0064] Figure 11 is an example of a list generated after acquiring item information. Specifically, Figure 11 shows an example of a list 2121 of item information MD generated by the list generation unit 212. List 2121 is a collection of multiple item information MDs. Each item information MD includes an item image 2111, a product name 2112, and a storage location 2113 for the item.

[0065] The item image 2111 is obtained by the item information acquisition unit 211 by extracting the area containing the item from the image of the inside of the storage unit captured by the imaging unit 11. The item information acquisition unit 211 extracts all item images 2111 included in the image of the inside of the storage unit, and the list generation unit 212 adds the item information MD containing the extracted item images 2111 to the list 2121. In addition, the item information acquisition unit 211 recognizes and extracts the item type from the item image 2111 using a known method and adds it to the item information MD as item type 2112.

[0066] The item information acquisition unit 211 may include feature vectors in the item information MD instead of the item image 2111. Furthermore, the item information acquisition unit 211 adds the names of the storage rooms 12-16 whose doors were open when the item image 2111 was taken, as the storage locations of the items, to the item information MD. In this way, the list generation unit 212 generates the list 2121 based on the item information MD extracted by the item information acquisition unit 211.

[0067] The item information MD acquired by the item information acquisition unit 211 only needs to include at least one of the item image 2111 or item number 2112. Furthermore, the item information MD may also include temperature information of the item obtained, for example, by an infrared camera. The list 2121 generated by the list generation unit 212 is stored in the list management unit 223 of the storage unit 22.

[0068] Figure 12 shows the latest list and past list used in the comparison process of the comparison unit 213. List 2121-B shown in Figure 12 is the latest list 2121 (latest list) generated by the list generation unit 212, and represents the current storage status of items in refrigerator 1. On the other hand, list 2121-A shown in Figure 12 is stored in the list management unit 223 and is the most recent list (past list) of lists 2121 generated before the latest list.

[0069] When the latest list, list 2121-B, is generated, the comparison unit 213 performs a brute-force comparison of all items in list 2121-B with all items in list 2121-A. In this embodiment, the comparison process determines the degree of agreement between item images 2111, and if the degree of agreement is above a predetermined level, it is determined that the images represent the same item.

[0070] In the example shown in Figure 12, List 2121-B contains item images 2111, item number 2112, and storage location information 2113 for items representing milk, canned beverages, cake, broccoli, and natto (fermented soybeans) from top to bottom. Among the item images in List 2121-B, the item images for milk, canned beverages, cake, and broccoli are also included in List 2121-A. In this case, these items are determined not to be newly received items.

[0071] On the other hand, in the example shown in Figure 12, natto is not included in list 2121-A among the item images in list 2121-B. In this case, natto is determined to be a newly received item. In this embodiment, the comparison unit 213 compares item images with each other in the latest list and past lists, but it may also compare item information MDs such as item type and feature vectors corresponding to item images.

[0072] For example, when comparing the latest list and past lists using item 2112 in the item information MD, discrepancies in the orientation of items may occur due to changes in the placement of items. Even if a comparison using item image 2111 results in the items being identified as different items due to these discrepancies, they can still be considered the same item if item 2112 matches.

[0073] This makes it less likely that items will be mistakenly identified as newly received items, even if the placement of items differs between the latest and past lists due to a short period of time between re-entry of items or a change in the arrangement of items after opening and closing a door once. Furthermore, multiple item information MDs, including storage location 2113, may be compared in combination. As an example of comparing multiple item information in combination, it is conceivable that items would be determined to be the same item if both item image 2111 and item number 2112 match. In this case, the possibility of misidentifying two different items as the same item can be reduced.

[0074] Furthermore, as part of the item information MD, in addition to comparing the item image 2111 and / or item number 2112, the storage location 2113 may also be compared. That is, if the storage locations 2113 are different, they may be determined to be different items. It is preferable that the storage location 2113 is used in the process of determining newly received items, or that this can be configured by the user.

[0075] The cooling determination unit 214 determines whether or not to switch the operating mode of the refrigerator 1 based on the presence or absence of newly received items determined by the comparison unit 213 and the status of the operating mode of the refrigerator 1. The manner in which the cooling determination unit 214 controls switching to other operating modes while each operating mode is in operation is described below.

[0076] <Cooling operation control during normal mode> Figures 13 to 16 are flowcharts of the operation control of the refrigerator 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 13 mainly shows the part relating to the operation control during normal mode. In step S100, the operating mode is set to normal mode. As a result, the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 causes the cold air supply unit 8 to perform normal cooling (step S101). In normal cooling mode, the cold air supply unit 8 operates so that the internal temperature of each storage compartment 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 reaches the normally set temperature. During normal cooling, the control unit 9 determines whether or not there is a signal indicating a power saving command from the operation unit 6.

[0077] In step S102, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a power saving command has been received from the user. For example, if the user operates the control unit 6 to operate the refrigerator 1 in power saving mode, the control unit 6 transmits a command indicating power saving mode to the control unit 9. The power saving command may also be transmitted to the control unit 9 via the communication unit 4 from a mobile terminal paired with the refrigerator 1. If a power saving command has been received from the user (step S102, Yes), the control unit 9 transitions the operating mode of the refrigerator 1 to the first power saving mode (step S200 in Figure 14).

[0078] If there is no power saving command from the user (step S102, No), the cold air supply unit 8 continues normal cooling to each of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 (step S101). In this embodiment, when the user operates the operation unit 6 to operate the refrigerator 1 in power saving mode, the control unit 9 transitions to the first power saving mode, but it may also transition to the second power saving mode (step S300 in Figure 15, which will be described later). The user may set whether to transition to the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode.

[0079] <Cooling operation control during the first power saving mode> Figure 14 shows the portion of the flowchart (Figures 13 to 16) that primarily relates to operation control during the first power saving mode. In step S200 of Figure 14, the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to the first power-saving mode. This causes the control unit 9 to have the cold air supply unit 8 perform the first power-saving cooling (step S201). During the first power-saving cooling, the control unit 9 monitors the signal from the door sensor 51 to check whether any door of the refrigerator 1 has been opened or closed (step S202). The control unit 9 also measures the duration of the closed state signal obtained from the door sensor 51 while none of the doors of the refrigerator 1 have been opened or closed. If any door is opened or closed (step S202, Yes), the timer for the duration of the closed state is reset (step S204), and the first power-saving cooling continues in all storage compartments 12-16 of the refrigerator 1.

[0080] If none of the doors of refrigerator 1 are opened or closed (step S202, No), and the timing result exceeds a predetermined time (step S203, Yes), the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to the second power-saving mode (step S300 in Figure 15, described later) for all storage compartments 12 to 16 of refrigerator 1.

[0081] If the timing result is less than or equal to a predetermined time (step S203, No), the control unit 9 continues the first energy-saving cooling in all storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 without resetting the timing (step S201). The predetermined time in step S203 is the time at which it can be determined that the items in the storage compartments are sufficiently cooled, and may be appropriately determined depending on the size of the storage compartments, the cooling capacity of the refrigerator 1, the type and quantity of items stored, etc. In this embodiment, for example, it is 300 minutes.

[0082] In the following explanation, the timing of the signal indicating that a door is closed is reset when any door of the refrigerator 1 is opened, and if there is a switch in the operating mode corresponding to the timing, the operating mode switch is applied to all storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1. However, for example, the duration of the closed state may be measured for each door of each storage compartment. In this case, only the storage compartments corresponding to the doors of the refrigerator 1 for which the timing result of the duration of the closed state has elapsed for a predetermined time (step S203, Yes) may transition to the second power saving mode (Figure 15, step S300). This allows for sufficient cooling for each storage compartment, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

[0083] <Cooling operation control during the second power saving mode> Figure 15 shows the portion of the flowchart (Figures 13 to 16) that primarily relates to operation control during the second power saving mode. In step S300 of Figure 15, the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to the second power-saving mode. This causes the control unit 9 to perform the second power-saving cooling on the cold air supply unit 8 (step S301). In this embodiment, the power-saving set temperature in the second power-saving cooling is the same as in the first power-saving mode, but it may be higher than that of the first power-saving mode. During the second power-saving cooling, the control unit 9 monitors whether there has been an opening or closing of the door corresponding to any of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 (step S302).

[0084] If none of the doors of refrigerator 1 are opened or closed (step S302, No), the control unit 9 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to continue the second energy-saving cooling (step S301). If, in step S302, any door corresponding to any of the storage compartments 12-16 of refrigerator 1 is opened or closed (step S302, Yes), the control unit 9 of refrigerator 1 transmits an image of the inside of the storage compartment in the open state of the opened door to the server 2 via the communication unit 4 (step S307).

[0085] The control unit 21 of server 2 receives an image of the inside of the refrigerator via the communication unit 23 (step S308) and performs a determination process to determine whether or not there are any new items stored (step S303). If the comparison unit 213 determines that there are no new items stored by comparing the item images (step S303, No), the cooling determination unit 214 determines to maintain the second power saving mode. The communication unit 23 sends a command to maintain the current mode (called a mode maintenance command) to refrigerator 1 (step S309). When refrigerator 1 receives the mode maintenance command (step S311), it instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to continue the second power saving cooling (step S301).

[0086] In the following explanation, the terms "first operation" and "second operation" will be used, so their meanings will be explained below. "First operation" refers to any of the following: rapid cooling mode, normal mode, or first power saving mode. "Second operation" refers to any of the following: normal mode, first power saving mode, or second power saving mode, in which the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is lower and / or the set temperature is higher than in the first operation. Therefore, for example, if the first operation is the first power saving mode, the second operation will always be the second power saving mode.

[0087] According to the operation control system SYS of this embodiment, even if the door is opened or closed during the second operation (for example, the second power saving mode) and the temperature inside the storage room rises, the second operation is maintained unless there are any newly received items that require immediate cooling. This prevents unnecessary switching to the first operation (first power saving mode, normal mode, rapid cooling mode), which consumes a lot of power, by disabling the second operation. In other words, according to this embodiment, power consumption can be reduced compared to simply disabling the second operation by opening or closing the door.

[0088] Furthermore, if there are new items in storage (step S303, Yes) and the new items are "specified items" that do not require immediate cooling (step S304, Yes), the cooling determination unit 214 of the server 2 determines to maintain the second power saving mode, and the communication unit 23 transmits a mode maintenance command to the refrigerator 1 (step S309).

[0089] When the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 receives a mode maintenance command (step S311), it instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to continue the second energy-saving cooling (step S301). Here, "predetermined items" include, for example, the following: Leafy vegetables that suffer from cold damage, • Bottled beverages that do not spoil easily even at room temperature, etc. • Items whose dimensions are less than or equal to a specified value. This allows for an increase in the operating time in the second power-saving mode, which consumes less power, further reducing the power consumption of refrigerator 1. The items listed here are examples, and other items may be added. Users may also be able to add items arbitrarily via a mobile device or the like. Alternatively, a list of "specified items" (referred to as the specified item list) may be prepared in advance, and users may be allowed to add or delete items from the specified item list as needed.

[0090] Here, if the newly received item is not a specified item (Step S304, No), and the newly received item is an item included in the past list generated within the past specified time (Step S305, Yes), the cooling determination unit 214 of server 2 determines that there is no need to immediately cool the newly received item and decides to maintain the second power saving mode. The communication unit 23 sends a mode maintenance command to refrigerator 1 (Step S309).

[0091] Thus, according to this embodiment, the control unit 9 can select and execute a first operation as the operating state, and a second operation in which power consumption is reduced by lowering the rotational speed of the compressor 81 and / or raising the set temperature of the storage rooms 12-16 compared to the first operation. The control unit 9 maintains the second operation when there is no new item information MD added to list 2121 before or after the opening and closing of the door. Alternatively, the control unit 9 maintains the second operation as the operating state or switches to the first operation in response to a cooling command received from server 2 in response to the transmission of an image, based on the presence or absence of newly received items.

[0092] In other words, during the execution of the second operation, if there is newly added item information MD in list 2121 before and after the opening and closing of the door, and the newly added item information MD is included in list 2121 that was generated within a predetermined time in the past, the control unit 9 maintains the second operation as the operating state. Furthermore, during the opening and closing of the door in the second operation, if there is newly added item information MD in list 2121, and the item 2112 included therein is a predetermined item, the control unit 9 maintains the second operation, and switches the operating state from the second operation to the first operation if item 2112 is not a predetermined item.

[0093] Furthermore, even if item 2112 cannot be recognized, the control unit 9 maintains the second operation state if the dimensions of the item are less than or equal to a predetermined value. Also, during the execution of the second operation, if there is newly added item information MD in list 2121 before or after the opening and closing of the door, and the newly added item information MD is included in list 2121 that was generated within the past predetermined time, the control unit 9 maintains the second operation state.

[0094] This allows for reduced power consumption, even in situations where the door is opened and closed multiple times in a short period, such as during cooking, when immediate cooling is not required. "When immediate cooling is not required" refers to situations such as when the food is returned to the storage room in a short time, i.e., when the food is still at a low temperature at the time of return and there is little need for immediate cooling.

[0095] Furthermore, if there are newly received items (step S303, Yes) and the item type of the newly received item cannot be recognized, the cooling determination unit 214 determines the size of the newly received item from the item image acquired by the item information acquisition unit 211. As mentioned above, "items with dimensions less than or equal to a predetermined value" are also included in the predetermined items, so if the dimensions are less than or equal to a predetermined value, the cooling determination unit 214 determines to maintain the second power saving mode, and the communication unit 23 sends a mode maintenance command to the refrigerator 1 (step S309). This is because, when newly received items are small, their heat capacity is also likely to be small, allowing for sufficient cooling even with the second energy-saving cooling mode. This allows for an increase in the operating time of the second energy-saving mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of refrigerator 1.

[0096] If the cooling determination unit 214 fails to recognize item 2112, it may consider the newly received item to be not a specified item (step S304, No) and proceed to step S305.

[0097] When in the second power saving mode, if there is a new item being stored (step S303, Yes), and the new item is not a designated item that does not immediately require cooling (step S304, No), and the new item is not an item included in the past list generated within a predetermined time in the past (step S305, No), the cooling determination unit 214 determines to switch the second power saving mode to another mode. The communication unit 23 transmits a command to the refrigerator 1 to switch the current mode (referred to as a mode switching command) (step S310).

[0098] When refrigerator 1 receives a mode switching command (step S312), it determines what the other mode previously set by the user is (step S306). If the other mode is normal mode (step S306, Yes), refrigerator 1 transitions to normal mode (Figure 13, step S100). If the other mode is first power saving mode (step S306, first power saving mode), refrigerator 1 transitions to first power saving mode (Figure 14, step S200). If the other mode is rapid cooling mode (step S306, rapid cooling mode), refrigerator 1 transitions to rapid cooling mode (Figure 16, step S400).

[0099] Thus, in the operation control system SYS of this embodiment, if the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened or closed during the second operation (for example, the second power saving mode) and new items are placed inside, the control unit 9 switches to the first operation (normal mode, first power saving mode, or the rapid cooling mode described later), in which the compressor 81 rotation speed is higher and / or the storage room set temperature is lower than in the second operation. This makes it possible to cool newly placed items that require immediate cooling to a lower temperature or more quickly than in the second power saving mode.

[0100] The mode to which the system transitions in step S306 can be set in advance by the user via the control unit 6 or a mobile terminal connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 3. If no mode is set in step S306, the system defaults to the first power-saving mode. Alternatively, the system may uniformly transition to the first power-saving mode without determining any other modes in step S306.

[0101] Figure 17 is an example of a temperature chart for the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. Initially, at time t0, the refrigerator 1 operates in second power-saving mode. The cold air supply unit 8 is stopped when the storage chamber temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 52 reaches the second cooling stop temperature T. Roff The second power-saving cooling method is implemented until this condition is met. At this time, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is the second upper limit rotational speed.

[0102] At time t1, the storage chamber temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 52 is the second cooling stop temperature T Roff When it reaches the second cooling start temperature T, the storage chamber temperature Ron The compressor 81 will stop operating until this condition is met. At time t2, the storage chamber temperature reaches the second cooling start temperature T Ron Then, the compressor 81 starts operating again. At this time, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is the second upper limit rotational speed.

[0103] At time t3, the user opens the storage room door and only takes out an item, and then closes the storage room door at time t4. During the opening and closing of the door from time t3 to t4, there are no new items being stored, so the refrigerator 1 continues the second power-saving cooling mode even after the door is closed (Figure 15, step S301), and the upper limit of the compressor 81's rotation speed becomes the second upper limit rotation speed. However, at this time, the temperature of the storage room exceeds the second power-saving release temperature T1, which is when the second power-saving mode is deactivated. Therefore, at time t5, immediately after the refrigerator 1 receives a mode maintenance command, the control unit 9 deactivates the second power-saving mode and switches to the first power-saving mode. In this embodiment, the deactivation of the second power-saving mode by the control unit 9 according to the storage room temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 52 has been described as being performed after receiving a mode maintenance command from the server 2. However, the deactivation may be triggered before receiving the mode maintenance command, when the temperature of the storage rooms 12-16 exceeds the second power-saving release temperature T1, or when the door remains open for a predetermined time or longer. Here, the predetermined time is the time it is estimated that the temperature inside the storage room with the door open will reach the second power-saving release temperature.

[0104] The cold air supply unit 8 is activated when the storage chamber temperature reaches the first cooling stop temperature T. Roff The first power-saving cooling is performed until the following condition is reached. At this time, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is the first upper limit rotational speed. Note that in Figure 17, the first cooling stop temperature and the second cooling stop temperature are the same, but they may be different. At time t6, the temperature of the storage chamber reaches the first cooling stop temperature T Roff When the temperature reaches the cooling stop temperature, the compressor 81 stops. Note that although Figures 17 and 18 show only one storage chamber for simplification, in the actual implementation, the refrigerator 1 has multiple storage chambers. If any storage chamber reaches the cooling stop temperature, cooling of that storage chamber is stopped, and cooling of the other storage chambers continues. When all storage chambers reach the cooling stop temperature, the compressor 81 stops. Even if a storage chamber has already reached the cooling stop temperature, cooling will resume if it reaches the cooling start temperature.

[0105] Figure 18 shows another example of the temperature chart of the refrigerator 1 in the second power-saving mode according to this embodiment. The explanation up to time t3 is the same as in Figure 17 and is therefore omitted. At time t3, the user opens the storage room door and only takes out an item, and then closes the storage room door at time t4. In Figure 17, during the opening and closing of the door from time t3 to t4, no new items are being stored, so the refrigerator 1 continues the second power-saving cooling mode even after the door is closed (Figure 15, step S301), and the upper limit of the compressor 81's rotational speed becomes the second upper limit rotational speed. At this time, the temperature of the storage compartment is below the second power-saving release temperature T1, which is when the second power-saving mode is deactivated. Therefore, the control unit 9 maintains the second power-saving mode.

[0106] The cold air supply unit 8 is activated when the storage chamber temperature reaches the first cooling stop temperature T. Roff The first power-saving cooling method is performed until the following condition is met. At this time, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is the first upper limit rotational speed. At time t5, the storage room temperature reaches the energy-saving cooling stop temperature T Roff When it reaches this point, the compressor 81 stops.

[0107] <Rapid Cooling Mode> Figure 16 shows the portion of the flowchart (Figures 13 to 16) that primarily relates to operation control during rapid cooling mode. In step S400 of Figure 16, the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to rapid cooling mode. This causes the control unit 9 to perform rapid cooling on the cold air supply unit 8. During rapid cooling mode, the control unit 9 determines whether there is an end trigger to terminate the rapid cooling mode (step S402). An end trigger is, for example, when the storage chambers 12-16 reach a predetermined temperature or when the duration of the rapid cooling mode exceeds a predetermined time. If there is no end trigger (step S402, No), rapid cooling continues (step S401). If there is an end trigger (step S402, Yes), the control unit 9 determines what other mode has been set in advance by the user (step S403).

[0108] If another mode pre-set by the user is the normal mode (step S403, normal mode), refrigerator 1 transitions to the normal mode (Figure 13, S100). If another mode pre-set by the user is the first power saving mode (step S403, first power saving mode), refrigerator 1 transitions to the first power saving mode (Figure 14, S200). If another mode pre-set by the user is the second power saving mode (step S403, second power saving mode), refrigerator 1 transitions to the second power saving mode (Figure 15, S300).

[0109] The mode to which the system transitions in step S403 can be set in advance by the user via the control unit 6 or a mobile terminal connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 3. If no mode is set in step S403, the system will transition to the operating mode prior to the rapid cooling mode. Alternatively, the system may transition uniformly to one of the other modes, such as the normal mode, regardless of the user's prior settings.

[0110] [Second Embodiment] Next, a driving control system according to the second embodiment will be described. The configuration and operation of the driving control system according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, except for the points described below. In the description of the second embodiment, parts corresponding to each part of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted. Figures 19 and 20 are flowcharts of the main parts of the operation control of the refrigerator 1 in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the steps shown in Figure 19 instead of Figure 13 and Figure 20 instead of Figure 14 are applied to the flowcharts in the first embodiment (Figures 13 to 16). Therefore, Figures 15, 16, 19, and 20 are flowcharts applied to the second embodiment. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the same determination as in the second power saving mode (Figure 15) is made when the door is opened or closed in the normal mode and the first power saving mode.

[0111] <Cooling operation control during normal mode> Figure 19 shows the flowchart of the second embodiment, primarily the portion relating to operation control during normal mode. In step S500 of Figure 19, the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to normal mode. This causes the control unit 9 to perform normal cooling on the cold air supply unit 8 (step S501). In step S530, similar to step S102 in the first embodiment (see Figure 13), the control unit 9 determines whether or not there has been a power saving command from the user. If there is a power saving command from the user (step S530, Yes), the control unit 9 transitions the operating mode of the refrigerator 1 to the first power saving mode (step S600 in Figure 20).

[0112] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether or not there has been an opening or closing of a door corresponding to any of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 (step S502). If there has been no opening or closing of any of the doors of the refrigerator 1 (step S502, No), the control unit 9 causes the cold air supply unit 8 to continue normal cooling (step S501). If there has been an opening or closing of a door corresponding to any of the storage compartments of the refrigerator 1 in step S502 (step S502, Yes), the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 transmits an image of the inside of the storage compartment in the open state of the door that was opened or closed to the server 2 via the communication unit 4 (step S506).

[0113] The control unit 21 of server 2 acquires an image of the inside of the refrigerator via the communication unit 23 (step S507). The processing content of the following steps S503 to S505, S508, and S509 is the same as the processing content of steps S303 to S305, S308, and S309 in Figure 15. That is, if "No" is determined in step S503, or if "Yes" is determined in either step S504 or S505, the cooling determination unit 214 determines to maintain the normal mode (step S501). The communication unit 23 sends a mode maintenance command to refrigerator 1 (step S508). On the other hand, in other cases, the cooling determination unit 214 determines to switch from normal mode to rapid cooling mode, and the communication unit 23 sends a mode switching command to refrigerator 1 (step S509).

[0114] When refrigerator 1 receives a mode maintenance command from server 2 (step S510), control unit 9 causes the cold air supply unit 8 to continue normal cooling (step S501). On the other hand, when refrigerator 1 receives a mode switching command from server 2, control unit 9 transitions the operating mode to rapid cooling mode (Figure 16, step S400).

[0115] As shown in Figure 17, if the door of refrigerator 1 is opened or closed during the second operation (normal mode) and new items are placed inside, the control unit 9 switches to the first operation (rapid cooling mode), in which the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is higher and / or the set temperature is lower than in the second operation. This allows for rapid cooling of newly placed items that require rapid cooling, and maintains an energy-saving operation when there are no newly placed items that require rapid cooling.

[0116] <Cooling operation control during the first power saving mode> Figure 20 shows the flowchart of the second embodiment, primarily the portion relating to operation control during the first power saving mode. In step S600 of Figure 20, the control unit 9 sets the operating mode to the first power-saving mode. This causes the control unit 9 to perform the first power-saving cooling on the cold air supply unit 8 (step S601). During the first power-saving cooling, the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 monitors whether the doors corresponding to each of the storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 are open or closed (step S603). The control unit 9 also measures the duration of the closed state signal obtained from the door sensor 51 while all the doors of the refrigerator 1 are closed.

[0117] If there is no opening or closing of the door (Step S602, No) and the timing result is longer than the predetermined time (Step S602, Yes), the control unit 9 transitions the operation mode to the second power saving mode (Figure 15, Step S300). On the other hand, if the timing result is shorter than the predetermined time (Step S602, No), the control unit 9 continues the first power saving cooling without resetting the timing result (Step S601).

[0118] On the other hand, if the door is opened or closed (step S603, Yes), the timer for the duration of the signal indicating that the door is closed is reset (step S604), and the system proceeds to step S605. In step S605, the control unit 9 transmits images of the inside of the storage rooms 12-16 in the open state, where the door was opened or closed, to the server 2 via the communication unit 4 (step S605).

[0119] The control unit 21 of server 2 acquires an image of the inside of the refrigerator via the communication unit 23 (step S606). The processing content of the following steps S607 to S611 is the same as the processing content of steps S303 to S305, S308, and S309 in Figure 15. That is, if "No" is determined in step S607, or if "Yes" is determined in either step S608 or S609, the cooling determination unit 214 determines to maintain the first power saving mode, and the communication unit 23 sends a mode maintenance command to refrigerator 1 (step S610). On the other hand, in any other case, the cooling determination unit 214 determines to switch the first power saving mode to another mode, and the communication unit 23 sends a mode switching command to refrigerator 1 (step S611).

[0120] When refrigerator 1 receives a mode maintenance command from server 2 (step S612), it instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to continue the first energy-saving cooling (step S601). In this way, even in the operation of the first energy-saving mode of this embodiment, if the door is opened or closed during the second operation (first energy-saving mode) and the temperature inside the storage room rises, the second operation is maintained unless there are any newly received items that require cooling to a low temperature. This prevents the unnecessary deactivation of the second operation and the switching to the first operation (normal mode, rapid cooling mode) which consumes a lot of power, thus reducing power consumption compared to simply deactivating the first energy-saving mode by opening or closing the door.

[0121] Note that in Figure 18, the timing reset process (step S503) may be omitted. In this case, the control unit 9 measures the duration of time during the first power-saving cooling period when no new items are placed in the refrigerator 1. This makes it easier to transition to the second power-saving mode, leading to further reductions in power consumption.

[0122] When the refrigerator 1 receives a mode maintenance command from the server 2 (step S612), the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 instructs the cold air supply unit 8 to continue the first energy-saving cooling (step S601). This increases the operating time in the first energy-saving mode, which consumes less power, and further reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

[0123] On the other hand, when refrigerator 1 receives a mode switching command from server 2 (step S613), the control unit 9 of refrigerator 1 determines what the other mode pre-set by the user is (step S614). If the other mode is normal mode (step S614, normal mode), the control unit 9 transitions to normal mode (Figure 13, step S100). On the other hand, if the other mode is rapid cooling mode (step S614, rapid cooling mode), the control unit 9 transitions to rapid cooling mode (Figure 16, step S400).

[0124] In other words, in this embodiment, if the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened or closed during the second operation (first power saving mode) and new items are placed inside, the operation control system SYS switches to the first operation (normal mode, rapid cooling mode), in which the rotation speed of the compressor 81 is higher and / or the set temperature is lower than in the second operation. This allows newly placed items that require immediate cooling to be cooled to a lower temperature or more quickly than in the first power saving mode, thus enabling cooling that is less likely to impair the freshness of newly placed items.

[0125] The mode to which the system transitions in step S614 can be set in advance by the user via the control unit 6 or a mobile terminal connected to the refrigerator 1 via the network 3. If the mode to which the system transitions in step S614 is not set, the transition mode should be set to normal mode. Alternatively, the system may uniformly transition to normal mode without determining any other modes to which the system transitions in step S614.

[0126] [Differentiation] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. The embodiments described above are illustrative examples provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with those of another embodiment, and to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to delete parts of the configuration of each embodiment, or to add or replace other configurations. In addition, the control lines and information lines shown in the figures are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines required in the product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all configurations are interconnected. Possible modifications to the above embodiments are as follows, for example.

[0127] (1) In the second power saving mode in the first or second embodiment (see Figure 15), the first power saving mode in the second embodiment (see Figure 20), or the normal mode in the second embodiment (see Figure 19), the comparison unit 213 in the control unit 21 of the server 2 determined whether there were any new items stored before and after the door was opened. Until the determination by the comparison unit 213 was completed, the control unit 9 of the refrigerator 1 may switch the cold air supply unit 8 to another operating mode in which the rotational speed of the compressor 81 is higher and / or the set temperature of the storage room is lower than the operating mode before the door was opened. In other words, if the door is opened or closed during the second operation, the control unit 9 may perform the first operation while the comparison unit 213 is making its determination. This makes it less likely for items stored in the storage room to deteriorate even if the control unit 21 continues to determine whether there are any new items stored for a long time.

[0128] (2) In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 21 of the server 2 performed the process of determining whether or not there were any newly added items in the refrigerator 1. However, the control unit 9 of the refrigerator may also perform the processes that were performed by the server 2.

[0129] (3) In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the communication unit 4 of the refrigerator 1 may communicate directly or via the network 3 with the user's mobile terminal (not shown). In this case, the control and processing that were performed by the server 2 will be performed by the user's mobile terminal.

[0130] (4) In the first embodiment described above, even if it is determined that there is a newly received item in one of the storage rooms 12 to 16 by comparing the item image and / or item(s) (step S303, Yes), the newly received item may have been stored in another storage room in the past. In this case, if the set temperature of the other storage room is lower than the set temperature of the one storage room, the cooling determination unit 214 may determine that there is no need to immediately cool the newly received item and maintain the second power saving mode. That is, during the execution of the second operation, if there is an item newly added to one storage room before and after the opening and closing of the door in the list 2121, and the item is included in the list generated within the past predetermined time as an item that was stored in another storage room, the control unit 9 will maintain the second operation as the operating state.

[0131] In other words, the cooling determination unit 214 may determine to continue the second power-saving cooling (step S301), and the communication unit 23 may transmit a mode maintenance command to the refrigerator 1 (step S309). When a user moves the same item from one storage room at a lower temperature to another storage room with a higher set temperature than the other storage rooms, the purpose may be to thaw the item, and in such cases, there is little need to immediately increase the cooling capacity of the item. This eliminates the need to deactivate the second power-saving mode to cool newly received items that do not require immediate cooling, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0132] (5) In the first embodiment, the refrigerator 1 may also be equipped with an infrared camera capable of recognizing the temperature of an item, either instead of or in addition to the imaging unit 11. In this case, even if there is a new item stored (step S303, Yes), if the new item is below a predetermined temperature, the cooling determination unit 214 may determine that the new item does not need to be cooled immediately and maintain the second power saving mode. In this case, it is possible to suppress unnecessary cooling of a new item that is already cold enough that it does not need to be cooled, which leads to an improvement in the power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

[0133] (6) In addition, steps S304 and S305 (see Figure 15) may be omitted in each embodiment. That is, if there are new incoming items (Yes in step S303), the process in step S310 may be executed immediately. In this case, the second power-saving cooling with low power consumption can be maintained with a simpler process. Furthermore, the order of processing in steps S304 and S305 may be reversed.

[0134] (7) Similarly, in the second embodiment, steps S504, S505 (see Figure 19) and / or steps S608, S609 (see Figure 20) may be omitted. This makes it possible to maintain normal cooling and / or first energy-saving cooling with low power consumption with simple processing in the second embodiment as well. Furthermore, the order of processing in steps S504, S505 and steps S608, S609 may be changed.

[0135] (8) In the first embodiment, the transition of the operating mode of the refrigerator 1 based on the determination of whether or not there are newly stored items was applied to all storage compartments 12 to 16 of the refrigerator 1 in common. However, it is not limited to this, and the operating mode may be changed independently only for the storage compartments in which the presence or absence of newly stored items has been determined. This allows only the storage compartments in the refrigerator 1 that have been determined to contain newly stored items and require cooling to be cooled independently, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

[0136] (9) In addition, in the processing of the first power saving mode of the second embodiment (see Figure 18), even if it is determined that there are newly received items in one of the storage rooms 12 to 16 by comparing the item image and / or item(s) (step S607, Yes), the newly received items may have been stored in other storage rooms in the past. In this case, if the set temperature of the other storage room is lower than the set temperature of the one storage room, the cooling determination unit 214 may determine that it is not necessary to immediately cool the newly received items. That is, the server 2 may determine to continue the first power saving cooling (step S601), and the communication unit 23 may transmit a mode maintenance command to the refrigerator 1 (step S610).

[0137] In other words, server 2 may decide to continue the first power-saving cooling (step S601), and communication unit 23 may transmit the decision result to refrigerator 1 (step S610). This is because, as described above, when a user moves the same item from one storage room at a lower temperature to another at a higher temperature, the purpose may be to thaw the item, and such items do not need to be cooled immediately. This eliminates the need to cool newly received items that do not require immediate cooling, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0138] (10) In the second embodiment, if the refrigerator 1 is equipped with an infrared camera that can recognize the temperature of an item instead of or in addition to the imaging unit 11, even if there is a new item stored (step S607, Yes), if the new item is below a predetermined temperature, the cooling determination unit 214 may determine that there is no need to immediately cool the new item and maintain the first power saving mode. In this case, it is possible to suppress unnecessary cooling of the new item that is already cold enough that it does not need to be cooled, which leads to an improvement in the power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

[0139] (11) Since the hardware of the control unit 9 and server 2 in the above embodiment can be implemented by a general-purpose computer, the programs that execute the processes corresponding to each block diagram and flowchart described above, and other various processes described above, may be stored in a storage medium (a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded) or distributed via a transmission line.

[0140] (12) Although the processes corresponding to each block diagram and flowchart described above, and other various processes described above, have been explained as software processes using a program in the above embodiment, some or all of them may be replaced with hardware processes using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0141] 1. Refrigerator 11 Imaging Unit 110 Lighting Section 111 Main body 112 Support part 113 Lens 12 Refrigerator 13 Ice maker 14 Upper freezer compartment 15. Vegetable compartment 16. Lower freezer compartment 121 Left door 122 Right door 131 Ice maker door 141 Upper freezer door 151 Vegetable compartment door 161 Lower freezer door 17 Hochi Department 18 Interior lighting 2 servers 21 Control Unit 211 Goods Information Acquisition Department 212 List Generation Unit 213 Comparison Section 214 Cooling judgment section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 3. Internet 4. Communications Department 51 Door Sensor 52 Temperature Sensor 6 Control section 7 Memory section 8. Cold air supply unit 81 Compressor 82 Fans 9. Control Unit MD product information SYS Operation Control System (Refrigerator Operation Control System)

Claims

1. A storage room with an opening at the front, A door located on the opening side of the aforementioned storage room, A cold air supply unit, including a compressor, for cooling the storage chamber, A refrigerator comprising a control unit for controlling the cold air supply unit, The item information acquisition unit acquires item information, which is information about the items stored in the storage room, A refrigerator operation control system comprising a list generation unit that generates a list of multiple pieces of item information, The control unit can select and execute, as an operating state, a first operation and a second operation in which power consumption is reduced by lowering the compressor rotation speed and / or raising the set temperature of the storage chamber compared to the first operation. The control unit maintains the second operation if, while the second operation is being performed, no new item information has been added to the list before or after the opening and closing of the door. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

2. In the refrigerator operation control system according to claim 1, The control unit, If, before or after the opening and closing of the door in the second operation, there is any newly added item information in the list, the operation state is switched from the second operation to the first operation. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

3. In the refrigerator operation control system according to claim 2, The aforementioned item information acquisition unit, The items of the articles stored in the aforementioned storage room are included in the article information. The control unit, If, before and after the opening and closing of the door in the second operation, there is new item information added to the list, and the item included therein is a predetermined item, the second operation is maintained. If the item is not the specified item, the operating state is switched from the second operation to the first operation. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

4. In the refrigerator operation control system according to claim 3, If the aforementioned item cannot be recognized and the dimensions of the article are less than or equal to a predetermined value, the second operation is maintained as the operating state. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

5. In the refrigerator operation control system according to claim 3, The control unit, If, during the execution of the second operation, the item information has been newly added to the list before or after the opening and closing of the door, and the newly added item information is included in the list generated within a predetermined time in the past, the second operation will be maintained as the operating state. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

6. In the refrigerator operation control system according to claim 3, The item information acquisition unit includes the storage location of the items stored in the storage room in the item information. The refrigerator comprises one storage compartment and another storage compartment with a lower set temperature than the first storage compartment. The control unit, During the execution of the second operation, if, in the list, there is newly added item information corresponding to the first storage room before and after the opening and closing of the door, and if the item information is included in another list generated within a predetermined time in the past as item information corresponding to the other storage room, the second operation is maintained as the operating state. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

7. A refrigerator operation control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The system further includes a comparison unit that determines whether or not the item information has been newly added to the list before and after the opening and closing of the door, If a door is opened or closed during the second operation, and the comparison unit is making a determination, the control unit will execute the first operation. A refrigerator operation control system characterized by the following features.

8. A storage room with an opening at the front, A door located on the opening side of the aforementioned storage room, An imaging unit for taking images of items stored in the aforementioned storage room, A communication unit that transmits the aforementioned image to an external terminal, A cold air supply unit, including a compressor, for cooling the storage chamber, A refrigerator comprising a control unit for controlling the cold air supply unit, The control unit can select and execute, as an operating state, a first operation and a second operation which reduces power consumption by lowering the compressor rotation speed and / or raising the set temperature of the storage chamber compared to the first operation. The control unit, while performing the second operation, maintains the second operation as the operating state or switches to the first operation in response to a cooling command received from the external terminal in response to the transmission of the image, based on the presence or absence of newly added items in the storage chamber. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

Images