Refrigeration system

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigeration system.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of IoT technology, technologies for connecting refrigerators to external networks have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a control device that acquires the storage temperature of an article and the estimated position of a user, and changes the set temperature of the refrigerator from a first set temperature to a lower second set temperature.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A refrigerator cools by repeatedly turning on and off a compressor and requires about 30 minutes for precooling. This is because the food and the heat insulation wall inside the refrigerator cannot be cooled unless the compressor is continuously turned on for about 30 minutes.

[0005] In the above-mentioned Citation Document 1, when the user unlocks the house or when the user's position is within a limited range from home, the temperature of the refrigerator is changed to the second set temperature, that is, precooling is started. However, even if precooling is started when the house is unlocked, it is unlikely that a sufficient precooling time can be taken. Also, when precooling is started only based on the position information, it is unclear by what means (train, car, bicycle, walking, etc.) the user returns home from that position, and there is a possibility that a sufficient precooling time cannot be taken. Conversely, if the user makes a detour, the precooling may be wasted.

[0006] Furthermore, Reference 1 uses POS information to obtain the storage temperature of items. However, obtaining POS information requires integration with POS equipment, which is cumbersome. Moreover, it is not realistic to integrate with all POS equipment in the world.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize a control device, etc., that can properly pre-cool a refrigerator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the refrigeration system involves location information of a mobile communication terminal and registered locations where food is purchased. Status of whether or not the aforementioned mobile communication terminal is present at the location. Based on this, the system includes a control unit that generates a command to start a pre-cooling process to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator, and that causes the refrigerator to start the pre-cooling process based on the command to start the pre-cooling process, wherein the control unit terminates the pre-cooling process if a pre-cooling termination condition is met after the start of the pre-cooling process, and the pre-cooling termination condition includes the detection of a command to stop pre-cooling to the refrigerator.

[0009] A terminal according to one embodiment includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires the user's location information, and a transmission unit that transmits the user's location information to perform a first control that raises the temperature inside the storage unit to a higher temperature than the temperature set based on the user's location information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, pre-cooling can be started taking into account the time it takes for an item to be placed in a refrigerator, thereby ensuring an appropriate pre-cooling time and preventing wasted pre-cooling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the main components of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This is a block diagram showing the main components of the refrigerator according to the above embodiment. [Figure 3] This block diagram outlines the above embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a judgment table. [Figure 5] (a) to (f) are diagrams illustrating the process of generating the decision table. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the pre-cooling process in the refrigerator described above. [Figure 7] The flowchart above shows the flow of the rapid cooling process in the refrigerator described above. [Figure 8] This is a table showing the parameter settings for the refrigerator described above. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the pre-cooling process in the refrigeration system according to the above embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a display shown on a mobile communication terminal according to the above embodiment. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows the process flow for the above communication device to send a pre-cooling start instruction. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows the process flow when the above communication device sends a pre-cooling start instruction followed by a pre-cooling stop instruction. [Figure 13] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the process for determining the expected purchase conditions in the above-mentioned communication device. [Figure 14] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the process for determining the expected purchase conditions in the above-mentioned communication device. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow when a communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention makes a decision on defrosting. [Figure 16] This flowchart shows the process flow for accelerating the defrosting process in the above-mentioned communication device. [Figure 17] This flowchart shows the process for determining whether the above-mentioned communication device meets the preliminary purchase conditions.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

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

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, the communication device 2 connects the refrigerator 1 and the network 6 via the router 3. That is, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 and the network 6 are not directly connected, but the communication device 2 plays the role of a buffer zone (DMZ). Further, an information server 4 and a user's mobile communication terminal 5 are connected to the network 6. The information server 4 transmits various information to the mobile communication terminal 5 and the refrigerator 1 via the network 6. When the information provided by the information server 4 is not required, the information server 4 may not be included in the refrigeration system 10.

[0014] In the refrigeration system 10 according to the present embodiment, using the position of the user acquired from the mobile communication terminal 5 and the determination table stored in the communication device 2 (details will be described later), it is determined whether the user has purchased foods or other items (goods) that need to be frozen. Then, when it is determined that a purchase has been made, the estimated time of arrival home of the user is derived, and based on the derived estimated time of arrival home, precooling is performed in the refrigerator 1.

[0015] This prevents pre-cooling from starting based solely on location information, as in conventional technologies, thus preventing insufficient pre-cooling time or wasted pre-cooling.

[0016] In this embodiment, we describe an example in which the purchase determination of frozen food and the pre-cooling instruction are performed by the communication device 2, but these processes may also be performed by the refrigerator 1.

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

[0018] The storage unit 210 stores various data used in processing in the communication device 2, including the determination table 211. The determination table 211 is used in the communication device 2 to determine whether or not to start pre-cooling. Details of the determination table 211 will be described later.

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

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

[0021] The pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the user's location acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201 and the determination table 211 to determine whether or not to start pre-cooling in the refrigerator 1, and if so, to determine the timing of the start.

[0022] The defrosting determination unit 203 uses the user's location acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201 and the determination table 211 to determine whether to start defrosting the refrigerator 1 or whether to postpone defrosting. Note that if no defrosting determination is made, the defrosting determination unit 203 may be omitted.

[0023] The control command generation unit 204 generates a control command indicating that the pre-cooling determination unit 202 should start pre-cooling the refrigerator 1, and transmits it to the refrigerator 1 via the transmitting / receiving unit 230. The control command generation unit 204 also generates a control command indicating that the defrosting determination unit 203 should start defrosting the refrigerator 1, or that defrosting should be postponed, and transmits it to the refrigerator 1 via the transmitting / receiving unit 230.

[0024] The judgment table generation unit 205 generates and updates the judgment table 211 using the refrigerator compartment temperature, freezer compartment temperature, door open / closed information, compressor operating status, and the user's location obtained from the refrigerator 1, as well as the location information acquisition unit 201. Details of the generation and updating of the judgment table 211 will be described later.

[0025] The network communication unit 220 connects the communication device 2 and the network 6 via the router 3. The transmitting / receiving unit 230 communicates with the refrigerator 1.

[0026] [Refrigerator 1] Next, the main components of the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the refrigerator 1. As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 100, a storage unit 110, a transmitting / receiving unit (receiving unit) 120, an ambient temperature detector 131, a freezer compartment temperature detector 132, a refrigerator compartment temperature detector 133, a door opening / closing detection device 134, a compressor 135, a blower 136, a damper 137, and a defrosting heater 138.

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

[0028] The pre-cooling unit 101 performs pre-cooling in the refrigerator 1. Pre-cooling includes lowering the temperature of the freezer compartment, increasing the rotation speed of the compressor, and lowering the temperature of the refrigerator compartment to speed up freezing. The details of the pre-cooling process can be set using parameters described later. These parameters may also be set arbitrarily by the user.

[0029] Furthermore, while this embodiment assumes a pre-cooling time of 30 minutes, it is not limited to this and may be increased or decreased depending on the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 1 and the season. For example, it may be set to a longer time in the summer.

[0030] The rapid cooling unit 102 performs rapid cooling in the refrigerator 1. The details of the rapid cooling process can be set by the parameters described later. These parameters may also be set arbitrarily by the user.

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

[0032] When the inquiry unit 104 receives a pre-cooling start instruction from the communication device 2, it confirms with the user whether or not it is OK to start the pre-cooling process. More specifically, it sends a pre-cooling confirmation request to the mobile communication terminal 5.

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

[0034] The ambient temperature detector 131 detects the temperature around the refrigerator. The freezer compartment temperature detector 132 detects the temperature of the freezer compartment. The refrigerator compartment temperature detector 133 detects the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The door open / close detection device 134 detects when the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened or closed.

[0035] The compressor 135 compresses the gaseous refrigerant contained inside the refrigerator 1. The compressed gaseous refrigerant is liquefied in a condenser (not shown), its pressure is reduced by a capillary tube (not shown), and the reduced-pressure gas-liquid mixture is sent to an evaporator (not shown), where it vaporizes, thereby cooling the evaporator. The temperature of the evaporator can be lowered by increasing the rotational speed of the compressor 135.

[0036] The blower 136 draws air from inside the chamber into the evaporator, discharges it back into the chamber as low-temperature air, and performs air circulation.

[0037] The damper 137 is a valve located in the air passage connecting the blower 136 and the refrigerator compartment. Opening the damper 137 allows the air cooled by the evaporator to be sent to both the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Closing the damper 137 restricts the air cooled by the evaporator to being sent only to the freezer compartment.

[0038] The defrosting heater 138 is a heater used to melt frost that has accumulated on the evaporator.

[0039] [Details of the processing in the judgment table generation unit 205] Next, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the details of the processing in the determination table generation unit 205 and the determination table 211 generated by the determination table generation unit 205 will be explained. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the determination table 211. Figures 5(a) to (f) are diagrams illustrating the flow of generating the determination table 211.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the judgment table 211 associates location (location information), time distance (average, shortest), whether or not non-food items were purchased, shopping frequency, probability of cooling food within 5 minutes of returning home (frozen food, refrigerated food), average stay time, average door open time after returning home (freezer door, refrigerator door), and temperature rise value of the temperature detector after opening the door after returning home (freezer, refrigerator). Time distance (time information) is distance expressed in time, and here it indicates the time it took the user to travel from the location shown in the judgment table 211 (e.g., Department Store A) to their home. In other words, the judgment table 211 associates information that can be recognized when the inventory in the refrigerator has increased (probability of cooling food within 5 minutes of returning home), and the user's location before that increase (location (location information)). Furthermore, these are associated with the time (time distance) from when the user leaves the above location until the above inventory in the refrigerator increases.

[0041] For example, the first row of judgment table 211 is associated with the following: location (location information) is "Department Store A", time distance (average, shortest) is "55 minutes on average, 52 minutes on shortest", whether non-food items are purchased is "yes", shopping frequency is "5 times / month", probability of cooling food within 5 minutes of returning home (frozen food, refrigerated food) is "50% for frozen food, 50% for refrigerated food", average stay time is "30 minutes", average door open time after returning home (freezer door, refrigerator door) is "30 seconds for freezer door, 20 seconds for refrigerator door", and temperature rise value of temperature detector after opening the door after returning home (freezer, refrigerator) is "3.5K (Kelvin) for freezer, 2.5K for refrigerator". The second row and subsequent rows are associated in a similar manner.

[0042] By using the judgment table 211, for example, if the location is Department Store A (direct return home), the average time distance is 55 minutes. Therefore, if pre-cooling is started 20 minutes after leaving Department Store A, 55-20=35>30, which means approximately 30 minutes of pre-cooling time can be secured. Thus, the pre-cooling judgment unit 202 can determine the appropriate timing to start pre-cooling by using the judgment table 211. Similarly, for example, in the case of Supermarket C, the time distance is 10 minutes. If pre-cooling is started after moving home, the pre-cooling time will be insufficient. Therefore, if pre-cooling is started 10 minutes after entering Supermarket C, the average stay time is 30 minutes, so 30-10+10=30, which means approximately 30 minutes of pre-cooling time can be secured. In the case of Supermarket C, it is also possible to lower the set temperature when entering Supermarket C and increase the compressor rotation speed when leaving Supermarket C.

[0043] Next, with reference to Figure 5, the method for generating the judgment table 211 will be explained. Figure 5(a) is a diagram showing the relationship between the open / closed status of the freezer door, the operating status of the compressor 135, and the temperature state of the freezer (whether or not it became hot) in chronological order.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5(a), if the rotation speed of the compressor 135 increases after the freezer door is opened and closed, and this increased state continues for a predetermined time (for example, 3 hours), and if the temperature of the freezer remains high for a predetermined time after the rotation speed of the compressor 135 increases, the determination table generation unit 205 determines that food has been placed in the freezer. The status of the freezer door opening and closing, the magnitude of the compressor 135's rotation speed, and the temperature state of the freezer are notified from the refrigerator 1 to the communication device 2. The criteria for determining whether food has been placed in the freezer are not limited to these, and can be appropriately set based on the operating status of the compressor 135 and the temperature state of the freezer when food has been placed in the freezer. Similarly, it is also possible to determine whether or not food has been placed in the refrigerator compartment.

[0045] Then, if the determination table generation unit 205 determines that food has been placed in the freezer, it acquires time-series data of the user's location information from the time the food was placed in the freezer, in other words, from the time the freezer door was opened (in the example of Figure 5(a), this is just after 12:00) to a predetermined time prior. In other words, for the location information that is acquired periodically, it acquires time-series data from the time the refrigerator door was opened to a predetermined number of times prior.

[0046] Here, examples of time-series data are shown in Figures 5(b) to (d). Figures 5(b) to (d) show time-series data for 20 events (a predetermined time period). The position indicated by the circled number "1" is when the freezer door was opened, the position indicated by the circled number "2" is the position immediately before, and the position indicated by the circled number "3" is the position immediately before that. The same applies up to the circled number "20".

[0047] The judgment table generation unit 205 then compares multiple situations in which it is determined that food has been placed in the freezer (Figure 5(b) to (d)), and identifies the location (position) that is significantly more frequent than other locations as the place where frozen food is purchased, and registers it in the judgment table 211. An example of a location to be registered is shown in Figure 5(e). In Figure 5(e), each location is shown with Figures 5(b) to (d) superimposed. In the example shown in Figure 5(e), section 501 is registered as the place where frozen food is purchased.

[0048] Furthermore, the time and distance from the place where frozen foods are purchased to the home where the refrigerator is located, as well as the duration of stay, can be calculated by counting the number of location data points. An example of the time and distance from the place where frozen foods are purchased to the home where the refrigerator is located, and the duration of stay, is shown in Figure 5(f). In Figure 5(f), the duration of stay at the place where frozen foods are purchased is 30 minutes for the first time, 35 minutes for the second time, and 25 minutes for the third time, with an average of 30 minutes. The time and distance are 25 minutes in all cases.

[0049] Other items in the determination table 211 can also be obtained from location information and the state of the refrigerator after the door is opened and closed. Furthermore, after creating the determination table 211, the determination table generation unit 205 updates the determination table 211 each time it determines that food has been placed in the freezer compartment. The update timing may be each time it is determined that food has been placed in the freezer compartment, or it may be each time the number of times it has been determined that food has been placed in the freezer compartment reaches a predetermined number.

[0050] Alternatively, instead of relying on the temperature inside the refrigerator, it may be possible to determine whether or not food has been placed in the freezer compartment using an item sensor, an in-cabin camera, or the like.

[0051] The judgment table generation unit 205 may also register the locations where frozen foods are purchased, as follows.

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

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

[0054] The divided map is weighted as follows:

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

[0056] In the example described above, the location where the user purchases frozen food was registered using the user's activity history, but the system could also be configured so that the user manually registers the location. Furthermore, while the registered location was set to be where the user purchases frozen food, it is not limited to this; for example, a fishing spot or any other location where the user uses the freezer after visiting that location could also be registered as a registered location.

[0057] [Processing flow in refrigerator 1] Next, the processing flow in refrigerator 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the pre-cooling process in refrigerator 1. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the rapid cooling process in refrigerator 1. Figure 8 is a table showing the parameter settings in refrigerator 1.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, when pre-cooling is performed, the pre-cooling processing unit 101 of the refrigerator 1 operates according to the pre-cooling settings (S601). An example of pre-cooling settings is shown in Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 8, when pre-cooling is set, the compressor and blower are operated at maximum speed, the freezer compartment is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 0°C. The time limit is set to 2 hours. Note that the time limit may be changed depending on the ambient temperature. When the pre-cooling completion conditions are met (YES in S602), the system returns to the normal settings (S603) and operates. The pre-cooling completion conditions are met when the set time has elapsed, when a pre-cooling stop command is received, etc. An example of normal settings is shown in Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 8, when normal settings are set, the compressor and blower operate automatically, the freezer compartment is set to -18°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 4°C. Note that the set temperatures for the freezer and refrigerator compartments can be set by the user as appropriate. The above is the flow of the pre-cooling process.

[0059] Furthermore, the pre-cooling time may be increased or decreased depending on the quantity of goods. That is, the quantity of goods to be refrigerated can be estimated from the user's stay time, etc., and if it is less than the predetermined quantity, the pre-cooling time may be shortened, and if it is more than the predetermined quantity, the pre-cooling time may be lengthened.

[0060] Next, the flow of the rapid cooling process will be explained with reference to Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, when the rapid cooling process is performed, the rapid cooling unit 102 of the refrigerator 1 operates with the freezer compartment priority setting (S701). An example of the freezer compartment priority setting is shown in Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 8, with the freezer compartment priority setting, the compressor and blower are operated at maximum speed, the freezer compartment is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 6°C. The time limit is set to 1 hour. Note that the time limit may be changed depending on the ambient temperature. Then, when the set time has elapsed (YES in S702), the rapid cooling unit 102 operates with the freezing operation setting (S703). An example of the freezing operation setting is shown in Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 8, with the freezing operation setting, the compressor and blower are operated at maximum speed, the freezer compartment is set to -21°C, and the refrigerator compartment is set to 4°C. The time limit is set to 8 hours. Note that the time limit may be changed depending on the ambient temperature. Then, when the rapid cooling termination conditions are met (YES in S704), the settings are returned to normal (S705) and operation resumes. The rapid cooling termination conditions are met when the set time has elapsed, or when the internal temperature falls below the predetermined temperature.

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

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

[0063] [Processing flow in refrigeration system 10] Next, the processing flow in the refrigeration system 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the pre-cooling process in the refrigeration system 10. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display shown on the mobile communication terminal 5.

[0064] As shown in Figure 9, when pre-cooling is performed, a pre-cooling start command is sent from the communication device 2 to the refrigerator 1 (S901). Details of the process for determining whether or not to send the pre-cooling start command will be described later. When the refrigerator 1 receives the pre-cooling start command from the communication device 2 (YES in S902), the refrigerator 1 sends a pre-cooling confirmation to the mobile communication terminal 5 via the communication device 2 to ask the user if it is OK to start the pre-cooling process (S903). When the mobile communication terminal 5 receives the pre-cooling confirmation from the refrigerator 1 (S904), it displays a pre-cooling permission screen on its display unit (S905). An example of the pre-cooling permission screen is shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 10, the pre-cooling permission screen displays a screen that asks the user for permission to start pre-cooling. The mobile communication terminal 5 then receives the user's instruction and sends an instruction to the refrigerator 1 to allow or deny pre-cooling (S906). Upon receiving the instruction, refrigerator 1 will perform the pre-cooling process (S909) if the instruction permits pre-cooling (YES in S908). On the other hand, if the instruction prohibits pre-cooling (NO in S908), it will operate according to the normal settings (S910). The above is the flow of the pre-cooling process in the refrigeration system 10.

[0065] [Processing flow in communication device 2] Next, the processing flow in communication device 2 will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 14. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the processing flow when communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling start instruction. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the processing flow when, after sending the pre-cooling start instruction, a pre-cooling stop instruction is sent.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 of the communication device 2 determines whether the purchase prediction conditions are met (S1101, acquisition determination step). The purchase prediction conditions are the conditions for determining whether the user has purchased food or other items that need to be frozen or refrigerated. In other words, if the purchase prediction conditions are met, it means that the user has purchased food or other items that need to be frozen or refrigerated. Details of the purchase prediction condition determination process will be described later.

[0067] Then, if the purchase prediction conditions are met (YES in S1101), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the determination table 211 to predict the user's return time (input time) (S1102, input time derivation step). For example, if the purchase prediction conditions are met when the user enters shopping street B, according to the determination table 211, the average time distance to shopping street B is 20 minutes and the average stay time is 40 minutes, so the predicted return time is 60 minutes later. Also, if the purchase prediction conditions are met 35 minutes after the user has stayed, the predicted return time is 25 minutes later. In other words, the predicted return time can be calculated using the following formula. Predicted return time = Average stay time - Stay time + Time required for the return route (time and distance) The predicted return time may consist only of the time required for the return route, or it may include the time from when the user acquires the item until they leave their current location plus the time required for the return route.

[0068] Alternatively, the estimated travel time for the return route may be obtained from a well-known navigation service instead of from the determination table 211.

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

[0070] In the above example, 30 minutes was used as the first predetermined time, but the first predetermined time is not limited to 30 minutes and can be any time longer than the time required to lower the refrigerator 1 to a predetermined temperature. Furthermore, the time required to lower the refrigerator 1 to a predetermined temperature varies depending on the external environment of the refrigerator 1, and in this embodiment, the time required to lower the temperature is derived according to the external environment.

[0071] Next, with reference to Figure 12, the process flow for sending a pre-cooling cancellation instruction will be explained. As shown in Figure 12, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether the elapsed time after sending the pre-cooling start instruction is within the set time (S1201). If the elapsed time exceeds the set time (NO in S1201), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a pre-cooling cancellation command to the refrigerator 1 (S1208) and returns the settings of the refrigerator 1 to the normal settings (S1209).

[0072] On the other hand, if the elapsed time after sending the pre-cooling start instruction is within the set time (YES in S1201), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the user's location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201 to determine whether the user has gone straight home or not (S1202). If it is determined that the user has not gone straight home (NO in S1202), the process proceeds to step S1208. This is because not going straight home can be judged as the user making a detour.

[0073] If the user goes straight home (YES in S1202), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the user's location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 201 to determine whether the user went straight to the kitchen after returning home (S1203). If the user did not go straight home (NO in S1203), the process proceeds to step S1208. Whether the user went straight to the kitchen can be determined using location information as described above, or from the state of the house (e.g., the bedroom light is turned on, the TV is turned on, etc.).

[0074] If the user goes directly to the kitchen (YES in S1203), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines from the refrigerator information obtained from the refrigerator 1 whether or not the freezer door has been opened or closed (S1204). If the door has been opened or closed (NO in S1204), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a pre-cooling stop command to the refrigerator 1 (S1206) and sends a rapid cooling start command (S1207). This is because if the user goes directly to the kitchen and the freezer door is opened, it can be determined that frozen food has been placed inside.

[0075] If the door is not opened or closed (YES in S1204), the pre-cooling process continues (S1205). In other words, the communication device 2 does not send any further instructions to the refrigerator 1. The above is the process flow from when the communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling start instruction to when it sends a pre-cooling stop instruction.

[0076] Furthermore, instead of the process described above, the instruction to stop pre-cooling may be to match the user's past behavior patterns with the current behavior patterns, and stop the pre-cooling process when the current behavior pattern deviates from the typical behavior pattern of placing frozen food in the freezer compartment.

[0077] [Process for determining purchase prediction conditions] (1) Example of judgment process 1 The pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines that the purchase prediction conditions have been met when the evaluation value exceeds a threshold. Examples of evaluation values ​​include distance from the refrigerator, coordinates, distance from the registered location, etc.

[0078] For example, if the evaluation value is defined as the distance from the registration location, and the evaluation value decreases as the distance from the registration location increases, then by setting a predetermined distance from the registration location as a threshold, it is possible to determine whether the user has entered the vicinity of the registration location based on whether the evaluation value exceeds the threshold. This will be explained with reference to Figure 13(a). Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the process for determining the purchase prediction conditions in the communication device 2. In the graph of Figure 13(a), the vertical axis represents the evaluation value and the horizontal axis represents time. The location log shows the user's location in each time period. As shown in the graph of Figure 13(a), it can be seen that the evaluation value increases as the user's location in the location log approaches the registration location.

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

[0080] Furthermore, a process that sets multiple thresholds may be implemented. An example of setting two thresholds is shown in Figure 13(b). In the example shown in Figure 13(b), in addition to threshold a described above, threshold b is also set. Threshold b is set to a lower value than threshold a. Therefore, if the evaluation value exceeds threshold b, it means that the user has not yet entered the registration position, but is approaching the registration position to some extent. Thus, by using this threshold b, it is possible to make a decision, for example, to postpone the defrosting process (details will be described in Embodiment 2 below). (2) Example of judgment process 2 Next, with reference to Figure 14(a), another example of the determination process will be described. Figure 14(a) is a diagram illustrating the determination process for purchase prediction conditions in the communication device 2.

[0081] In this example, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether the purchase prediction conditions are met based on whether the user has stayed at the registration location for a predetermined time or longer. If the user has stayed at the registration location for a predetermined time or longer, there is a high probability that they have purchased frozen food. Therefore, by determining whether the purchase prediction conditions are met based on whether the user has stayed at the registration location for a predetermined time or longer, an accurate determination can be made.

[0082] A specific example is shown in Figure 14(a). In the example shown in Figure 14(a), a threshold c is set for the evaluation value, and a threshold d is set for the time during which the evaluation value exceeds threshold c. Whether or not threshold c is exceeded can be used to determine whether or not the user has entered the registration location, and whether or not threshold d is exceeded can be used to determine whether or not the time spent at the registration location has exceeded a predetermined time. Therefore, if the time spent at the registration location is short, pre-cooling can be omitted. (3) Example of judgment process 3 Next, with reference to Figure 14(b), yet another example of the determination process will be described. Figure 14(b) is a diagram illustrating the determination process for purchase prediction conditions in the communication device 2.

[0083] In this example, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 captures time-series data of location information indicating the user's location as an image. It then matches this image with the image shown in the time-series data at the time the location was registered, and determines whether the purchase prediction conditions are met based on whether the similarity exceeds a threshold. Since the time-series data at the time of registration is the time-series data when frozen food was purchased, matching it with this data allows for an accurate determination of whether the purchase prediction conditions are met.

[0084] A specific example is shown in Figure 14(b). The example in Figure 14(b) shows a case where time-series data of location information indicating the user's location is captured as an image. This image is matched with the image of the time-series data of location information at the time of registration (Figures 5(b) to (d)), and the similarity is calculated. Whether or not the purchase prediction conditions are met is determined based on whether or not the similarity exceeds a threshold.

[0085] Furthermore, in this example, as in the example described above, two thresholds may be set and processing may be performed in two stages.

[0086] As described above, in this embodiment, purchase determination and pre-cooling processing are performed using the user's location and the determination table 211. Therefore, pre-cooling can be automatically started when the user is in a location where it is thought that they will purchase frozen food. Furthermore, since the determination table 211 is created using the user's activity history, pre-cooling can be performed taking into account the time it takes to travel from the registered location to home, the amount of frozen food purchased at the registered location, etc.

[0087] Furthermore, since users do not need to input information such as the contents and quantity of frozen foods, this can be implemented without imposing an excessive burden on users.

[0088] Furthermore, since it does not use information that requires prior integration, such as POS data, it can be implemented without going through complicated processing.

[0089] Furthermore, the system may be configured to interrupt the pre-cooling process if it determines from the acquired location information that the user is making a detour.

[0090] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 17. For the sake of convenience, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0091] In this embodiment, in addition to determining whether or not to perform pre-cooling as described in Embodiment 1, a determination is made as to whether or not to postpone the defrosting process, or whether or not to expedite the defrosting process. Normally, the defrosting process is performed about once a day, but cooling cannot be performed during the defrosting process. Therefore, if frozen food is added during or immediately after the defrosting process, there is a possibility that the internal temperature will rise, power consumption will increase, etc. In this embodiment, when the addition of frozen food is expected, the defrosting process is postponed, or the defrosting process is expedited so that there is sufficient time between the end of the defrosting process and the addition of frozen food.

[0092] This prevents the problems that may occur if frozen food is added during or immediately after the defrosting process described above.

[0093] Referring to Figure 15, the processing flow of the communication device 2 in this embodiment will be explained. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the communication device 2 when making a decision on whether to perform defrosting.

[0094] As shown in Figure 15, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 of the communication device 2 determines whether the purchase prediction conditions are met (S1501). If the purchase prediction conditions are met (YES in S1501), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the determination table 211 to predict the user's return time (S1502). Then, if the predicted user's return time is within 30 minutes (within the second predetermined time) (YES in S1503), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a defrosting postponement instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1504). Furthermore, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a pre-cooling start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1505). On the other hand, if the predicted user's return time is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1503), the process returns to step S1502. The above is the flow of the process by which the communication device 2 sends a pre-cooling start instruction.

[0095] Next, we will explain the process flow for speeding up the defrosting process, referring to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the process flow for speeding up the defrosting process.

[0096] As shown in Figure 16, in the case of a process to speed up the defrosting process, first, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 of the communication device 2 determines whether the purchase prediction conditions are met (S1601). If the purchase prediction conditions are met (YES in S1601), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the determination table 211 to predict the user's return time (S1602). Then, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether the predicted user's return time is within 120 minutes (S1603). If it is within 120 minutes (YES in S1603), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 then determines whether the user's return time is within 30 minutes (S1604). If the user's return time is within 30 minutes (YES in S1604), it sends a defrosting postponement instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1605). Furthermore, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a pre-cooling start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1606). On the other hand, if the predicted time for the user to return home is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1604), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether or not to perform defrosting (S1607). If it determines that defrosting is necessary (YES in S1608), it sends a defrost start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1609). If it determines that defrosting is not necessary (NO in S1608), it returns to step S1602.

[0097] The determination of whether defrosting is necessary in steps S1607 and S1608 can be made, for example, as follows: The current amount of frost and the amount of frost that will occur due to future pre-cooling or rapid cooling operations are predicted, and the determination is made based on whether the sum of these exceeds the amount of frost that requires defrosting. In other words, defrosting is deemed necessary if the following formula is satisfied. Note that the prediction of the amount of frost can be done using conventional technology, so the explanation is omitted.

[0098] Current frost amount + frost amount due to pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) > frost amount requiring defrosting For example, consider a refrigerator where, when the compressor is operated at a temperature of 30°C and a relative humidity of 80%RH, the amount of frost that accumulates per hour is 2g, the amount of frost that accumulates when the freezer door is opened and closed once is 8g, and the amount of frost that accumulates when the refrigerator door is opened and closed once is 10g, and defrosting is required when the amount of frost on the evaporator exceeds 200g. In this refrigerator, if the operating time since the last defrosting is 12 hours, the number of times the freezer door has been opened and closed is 6, and the number of times the refrigerator door has been opened and closed is 4, then the amount of frost will be 24 + 48 + 40 = 112g. Furthermore, assuming a total operating time of 9 hours from the current time until pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) is completed (1 hour until arrival, 8 hours for rapid cooling), 5 times the freezer door is opened and closed, and 10 times the refrigerator door is opened and closed, the estimated amount of frost until pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) is completed is 18 + 40 + 100 = 158g. Therefore, the current amount of frost (112g) + the amount of frost due to pre-cooling (and rapid cooling) (158g) = 268g > the amount of frost requiring defrosting (200g), meaning defrosting is necessary.

[0099] The above describes the process flow for communication device 2 to accelerate the defrosting process.

[0100] Furthermore, before determining whether the expected purchase conditions are met, it may be possible to determine whether the preliminary expected purchase conditions are met, and if the preliminary expected purchase conditions are met, a decision may be made on whether to postpone or accelerate the defrosting process. The preliminary expected purchase conditions correspond to the cases where threshold b is exceeded in Example 1 of the determination process described above, threshold c is exceeded in Example 2 of the determination process, and threshold e is exceeded in Example 3 of the determination process.

[0101] Refer to Figure 17 to explain the process for determining whether the preliminary purchase forecast conditions are met. Figure 17 is a flowchart showing the process for determining whether the preliminary purchase forecast conditions are met.

[0102] As shown in Figure 17, first, the pre-cooling determination unit 202 of the communication device 2 determines whether the preliminary purchase prediction conditions are met (S1701). If the preliminary purchase prediction conditions are met (YES in S1701), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 uses the determination table 211 to predict the user's return time. Then, if the predicted user's return time is within 30 minutes (YES in S1702), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 sends a defrost postponement instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1703). On the other hand, if the predicted user's return time is not within 30 minutes (NO in S1702), the pre-cooling determination unit 202 determines whether or not to perform defrosting (S1704). If it determines that defrosting is necessary (YES in S1705), it sends a defrost start instruction to the refrigerator 1 (S1706). If it determines that defrosting is unnecessary (NO in S1705), the process ends.

[0103] Furthermore, after the process shown in Figure 17 described above, it is also possible to perform a determination process to determine whether or not to send the pre-cooling start instruction shown in Figure 11. This makes it possible to implement the process in which a two-stage threshold is set in the example of the determination process described above.

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

[0105] [Additional Note 1] The above-mentioned registered locations may be configured to be shared with other users. For example, a user could register locations where other users have previously purchased frozen foods as their own frozen food purchase locations.

[0106] Furthermore, the system may be configured to initiate the pre-cooling process based on the location information of another person. More specifically, it may be configured to initiate the pre-cooling process based on the location information of another person linked to a registered location. For example, if a store that sells frozen foods operates a mobile sales business, the system may be configured to initiate the pre-cooling process when an employee of the store leaves the store.

[0107] [Embodiment 3] In the refrigeration system 10 according to this embodiment, the system uses the user's location obtained from the mobile communication terminal 5 and a determination table stored in the communication device 2 to determine whether or not the user has purchased food or other items that require freezing. If it is determined that a purchase has been made, the system calculates the user's estimated return time, and based on this estimated return time, the refrigerator 1 may perform other processing in place of pre-cooling.

[0108] If your refrigerator has an automatic ice maker, you may use it if there is sufficient ice storage space. If it has a rapid ice-making function, ice can be made in a short time. Increasing the ice storage capacity improves the cooling capacity of the refrigerator, allowing for proper cooling of frozen foods purchased by the user.

[0109] Furthermore, the cooling mode may be switched from an energy-saving mode to a cooling mode that prioritizes cooling capacity, and in that case, a display or notification may be provided indicating that cooling is being performed for the later storage of frozen foods. In other words, unnecessary opening of the refrigerator door can be reduced, and the rise in temperature inside the refrigerator can be suppressed. The other configurations are the same as those of embodiments 1 and 2 described above.

[0110] [Additional Note 2] Although the above-described embodiment used a refrigerator as an example, the present invention is not limited to refrigerators. By combining the disclosed technical means, it can be applied to cooking appliances such as rice cookers that can cook rice around the time of arrival at home, water heaters that can fill a bathtub with hot water around the time of arrival at home, air conditioners that can reach a comfortable temperature around the time of arrival at home, automatic vacuum cleaners that can finish cleaning around the time of arrival at home, and air purifiers that can finish purifying the air upon arrival at home.

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

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

[0113] 〔summary〕 A control device (communication device 2) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a control device for controlling a refrigerator (1), and comprises: an acquisition determination unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202) that determines whether the user has acquired an item to put into the refrigerator at the current location, using at least one of the user's location before the increase in items in the refrigerator and the time from when the user leaves the location until the increase in items in the refrigerator, along with the user's current location; an input time derivation unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202) that derives the input time from when the user acquires the item until when the item is put into the refrigerator; and a pre-cooling instruction transmission unit (pre-cooling determination unit 202, control command generation unit 204) that transmits a pre-cooling instruction to the refrigerator to perform a pre-cooling process if the input time is within a first predetermined time.

[0114] According to the above configuration, when the loading time, which is the time until an item is placed in the refrigerator, falls within the first predetermined time, a pre-cooling instruction for the refrigerator is sent. Therefore, pre-cooling can be started taking into account the time until an item is placed in the refrigerator, ensuring an appropriate pre-cooling time and preventing wasted pre-cooling.

[0115] In the control device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in embodiment 1 described above, the first predetermined time may be longer than the time required to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator to a predetermined level during normal operation.

[0116] According to the above configuration, the first predetermined time is longer than the time it takes for the refrigerator to lower the internal temperature to a predetermined level during normal operation, thus preventing insufficient pre-cooling time. For example, if the time it takes to move items from the place where they were obtained to the refrigerator is shorter than the time it takes for the internal temperature to lower to a predetermined level during normal operation, pre-cooling will begin while the user is still at the place where the items were obtained, thus preventing insufficient pre-cooling time.

[0117] The control device according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be configured such that, in aspect 1 or 2 above, the refrigerator performs a defrosting process at a predetermined timing, and if the loading time is within a second predetermined time which is greater than or equal to the first predetermined time, the control device is equipped with a defrosting postponement instruction transmission unit (control command generation unit 204) that transmits a defrosting postponement instruction to the refrigerator to delay the timing of the defrosting process.

[0118] According to the above configuration, if the loading time is within the second predetermined time, an instruction to postpone the defrosting process is sent. This prevents the defrosting process from being performed when items are loaded into the refrigerator.

[0119] The control device according to aspect 4 of the present invention may be configured to include a location registration unit (determination table generation unit 205) that registers the location of the user before the increase in inventory in the refrigerator as the location of stay, in any of aspects 1 to 3 described above.

[0120] With the above configuration, the location where the user acquired the item that needs to be placed in the refrigerator can be automatically registered.

[0121] A refrigerator according to aspect 5 of the present invention comprises a receiving unit that receives the pre-cooling instruction from the control device, an inquiry unit that asks the user whether or not to start the pre-cooling process based on the pre-cooling instruction, and a pre-cooling processing unit that executes the pre-cooling process based on the answer to the inquiry.

[0122] With the above configuration, the system requests permission from the user before starting pre-cooling, and only starts pre-cooling if permission is granted. This prevents pre-cooling from starting without the user's knowledge.

[0123] The refrigeration system according to aspect 6 of the present invention includes the control device and the refrigerator. This makes it possible to achieve the effects described above.

[0124] A control method for a control device according to aspect 7 of the present invention is a control method for a control device that controls a refrigerator, and includes: an acquisition determination step (S1101) which determines whether the user has acquired an item to put into the refrigerator at the current location, using at least one of the user's location before the increase in items in the refrigerator and the time from when the user leaves the location until the items in the refrigerator increase, and the current location of the user; an input time derivation step (S1102) which derives the input time from when the user acquires an item until the items in the refrigerator increase, using the time from when the user leaves the location until the items in the refrigerator increase; and a pre-cooling instruction transmission step (S1104) which, if the input time is within a first predetermined time, transmits a pre-cooling instruction to the refrigerator to perform a pre-cooling process.

[0125] The above method produces the same effects as in the first embodiment described above.

[0126] Each aspect of the present invention may be implemented by a computer, in which case a control program for the control device that enables the computer to implement the control device by operating the computer as each part (software element) of the control device, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0127] In one aspect of the present invention, if the first predetermined time is longer than the time from when the user leaves the location where they are staying until the number of items in the refrigerator increases, the control device may start the pre-cooling process before the user leaves the location where they are staying.

[0128] In one aspect of the present invention, the control device may be configured to include a location specification reception unit (determination table generation unit 205) that receives the specification of the location of stay from the user, in any of the above aspects 1 to 4.

[0129] In one aspect of the present invention, the control device may be configured to include a pre-cooling interruption unit (control command generation unit 204) that temporarily interrupts the pre-cooling process if, after the start of the pre-cooling process, it is determined from the user's location information that the time at which the number of items in the refrigerator will increase will be delayed.

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

[0131] 1. Refrigerator 2. Communication device (control device) 5. Mobile communication terminals 10 Refrigeration Systems 100, 200 Control Unit 101 Pre-cooling section 102 Rapid Cooling Processing 103 Defrosting Processing Unit 104 Inquiry Department 120 Transmitting / receiving unit (receiving unit) 202 Pre-cooling determination unit (acquisition determination unit, input time derivation unit, pre-cooling instruction transmission unit) 203 Defrosting determination unit (Defrosting postponement instruction transmission unit) 204 Control command generation unit (pre-cooling instruction transmission unit, defrosting postponement instruction transmission unit) 205 Judgment Table Generation Unit (Location Registration Unit, Location Specification Acceptance Unit) 211 Decision Table

Claims

1. The system includes a control unit that generates a command to start a pre-cooling process to lower the temperature inside the refrigerator based on the location information of the mobile communication terminal and the status of whether or not the mobile communication terminal is staying at a registered location registered as a place to purchase food, and that causes the refrigerator to start the pre-cooling process based on the command to start the pre-cooling process. The control unit terminates the pre-cooling process if the pre-cooling termination condition is met after the start of the pre-cooling process. The pre-cooling termination condition includes the detection of a pre-cooling termination command to the refrigerator in the refrigeration system.

2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prevents the refrigerator from starting the pre-cooling process if it has received a command to start the pre-cooling process but does not meet predetermined conditions.

3. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit notifies the mobile communication terminal of confirmation of the start of the pre-cooling process when the refrigerator is able to receive the command to start the pre-cooling process from the control unit.

4. The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit generates a command to start the pre-cooling process when the mobile communication terminal stays at the registered location for a predetermined time or longer.

5. The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit generates a command to start the pre-cooling process after the mobile communication terminal has left the registered position.

6. The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit generates a command to start the pre-cooling process when the mobile communication terminal is staying near the registration location, which is within a predetermined distance from the registration location.

7. The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit generates a command to start the pre-cooling process based on whether or not the mobile communication terminal has entered the vicinity of the registration location, which is within a predetermined distance from the registration location.

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