Refrigerator and refrigerator control system

Abstract

This invention provides a refrigerator and a refrigerator control system that can reduce the communication load on the server. [Solution] The refrigerator is a refrigerator capable of communicating with a server and comprises a cooling unit, an acquisition unit, and a control unit. The cooling unit cools the storage compartment contained in the refrigerator. The acquisition unit performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server at predetermined intervals. The control unit controls the cooling unit based on the control commands. When a predetermined control, which is a control different from the control command, is applied, and then a control based on the control command is applied, the acquisition unit performs a process to acquire the control command from the server after a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the time when the acquisition process immediately preceding the application of the control command was performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator and a refrigerator control system.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a refrigerator that controls a compressor and a fan based on an instruction from a server. By the way, when the number of refrigerators communicating with the server increases, the communication load on the server may increase.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a refrigerator control system capable of reducing the communication load on the server.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The refrigerator according to the embodiment is a refrigerator capable of communicating with a server, and includes a cooling unit, an acquisition unit, and a control unit. The cooling unit cools a storage chamber included in the refrigerator. The acquisition unit performs an acquisition process of acquiring a control command from the server every predetermined time. The control unit controls the cooling unit based on the control command. When the control based on the control command is applied after a predetermined control, which is a control different from the control based on the control command, is applied, the acquisition unit performs a process of acquiring a control command from the server after the predetermined time has elapsed based on the time when the acquisition process immediately before the application of the control based on the control command was performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the refrigerator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A front view showing the schematic configuration of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server in the embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of how the operation plan generation unit of the embodiment creates an operation plan. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of how the operation plan generation unit of the embodiment creates an operation plan. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of how the operation plan generation unit of the embodiment creates an operation plan. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of how the operation plan generation unit of the embodiment creates an operation plan. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of how the operation plan generation unit of the embodiment creates an operation plan. [Figure 11] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device of the embodiment. [Figure 12A] A diagram showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 12B] A diagram showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] A sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the first control example of the embodiment. [Figure 15] A sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the second control example of the embodiment. [Figure 16] A sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the third control example of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The refrigerator of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplication of these components may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and may also include cases where XX is based on another element in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but may also include cases where XX has been processed or modified. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to cases where either XX or YY is used, but may also include cases where both XX and YY are used. This also applies when there are three or more optional elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (e.g., arbitrary information).

[0008] In this application, "to obtain" is not limited to cases where information is obtained actively by sending a transmission request, but may also include cases where information is obtained by passively receiving information transmitted from another device.

[0009] (Embodiment) <1. Overall configuration of the refrigerator system> Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the refrigerator system 1 of the embodiment. The refrigerator system 1 includes, for example, a refrigerator 100 and a server 200. The refrigerator system 1 may also include a terminal device 300 (or a home appliance management application APP for the terminal device 300) as described later. The refrigerator system 1 is an example of an "information processing system". The network NW described later may be, for example, the internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public lines or dedicated lines, depending on the situation.

[0010] The refrigerator 100 is installed in the dwelling of user U. The refrigerator 100 is connected to a network NW, for example, via a wireless router WR and modem M installed in the dwelling of user U. The refrigerator 100 can communicate with a server 200 or a terminal device 300 via the network NW.

[0011] Server 200 is a management server that manages refrigerator 100. Server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (such as a cloud server). Server 200 may be referred to as a "server system". Server 200 can communicate with refrigerator 100 or terminal device 300 via network NW. Server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in network NW. Server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in user U's residence, or a home router or the like.

[0012] Terminal device 300 is a terminal device used by user U of refrigerator 100. Terminal device 300 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, terminal device 300 is not limited to a portable terminal device, and may be a personal computer or the like, or a voice dialogue device such as a smart speaker. Terminal device 300 has, for example, a display device 301 including a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information, and an input device 302 capable of receiving an input from user U. Input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided overlapping display screen 301a of display device 301. Input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, etc. provided in terminal device 300.

[0013] An application program P is installed in terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported. Application program P is an application program for managing refrigerator 100. Hereinafter, the application software launched by the execution of application program P is referred to as "home appliance management app APP".

[0014] <2. Refrigerator> First, refrigerator 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of refrigerator 100. Refrigerator 100 includes, for example, a housing 10 and a plurality of doors 20.

[0015] The enclosure 10 is insulated and formed in a rectangular box shape. Inside the enclosure 10 are multiple storage compartments 30. The multiple storage compartments 30 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 31, a chilled compartment 31A, a vegetable compartment 32, an ice-making compartment 33, a small freezer compartment 34, and a main freezer compartment 35. The refrigerator compartment 31 and the vegetable compartment 32 are storage compartments for refrigeration temperatures (e.g., temperatures between 1 and 4°C). The chilled compartment 31A is a storage compartment for chilling temperatures (e.g., temperatures between -1°C and +1°C). The ice-making compartment 33, the small freezer compartment 34, and the main freezer compartment 35 are storage compartments for freezing temperatures (e.g., temperatures between -10 and -20°C). Hereinafter, the refrigerator compartment 31, the chilled compartment 31A, and the vegetable compartment 32 may be referred to as "storage compartment 30R" when not distinguished. For the sake of clarity, the refrigerated temperature zone and the chilled temperature zone may be collectively referred to as the "refrigerated temperature zone" below. Similarly, the ice-making compartment 33, the small freezer compartment 34, and the main freezer compartment 35 may be referred to as the "storage compartment 30F" when not distinguished from each other.

[0016] The above-mentioned refrigerator compartment 31, chilled compartment 31A, vegetable compartment 32, ice-making compartment 33, small freezer compartment 34, and main freezer compartment 35 are each examples of "storage sections". However, the term "storage section" in this application is not limited to the above examples and may also include a partial freezing compartment cooled to a partial temperature range (approximately -4°C to -2°C) or a temperature switching compartment that can switch between multiple temperature ranges (for example, a refrigeration temperature range and a freezing temperature range).

[0017] The openings of the multiple storage compartments 30 are closed by multiple doors 20. The multiple doors 20 include left and right refrigerator compartment doors 21A and 21B that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 31, a vegetable compartment door 22 that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 32, an ice-making compartment door 23 that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment 33, a small freezer compartment door 24 that closes the opening of the small freezer compartment 34, and a main freezer compartment door 25 that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 35. Hereafter, if the left and right refrigerator compartment doors 21A and 21B are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "refrigerator compartment doors 21".

[0018] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the refrigerator 100. The refrigerator 100 includes, for example, a door open / close detection sensor 110, a temperature sensor 120, a cooling unit 130, an ultraviolet irradiation device 139, an operation unit 140, a communication unit 150, a control device 160, and a storage unit 190.

[0019] <2.1 Door Open / Close Detection Sensor> The door open / close detection sensor 110 is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the door 20. The door open / close detection sensor 110 includes, for example, a refrigerator door sensor 111 that detects the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 21, a vegetable door sensor 112 that detects the opening and closing of the vegetable door 22, an ice maker door sensor 113 that detects the opening and closing of the ice maker door 23, a small freezer door sensor 114 that detects the opening and closing of the small freezer door 24, and a main freezer door sensor 115 that detects the opening and closing of the main freezer door 25. The detection results of the door open / close detection sensor 110 are output to the control device 160.

[0020] <2.2 Temperature Sensor> The temperature sensor 120 is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the storage room 30 (for example, the air temperature inside the storage room 30). The temperature sensor 120 includes, for example, a refrigerator room temperature sensor 121 that detects the temperature of the refrigerator room 31 (refrigerator room temperature), a chilled room temperature sensor 122 that detects the temperature of the chilled room 31A (chilled room temperature), and a main freezer room temperature sensor 123 that detects the temperature of the main freezer room 35 (freezer room temperature). The detection results of the temperature sensor 120 are output to the control device 160.

[0021] <2.3 Cooling section> The cooling unit 130 is a device for cooling multiple storage chambers 30. The cooling unit 130 includes, for example, a first cooler 131, a second cooler 132, a compressor 133, a three-way valve 134, a first blower 135, and a second blower 136.

[0022] The first cooler 131 is positioned to correspond to the storage compartment 30R (refrigerator compartment 31, chiller compartment 31A, and vegetable compartment 32) in the refrigerated temperature range. The second cooler 132 is positioned to correspond to the storage compartment 30F (ice maker compartment 33, small freezer compartment 34, and main freezer compartment 35) in the freezer temperature range. The compressor 133 supplies refrigerant to the first cooler 131 and the second cooler 132.

[0023] The three-way valve 134 switches between a first state in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 133 is supplied to the first cooler 131, and a second state in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 133 is supplied to the second cooler 132. The first blower 135 supplies the cold air cooled by the first cooler 131 to the storage room 30R (refrigerator room 31, chilled room 31A, and vegetable room 32) in the refrigerated temperature range. The second blower 136 supplies the cold air cooled by the second cooler 132 to the storage room 30F (ice-making room 33, small freezer room 34, and main freezer room 35) in the freezing temperature range.

[0024] <2.4 Ultraviolet irradiation device> The ultraviolet irradiation device 139 is an irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet light into the storage compartment 30 or onto the handle or inner surface of the door 20. Ultraviolet light is light that has the effect of suppressing bacteria or viruses. The ultraviolet irradiation device 139 is installed in one or more of the following: the refrigerator compartment 31, the chilled compartment 31A, or the vegetable compartment 32. The ultraviolet irradiation device 139 irradiates ultraviolet light when the sterilization mode is set as the control mode of the refrigerator 100.

[0025] <2.5 Control section> The control unit 140 is a control unit that can receive operations from user U on the refrigerator 100. The control unit 140 includes, for example, one or more buttons provided on the surface of the door 20 or the inner surface of the housing 10. By operating the control unit 140, user U can set various cooling control modes, power saving modes, or sterilization modes as control modes for the refrigerator 100. In this application, "setting a control mode" means turning the control mode ON. The control unit 140 may also be able to receive operations from user U to set (i.e., turn ON) a learning control mode, instead of / in addition to the terminal device 300.

[0026] <2.6 Communications Department> The communication unit 150 is, for example, a wireless communication module. The communication unit 150 can communicate with the server 200 via a wireless router WR and modem M located in the user U's residence.

[0027] <2.7 Control Device> The control device 160 comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 100. The control device 160 includes a control command acquisition unit 161, a reception unit 162, a control unit 163, a state management unit 164, and a transmission unit 165. These functional units are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), installed in the refrigerator 100 executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or by the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0028] The control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands related to the cooling control of the refrigerator 100 from the server 200. In this embodiment, the control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands related to the cooling control of the refrigerator 100 generated by the server 200 at predetermined intervals. When the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands at predetermined intervals, it acquires the control commands on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous acquisition. Alternatively, when the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands at predetermined intervals, it may perform the acquisition process on a different day of the week and at a different time than the previous acquisition process. The predetermined time is a period of time that, when expressed in hours, does not have a common divisor with 24. An example of a predetermined time is less than one week, for example, 5 days and 23 hours. The following explanation will continue with the case where 5 days and 23 hours is applied as an example of a predetermined time.

[0029] Figure 4 shows an example of the operation of the refrigerator 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, when the user performs the operation to perform the first acquisition process, the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands that are periodically transmitted at predetermined time intervals based on the time of the user's operation. In other words, the first acquisition process is performed by the refrigerator 100. If the user performs the operation to perform the first acquisition process at the first time on the first day of the week, then from the time the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires the control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week until the time when the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week, the control command acquisition unit 161 repeats the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals, acquiring a control command on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous time.

[0030] For example, if the user performs the first acquisition process at 12:00 on Saturday, January 6, 2024, the control command acquisition unit 161 will acquire the control command transmitted by the server 200 at 12:00 on Saturday, January 6, 2024, and from that time until the next time the control command is transmitted at 12:00 on Saturday, the control command acquisition unit 161 will repeat the acquisition process every 5 days and 23 hours to acquire the control command.

[0031] The above control command is, for example, an operation instruction for a special operation that reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator 100. In this embodiment, the operation of the refrigerator 100 includes a plurality of operating modes (cooling modes). The plurality of operating modes include, for example, normal operation, eco operation (first special operation), and pre-cooling operation (second special operation). Details of each of these operating modes will be described in the description of the server 200. The control command includes an operation instruction that is used for a period of time longer than a predetermined time. The control command acquisition unit 161 is an example of an "acquisition unit".

[0032] The reception unit 162 can receive control commands based on user U's operations on the operation unit 140 or terminal device 300. For example, the reception unit 162 can receive instructions from user U to perform the first acquisition process.

[0033] The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 to cool each storage chamber 30. For example, the control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the set temperature (target temperature) of each storage chamber 30 and the detection result of the temperature sensor 120. For example, the control unit 163 controls the compressor 133, the first blower 135, and the second blower 136 included in the cooling unit 130 by feedback control such as PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) control based on the difference between the set temperature (target temperature) of each storage chamber 30 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 120. In this application, "set temperature (target temperature)" means, for example, the lower limit of the set temperature range described later.

[0034] In this embodiment, the control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on control commands (control commands from the server 200) acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161. That is, the control unit 163 executes normal operation, eco operation, or pre-cooling operation as instructed by the control command. However, if predetermined conditions are met while executing eco operation or pre-cooling operation, the control unit 163 may interrupt the eco operation or pre-cooling operation and perform normal operation. The predetermined conditions are, for example, that the conditions used to set the eco operation or pre-cooling operation (number of door openings and closings or temperature rise of the storage chamber 30), which will be described later, are not met.

[0035] The state management unit 164 stores information indicating the state of the refrigerator 100 (hereinafter referred to as "state information") in the storage unit 190. The state information includes, for example, learning state information 191 used by the server 200 to generate control commands for the refrigerator 100, and execution result information 192 indicating the results of the operation of the refrigerator 100.

[0036] The learning state information 191 includes door open / close information 191a, which shows the detection result of the door open / close detection sensor 110, and temperature information 191b, which shows the detection result of the temperature sensor 120. The door open / close information 191a includes information about door opening and closing at predetermined unit time intervals (e.g., 1 hour). For example, the door open / close information 191a includes information indicating the number of times the door is opened and closed or the door open time at predetermined unit time intervals. "Door open time" is the total time the door is in the open state. The temperature information 191b includes information about the temperature of the storage room 30 at predetermined unit time intervals (e.g., 1 hour). For example, the temperature information 191b includes information indicating the average deviation of the temperature sensor 120 from the set temperature (target temperature) of the storage room 30.

[0037] The execution result information 192 indicates the type of operating mode actually executed by the refrigerator 100 during the time period in which the operating mode was instructed by a control command from the server 200. The execution result information 192 indicates the type of operating mode actually executed by the refrigerator 100 for each predetermined unit time.

[0038] The transmitting unit 165 communicates with the server 200 via the communication unit 150 and sends learning status information 191 and execution result information 192 to the server 200. For example, the transmitting unit 165 sends the learning status information 191 and execution result information 192 to the server 200 at predetermined intervals. One example of a predetermined interval is one hour.

[0039] <2.8 Storage section> The memory unit 190 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The memory unit 190 is implemented by a combination of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or SSD (Solid State Drove). The memory unit 190 stores learning state information 191 and execution result information 192.

[0040] <3. Server> Next, we will explain Server 200 in detail. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of server 200. Server 200 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 210, an operation plan generation unit 220, a control command transmission unit 230, a display information transmission unit 240, and a storage unit 290.

[0041] The information acquisition unit 210, the operation plan generation unit 220, the control command transmission unit 230, and the display information transmission unit 240 are implemented by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU mounted on the server 200, executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. These functional units may be provided separately in multiple server devices. Furthermore, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the refrigerator 100 or terminal device 300 instead of the server 200.

[0042] <3.1 Information acquisition section> The information acquisition unit 210 acquires the learning state information 191 and the execution result information 192 transmitted from the refrigerator 100. The information acquisition unit 210 stores the acquired learning state information 191 as part of the learning storage information 291, and stores the acquired execution result information 192 as part of the execution result storage information 292.

[0043] <3.2 Operation Plan Generation Unit> The operation plan generation unit 220 analyzes user U's lifestyle pattern (refrigerator 100 usage pattern) based on the usage status of the refrigerator 100 over a predetermined period (e.g., the past three weeks or more) obtained from the learning storage information 291, and generates an operation plan for the refrigerator 100 that corresponds to user U's lifestyle pattern. If the user U's lifestyle pattern were to be analyzed based on the usage status of the refrigerator 100 over the past two weeks, it would be difficult to make a judgment when the refrigerator was used one week ago but not two weeks ago. Therefore, past data (averaged data) from three weeks or more ago is incorporated as a basis for judgment. This makes it possible to predict lifestyle patterns with higher accuracy. However, the operation plan generation unit 220 may also analyze user U's lifestyle pattern based on the usage status of the refrigerator 100 over the past two weeks obtained from the learning storage information 291 and generate an operation plan for the refrigerator 100 that corresponds to user U's lifestyle pattern. In other words, the operation plan generation unit 220 is a learning function unit that learns user U's lifestyle pattern. In this application, "learning" is not limited to machine learning using neural networks, etc., but broadly means updating past decisions based on new information.

[0044] In this embodiment, the operation plan generation unit 220 generates an operation plan for the next day of the week based on the learning status information 191 for the same day of the week over the past three weeks, which is included in the learning storage information 291. For example, the operation plan generation unit 220 generates an operation plan for the next Monday based on the learning status information 191 for the previous, the one before that, and the one before that Monday. The same applies to Tuesday through Sunday. Since the decision to perform pre-cooling is based on internal temperature information, the operation plan generation unit 220 excludes data where defrosting or other processes not caused by user usage are performed. Figure 6 shows an example of average data from three weeks ago. In this application, ΔR_Ave represents temperature information data for the refrigerator compartment, ΔF_Ave represents temperature information data for the freezer compartment, and the defrost flag represents the defrost control status. The "original data" for the data from three weeks ago is information from the refrigerator, and the "adjusted data" is data with temperature information during defrosting excluded. This process may also be applied to data from one week and two weeks ago.

[0045] Next, the operation plan generation unit 220 calculates averaged data using data from three weeks or more ago. The operation plan generation unit 220 performs repeated averaging so that time periods closer to the present are weighted. This makes it easier to reflect changes in lifestyle patterns, such as moving. Repeated averaging, for example, as shown in Figure 7, involves deriving (new) averaged data by averaging data from three weeks ago (temperature information ΔR_Ave) with (old) averaged data. (Old) averaged data is calculated using the same method when May 1st is the present. Figure 8 shows the time series. On April 24th, the average of the data from three weeks prior (April 3rd) and the averaged A data (averaged B data) is calculated. The following week, the average of the data from three weeks prior (April 10th) and the averaged B data (averaged C data) is calculated. This process is repeated thereafter. This method shows that the further back in time the data is, the smaller its contribution becomes. If the above formula is calculated every week, then only the data from three weeks prior and the calculated average data are needed, eliminating the need to retain all past operating data and reducing the load on server 200.

[0046] The operation plan generation unit 220 causes the storage unit 290 to store the (new) averaged data. The operation information is divided into one-hour intervals, and the time data is stored in one-hour units. The operation plan generation unit 220 uses the operation information from the past week, the operation information from the past two weeks, and the (new) averaged data to determine whether or not there is a temperature rise. For example, if either ΔR_Ave or ΔF_Ave is -20 or less, it is determined that there is a temperature rise. The operation plan generation unit 220 performs these operations for 24 hours a day, in one-hour increments.

[0047] In this embodiment, the operation plan for the refrigerator 100 is a plan that defines the time periods during which the refrigerator 100 performs normal operation and the time periods during which the refrigerator 100 performs special operation. Special operation is an operation that reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator 100. In this embodiment, special operation includes eco operation and pre-cooling operation. Below, an example in which eco operation is performed based on the number of times the door is opened and closed will be described. Alternatively / in addition to this, eco operation may be performed based on the door open time.

[0048] (Normal operation) Normal operation is the basic operation of the refrigerator 100. For example, normal operation is the operation set when learning is not performed by the operation plan generation unit 220. For example, normal operation is an operation that assumes the refrigerator 100 is used by user U (for example, the door 20 is opened and closed). In other words, normal operation is an operation in which a relatively low set temperature (target temperature) is set so that the temperature of the storage compartment 30 can be kept below a certain level even when the door 20 is opened and closed.

[0049] (Pre-cooling operation) Pre-cooling is an operation performed when a large temperature rise (a temperature rise exceeding a threshold) is expected in the storage chamber 30. By lowering the temperature of the storage chamber 30 in advance (so-called "pre-cooling"), the peak of the temperature rise in the storage chamber 30 is cut off, suppressing a decrease in cooling efficiency (COP: Coefficient of Performance) and reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator 100. For convenience of explanation below, the temperature rise of the storage chamber 30 that is subject to pre-cooling will be referred to as a "temperature rise exceeding a threshold." For example, in pre-cooling, for a predetermined unit time in which a temperature rise exceeding a threshold is estimated to occur in a particular storage chamber 30, the set temperature (target temperature) of the particular storage chamber 30 is set lower than in normal operation during that predetermined unit time and the predetermined unit time immediately preceding it, thereby lowering the temperature of the particular storage chamber 30 in advance. For example, in pre-cooling, the operating frequency of the compressor 133, the rotational speed of the first blower 135, or the rotational speed of the second blower 136 is increased by lowering the set temperature of the storage chamber 30 by 1°C or 2°C compared to normal operation.

[0050] The operation plan generation unit 220 determines whether or not to perform pre-cooling based on the results of determining whether or not there is a temperature rise and the pre-cooling operation determination table. Figure 9 shows an example of the pre-cooling operation determination table. The determination table basically determines whether or not to perform pre-cooling using a majority vote method. However, for example, if the lifestyle pattern differs due to holidays or company holidays one week or two weeks ago, the final decision can be made using (new) averaged data that has been repeatedly averaged over time in the past, based on the most likely pattern.

[0051] (Eco driving) Eco-mode is a mode of operation that reduces the power consumption of the refrigerator 100 by raising the set temperature (target temperature) of the storage compartment 30 compared to normal operation during times when the number of times the door 20 is opened and closed is estimated to be low, and by suppressing the operation of the cooling unit 130. For example, in eco-mode, the set temperature of the storage compartment 30 is raised by 1°C or 2°C compared to normal operation, thereby reducing the operating frequency of the compressor 133, the rotational speed of the first blower 135, or the rotational speed of the second blower 136.

[0052] In this embodiment, the operation plan generation unit 220 determines whether or not to perform pre-cooling operation based on the number of door openings and closings and the eco-operation determination table. Figure 10 shows an example of the eco-operation determination table. The determination table basically determines whether or not to perform pre-cooling operation using a majority vote method. Specifically, the operation plan generation unit 220 performs eco-operation at the same time on the same day of the week next time if the number of times the door 20 is opened and closed in a predetermined unit time (e.g., less than 6 times) in a time period with (new) averaged data from the past week, two weeks ago, or other time periods. However, unlike temperature information, the number of door openings and closings is an element directly related to the user's lifestyle pattern, so it is unnecessary to exclude data where defrosting or other operations not caused by the user's usage are performed. On the other hand, if the number of times the door 20 is opened and closed in a predetermined unit time in a time period with (new) averaged data from the past week, two weeks ago, or other time periods, the operation plan generation unit 220 does not perform eco-operation at the same time on the same day of the week next time, but instead performs normal operation or pre-cooling operation.

[0053] Note that the number of times a door 20 is opened and closed refers to the total number of times all doors 20 included in the refrigerator 100 (refrigerator door 21, vegetable door 22, ice maker door 23, small freezer door 24, and main freezer door 25) are opened and closed. Alternatively, the number of times a door 20 is opened and closed may refer to the total number of times a representative specific door (for example, the refrigerator door 21, vegetable door 22, and main freezer door 25) is opened and closed.

[0054] In this embodiment, the operation plan for the refrigerator 100 is a plan that specifies whether to perform normal operation, eco operation, or pre-cooling operation at predetermined time intervals (for example, every hour). The operation plan generation unit 220 prioritizes pre-cooling operation if the scheduled execution of eco operation and the scheduled execution of pre-cooling operation overlap during the same time period. The operation plan generation unit 220 creates a control command that includes an operation plan to be used for a longer period than the predetermined time. The control command includes an operation plan whose content may differ for each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time. For example, the control command includes an operation plan that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past. The operation plan is an example of "control information". Return to Figure 5 and continue the explanation.

[0055] <3.3 Control Command Transmission Unit> The control command transmission unit 230 transmits a control command to the refrigerator 100 that includes the operation plan generated by the operation plan generation unit 220. For example, when an acquisition process is performed in the control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100, the control command transmission unit 230 transmits a control command for the next predetermined time to the refrigerator 100 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 5 days and 23 hours) based on that acquisition process. In this embodiment, the control command includes at least one of the following: an execution command for normal operation, an execution command for eco operation, or an execution command for pre-cooling operation.

[0056] <3.4 Display Information Transmission Section> The display information transmission unit 240 generates information to be displayed on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 (hereinafter referred to as "display information") and transmits the generated display information to the terminal device 300. The display information includes information indicating the execution result of the operation of the refrigerator 100, which is generated based on the execution result information 192.

[0057] <3.5 Storage section> The memory unit 290 is implemented by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD. The memory unit 290 stores learning information 291 and execution result information 292.

[0058] <4. Terminal Devices> Next, we will explain the terminal device 300 in detail. Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, an operation reception unit 320, a display control unit 330, and a storage unit 390.

[0059] The information acquisition unit 310, the operation reception unit 320, and the display control unit 330 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300, executing the application program P. In other words, the information acquisition unit 310, the operation reception unit 320, and the display control unit 330 are software functions included in the home appliance management application APP.

[0060] <4.1 Information acquisition section> The information acquisition unit 310 acquires information received from the server 200 in relation to the home appliance management application APP. For example, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires display information generated by the server 200 from the server 200.

[0061] <4.2 Operation Reception Section> The operation reception unit 320 receives user U operations performed on the input device 302 in connection with the home appliance management application APP. For example, the operation reception unit 320 receives user U operations on the operation section displayed on the display screen 301a. The operation reception unit 320 sends a signal to the server 200 indicating the content of the received user U operation. As a result, processing corresponding to the received user U operation content is performed on the server 200.

[0062] In this embodiment, the operation reception unit 320 accepts the setting of the learning control mode (i.e., setting the learning control mode to the ON state) based on the operation of user U. In this embodiment, when user U sets the learning control mode on the terminal device 300, the server 200 performs learning, the server 200 generates control commands related to the cooling control of the refrigerator 100, and the generated control commands are transmitted from the server 200 to the refrigerator 100.

[0063] <4.3 Display Control Unit> The display control unit 330 controls the content displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 of the terminal device 300 by controlling the display device 301 of the display device 301. For example, the display control unit 330 displays the display information acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 on the display screen 301a.

[0064] <4.4 Storage section> The memory unit 390 is implemented by a combination of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD. The memory unit 390 stores the application program P.

[0065] <5. Offline Operation> It is conceivable that the refrigerator 100 may fail to acquire data due to system maintenance on the server side, not just the network environment at the user's home. In such cases, the acquisition process may be repeated at shorter intervals (for example, every two hours) to quickly restore the function of controlling the cooling unit 130 based on the control command. However, if the failure is due to system maintenance on the server 200 side, all refrigerators 100 will go offline. Therefore, if the acquisition process is performed at shorter intervals than the predetermined time, for example, every two hours, there is a risk that the server 200 will be overloaded with processes generating control commands after the maintenance is complete, and the longer the maintenance time, the greater this risk becomes.

[0066] Even if there are no problems after maintenance, the timing of subsequent inquiries will be the same for those refrigerators 100, which will cause the processing on server 200 to become unevenly distributed. Therefore, in response to the acquisition process of refrigerator 100, server 200 sends a control command that includes an operation plan to be used for a longer period than a predetermined time (for example, one week), and refrigerator 100 repeatedly executes that operation plan to be used for a longer period than a predetermined time. The following explanation continues with an example where server 200 sends a control instruction that includes an operation plan to be used for one week. As a result, even if the acquisition process of refrigerator 100 fails, the function of controlling the cooling unit 130 based on the control command can be continued.

[0067] Figures 12A and 12B illustrate an example of the operation of refrigerator 100. Figures 12A and 12B are time charts showing an example of the operation of refrigerator 100. After receiving control commands for one week (from the current time to 6 days and 23 hours later) from server 200, the control commands are executed. If the acquisition process (5 days and 23 days later) fails, the control command database is not updated, and operation continues. After all control commands have been executed, the control commands are repeatedly executed, and at the timing of the next acquisition process (5 days and 23 hours later), if successful, the control commands are updated; if it fails, they are not updated, and the current control commands continue. Figure 12A shows the case where the acquisition process fails once, and Figure 12B shows the case where the acquisition process fails twice.

[0068] Furthermore, it has been confirmed that a user's weekly lifestyle plan is approximately 90% consistent between two weeks prior and one week prior, and does not change significantly. Therefore, continuing operation based on the control command has benefits that outweigh the disadvantages of stopping the function that controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control command. It is assumed that the acquisition processing cycle will not change even when offline, which will allow the system to operate without affecting the server load.

[0069] Additionally, the acquisition process cycle may be changed while offline, but after success, the next acquisition process cycle may be adjusted to maintain the normal timing of the acquisition process. Figure 13 shows an example of the operation of the refrigerator 100. Figure 13 is a time chart showing an example of the operation of the refrigerator 100. After acquisition process A fails, acquisition process B is performed again at a shorter time than the predetermined time, for example, after 2 hours. If acquisition process B is successful, the control command is updated.

[0070] Note that acquisition process B will not occur from this point onward, but if acquisition process B fails again, it may be performed again at a shorter time than the predetermined time, for example, after 2 hours. Acquisition process A will return to normal query timing by being performed again 5 days and 23 hours after the previous acquisition process A. This can be handled by separately counting the cycles of acquisition processes while the refrigerator is offline. This is mainly handled on the refrigerator 100 side, but it may also be possible to adjust the next acquisition process cycle by sending it mainly on the server 200 side so that queries come during times when the server 200 load is low.

[0071] <6. Reset Learning Control Mode> There may be cases where the system needs to be temporarily turned off, such as when a user wants to use functions that conflict with the energy-saving operation of the learning control mode, like rapid cooling or rapid freezing. Even when turned off, the unexecuted control commands are retained without being deleted until at least the time period in which all operation plans are executed. This eliminates the need to re-acquire them when the system is set again. For example, if user U turns off the learning control mode 3 days after acquiring control commands, and then turns it back on 1 day later, the control commands will remain unexecuted for the remaining 2 days and 23 hours. Therefore, the learning control mode will be re-executed.

[0072] Furthermore, the acquisition process cycle (5 days and 23 hours) may be counted internally even when the system is offline to maintain the timing of the normal acquisition process. In that case, the current control command will be repeatedly executed, just as when the system is offline. Since the initial timing of the acquisition process can be maintained, factors that cause fluctuations in the load on server 200 can be suppressed. This operation is performed when the learning control mode is set to off, but internally, the system may maintain an on state and, as a control priority, prioritize the execution of modes such as rapid cooling or rapid freezing, regardless of the control command.

[0073] <7. Control Flow> Next, we will explain some control flows. Figure 14 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the first control example. The operation plan generation unit 220 of the server 200 excludes temperature information data for defrosting and other operations not caused by how user U uses the system (step S101). Next, the operation plan generation unit 220 calculates averaged temperature information data using temperature information data from three weeks ago or more (step S102). For example, the operation plan generation unit 220 derives (new) averaged temperature information data by averaging the temperature information data from three weeks ago with the (old) averaged temperature information data.

[0074] The operation plan generation unit 220 causes the storage unit 290 to store the (new) averaged data of the temperature information data (step S103). The operation plan generation unit 220 uses the temperature information data from the past week, the temperature information data from the past two weeks, and the (new) averaged data of the temperature information data to determine whether or not there is a temperature rise (step S104). Based on the result of determining whether or not there is a temperature rise and the pre-cooling operation determination table, the operation plan generation unit 220 determines whether or not to perform pre-cooling operation in 1-hour increments for the 24 hours of the day (step S105).

[0075] The operation plan generation unit 220 calculates averaged door opening and closing data using data on door opening and closing counts from three weeks prior or more (step S106). For example, the operation plan generation unit 220 derives new averaged door opening and closing data by averaging the data on door opening and closing counts from three weeks prior with the (old) averaged door opening and closing data.

[0076] The operation plan generation unit 220 causes the storage unit 290 to store the (new) averaged data of the number of door openings and closings (step S107). The operation plan generation unit 220 determines whether the number of times the door 20 opens and closes in a predetermined unit of time (e.g., 1 hour) is less than a predetermined number (e.g., less than 6 times) for the past week, two weeks, and for time periods in which the (new) averaged data exists (step S108). Based on the result of determining whether the number of door openings and closings is less than a predetermined number and the door opening and closing count determination table, the operation plan generation unit 220 determines whether or not to implement eco-driving in 1-hour increments for the 24 hours of the day (step S109). The operation plan generation unit 220 determines that the 24 hours of the day will be used in 1-hour increments for normal operation, excluding pre-cooling operation and eco-operation (step S110).

[0077] Figure 15 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the second control example. First, when the user U performs the operation to perform the first acquisition process, the control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 creates a control command query based on the time of the operation by user U to acquire a control command. The control command acquisition unit 161 then sends the created control command query to the server 200 via the communication unit 150 (step S201). As a result, the server 200 receives the control command query sent by the refrigerator 100 (step S202).

[0078] Next, the operation plan generation unit 220 of the server 200 analyzes the user U's lifestyle pattern (refrigerator 100 usage pattern) based on the usage status of the refrigerator 100 over a predetermined period (e.g., the past three weeks) obtained from the learning storage information 291, and generates an operation plan for the refrigerator 100 that corresponds to the user U's lifestyle pattern. At predetermined intervals, the operation plan generation unit 220 creates a control command that includes information indicating an operation plan to be used for a longer period than the predetermined time. The control command transmission unit 230 transmits a control command containing multiple operation plans generated by the operation plan generation unit 220 to the refrigerator 100 (step S203). As a result, the refrigerator 100 receives the control command transmitted by the server 200 (step S204).

[0079] Next, the control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 acquires a control command. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the operation plan included in the control command (control command from server 200) acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161 (step S205).

[0080] The control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 then determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous inquiry (step S206). If the predetermined time has elapsed, it returns to step S101; otherwise, it returns to step S105.

[0081] Figure 16 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the third control example. Steps S301 to S304 can be explained by applying steps S201, S204, S205, and S206 of the second control example shown in Figure 15.

[0082] In step S304, if a predetermined time has elapsed, the control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 creates a control command inquiry to acquire a control command. The control command acquisition unit 161 transmits the created control command inquiry from the communication unit 150 to the server 200 (step S305). The control command acquisition unit 161 determines whether or not it has received a control command from the server 200 (step S306). If it has received a control command from the server 200, it proceeds to step S303. If it has not received a control command from the server 200, the control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the acquired control command (step S307).

[0083] The control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 then determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous inquiry (step S308). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the control unit 163 determines whether all operation plans have been executed based on the acquired control commands. If there are operation plans that have not been executed, the process proceeds to step S307, and if all operation plans have been executed, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0084] If a predetermined time has elapsed in step S308, the control command acquisition unit 161 of the refrigerator 100 creates a control command query to acquire a control command. The control command acquisition unit 161 sends the created control command query from the communication unit 150 to the server 200 (step S310). The control command acquisition unit 161 determines whether or not it has received a control command from the server 200 (step S311). If it has received a control command from the server 200, it proceeds to step S303. If it has not received a control command from the server 200, it proceeds to step S302.

[0085] <8. Advantages> Next, some of the advantages of the refrigerator system 1 of this embodiment will be described. <8.1 Advantage 1> If control commands from server 200 to refrigerator 100 are sent periodically at the top of every hour, the more refrigerators there are, the greater the processing load on server 200, causing a delay in the control commands. As the number of connected refrigerators increases daily, the delay gradually increases to 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and so on, widening the discrepancy with the predicted daily life pattern.

[0086] In this embodiment, the refrigerator 100 is capable of communicating with the server 200 and includes a cooling unit 130, a control command acquisition unit 161, and a control unit 163. The cooling unit 130 cools the storage compartment included in the refrigerator 100. The control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server 200. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161. From the time the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires a control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week until the time the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week, the control command acquisition unit 161 repeats the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals, acquiring a control command on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous time.

[0087] With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can acquire a control command at a different day or time than the previous time, by repeating the acquisition process at predetermined intervals between the time it acquires the control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week and the time it is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week. Therefore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the timing of the acquisition process is distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, and delays in control commands can be suppressed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0088] After receiving a control command, Refrigerator 100 executes each operation plan according to the instructions for the current time. If Refrigerator 100 periodically obtains date and time information separately from Server 200, the refrigerator will switch to the next control command at the top of every hour. If time information is not obtained separately, the system will switch every hour using a timer, but since this is not synchronized with the actual time, an error of up to one hour may occur. The explanation above describes the case where the next acquisition process is set to 5 days and 23 hours after the previous acquisition process, but in this case, the period differs from the control commands for one week. When Refrigerator 100 executes all operation plans and performs the acquisition process again, the acquisition process will be performed exactly once a week, so the time of the acquisition process will be almost fixed. If the acquisition process is performed after User U turns on the learning control mode, some distribution can be expected, but it is easy to imagine that it will be during the daytime, which is User U's activity time on roughly the same days of the week, and since User U tends to operate Refrigerator 100 more often on holidays, it is expected that the risk of server load concentration on Saturdays and Sundays will remain high.

[0089] Therefore, one might consider randomizing the timing of the next control command, but this would require testing various patterns of operation, resulting in poor development efficiency. Therefore, we will implement a method that allows for shifting the timing of each query while maintaining a fixed interval for the acquisition process. Specifically, we will utilize the characteristics of numbers and set the timing of the next acquisition process to be shifted by the amount of time that corresponds to the time of the target time and the time of a relatively prime number. Relatively prime means that two integers have no common divisor other than 1 or -1; for example, 7 and 5 are relatively prime. In this embodiment, the specific acquisition process cycle is set to "5 days and 23 hours". Considering the dimension of "time," one day is 24 hours, so 24 and 23 are relatively prime. By setting it to 23 hours, the timing of the next acquisition process shifts by one hour each time.

[0090] In addition, other numbers relatively prime to 24 include 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19. When considering the dimension of "days," one week equals 7 days, and all numbers are relatively prime to 7: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Therefore, for "days," any value will shift through all days of the week, but the combination with "time" must be considered. The reason for setting it to "5 days and 23 hours" in this embodiment is that when considering the combination of prime numbers for "time" and "days," it results in an efficient shifting combination pattern. As shown in Figure 4, in the next retrieval process, the day of the week and time will shift by "1" each time. Other options such as "3 days and 1 hour" or "4 days and 5 hours" would also be acceptable, but it is better to set the query cycle as long as possible to reduce the load on the server side. Specifically, it is desirable that the time required from when a retrieval process is performed on a certain day of the week at a certain time until the next retrieval process is performed on the same day of the week at the same time be more than one year. In this application, the time required from one acquisition process at a certain time on a certain day of the week until the next acquisition process at the same time on the same day of the week is approximately 3 years.

[0091] Therefore, when prioritizing the shift in days of the week, it is important to consider the "time" as well, as failing to do so may prevent achieving the desired effect. Furthermore, the acquisition processing cycle can be set to an arbitrary value from the server. For example, by adding query cycle information to a portion of the data set (control commands) that transmits the operation plan, it becomes possible to change the acquisition processing cycle for subsequent sessions, effectively applying this change to all refrigerators with learning control mode enabled. If the days and times when server load is concentrated can be identified, it is also possible to change the cycle only for the target refrigerator group. For example, if there is a simultaneous power outage in a specific area, the transmission timing will be concentrated only in that area, thus avoiding the issue. This allows for the construction of a system configuration suitable for server operation.

[0092] In this embodiment, the predetermined time is a time that, when expressed in hours, does not have a common denominator with 24. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can shift the time period of each acquisition process while maintaining a fixed interval for the acquisition process. This makes it possible to reduce the communication load on the server 200.

[0093] In this embodiment, the first acquisition process is performed at a time based on user operation, and the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands that are periodically transmitted at predetermined time intervals based on the time based on user operation. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can be based on the time based on user operation. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the time at which the acquisition process is performed is distributed. This makes it possible to reduce the communication load on the server 200.

[0094] In this embodiment, the control command acquisition unit 161 performs the acquisition process on a different day and time than the previous acquisition process. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 repeats the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals between acquiring a control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week and the time when the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week, thereby acquiring a control command on a different day and time than the previous time. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the time at which the acquisition process is performed is further distributed. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in processing load on the server 200 even if the number of refrigerators increases, and thus suppress delays in control commands. This makes it possible to reduce the communication load on the server 200.

[0095] In this embodiment, the predetermined time is less than one week. With this configuration, if the server 200 can provide operation instructions for a period longer than the predetermined time (one week) all at once, the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute those operation instructions for a period longer than the predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the refrigerator 100 can continue to control the cooling unit 130 based on the control command.

[0096] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information that will be used for a longer period of time than a predetermined time. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the operation instructions that will be used for a longer period of time than the predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the refrigerator 100 can continue to control the cooling unit 130 based on the control command.

[0097] In this embodiment, if the acquisition process is to be performed between 11 PM and midnight, it is performed at a time closer to 6 AM the following day than midnight. This configuration prevents the acquisition process from being performed during the late-night hours of 11 PM to midnight. As a result, the increase in processing load on the server 200 during the late-night hours can be suppressed, thus preventing delays in control commands. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0098] <8.2 Advantage 2> If Refrigerator 100 fails to acquire data due to server-side system maintenance, all Refrigerator 100 units will go offline. This creates a risk of a surge in requests to Server 200 after the maintenance is complete, and the longer the maintenance period, the greater this risk becomes.

[0099] In this embodiment, the refrigerator 100 is capable of communicating with the server 200 and includes a cooling unit 130, a control command acquisition unit 161, a storage unit 190, and a control unit 163. The cooling unit 130 cools the storage compartment included in the refrigerator 100. The control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server 200 at predetermined intervals. The storage unit 190 stores the control commands acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands. If the control command acquisition unit 161 fails to acquire a control command from the server 200 after performing the acquisition process, it performs the acquisition process again after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time the acquisition process was performed. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands stored in the storage unit 190 until the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires a control command from the server 200.

[0100] With this configuration, even if the refrigerator 100 fails to obtain a control command from the server 200 after performing the acquisition process, it can still control the cooling unit 130 based on the stored control command until it obtains a control command from the server 200. Therefore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the timing of the acquisition process is distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, thus preventing delays in control commands. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0101] In this embodiment, if the control command acquisition unit 161 fails to acquire a control command from the server 200 even after performing an acquisition process, and fails to acquire a control command in the next acquisition process as well, it performs a process to acquire a control command from the server 200 after a time shorter than a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the time when the next acquisition process was performed. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can acquire a control command from the server 200 after a time shorter than a predetermined time has elapsed if it fails to acquire a control command consecutively. As a result, the refrigerator 100 can acquire a control command quickly, and the time at which the acquisition process is performed is distributed even if the number of refrigerators increases. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in processing load on the server 200 even if the number of refrigerators increases, and thus suppress delays in control commands. This makes it possible to reduce the communication load on the server 200.

[0102] The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is capable of communicating with a server 200 and includes a cooling unit 130, a control command acquisition unit 161, a storage unit 190, and a control unit 163. The cooling unit 130 cools the storage compartment included in the refrigerator 100. The control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server 200 at predetermined intervals. The storage unit 190 stores the control commands acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands. If the control command acquisition unit 161 fails to acquire a control command from the server 200 after performing the acquisition process, it performs the acquisition process at a time interval shorter than the predetermined time, based on the time when the acquisition process was performed. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands stored in the storage unit 190 until the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires a control command from the server 200.

[0103] With this configuration, if the refrigerator 100 fails to acquire a control command, it can perform the acquisition process at shorter time intervals than predetermined, thus enabling it to acquire the control command sooner. Furthermore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the timing of the acquisition process is distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, thus reducing delays in control commands. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0104] In this embodiment, the control command acquisition unit 161 repeats the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals, acquiring the command on a different day of the week than the previous acquisition. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can acquire the control command on a different day of the week than the previous acquisition. Therefore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the days on which the acquisition process is performed are further distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, and delays in control commands can be suppressed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0105] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time. With this configuration, since the control command can include control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time, the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the function can be continued.

[0106] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past, and the predetermined time is less than one week. With this configuration, the control command can include control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past, so the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the function can be continued.

[0107] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information used for a period longer than a predetermined time. With this configuration, the server 200 can provide control information used for a period longer than a predetermined time, for example, one week, all at once, so the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the operation instructions used for that period longer than a predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the function can continue.

[0108] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions on the same day of the week in the past. If the control command acquisition unit 161 fails to acquire the control command from the server 200, the control unit 163 performs the unimplemented portion of the control information included in the control command stored in the storage unit 190, and then performs the already implemented portion. With this configuration, the control command can include control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions on the same day of the week in the past. Therefore, if the refrigerator 100 fails to acquire the control command from the server 200, it can perform the unimplemented portion of the control information included in the control command, and then perform the already implemented portion. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the function of controlling the cooling unit 130 based on the control command can be continued.

[0109] <8.3 Advantage 3> In cases where a user wants to use functions that conflict with the energy-saving operation of the learning control mode, such as rapid cooling or rapid freezing, it may be necessary to temporarily turn off energy-saving operation. There is a risk that server 200 will be overwhelmed with control command inquiries if energy-saving operation is turned back on after being temporarily turned off.

[0110] In this embodiment, the refrigerator 100 is capable of communicating with the server 200 and includes a cooling unit 130, a control command acquisition unit 161, and a control unit 163. The cooling unit 130 cools the storage compartment included in the refrigerator 100. The control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server 200 at predetermined intervals. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands. When a predetermined control, which is a control different from the control command based on the control command, is applied, the control command acquisition unit 161 performs a process to acquire the control command from the server 200 after a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the time when the acquisition process immediately preceding the application of the control command based on the control command was performed.

[0111] With this configuration, if a predetermined control, which is a control different from the control command-based control, is applied to the refrigerator 100, and then a control based on the control command is applied, the process of acquiring the control command from the server 200 can be performed after a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the time when the acquisition process immediately preceding the application of the control command-based control was performed. Therefore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the time at which the acquisition process is performed is distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, and delays in the control command can be suppressed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0112] In this embodiment, the control command acquisition unit 161 performs acquisition processing at predetermined intervals even while a control different from the control command based on the control command is being applied. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control command acquired by the acquisition processing performed while the control different from the control command based on the control command was being applied, after the predetermined control has finished. With this configuration, even while the refrigerator 100 is being controlled by a control different from the control command based on the control command, the refrigerator 100 can perform acquisition processing at predetermined intervals. Therefore, immediately after the predetermined control has finished, the cooling unit 130 can be controlled based on the control command acquired by the acquisition processing performed while the predetermined control was being applied. Since acquisition processing is not performed after the predetermined control has finished, the communication load on the server 200 can be reduced.

[0113] The refrigerator 100 of this embodiment is capable of communicating with a server 200 and includes a cooling unit 130, a control command acquisition unit 161, a storage unit 190, and a control unit 163. The cooling unit 130 cools the storage compartment included in the refrigerator 100. The control command acquisition unit 161 performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server 200 at predetermined intervals. The storage unit 190 stores the control commands acquired by the control command acquisition unit 161. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands. If the control command acquisition unit 161 fails to acquire a control command from the server 200 after performing the acquisition process, it performs the acquisition process at a time interval shorter than the predetermined time, based on the time when the acquisition process was performed. The control unit 163 controls the cooling unit 130 based on the control commands stored in the storage unit 190 until the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires a control command from the server 200.

[0114] With this configuration, if the refrigerator 100 has performed an acquisition process but has not been able to obtain a control command, it can perform the acquisition process at a shorter time interval than a predetermined time, based on the time when the acquisition process was performed. As a result, the refrigerator 100 can obtain control commands earlier, and even if the number of refrigerators increases, the timing of the acquisition process is distributed. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in processing load on the server 200 even if the number of refrigerators increases, thereby suppressing delays in control commands. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0115] In this embodiment, when a control different from the control command based on the control command is completed, the cooling unit 130 is controlled based on the control command stored in the storage unit 190. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can immediately control the cooling unit 130 based on the control command stored in the storage unit 190 after a control different from the control command based on the control command has been completed. Since no acquisition process is performed after the predetermined control is completed, the communication load on the server 200 can be reduced.

[0116] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time. With this configuration, the control command can include control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time, so that the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the refrigerator 100 can continue to control the cooling unit 130 based on the control command.

[0117] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past. The predetermined time is less than one week. With this configuration, the control command can include control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past, so the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the control information that controls the cooling unit 130 according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the refrigerator 100 can continue to control the cooling unit 130 based on the control command.

[0118] In this embodiment, the control command includes control information to be used for a period of time longer than a predetermined time. With this configuration, the server 200 can provide control information to be used for a period of time longer than a predetermined time, for example, one week, all at once, so the refrigerator 100 can repeatedly execute the operation instructions used for that period of time longer than a predetermined time. As a result, even if the acquisition process fails, the function of controlling the cooling unit 130 based on the control command can be continued.

[0119] In this embodiment, from the time the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires a control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week until the time the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week, the control command acquisition unit 161 repeats the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals, acquiring the command on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous time. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can acquire a control command on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous time by repeating the acquisition process at predetermined time intervals from the time the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week. Therefore, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the time at which the acquisition process is performed is distributed. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, and delays in control commands can be suppressed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0120] In this embodiment, the predetermined time can be changed on the server 200 side. With this configuration, since the predetermined time can be changed on the server 200 side, the time at which the acquisition process is performed can be distributed even if the number of refrigerators increases. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the increase in the processing load on the server 200 can be suppressed, and delays in control commands can be suppressed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0121] In this embodiment, the first acquisition process is performed at a time based on user operation, and the control command acquisition unit 161 acquires control commands that are periodically transmitted at predetermined intervals based on the time based on user operation. With this configuration, the refrigerator 100 can be based on the time based on user U's operation. As a result, even if the number of refrigerators increases, the time at which the acquisition process is performed is distributed. This reduces the communication load on the server 200.

[0122] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the example above. For example, "at predetermined intervals" is not always limited to a constant time, but may vary slightly from a predetermined reference time. For example, the time interval between the first and second acquisition processes may be 5 days, 23 hours, and 1 second, and the time interval between the second and third acquisition processes may be 5 days, 22 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.

[0123] According to at least one embodiment described above, the refrigerator can control its cooling unit by a first cooling control performed based on user operation or preset conditions, and a second cooling control performed based on a control command from a server. When the first and second cooling controls overlap, the first cooling control is given priority, and the refrigerator has a control unit that determines the content of the second cooling control based on the type of storage unit to be cooled in the first cooling control. Such a configuration can improve convenience.

[0124] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0125] 1...Refrigerator system, 10...Housing, 20...Door, 100...Refrigerator, 200...Server, 300...Terminal device, 310...Information acquisition unit, 320...Operation reception unit, 330...Display control unit.

Claims

1. A refrigerator capable of communicating with a server, A cooling unit for cooling the storage compartment included in the refrigerator, An acquisition unit that performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server at predetermined intervals, A control unit that controls the cooling unit based on the control command, Equipped with, The acquisition unit is a refrigerator that, when a predetermined control different from the control based on the control command is applied and then a control based on the control command is applied, performs a process to acquire a control command from the server after a predetermined time has elapsed based on the time when the acquisition process was performed immediately before the control based on the control command was applied.

2. The acquisition unit performs the acquisition process at predetermined intervals, even while a control different from the control based on the control command is being applied. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the cooling unit based on the control command obtained by the acquisition process performed while a control different from the control based on the control command is applied after the predetermined control has been completed.

3. A refrigerator capable of communicating with a server, A cooling unit for cooling the storage compartment included in the refrigerator, An acquisition unit that performs processing to acquire control commands from the server based on a predetermined time, A control unit that controls the cooling unit based on the control command, A storage unit that stores the control command acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The acquisition unit acquires the control command at a second time point later than the first time point at which the control based on the control command was applied, when a control different from the control based on the control command is applied and then the control based on the control command is applied. The control unit controls the cooling unit from the first time point to the second time point based on the previously acquired control command, in a refrigerator.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the cooling unit based on the control command stored in the storage unit when a control different from the control command based on the control command is completed.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control command includes control information whose content may differ in each of the multiple periods included in the predetermined time.

6. The control command includes control information that causes the cooling unit to be controlled according to the operating conditions of the same day of the week in the past. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined time is less than one week.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control command includes control information used for a period of time longer than the predetermined time.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, from the time the acquisition unit acquires a control command transmitted at the first time on the first day of the week until the time when the control command is transmitted again at the first time on the first day of the week, the acquisition unit repeats the acquisition process at predetermined intervals, and acquires the command on a different day of the week or at a different time compared to the previous time.

9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined time can be changed on the server side.

10. The first acquisition process is performed at a time based on the user's operation. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the acquisition unit acquires control commands that are periodically transmitted at predetermined intervals based on the time based on the user's operation.

11. A refrigerator control system comprising a server and a refrigerator capable of communicating with the server, The aforementioned refrigerator, A cooling unit for cooling the storage compartment included in the refrigerator, An acquisition unit that performs an acquisition process to acquire control commands from the server at predetermined intervals, A control unit that controls the cooling unit based on the control command, Equipped with, The acquisition unit, when a predetermined control that is different from the control based on the control command is applied and then a control based on the control command is applied, performs a process to acquire the control command from the server after a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the time when the acquisition process was performed immediately before the control based on the control command was applied. Refrigerator control system.

12. A refrigerator control system comprising a server and a refrigerator capable of communicating with the server, The aforementioned refrigerator, A cooling unit for cooling the storage compartment included in the refrigerator, An acquisition unit that performs processing to acquire control commands from the server based on a predetermined time, A control unit that controls the cooling unit based on the control command, A storage unit that stores the control command acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The acquisition unit acquires the control command at a second time point later than the first time point at which the control based on the control command was applied, when a control different from the control based on the control command is applied and then the control based on the control command is applied. The control unit controls the cooling unit from the first time point to the second time point based on the control command acquired previously. Refrigerator control system.

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