Refrigerators and inventory management methods

Abstract

To provide a technique for managing a plurality of kinds of stored articles by using weight sensors.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to the present invention comprises: three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c; a weight change calculation unit for calculating a total weight change WB caused by a change in articles placed on a shelf 12 on the basis of weight detected by the three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c; an article kind estimation unit for estimating the kind of a changed article 205b on the basis of the total weight change WB; and an article position calculation unit for calculating the position of the changed article 205b on the basis of a moment change caused by the change in the articles placed on the shelf 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for detecting and managing the inventory of stored items. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes technology for supporting inventory management of items stored in a household refrigerator based on information from sensors installed inside or outside the refrigerator. The abstract of Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerator "whose entire device is composed of tray 11 equipped with weight sensor 12, weight detection means 13 that detects the total weight of stored items based on the output signal from weight sensor 12, calculation means 14 that calculates the number of items by dividing the detected total weight by the weight of each item, and memory 15 that stores the number of stored items in stock." Note that the reference numerals in this description are those used in Patent Document 1 and are different from the reference numerals used in this specification and drawings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-017052 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to manage the inventory of food items stored in a refrigerator, it is necessary to detect and separate multiple types of food items. The refrigerator in Patent Document 1 uses a weight sensor to detect the total weight of the food items and calculates the weight and number of each food item to manage the number of stored food items in stock. In other words, the refrigerator in Patent Document 1 is basically designed to manage the inventory of one type of food item, and does not take into consideration the management of multiple types of food items with different weights per item.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology for managing multiple types of stored items using weight sensors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator of the present invention comprises: A refrigerator equipped with a weight sensor that detects the weight of an item placed on a placement surface and has a function of inventory management of items, three or more weight sensors as the weight sensors; a weight change calculation unit that calculates a total weight change due to a change in the items placed on the placement surface based on the weights detected by the three or more weight sensors; an item type estimation unit that estimates the type of the changed item based on the total weight change; an article position calculation unit that calculates a changed position of the article based on a moment change caused by a change in the article placed on the placement surface; a first item registration unit that registers the weight and position of each first item placed on the placement surface; a second item registration unit that registers the weight and position of each second item placed on the placement surface; an item position matching unit that matches the position where the first item is placed with the position where the second item is placed; a notification processing unit that performs processing to notify a user when the distance between the position where the first item is placed and the position where the second item is placed is smaller than a predetermined value; an inventory information creation unit that, when the distance is greater than a predetermined value, registers the weight and position of each of the second items using the second item registration unit to define item inventory information; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to use a weight sensor to easily manage a plurality of types of stored articles at low cost with a simple configuration or method.

[0008] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment (embodiment 1) of the present invention. [Figure 1B]1 is an external perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, seen from the front right with the door removed, illustrating an outline of the configuration according to the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, and is a plan view of the shelf and its support portion as viewed from the front side in the Z axis direction. [Figure 2B] 2B is a plan view of the shelf and its support portion in FIG. 2A as viewed from above in the Y-axis direction. [Figure 3A] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a refrigerator inventory management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3B] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for registering food weight and location information of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of food weight and location information registered in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for estimating food inventory in a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf according to an embodiment (embodiment 2) of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf according to an embodiment (Example 3) of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf according to an embodiment (Example 4) of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf according to an embodiment (embodiment 5) of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Example 1] A refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 5. FIG.

[0012] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment (embodiment 1) of the present invention. Note that FIG. 1A shows the basic structure of refrigerator 1. The up-down direction and left-right direction are defined as shown in FIG. 1. The up-down direction is the vertical direction. The left-right direction is the horizontal direction and is parallel to the front surface of refrigerator 1. The left side is the left side when viewing refrigerator 1 from the front side, and the right side is the right side when viewing refrigerator 1 from the front side. The left-right direction coincides with the width direction of refrigerator 1, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right and up-down directions is defined as the depth direction.

[0013] Refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment has storage compartments arranged in the following order from top to bottom: refrigerator compartment 2, ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6. Refrigerator 1 is equipped with doors that open and close the openings of each storage compartment. These doors consist of left and right rotating refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b that open and close the opening of refrigerator compartment 2, and pull-out ice making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a that open and close the openings of ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. While this embodiment will be described using a refrigerator with five storage compartments and six doors as an example, the present invention is not limited to refrigerators with five storage compartments and six doors. Each pull-out door is equipped with a storage container and a door-side rail extending forward and backward. The drawer door and the storage container are slidably mounted on rails provided on the inner box 8 side of the refrigerator 1 by means of door-side rails.

[0014] Refrigerator compartment 2 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 4°C. Ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5 are refrigerated storage compartments whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about -18°C. Vegetable compartment 6 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 6°C, and is a refrigerated storage compartment that prevents food from drying out through indirect cooling.

[0015] Shelf supports 13a, 13b (see FIG. 1B) are provided on both sides of the refrigerator compartment 2. The shelf supports 13a, 13b are arranged so that their front ends are located away from the front end of the refrigerator 1. Shelves 12a, 12b (see FIG. 1B) on which food can be placed are placed on the shelf supports 13a, 13b, and in this embodiment, multiple shelves 12a, 12b are arranged vertically.

[0016] The refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 by a heat-insulating partition 10 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. The lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are separated by a heat-insulating partition 11 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. These heat-insulating partitions 10, 11 are provided in the sections that separate the storage compartments of different temperature ranges, and serve to prevent the refrigerator temperature range compartment from becoming too cold due to the cold air from the freezer temperature range compartment.

[0017] A cooler (not shown) for cooling the interior of each storage compartment is disposed behind the lower freezer compartment 5. Although not shown, the cooler, together with a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube, constitutes a refrigeration cycle. A blower (not shown) for circulating the cold air cooled by the cooler is disposed above the cooler, and an outlet for discharging the cold air into the storage compartment is formed downstream of the blower. Note that there may be multiple coolers, and their location is not limited to behind the lower freezer compartment 5, and they may also be disposed behind the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0018] Fig. 1B is an external perspective view of refrigerator 1 according to Example 1 with the door removed, seen from the diagonally front right, illustrating an outline of the configuration according to the present invention. Fig. 1B illustrates only refrigerator compartment 2, which is provided with shelves 12a and 12b, and does not illustrate ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6. Note that the present invention is not limited to shelves 12a and 12b in refrigerator compartment 2, and can be applied to the shelves in the ice making compartment, freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment when shelves similar to shelves 12a and 12b are provided in the ice making compartment, freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment.

[0019] Although the items stored in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment are not limited to food, in the following description, the items stored in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment will be referred to as food.

[0020] In Fig. 1B, a Cartesian coordinate system consisting of X, Y, and Z axes is defined. In Fig. 1B, the width direction (left-right direction) of refrigerator 1 defined in Fig. 1A is defined as the X-axis direction, the height direction (up-down direction) as the Y-axis direction, and the depth direction as the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The refrigerator 1 is configured to include an outer box 7, an inner box 8, a top plate 9103, legs 15, shelves 12a and 12b on which food is placed inside the inner box 8, and shelf supports 13a and 13b formed in a convex shape on the inner surface of the inner box 8 and supporting the shelves 12a and 12b. Note that Fig. 1B does not show the door (opening / closing door) provided on the front side or cooling equipment including a refrigeration cycle that is installed inside.

[0022] Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of shelves 12a and 12b of refrigerator 1 according to Example 1, and is a plan view of shelves 12a and 12b and their supporting parts as seen from the front side in the Z axis direction. Fig. 2B is a plan view of shelves 12a and 12b and their supporting parts as seen from above in the Y axis direction.

[0023] Shelves 12a and 12b (see FIG. 1B) form a placement surface on which food items are placed. Since shelves 12a and 12b have the same configuration, they will be hereinafter referred to as "shelf 12" without distinction between them.

[0024] The support section of the shelf 12 is composed of weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c and shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c. That is, the support section of one shelf 12 is composed of three support sections: a support section (first support section) composed of weight sensor 14a and shelf support 13a, a support section (second support section) composed of weight sensor 14b and shelf support 13b, and a support section (third support section) composed of weight sensor 14c and shelf support 13c. The first support sections 13a and 14a are located at the left end of the shelf 12. The second support sections 13b and 14b are located at the right end of the shelf 12. The third support sections 13c and 14c are located at the rear end of the shelf 12.

[0025] Shelf 12 is supported by shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c via weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, and shelf 12 is positioned so that its entire weight is applied to weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c. In this case, the weight of food placed on shelf 12 is also applied to weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c.

[0026] Weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are connected to the left and right bottom surfaces of shelf 12, and weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are supported by shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c. A minimum of three weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are required to support the flat surface of shelf 12, and the three sensors can be positioned arbitrarily as long as the center of gravity of the total weight of shelf 12, including food, is within a triangle formed by connecting the three sensors. Alternatively, weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are positioned so that the center of gravity of the total weight of shelf 12, including food, is within a polygon whose vertices are weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c.

[0027] That is, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are arranged so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the shelf (loading surface) 12 containing items is located within the area surrounded by the three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c.

[0028] The three weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c can calculate moment changes in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the depth direction (Z-axis direction), making it possible to estimate the position on the XZ plane where the food inventory has changed. This is a simple configuration in which only three weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are installed at the locations that support the shelf 12, which contributes to cost reduction.

[0029] In this embodiment, the following describes an inventory management method in which food items [A] 204a and 205a are placed in area Sa (distance from weight sensor 14a ranges from 0 to Lc) on shelf 12, and food items [B] 204b, 205b, and 206b are placed in area Sb (distance from weight sensor 14a ranges from Lc to L). Note that in this embodiment, an example is described in which two areas Sa and Sb are set on shelf 12, but the number of areas set on shelf 12 is not limited to two.

[0030] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of the configuration of the inventory management system 300 for the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. The inventory management system 300 for the refrigerator 1 includes a control device 310, weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, a touch display 320, a wireless transceiver 330, a camera 340, and a microphone 350. The control device 310 includes a CPU (processor) 311 and a memory 312. The control device 310 can be a control device that controls the operation of the refrigerator 1. The touch display 320, the wireless transceiver 330, and the microphone 350 can be used as input devices for setting the control device 310. The touch display 320 and the wireless transceiver 330 can also be used as output devices for transmitting information to a user. The control device 310 is provided with an input / output interface (not shown), and the weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, the touch display 320, the wireless transceiver 330, the camera 340, and the microphone 350 are connected to the control device 310 via the input / output interface.

[0031] Weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c detect the weight of food [A] and food [B] (items) placed on shelf 12 and transmit the weight to control device 310. CPU 301 of control device 310 executes the flowchart of Fig. 3B and other processes to manage inventory. Memory 302 stores software and various data for executing the flowchart of Fig. 3B and other processes.

[0032] 3A shows only weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c installed on one shelf. If four or more weight sensors are installed on one shelf, the total number of weight sensors will be four or more. Furthermore, weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c will be added according to the number of shelves.

[0033] The configuration can be changed as to whether or not the touch display 320, wireless transceiver 330, camera 340, and microphone 350 are implemented. Details of the inventory management system 300 will be described in the description of the flowchart in Figure 3B.

[0034] FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing the procedure for registering food weight and location information of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. As a preparation for inventory management, the user stores information about the weight and placement position of food items to be managed on shelves 12 in CPU 301 of refrigerator 1. In this embodiment, information about food weight and placement position is stored in CPU 301, but this information may also be stored in memory 312 provided external to CPU 311. By providing non-volatile memory 312 external to CPU 311 and storing information about food weight and placement position in this memory 312, it is possible to prevent loss of information in the event of a power outage. In the following description, it is assumed that information about food weight and placement position is stored in CPU 301.

[0035] First, a user places one piece of food [A] in area Sa of shelf 12, where nothing has been placed (step S301). CPU 311 calculates and stores the weight of one piece of food [A] and the position where food [A] is placed from the output values ​​of weight sensors 14a and 14b (step S302). Specifically, assuming that the output values ​​of weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c when nothing has been placed on shelf 12 are Fa, Fb, and Fc, respectively, and that the output values ​​after one piece of food [A] is placed change to Fa', Fb', and Fc', respectively, the weight WA of one piece of food [A] is derived from the change in the total weight on the shelf using (Equation 1). WA=(Fa'-Fa)+(Fb'-Fb)+(Fc'-Fc) (Formula 1) That is, in this embodiment, the weight WA of one piece of food [A] is detected based on the changes in the output values ​​of the three weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c.

[0036] In addition, the position Lx where food [A] is placed is derived from the change in moment on the shelf using the output values ​​Fb, Fb', Fc, Fc' of weight sensors 14b and 14c, the distance L between weight sensors 14a and 14b, the distance Lc between weight sensors 14a and 14c, and the weight WA of one piece of food [A] using (Equation 2). Lx={L·(Fb'-Fb)+Lc·(Fc'-Fc)} / WA (Formula 2) In (Equation 2), the left end of shelf 12 where weight sensor 14a is located is set as reference (0), and the distance from the left end of shelf 12 is calculated as the position Lx where food [A] is placed. It is also possible to use weight sensor 14a to set the right end of shelf 12 as reference (0) and calculate the distance from the right end of shelf 12 as the position Lx where food [A] is placed.

[0037] In addition, in (Equation 2), the position in the X-axis direction is calculated from the change in moment in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), but in the same way, the depth position where food [A] is placed can be calculated from the change in moment in the depth direction (Z-axis direction).

[0038] Next, the user inputs the name of food item [A] (e.g., "egg") as needed (step S303). The input method can be any of the following: the user can input by touch or voice using the touch display 320 or microphone 350 provided on the refrigerator 1, automatic image and / or character recognition using the camera 340 provided on the refrigerator 1, or wireless transmission from the user's communication terminal to the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a wireless transceiver 330 in case the name of food item [A] is to be wirelessly transmitted from the user's communication terminal to the refrigerator 1. The input name is stored in the CPU 311 (step S304).

[0039] The user removes food item [A] from shelf 12 (step S305) and places one food item [B] in area Sb on shelf 12 (step S306). CPU 311 compares the location where food item [A] was placed in step S301 with the location where food item [B] was placed in step S306 (step S307). If the locations where food item [A] and food item [B] are placed are close to each other, an error message or a sound is displayed to alert the user (step S315). The proximity distance can be set to any value, such as a few centimeters. In other words, if the distance between the location where food item [A] is placed and the location where the second item is placed is less than a predetermined value, the user is notified. This prevents the foods from being placed close to each other, thereby preventing different foods from being placed in the same area.

[0040] If the positions where food [A] and food [B] are placed are not close to each other, the process proceeds to the next step. CPU 311 calculates the weight of one piece of food [B] and the position where food [B] is placed from the output values ​​of weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, and stores the weight of each piece of food [B] (step S308). If necessary, the user inputs the name of food [B] (e.g., "plastic bottle") (step S309), and CPU 311 stores the name (step S310). The user removes food [B] from the shelf (step S311), and the shelf 12 is left empty.

[0041] The user places all of the food items [A] and [B] to be managed on the shelf 12 (step S312) and inputs the number of each of the placed food items [A] and [B] (step S313). The CPU 311 stores the number of food items [A] and the number of food items [B] and the total weight (step S314). The total weight may be calculated from the output values ​​of the weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c at the time of step S314, or may be calculated by multiplying the weight per food item in steps S302 and S308 by the number of each food item in step S313.

[0042] In step 302 described above, as shown in FIG. 3A, a first item registration unit 311d is configured within the CPU (processor) 311 to register the weight and position of each item of food [A] (first item) placed on the shelf (placing surface) 12. In step 308, a second item registration unit 311e is configured within the CPU 311 to register the weight and position of each item of food [B] (second item) placed on the shelf (placing surface) 12. In step 307, an item position comparison unit 311f is configured within the CPU 311 to compare the position where food [A] is placed with the position where food [B] is placed. In step 315, a notification processing unit 311g is configured within the CPU 311 to perform processing to notify the user when the distance between the position where food [A] is placed and the position where the second item is placed is smaller than a predetermined value. In addition, the CPU 311 includes an inventory information creation unit h that, when the distance between the position where the food [A] is placed and the position where the second item is placed is greater than a predetermined value, registers the weight and position of each of the second items using a second item registration unit to define item inventory information.

[0043] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is a first item registration unit 311d that registers the weight and position of each food item [A] (first item) placed on the shelf (placing surface) 12; a second item registration unit 311e that registers the weight and position of each food item [B] (second item) placed on the shelf 12; an item position matching unit (311f) that matches the position where food [A] is placed with the position where food [B] is placed; a notification processing unit 311g that performs processing to notify the user when the distance between the position where the food [A] is placed and the position where the food [B] is placed is smaller than a predetermined value; an inventory information creation unit (311h) that, when the distance between the position where the food [A] is placed and the position where the food [B] is placed is greater than a predetermined value, registers the weight and position of each piece of food [B] using a second item registration unit (311e) to define item inventory information (400) (see FIG. 4); Equipped with.

[0044] In addition, the refrigerator of this embodiment has The item inventory information 400 includes information such as the item name 401, the weight of each item 402, the number of items 403, and the item placement position 404. The information of the item name 401 and the number of items 403 is generated by the user's touch input or voice input on the touch display 320 or microphone 350, or by image recognition or character recognition using the camera 340.

[0045] In this embodiment, when detecting the weight of food [B] (step S308), food [A] is removed from shelf 12 in step S305, but it is also possible to leave food [A] on shelf 12 and detect the weight of food [B] as a change in total weight in step S308.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of food weight and location information registered in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. Food weight and location information (item inventory information) 400 is stored in CPU 311 as table information with columns of food name data (item name) 401, weight data per item (weight per item) 402, quantity data (number of items) 403, and location data (item placement location) 404. This information can be displayed on touch display 320 provided in refrigerator 1 or wirelessly transmitted to a communication terminal owned by the user, allowing the user to check the food inventory status within the refrigerator. Refrigerator 1 is provided with wireless transceiver 330 in preparation for wirelessly transmitting food weight and location information 400 to the user's communication terminal.

[0047] When food is removed from or added to the refrigerator, the total weight change and moment change of the weight sensor output value are calculated and the food inventory information is updated.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for estimating food inventory in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. When the refrigerator door is opened, CPU 311 enters a calculation standby state (step S501). The user removes one food item [B] (a plastic bottle) from the shelf (step S502). CPU 311 calculates and stores the total weight change (-500 g) due to the change in food on the shelf based on the output values ​​(weight) of three weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c (step S503). CPU 311 compares this information with per-item weight data 402 and its multiple value in the food weight and position information in Figure 4, and estimates that the removed food item is a plastic bottle (step S504). CPU 311 calculates and stores the position where the food item was removed from the moment change on the shelf (step S505). For example, if food [B] 205b (a plastic bottle) in Figure 2A is taken out and the output values ​​Fb and Fc of weight sensors 14b and 14c change to Fb' and Fc', the position Lb where the food was taken out can be calculated from the change in moment due to the change in the food on the shelf using the output values ​​Fb, Fb', Fc, and Fc' of weight sensors 14b and 14c, the distance L between weight sensors 14a and 14b, the distance Lc between weight sensors 14a and 14c, and the weight WB of the plastic bottle using (Equation 3). Lb={L·(Fb'-Fb)+Lc·(Fc'-Fc)} / WB (Equation 3) Distance Lb is the position of area Sb, and CPU 311 compares this information with position 404 data in the food weight and position information in FIG. 4, and estimates that the food item that has been taken out is a plastic bottle (step S506).

[0049] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is A refrigerator 1 is provided with a weight sensor that detects the weight of an item placed on a shelf (placing surface) 12 and has a function of inventory management of the item, three or more weight sensors as the weight sensors; a weight change calculation unit 311a that calculates a total weight change WB due to a change in the items placed on the shelf 12 based on the weights detected by the three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c; an item type estimation unit 311b that estimates the type of the changed item 205b based on the total weight change WB; an article position calculation unit 311c that calculates the changed position of the article 205b based on a moment change caused by a change in the article placed on the shelf 12; Equipped with.

[0050] In addition, the inventory management method of this embodiment is as follows: An inventory management method for managing inventory of items by detecting the weight of items placed on a shelf (placing surface) 12 with a weight sensor, a step (S503) of calculating a total weight change WB due to a change in the weight of the items on the placement surface 12 based on the weights detected by the three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c; A step (S504) of estimating the type of the changed item 205b based on the total weight change WB; A step (S505) of calculating a position Lb of the changed item 205b based on a moment change caused by a change in the item on the shelf 12; Includes:

[0051] The CPU 311 checks whether the estimation result of step S504 matches the estimation result of step S506 (step S507), and if they do not match, displays an error message (step S508), and if they do match, determines that the food item taken out is a plastic bottle and stores this information (step S509).

[0052] CPU 311 calculates and stores the increase or decrease in the number of plastic bottles (-1 bottle) by dividing the total weight change (-500 g) in step S503 by the weight data per item 402 in the food weight and location information in Figure 4 (step S510). From this information and the number data 403 in the food weight and location information in Figure 4, CPU 311 calculates and stores the number of plastic bottles in stock after the removal (3 bottles - 1 bottle = 2 bottles) (step S511). Furthermore, the inventory status is displayed on touch display 320 installed in refrigerator 1 and wirelessly transmitted to a communication terminal owned by the user (step S512).

[0053] The first embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrates the basic component configuration, food information registration procedure, and inventory estimation procedure of the present invention. This embodiment detects changes in the total weight and moment of food on a shelf and compares this with food weight and location information to determine which food items have been removed from the shelf or how much of each item has been added. This allows inventory management for each food item even when multiple items are placed on a single shelf 12 in refrigerator 1. It is also possible to configure the refrigerator without using a camera, barcode reader, or other means for identifying food items. A simple configuration can be achieved by simply installing weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c at the locations supporting shelf 12, contributing to cost reduction.

[0054] Three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are installed on the bottom surface of shelf 12 to support shelf 12, and the total weight change and moment change are calculated from the output values ​​of all weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c. The entire weight of shelf 12 is supported by weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c alone so that the total weight can be reliably detected. Shelf 12 and weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c are connected. The number of weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c does not necessarily have to be the same as the number of shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c. For example, any two or all of the three shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c may be integrated into a single shelf support.

[0055] The ranges of area Sa and area Sb may be predefined by the CPU 311 of the refrigerator 1 or may be arbitrarily defined by the user. It is also possible to define three or more areas and manage three or more types of food. When registering food information, if food is placed outside a defined area, the user can be notified. Also, in consideration of the risk of expiration dates, the user can be notified if food has not been removed from the refrigerator for a long period of time.

[0056] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is If the weight of the item has not changed for a long period of time based on information from the weight change calculation unit 311a, the user is notified.

[0057] For this purpose, the registration procedure of FIG. 3B may include a procedure for storing the date and time when the food was placed in association with the location of the food in CPU 311, and the date and time when the food was placed may be registered in food weight and location information (item inventory information) 400 of FIG. 4.

[0058] The present invention can be applied to various products related to inventory management other than refrigerators.

[0059] [Example 2] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf 12 according to an embodiment (embodiment 2) of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a view (plan view) of the shelf portion projected from above in the Y-axis direction, and shows a configuration example of a shelf 12 according to embodiment 2. Portions having the same configurations and functions as those in embodiment 1 already described are assigned the same reference numerals as in embodiment 1, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0060] Four weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d are connected to the bottom surfaces of the left, right, front, and rear of the shelf 12, and are supported by four shelf supports 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d. In this embodiment, the third support section constituted by the weight sensor 14c and shelf support 13c disposed at the rear end of the shelf 12 in the first embodiment is eliminated, and the third support section is disposed at the rear left end (rear left) of the shelf 12, and the fourth support section is disposed at the rear right end (rear right) of the shelf 12. In other words, the third support section constituted by the weight sensor 14c and shelf support 13c is disposed at the rear left end of the shelf 12, and the fourth support section constituted by the weight sensor 14d and shelf support 13d is disposed at the rear left end of the shelf 12.

[0061] As an example, we will explain the case where food [A] 604a, 605a is placed in the front left area Sa of shelf 12, food [B] 604b, 605b is placed in the front right area Sb, food [C] 604c, 605c, 606c is placed in the rear left area Sc, and food [D] 604d, 605d is placed in the rear right area Sd.

[0062] In this embodiment, food is managed using a total of four weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d. When food is removed from or added to shelf 12, the four weight sensors 14a to 14d calculate the moment change in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the moment change in the depth direction (Z-axis direction), thereby estimating the position on the XZ plane where the food inventory has changed. The ranges of areas Sa, Sb, Sc, and Sd may be predefined by the CPU 311 of refrigerator 1, or may be arbitrarily defined by the user. The procedure for registering food weight and location information in embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 3B is the same in this embodiment, and the registration process may be repeated as many times as the number of types of food to be managed.

[0063] [Example 3] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a shelf according to an embodiment (embodiment 3) of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a view (plan view) of the shelf portion projected from above in the Y-axis direction, and shows an example of the configuration of a shelf 12 according to embodiment 3. Portions having the same configurations and functions as those in the embodiments already described are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the embodiments already described, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] In the first embodiment, an example in which two regions Sa and Sb are set has been described, but more regions may be set in the configuration of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, an example in which four regions Sa, Sb, Sc, and Sd are set is shown.

[0065] [Example 4] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of shelves 12-1 and 12-2 according to an embodiment (embodiment 4) of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a view (plan view) of the shelf portion projected from above in the Y-axis direction, and shows an example of the configuration of shelves 12-1 and 12-2 according to embodiment 4. Portions having the same configurations and functions as those in the embodiments already described are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the embodiments already described, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] The shelf 12 is divided into a front shelf 12-1 and a rear shelf 12-2, with the front shelf 12-1 supported by shelf supports 13e and 13f, and the rear shelf 12-2 supported by shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c via weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c. That is, in this embodiment, the shelf 12 according to the first embodiment is divided into the front shelf 12-1 and the rear shelf 12-2, and the first support portions 13a and 14a, the second support portions 13b and 14b, and the third support portions 13c and 14c of the first embodiment are applied to the rear shelf 12-2. In addition, a camera 340 is installed in front of the front shelf 12-1.

[0067] For example, when managing food inventory using weight sensors and cameras, as in this embodiment, it is possible to not install weight sensors on the front shelf 12-1, which is within the range that can be photographed by the camera 340, but to install weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c only on the rear shelf 12-2, which is difficult to photograph with the camera 340.

[0068] That is, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is A camera 340 is provided to capture information about the food (item) placed on the shelf (placement surface) 12, The shelf 12 has a front shelf (first placement surface) 12-1 on which food placed thereon can be photographed by the camera 340, and a rear shelf (second placement surface) 12-2 on which there is a possibility that an obstacle may be present between the front shelf 12-1 and the camera 340, Three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c are positioned to support the rear shelf 12-2.

[0069] In this case, by dividing foods that are difficult to distinguish using weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c into areas Sa and Sb on front shelf 12-1, the number of types of foods to be managed can be increased. Also, because foods stored on rear shelf 12-2 are managed using weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, there is no need to increase the number of cameras to manage foods in an area that is difficult to photograph with front camera 340.

[0070] The rear shelf 12-2 may be supported by 13a and 13b without using the weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, and the camera 340 may be located behind the rear shelf 12-2. In this case, the front shelf 12-1 may be supported by, for example, a first support section formed by the weight sensor 14a and shelf support 13a of Example 2 (FIG. 6), a second support section formed by the weight sensor 14b and shelf support 13b, a third support section formed by the weight sensor 14c and shelf support 13c, and a fourth support section formed by the weight sensor 14d and shelf support 13d. Of course, as long as the front shelf 12-1 can be supported by three sections, the support configuration is not limited to this.

[0071] It is also possible to use weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c in conjunction with camera 340 to perform inventory control in areas where weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c overlap with camera 340. By analyzing and double-checking both the weight and the image of the food, food detection accuracy can be improved.

[0072] It should be noted that, instead of dividing and managing shelves on the same plane using weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c and camera 340 as in this embodiment, it is also possible to divide the shelves on different levels into areas where food is managed by weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c and areas where food is managed by camera 340.

[0073] [Example 5] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shelf 12 according to an embodiment (embodiment 5) of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a view (plan view) of the shelf portion projected from the front side in the Z axis direction, and shows a configuration example of the shelf 12 according to embodiment 5. Portions having the same configurations and functions as those in the embodiments already described are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the embodiments already described, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] In this embodiment, the shelf 12, the weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c, the shelf supports 13a, 13b, and 13c, and the areas Sa and Sb are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the configuration differs from that of the first embodiment in that a protrusion 901 is provided on the top surface of the shelf 12. The provision of the protrusion 901 makes it easier for the user to recognize the boundary between the area Sa where the food [A] 204a, 205a is placed and the area Sb where the food [B] 204b, 205b, 206b is placed. In other words, the protrusion 901 constitutes an identification section that distinguishes between the area Sa and the area Sb.

[0075] That is, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the shelf (placing surface) 12 is defined with an area Sa (first area) for placing food [A] (first item) and an area Sb (second area) for placing food [B] (second item), and has a convex portion 901 that separates the area Sa from the area Sb.

[0076] This prevents, for example, a user from accidentally placing food [A] in area Sb or from placing food on the boundary between areas Sa and Sb. Multiple protrusions 901 may be provided, and the protrusions may be configured to slide freely left and right or front and back on shelf 12, detecting their position after sliding and automatically updating and defining the food placement area. Instead of a protruding shape like protrusion 901, a mark may be printed or processed on the surface of shelf 12 at the boundary of the food placement area.

[0077] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d supporting the shelves on which food is placed detect the total weight of the food and the left-right, front-back weight balance, thereby detecting the change in weight of the food on the shelf surface and the position of the change. By comparing this information with predefined food weight and position information, it is possible to determine which food items have been removed from or added to the shelf 12 and how much of each food item. This enables inventory management of each food item even when multiple foods are placed on a single shelf 12 in the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the inventory management system 300 can be configured simply by installing weight sensors 14a, 14b, and 14c at locations supporting the shelf 12, without the need for a camera or barcode reader to identify the food items. This contributes to cost reduction. The weight sensors are installed to support the entire weight of the shelf, and a minimum of three are required. The present invention can be applied to various inventory management-related products in addition to refrigerators.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...refrigerator, 12...shelf (placing surface), 12-1...front shelf (first placing surface), 12-2...rear shelf (second placing surface), 14a, 14b, 14c...weight sensor, 311a...weight change calculation unit, 311b...item type estimation unit, 311c...item position calculation unit, 311d...first item registration unit, 311e...second item registration unit, 311f...item position matching unit, 311g...alarm processing unit, 311h...inventory information creation unit, 320...touch display, 340...camera, 350...microphone, 400...item inventory information, 401...item name, 402...weight per item, 403...number of items, 40 4...position to place item, 901...protrusion separating area Sa and area Sb, Sa...area (first area) for placing food [A] (first item), Sb...area (second area) for placing food [B] (second item), S503...procedure for calculating total weight change WB due to change in items on placement surface 12 based on weight detected by three or more weight sensors 14a, 14b, 14c, S504...procedure for estimating the type of item 205b that has changed based on the total weight change, S505...procedure for calculating position Lb of item 205b that has changed based on moment change due to change in items on shelf 12.

Claims

1. A refrigerator equipped with a weight sensor that detects the weight of an item placed on a placement surface and has a function of inventory management of items, three or more weight sensors as the weight sensors; a weight change calculation unit that calculates a total weight change due to a change in the items placed on the placement surface based on the weights detected by the three or more weight sensors; an item type estimation unit that estimates the type of the changed item based on the total weight change; an article position calculation unit that calculates a changed position of the article based on a moment change caused by a change in the article placed on the placement surface; a first item registration unit that registers the weight and position of each first item placed on the placement surface; a second item registration unit that registers the weight and position of each second item placed on the placement surface; an item position matching unit that matches the position where the first item is placed with the position where the second item is placed; a notification processing unit that performs processing to notify a user when the distance between the position where the first item is placed and the position where the second item is placed is smaller than a predetermined value; an inventory information creation unit that, when the distance is greater than a predetermined value, registers the weight and position of each of the second items using the second item registration unit to define item inventory information; A refrigerator with

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The item inventory information includes information on the name of the item, the weight of each item, the number of items, and the placement position of the items, The refrigerator generates information such as the name and number of items by the user touching or speaking on the touch display or microphone, or by image or character recognition using a camera.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The refrigerator notifies a user when the weight of an item has not changed over a long period of time based on information from the weight change calculation unit.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, A refrigerator in which the three or more weight sensors are arranged so that the center of gravity of the total weight of the loading surface including items is located within an area surrounded by the three or more weight sensors.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, a camera for capturing information about the item placed on the placement surface; the placement surface includes a first placement surface on which an article placed thereon can be photographed by the camera, and a second placement surface on which an obstacle may be present between the first placement surface and the camera; The three or more weight sensors are arranged to support the second placement surface.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, The placement surface has a first area for placing a first item and a second area for placing a second item, and has a convex portion that separates the first area from the second area.

Images