Refrigerator and refrigerator system

Abstract

Provided are a voice acquisition unit that acquires a voice of a user and transmits a voice signal including data of the acquired voice, and a control device that processes the voice signal from the voice acquisition unit. The control device determines an article name included in the voice data on the basis of the voice signal from the voice acquisition unit and creates memo data including data of the article name.

Description

Refrigerators and Refrigerator Systems

[0001] The present technology relates to a refrigerator and a refrigerator system, and more particularly to a refrigerator and a refrigerator system with an audio capture function that can capture audio.

[0002] In households, to prevent forgetting to buy food or buying multiple copies of the same item, refrigerator users generally leave a note with the name of the food or other item when they notice it missing, and periodically check the note. However, there are problems with this, such as not being able to write notes if there is no writing implement nearby, losing notes even if left, and not being able to refer to notes if the note is not carried with you when shopping.

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, with the adoption of IoT in home appliances and improvements in voice analysis functions, various products have been equipped with voice memo functions. In particular, portable terminal devices such as smartphones are frequently carried by users and are often simple to operate. For this reason, by using terminal devices in daily life, users have made it easier to take notes with writing implements. Furthermore, it can be said that the possibility of not carrying or losing a terminal device has been significantly reduced. For this reason, voice recordings including the names of items may be recorded on terminal devices and used as memos.

[0004] However, when checking the contents of the refrigerator, users may need to open the refrigerator door, remove food from the refrigerator, and perform other actions, which are difficult to do while holding the terminal device. Also, if users recognize and memorize the foods they want to buy while the refrigerator is open and then create a shopping memo, it is time-consuming for users to operate the terminal device after checking the contents and there is a risk that they may forget to create the shopping memo at all.

[0005] Therefore, in order to make it easier to manage food ingredients in a refrigerator, a refrigerator has been proposed that is configured to manage the weight and type of food ingredients by including both a weight detection unit that detects the weight of food ingredients entering and leaving the refrigerator and an audio acquisition unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0006] JP 2018-95450 A

[0007] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires that a weight detection unit be installed in every location where food is placed, which increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, if there are multiple locations where weight detection units cannot be installed, it becomes difficult to know which storage compartment the food is placed in.

[0008] Furthermore, when the user checks the ingredients in the refrigerator, they can see what ingredients are left over or missing while they are checking the contents of the refrigerator, but there is a risk that they will forget to create the shopping list or what they want to buy by the time they close the refrigerator door and create the shopping list.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a refrigerator system that allow a user to make notes about food and the like while the refrigerator is open.

[0010] The disclosed refrigerator includes a voice acquisition unit that acquires voice and sends a voice signal including data of the acquired voice, and a control unit that processes the voice signal from the voice acquisition unit. The control unit determines the name of an item contained in the voice based on the voice signal from the voice acquisition unit and creates memo data including data of the item name.

[0011] The refrigerator system disclosed herein also includes a refrigerator having a voice acquisition unit that acquires voice and sends a voice signal including data of the acquired voice, and a communication unit that transmits the voice signal acquired by the voice acquisition unit to the outside; a control unit that determines the names of items included in the voice based on the voice signal sent from the refrigerator and creates shopping memo data including data of the item names; and a terminal device that receives a signal including the shopping memo data from the control unit and has a display unit that displays the shopping memo, all connected via a telecommunications line.

[0012] In the refrigerator and the like disclosed herein, a control device determines the names of items contained in the voice based on a voice signal from a voice acquisition unit included in the refrigerator, and creates memo data including the data on the item names. This allows memo data related to shopping and the like to be created based on the names of items spoken by the user while checking the items in the refrigerator, eliminating the need for the user to forget the names of items. This allows for thorough memo creation when shopping and the like.

[0013] 1 is a front view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a left side view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a right side view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of ceiling surface recess 11 in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between refrigerator compartment board 15 and refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator front microphone 23, which is a second voice acquisition unit, and its periphery in embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the position of operation panel 120 in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of operation panel 120 in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a front view of refrigerator 1 with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of registration operation switch 106b and deletion operation switch 107b provided on side surface portion 101a of left refrigerator compartment door 101. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user presses registration operation switch 106b with refrigerator compartment 100 open. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the processing flow of control device 50 according to embodiment 1. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a shopping memo displayed on display unit 2100 of terminal device 2000 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a user speaks in an upright position with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a user speaks in a position crawling into refrigerator compartment 100 with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining a case in which a user speaks with freezer compartment door 401 open for refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining a case in which a user speaks with vegetable compartment door 501 open for refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining a case in which a user speaks in an upright position with refrigerator compartment 100 and freezer compartment 400 open for refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining a case in which a user speaks in a leaning forward position with refrigerator compartment 100 and freezer compartment 400 open for refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram (part 1) explaining a comparison of the volume (voice intensity) of voices from refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating a comparison of the volume (audio intensity) of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23.26 is a diagram (part 3) illustrating a comparison of the volume (voice intensity) between refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23. A diagram illustrating an example of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 3, in which a user speaks in an upright position facing forward with refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401 open. A diagram illustrating actual measured values ​​of volume measurement in the example of FIG. 24. A diagram illustrating an example of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 3, in which a user speaks in an upright position facing downward with refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401 open. A diagram illustrating actual measured values ​​of volume measurement in the example of FIG. 26. A diagram illustrating, in table form, an example of a ratio by height obtained from the average value of sound pressure ratio. A diagram illustrating an example of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 4, in which a user speaks with freezer compartment door 401 and vegetable compartment door 501 open and freezer compartment door 401 only slightly opened. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user speaking when freezer compartment door 401 and vegetable compartment door 501 are open and freezer compartment door 401 is only slightly opened, for refrigerator 1 in embodiment 4. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the change over time in temperature rise inside freezer compartment 400 for each outside temperature while freezer compartment door 401 is open according to embodiment 4. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the change over time in temperature rise inside freezer compartment 400 for each door opening amount of freezer compartment door 401 while freezer compartment door 401 is open according to embodiment 4. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of a process in which control device 50 in refrigerator 1 determines which door is open.

[0014] A refrigerator and a refrigerator system according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The present disclosure also includes all possible combinations of configurations among the configurations shown in the following embodiments and their modifications. In each drawing, components with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification. The present disclosure also includes other processes that can be performed between the processes performed in each embodiment. The surface seen when viewing the refrigerator is referred to as the front or front surface, and the surface opposite the front surface is referred to as the back surface. The upper surface of the refrigerator viewed from the front side is referred to as the top surface, and the surface opposite the top surface is referred to as the bottom surface. The left and right surfaces of the refrigerator viewed from the front side are referred to as sides. In the following description, the top in the drawings will be referred to as "up" and the bottom as "bottom." To facilitate understanding, terms that primarily represent directions when viewing the refrigerator from the front side (e.g., "right," "left," "front," "rear," etc.) will be used as appropriate. However, these terms are for explanatory purposes and do not limit the disclosure. In addition, the direction from the front side of the refrigerator to the top and bottom is the height direction, the direction from the left and right is the width direction, and the direction from the front to the back is the depth direction. In each drawing, the relative dimensional relationship, shape, material, etc. of each component may differ from the actual ones.

[0015] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a front view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a left side view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a right side view of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 mainly shows the configuration when the right side of refrigerator 1 is viewed from the A-A cross section in Fig. 1.

[0016] 1 to 4, refrigerator 1 includes refrigerator body 2 having inside storage space 10. Refrigerator body 2 includes an outer metal box 20 made of, for example, a steel plate and opening at the front, an inner box 21 made of, for example, a hard resin such as ABS resin, and a heat insulating material such as hard foamed urethane foam filled between outer box 20 and inner box 21.

[0017] The refrigerator body 2 has a recessed shape with an open front. The refrigerator body 2 has a plurality of storage compartments inside by dividing the storage space 10 formed by the recess with a plurality of partitions. The refrigerator body 2 has a refrigerator compartment 100 at the top, which is the first storage compartment located at the top level. A refrigerator compartment door 101, which is a double-door door, is installed on the front of the refrigerator compartment 100. Here, the refrigerator compartment door 101 has two doors on the front of the refrigerator compartment 100 that rotate around axes at both the left and right ends of the refrigerator compartment 100, but it may also have a single door that rotates around an axis at one end.

[0018] Refrigerator body 2 also has storage compartments: switchable compartment 300 located below refrigerator compartment 100; ice-making compartment 200 horizontally adjacent to switchable compartment 300; freezer compartment 400 located below switchable compartment 300 and ice-making compartment 200; and vegetable compartment 500 located below freezer compartment 400. Each storage compartment stores items such as food to be refrigerated. Hereinafter, the items will be described as food. The fronts of switchable compartment 300, ice-making compartment 200, freezer compartment 400, and vegetable compartment 500 are equipped with drawer-type doors: ice-making compartment door 201, switchable compartment door 301, freezer compartment door 401, and vegetable compartment door 501. Therefore, ice-making compartment 200, switchable compartment 300, freezer compartment 400, and vegetable compartment 500 are drawer-type storage compartments.

[0019] A cooling compartment 3 is provided on the back of refrigerator body 2. Cooling compartment 3 is provided with a cooler 4 that generates cold air, a blower fan 5 that supplies cold air to each compartment, and a damper (air volume adjustment means) 6 that adjusts the volume of air sent to refrigerator compartment 100. A compressor 7 is also provided on the rear surface of the lower part of refrigerator body 2. Refrigerator 1 performs cooling operation by sealing a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle device configured by sequentially connecting compressor 7, condenser 8, heat radiation pipe 25 for heat radiation (see FIG. 7), capillary tube 9, and the above-mentioned cooler 4 in a ring shape.

[0020] Furthermore, refrigerator 1 in embodiment 1 has control device 50 between outer box 20 and inner box 21. Control device 50 controls the devices of refrigerator 1, etc. Control device 50 has control processing unit 51 and memory unit 52. Control processing unit 51 basically controls the drive of compressor 7 and other components described above, and performs control processing related to the refrigeration or freezing of food in refrigerator 1. In control device 50 in embodiment 1, control processing unit 51 also performs audio analysis based on audio signals including sound data acquired by refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23, which will be described later, and performs processing to create memo data. Furthermore, memory unit 52 stores data used by control processing unit 51 when performing processing, data acquired by control processing unit 51 when performing processing, etc.

[0021] Here, the control processing unit 51 is assumed to be configured, for example, by a microcomputer having a control processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing performed by the control processing unit 51 is realized by the control processing device executing processing based on program data stored in the memory unit 52. However, this is not limited to this. The control processing unit 51 may also be configured by dedicated equipment (hardware). The memory unit 52 has a volatile storage device (not shown) such as a random access memory (RAM) that can temporarily store data and a non-volatile auxiliary storage device (not shown) such as a flash memory that can store data long-term. The memory unit 52 also stores the program used by the control processing unit 51 to perform the processing. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the processing of the control processing unit 51 and the storage in the memory unit 52 are described as being performed by the control device 50.

[0022] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the ceiling surface recess 11 in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the refrigerator compartment board 15 and the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16. The refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment has a ceiling surface recess 11 on the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 100. The ceiling surface recess 11 is provided with a resin holder 12. The holder 12 holds a lighting cover 13 made of a transparent material. The lighting cover 13, together with the inner box ceiling surface 21a of the refrigerator 1 and the holder 12, separates the space formed by the ceiling surface recess 11 from the storage space 10, forming a substantially sealed space. The lighting cover 13 is formed to extend in the width direction of the refrigerator main body 2. The lighting cover 13 is also shaped to hold a refrigerator compartment board 15 on which LEDs 14 for interior illumination are mounted. A plurality of LEDs 14 are provided along the width direction of the refrigerator main body 2. The LEDs 14 are arranged so that the emitted light is directed toward the refrigerator compartment 100 and illuminates downward. Furthermore, refrigerator compartment board 15 is equipped with refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16, which serves as a first sound acquisition unit. Refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 in embodiment 1 acquires sound and sends a sound signal including data on the acquired sound to control device 50. Refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 particularly acquires sound related to the speech of the user of refrigerator 1. Refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is disposed between LEDs 14 in the left-right direction, and is disposed so that the center of refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is aligned with the center of LED 14 in the front-to-back direction.

[0023] The refrigerator compartment 100 also includes a plurality of food storage shelves 110 for storing food. The food storage shelves 110 extend across the entire width of the refrigerator compartment 100 in the width direction, with the rear ends of the food storage shelves 110 located near the duct and rear wall of the refrigerator compartment 100 and the front ends located rearward of the optical axes of the LEDs 14 in the front-to-rear direction. The bottom shelf of the food storage shelves 110 defines a storage space below the refrigerator compartment 100. As an example, the bottom shelf of the food storage shelves 110 defines a chilled compartment or a supercooled compartment. Here, the storage space below the bottom shelf of the food storage shelves 110 in the refrigerator compartment 100 is referred to as a lower storage space 102.

[0024] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator front microphone 23, which is the second sound acquisition unit in embodiment 1, and its surrounding area. Refrigerator 1 includes partition member 17 between refrigerator compartment 100 and ice-making compartment 200 and switchable compartment 300, which are located below refrigerator compartment 100. Partition member 17 has partition recess 18 on its front surface. Partition recess 18 houses partition board 24, on which refrigerator front microphone 23 and door open / close detector 28 are mounted, and heat dissipation pipe 25 within the recess. Refrigerator front microphone 23, which is the second sound acquisition unit, acquires sound and sends an audio signal containing data on the acquired sound to control device 50. Refrigerator front microphone 23 particularly acquires sound related to speech uttered by the user of refrigerator 1. While sound acquisition can be achieved with a single sound acquisition unit, sound is acquired here using multiple sound acquisition units. Door open / close detection unit 28, which serves as a first door open / close detection unit, detects the opening and closing of refrigerator compartment door 101 of refrigerator compartment 100, and sends an open / close signal to control device 50. Door open / close detection unit 28 and refrigerator front microphone 23 may be misaligned on the left and right. Heat dissipation pipe 25 dissipates heat from the refrigerant to condense it. Heat dissipation pipe 25 is positioned so as to come into contact with decorative cover 19 facing the outside of refrigerator 1 in order to enhance the heat dissipation effect.

[0025] Decorative cover 19 is installed in front of partition member 17 and covers partition recess 18. Decorative cover 19 is inserted into partition recess 18 and fits into the wall that forms partition recess 18. Upper end 19a and lower end 19b of decorative cover 19 have folded portions that are folded and protrude toward the rear of refrigerator 1. At upper end 19a of decorative cover 19, tip 19a1 of the protruding surface of the folded portion is located closer to the rear of refrigerator 1 than the rear end of partition substrate 24 stored in partition recess 18. Therefore, decorative cover 19 covers partition substrate 24 from above. Therefore, decorative cover 19 serves to protect partition substrate 24 from water and other elements that may seep into partition member 17 from the front of refrigerator 1.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the position of operation panel 120 in refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of operation panel 120 in refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. Refrigerating compartment 100 according to the first embodiment is provided with operation panel 120 on the front surface of left-side refrigerator compartment door 101. The operation panel 120 has operation unit 103 that accepts operations for refrigerator 1 and display unit 104 that displays the operating status of refrigerator 1. Operation unit 103 and display unit 104 may be separated by function, or display unit 104 may be composed of multiple icons, and some of the icons on display unit 104 may also serve as operation unit 103 that is activated when pressed. Operation unit 103 has start button 105. Pressing start button 105 on operation panel 120 starts accepting operations on other buttons on operation unit 103, and operable commands are displayed on display unit 104. If the user does not perform any operation for a predetermined time after pressing start button 105, display unit 104 will erase the display of available commands, and operation unit 103 will return to a state where it cannot accept operations. Operation unit 103 has a registration operation button 106a that accepts voice input to start creating a shopping memo, and a deletion operation button 107a that accepts voice input to delete a food name from the shopping memo. Refrigerator 1 is equipped with a buzzer (not shown) that emits a sound in response to an operation on operation panel 120. Instructions entered through operation unit 103 are sent to and processed by control device 50.

[0027] 8, the control device 50 is connected to a communication unit 130 installed in the refrigerator compartment door 101, for example. The communication unit 130 can communicate with external devices via an electric communication line 3000. The communication unit 130 is an interface device that converts signals when signals containing various data are communicated between the control device 50 and the external device. In the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, the communication unit 130 transmits a signal containing memo data created by the control device 50 to a cloud server 1000, which is an external device outside the refrigerator 1, via the electric communication line 3000. Unless otherwise specified below, communication between the control device 50 and the cloud server 1000 is assumed to be performed via the communication unit 130.

[0028] The cloud server 1000 provided by a cloud service or the like performs processing to register or delete food names and the like to be registered in the shopping memo based on the memo data sent from the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1. Then, the cloud server 1000 transmits a signal including data related to the display of the shopping memo based on an instruction from the terminal device 2000, for example.

[0029] For example, the terminal device 2000 owned by a user can communicate with the cloud server 1000 via the telecommunications line 3000. Based on instructions from the owner, the terminal device 2000 requests a shopping memo from the cloud server 1000. The terminal device 2000 then processes the signal sent from the cloud server 1000 and displays the shopping memo on the display unit 2100 of the terminal device 2000.

[0030] Fig. 10 is a front view of refrigerator 1 with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of registration switch 106b and deletion switch 107b provided on side surface 101a of left refrigerator compartment door 101. As shown in Fig. 10, refrigerator compartment 100 in embodiment 1 is provided with two push-type switches on side surface 101a of left refrigerator compartment door 101. As shown in Fig. 11, one of the push-type switches is registration switch 106b, which serves as a first switch for starting voice input to create a shopping memo. The other switch is deletion switch 107b, which serves as a second switch for starting voice input to delete a food name from a shopping memo. By providing a switch for creating a shopping memo on side portion 101a of refrigerator compartment door 101, when the user opens refrigerator compartment door 101 to look for food or the like in refrigerator compartment 100, there is no need to close refrigerator compartment door 101 and operate operation portion 103 of operation panel 120. Therefore, voice input can be started with refrigerator compartment door 101 left open.

[0031] 12 is a diagram showing the state in which the user presses the registration operation switch 106b with the refrigerator compartment 100 open. Next, the procedure by which the refrigerator 1 creates a shopping memo will be explained. The user can register food names and other information to create a shopping memo by pressing either the registration operation button 106a or the registration operation switch 106b. In this example, it is assumed that the user presses the registration operation switch 106b.

[0032] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the processing flow of the control device 50 according to the first embodiment. When a user checks the refrigerator compartment 100 with the refrigerator compartment open and wants to leave a shopping memo about any missing foods, the user presses the registration operation switch 106b, which accepts voice input for creating the memo, to enter a voice input state. When the control device 50 determines that the registration operation switch 106b has been pressed (step S1), it controls the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23 to capture the voice (step S2). The control device 50 also causes the buzzer to emit a sound indicating the voice input state. If the registration operation switch 106b has not been pressed, the control device 50 does not perform the processing. Here, for example, the processing may continue for a certain period of time after the registration operation switch 106b is no longer pressed.

[0033] After the user hears the buzzer sound, they speak about the food item for which they want to leave a shopping memo. When refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23 pick up the spoken voice, they transmit a voice signal containing the voice as data to control device 50. When the voice signal is input from refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23 (step S3), control device 50 performs a voice analysis process based on the voice signal and creates voice data (step S4). Then, control device 50 extracts and determines the name of the food item contained in the voice based on the voice data obtained through the analysis (step S5). Control device 50 then causes communication unit 130 to transmit a signal containing the determined food name and memo data including information about the food item being prepared (step S6).

[0034] Here, in step S3, if the control device 50 determines that no audio signals are being input from the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23, the process returns to step S1 and continues.

[0035] As described above, the signal from communication unit 130 is sent to cloud server 1000 via telecommunications line 3000. Based on the memo data, cloud server 1000 stores data such as the food name and registration date and time in a storage device (not shown) that cloud server 1000 has, performs processing such as registration, and creates a shopping memo.

[0036] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a shopping memo displayed on the display unit 2100 of the terminal device 2000 according to the first embodiment. The user sends an instruction from the terminal device 2000 to the cloud server 1000. The terminal device 2000 displays the shopping memo based on a signal containing data related to the shopping memo sent from the cloud server 1000. This allows the user to check the shopping memo from any location via communication with the terminal device 2000.

[0037] Here, for example, while creating a shopping memo, the user may realize that they have created a shopping memo that contains an incorrect food name. In this case, the user presses the second switch, delete operation switch 107b, and speaks the name of the food item they want to delete. At this point, the user may also press delete operation button 107a. The control device 50 performs voice analysis processing based on the voice signal related to the speech and determines the name of the food item that should be deleted from the shopping memo. The control device 50 then causes the communication unit 130 to transmit a signal containing memo data including the determined food name and a notice of deletion.

[0038] The signal from communication unit 130 is sent to cloud server 1000 via telecommunications line 3000. Cloud server 1000 deletes the recorded food name from the shopping memo based on the memo data and stores it in a storage device (not shown) that cloud server 1000 has.

[0039] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which a user speaks in an upright position with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which a user speaks while crouching inside refrigerator compartment 100 with refrigerator compartment door 101 open. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , depending on the user's posture, part of the head may be inside refrigerator compartment 100 or the face may be facing upward. In such cases, the user's mouth may be far from refrigerator front microphone 23, and sufficient voice recording may not be possible. Even in such cases, refrigerator 1 of embodiment 1 can record voice recordings by installing refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 in refrigerator compartment 100, even when the user speaks while checking the food in refrigerator compartment 100. Therefore, by stably recording voice recordings regardless of the user's posture, the name of the food item being recorded can be determined and memo data can be created.

[0040] In the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment, a refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is installed on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 100. For example, when the temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator 1 are high and the refrigerator compartment door 101 is opened, condensation occurs on components installed in the refrigerator body 2 and the like due to the difference between the surface temperature of the components inside the refrigerator compartment 100 and the outside temperature. Among the components, the microphone is particularly susceptible to humidity and moisture. Therefore, condensation shortens the lifespan of the microphone, which may significantly reduce the reliability of home appliances that are used for long periods of time, such as the refrigerator 1.

[0041] Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment, the space housing the refrigerator compartment board 15 on which the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is mounted is a substantially sealed space to prevent outside air from entering. The refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment also includes the LED 14 in the substantially sealed space, along with the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16. Therefore, the temperature within the space can be increased by the heat generated by energizing the LED 14. If the temperature within the sealed space becomes equal to or higher than the temperature outside the space, condensation within the sealed space can be suppressed. Furthermore, by substantially sealing the storage space for the refrigerator compartment board 15, it is possible to prevent air rising within the sealed space from moving into the cooled space where food is stored. This extends the life of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and reduces malfunctions.

[0042] Furthermore, refrigerator front microphone 23 attached to partition member 17 of refrigerator 1 has its front surface covered by decorative cover 19. Upper end 19a of decorative cover 19 is bent toward the interior of the refrigerator, and tip 19a1 protrudes rearward beyond partition board 24 on which refrigerator front microphone 23 is mounted, which is installed in partition recess 18. Therefore, even if water seeps in from the front surface of decorative cover 19, the seeping water is prevented from dripping onto partition board 24. This makes it possible to prevent malfunction of refrigerator front microphone 23.

[0043] Furthermore, refrigerator 1 in embodiment 1 is provided with heat dissipation pipe 25 in contact with decorative cover 19 that covers partition recess 18. This allows the temperature of the air in decorative cover 19 and partition recess 18 to be raised. The upper portions of decorative cover 19 and partition recess 18 are in contact with the refrigeration temperature zone, and the lower portions are in contact with the freezing temperature zone, so that heat is drawn to the low-temperature side.

[0044] Therefore, when the temperature of the external space around refrigerator 1 is high, a difference in temperature occurs between decorative cover 19 and partition recess 18. Furthermore, when the humidity in the external space around refrigerator 1 is high, condensation is likely to occur in decorative cover 19 and partition recess 18 in areas where the temperature difference is large. Therefore, heat dissipation pipe 25 dissipates heat to raise the temperatures of decorative cover 19 and partition recess 18, thereby raising the surface temperature of partition board 24 on which refrigerator front microphone 23 is mounted. As a result, condensation on the surface of partition board 24 can be suppressed.

[0045] Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 1, the refrigerator 1 determines the name of a food item from a voice command and creates memo data. However, in recent years, advances in food freezing technology have led to the general household having a situation where, for example, the same vegetable is purchased and stored frozen or fresh. For example, if the food being purchased is spinach, there is refrigerated spinach, including fresh vegetables, and frozen spinach. For example, if a user simply writes the food name "spinach" in a shopping memo, there is a possibility that the user will forget which spinach they should have purchased when referring to the shopping memo. Thus, if the user does not include information such as storage conditions when writing the shopping memo, it is impossible to infer the storage conditions from the food name, and there is a possibility that the user will mistakenly purchase something different from what they intended. Furthermore, shopping memos created using smartphones or other devices may be shared among multiple users. In this case, if a user other than the user who created the shopping memo checks the shopping memo and goes shopping, there is a possibility that they will purchase the wrong food due to insufficient information.

[0046] Therefore, the refrigerator 1 of the second embodiment determines the storage room in which the user stores the food corresponding to the food name uttered by the user, in addition to the operating status of each storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 and the open / close status of the door, and creates memo data including the storage compartment name, etc.

[0047] Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user speaks with freezer compartment door 401 open in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 2. Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user speaks with vegetable compartment door 501 open in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 2.

[0048] 17 and 18 , refrigerator 1 in the second embodiment includes a plurality of door open / close detectors 29. Door open / close detectors 29, which serve as drawer door open / close detectors, are installed in each storage compartment having a drawer door, and send an open / close signal in response to the opening or closing of each drawer door to control device 50.

[0049] The control device 50 receives the voice signals sent from the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23, and creates the memo data described in the first embodiment. At this time, the control device 50 determines which door is open based on the open / close signals from the door open / close detectors 28 and 29. When the control device 50 determines that only one door of a storage compartment is open, it determines at least one of the storage compartment in which the food indicated by the user's voice is stored and the storage temperature range of the storage compartment, based on the storage compartment whose door is open and the set temperature set for the storage compartment. Here, the control device 50 is described as determining the storage compartment. The control device 50 creates memo data that associates the food name data with the determined storage compartment name, and causes the communication unit 130 to transmit a signal including the memo data.

[0050] The cloud server 1000 creates or deletes a shopping memo based on the received signal including the memo data. The terminal device 2000 displays information based on the cloud data sent from the cloud server 1000.

[0051] As described above, in refrigerator 1 of embodiment 2, control device 50 determines which storage compartment has its door open based on the open / close signals from door open / close detector 28 and door open / close detector 29. Then, control device 50 creates memo data by associating the food name determined from the voice with the name of the storage compartment whose door is open. Therefore, a shopping memo can be created by associating not only the food name with the storage compartment name, but also the storage compartment name, which allows the user to determine whether the food is refrigerated or frozen. Here, control device 50 creates memo data by associating the food name with the storage compartment name. However, a shopping memo may also be created by associating the storage temperature range of the storage compartment with the storage compartment instead of or in addition to the storage compartment name.

[0052] Embodiment 3. Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user speaks in an upright position with refrigerator compartment 100 and freezer compartment 400 open in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 3. Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user speaks in a leaning-forward position with refrigerator compartment 100 and freezer compartment 400 open in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 3.

[0053] In the second embodiment, the refrigerator 1 has been described as creating memo data when it is determined that one door is open. However, it is assumed that the user may leave two or more doors open when searching for food inside the refrigerator 1. Therefore, in the third embodiment, a case where the control device 50 determines that two or more doors are open based on the open / close signals from the door open / close detectors 28 and 29 will be described using Figs. 19 and 20 .

[0054] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, in refrigerator 1, control device 50 may create memo data while both refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401 are open. In this case, it is difficult for control device 50 to accurately determine which storage compartment the user is referring to based solely on the open / close signals from door open / close detectors 28 and 29. For example, if the name of the food clearly indicates that it is to be stored in the freezer temperature range, such as ice cream, control device 50 can determine that it is freezer compartment 400. However, there are foods, such as ground meat, that can be stored in either the refrigerated or freezer temperature range. Therefore, unless the user utters "frozen ground meat," control device 50 cannot determine that the user is referring to the ground meat to be stored in freezer compartment 400.

[0055] Therefore, in refrigerator 1 of the third embodiment, when creating memo data, control device 50 compares the volume of the voice signals from refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23. Then, control device 50 performs a process to determine in which storage compartment the user has spoken the name of the food item to be stored, based on the relationship between the two volumes.

[0056] 21 to 23 are diagrams illustrating a comparison of the volume (voice intensity) of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23. As shown in FIG. 21 , when the volume of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment is greater than the volume of the refrigerator front microphone 23, the control device 50 determines that the user is speaking toward the refrigerator compartment 100. Therefore, the control device 50 creates memo data indicating that the food will be stored in the refrigerator compartment 100 or in a refrigerated temperature range, in addition to the food name. This determination can also be applied when only the refrigerator compartment 100 is open. For example, the control device 50 can determine whether the food with the spoken food name will be stored in the lower storage space 102 of the refrigerator compartment 100, such as the chilled compartment or supercooled compartment, or in another storage space within the refrigerator compartment 100.

[0057] 22 , even if the volume of refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is relatively lower than the volume of refrigerator front microphone 23, the volume of refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 may be equal to or greater than a threshold value at which the ratio of the sound pressures of the two voices becomes a predetermined ratio. In such a case, control device 50 determines that the user has spoken toward refrigerator compartment 100. Control device 50 creates memo data indicating that the food will be stored in refrigerator compartment 100 or in the refrigerated temperature range, in addition to the name of the food.

[0058] 23, when the volume of the voice from refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is relatively lower than the volume of the voice from refrigerator front microphone 23 and is lower than the threshold, control device 50 determines that the user has spoken toward freezer compartment 400. Control device 50 creates memo data indicating that the food is to be stored in freezer compartment 400 or in the freezer temperature range, in addition to the name of the food.

[0059] Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an example of refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 3, in which a user speaks in an upright position facing forward with refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401 open. Fig. 25 is a diagram showing actual volume measurement values ​​for the example shown in Fig. 24. As an example, a user who is 172 cm tall faces refrigerator 1 with refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401, which is a drawer-type storage door, open, given that refrigerator 1 has external dimensions of 1821 mm in height, 685 mm in width, and 748 mm in depth. In this case, the user stands approximately 700 mm away from refrigerator 1.

[0060] When the user speaks from this position facing the front of refrigerator 1 toward refrigerator compartment 100, the average volume at refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is 74.2 [dB], and the average volume at refrigerator front microphone 23 is 66.1 [dB]. In terms of sound pressure, the volume at refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is 254 [%] of the volume at refrigerator front microphone 23.

[0061] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of refrigerator 1 according to Embodiment 3, in which a user stands upright and speaks while facing downward with refrigerator compartment door 101 and freezer compartment door 401 open. FIG. 27 is a diagram showing actual volume measurements for the example shown in FIG. 26. When the user speaks from this position facing forward toward the drawer-type storage compartment, the average volume at refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is 70.3 dB, and the average volume at refrigerator front microphone 23 is 68.5 dB. In terms of sound pressure intensity, the volume at refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is 123% of the volume at refrigerator front microphone 23. Therefore, when the sound pressure ratio is 123%, it is considered that the user is speaking toward the storage compartment below refrigerator compartment 100.

[0062] 24 to 27, the threshold values ​​in Fig. 21 to 23 are set to values ​​that result in a volume ratio between refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23 between approximately 123% and approximately 254%. This allows control device 50 to determine whether the user is speaking toward refrigerator compartment 100 or the drawer-type storage compartment.

[0063] 28 is a table showing an example of the ratio by height obtained from the average value of the sound pressure ratio. As described above, the control device 50 determines whether the speech was directed toward the refrigerator compartment 100 or the drawer-type storage compartment based on the ratio between the volume of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the volume of the refrigerator front microphone 23.

[0064] The difference in volume between refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23 varies depending on the height of the user. Therefore, memory unit 52 of control device 50 stores in advance, in table format, numerical values ​​for setting thresholds based on height. The user inputs their own height data, for example, from operation unit 103. Control device 50 references the numerical values ​​in the table stored in memory unit 52 based on the input height data and sets the threshold. The volume of the acquired sound also varies depending on lighting cover 13 covering refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and decorative cover 19 covering refrigerator front microphone 23. Therefore, the numerical values ​​and the set thresholds shown in FIG. 28 are merely examples and are not limited to these, and will vary depending on the specifications of refrigerator 1.

[0065] For example, if multiple users create shopping lists for one refrigerator 1, the control device 50 learns the voice frequency as well as the height, which makes it possible to set a threshold value for the voice frequency for identifying the user.

[0066] As described above, in refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment, when another drawer door is open at the same time as refrigerator compartment door 101, control device 50 determines the storage compartment based on the ratio of the volumes of refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23. This allows control device 50 to more accurately determine in which storage compartment the food item related to the user's utterance is to be stored.

[0067] In the above-described third embodiment, the control device 50 determines in which storage compartment the food item whose name has been spoken by the user is to be stored when the refrigerator compartment door 101 and the drawer door are open. In the refrigerator 1 of the fourth embodiment, the case where two or more drawer doors are open will be described.

[0068] Fig. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a user speaking in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 4 when freezer compartment door 401 and vegetable compartment door 501 are open and freezer compartment door 401 is only slightly opened. Fig. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a user speaking in refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 4 when freezer compartment door 401 and vegetable compartment door 501 are open and freezer compartment door 401 is only slightly opened. In Figs. 29 and 30, devices and the like that are assigned the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 17 and the like perform the same operations as those described in embodiment 1.

[0069] In refrigerator 1, freezer compartment 400 and vegetable compartment 500 are provided with freezer compartment temperature sensor 402 and vegetable compartment temperature sensor 502, respectively, on the back of the storage compartments. Refrigerator 1 also has outside-compartment temperature sensor 111 and outside-compartment humidity sensor 112, which detect the temperature and humidity in the space outside the compartment, on the side of the door or the side of the main body. As an example, outside-compartment temperature sensor 111 and outside-compartment humidity sensor 112 are installed on the circuit board of operation panel 120 inside left-side refrigerator compartment door 101 or on the hinge cover at the top front corner of refrigerator main body 2.

[0070] Fig. 31 is a diagram showing the change over time in the temperature rise inside freezer compartment 400 for each outside temperature while freezer compartment door 401 is open according to embodiment 4. Here, in Fig. 31, the door opening amount of freezer compartment door 401 is constant. As shown in Fig. 31, the temperature inside freezer compartment 400 rises more easily the higher the outside temperature is, and rises less easily the lower the outside temperature is.

[0071] Fig. 32 is a diagram showing the change in temperature rise over time in freezer compartment 400 for each door opening amount of freezer compartment door 401 during the open time of freezer compartment door 401 according to embodiment 4. In Fig. 32, it is assumed that the temperature outside the freezer compartment is 20°C. The temperature inside freezer compartment 400 rises more easily the higher the outside temperature is, and rises less easily the lower the outside temperature is. If the outside temperature is the same, the greater the door opening amount of freezer compartment door 401, the easier it is to take in outside air, and therefore the temperature inside freezer compartment 400 rises even if the door is open for the same amount of time. If freezer compartment door 401 is only slightly open, cold air inside freezer compartment 400 is less likely to leak out, so the temperature rise can be suppressed.

[0072] In Fig. 32, the upper solid line curve represents the case where the amount of opening of freezer compartment door 401 is large, and the lower solid line curve represents the case where the amount of opening of freezer compartment door 401 is small. Control device 50 refers to the curve of the temperature inside freezer compartment 400 at a predetermined temperature in Fig. 32 based on the temperature of the external space around refrigerator 1 detected by external temperature sensor 111, the open time of freezer compartment door 401 based on the open / close signal from door open / close detection unit 29, and the temperature detected by freezer compartment temperature sensor 402. Control device 50 then determines the amount of door opening of freezer compartment door 401.

[0073] As described above, in the refrigerator 1 of the fourth embodiment, when two drawer doors other than the refrigerator compartment 100 are open, the control device 50 determines the storage compartment based on the opening amount of each of the drawer doors. This allows the control device 50 to more accurately determine in which storage compartment the food item related to the user's utterance is to be stored.

[0074] 29 or 30, the control device 50 can determine the door opening amount of the freezer compartment door 401 from the degree of temperature rise inside the freezer compartment 400. When the control device 50 determines that the freezer compartment door 401, which is the upper drawer-type door, is open more than a predetermined door opening amount, the control device 50 determines that the user has spoken toward the freezer compartment 400, which is the upper storage compartment.

[0075] On the other hand, when the control device 50 determines that the upper drawer door is not open to a predetermined door opening amount and determines that the lower drawer door is open to a predetermined door opening amount, it determines that the user has spoken toward the vegetable compartment 500, which is a storage compartment located on the lower side.

[0076] 33 is a diagram showing the flow of processing by the control device 50 of the refrigerator 1 to determine which door is open. Here, the processing described in the second and third embodiments will also be described. In addition, the determination of the refrigerator door 101 and the freezer door 401 and vegetable door 501, which are drawer-type doors, will be described.

[0077] For example, the user presses the registration operation switch 106b or the deletion operation switch 107b to instruct the creation or deletion of a shopping memo. The control device 50 determines whether an audio signal has been received from the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and the refrigerator front microphone 23 (step S11). If the control device 50 determines that an audio signal has not been received, the control device 50 determines whether the acceptance of the shopping memo creation or deletion has ended (step S21). If the control device 50 determines that the acceptance has not ended, the control device 50 returns to step S11 and continues processing. Furthermore, if the control device 50 determines that it has not received an audio signal for a certain period of time, for example, it ends processing.

[0078] On the other hand, when control device 50 receives audio signals from refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 and refrigerator front microphone 23 in step S11, it determines whether refrigerator compartment door 101 is open based on the open / close signal from door open / close detector 28 (step S12). If control device 50 determines that refrigerator compartment door 101 is open, it further determines whether doors other than refrigerator compartment door 101 are closed (step S13). If control device 50 determines that doors other than refrigerator compartment door 101 are closed, it considers that the user has spoken the name of a food item to be stored in refrigerator compartment 100, and creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S15).

[0079] If the control device 50 determines that all doors other than the refrigerator compartment door 101 are open and not closed, it determines whether the volume of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is greater than the volume of the refrigerator front microphone 23 by a predetermined ratio (step S14). If it determines that the volume of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is greater than the predetermined ratio, it assumes that the user has spoken the name of the food to be stored in the refrigerator compartment 100, and the control device 50 creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S15).

[0080] If the control device 50 determines in step S14 that the volume of the refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone 16 is not greater than the predetermined ratio, it determines whether both the freezer compartment door 401 and the vegetable compartment door 501 are open (step S16). If the control device 50 determines that both the freezer compartment door 401 and the vegetable compartment door 501 are open, it determines whether the temperature rise in the freezer compartment 400 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount based on the temperature detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 402 (step S17). If the control device 50 determines that the temperature rise in the freezer compartment 400 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, it assumes that the user has spoken the name of the food to be stored in the freezer compartment 400, and creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S18). On the other hand, if the control device 50 determines that the temperature rise in the freezer compartment 400 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, it assumes that the user has spoken the name of the food to be stored in the vegetable compartment 500, and creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S20).

[0081] If the control device 50 determines in step S16 that neither the freezer compartment door 401 nor the vegetable compartment door 501 is open, it determines whether the freezer compartment door 401 is open (step S19). If the control device 50 determines that the freezer compartment door 401 is open, it assumes that the user has spoken the name of the food to be stored in the freezer compartment 400, and creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S18). On the other hand, if the control device 50 determines that the freezer compartment door 401 is not open, it assumes that the user has spoken the name of the food to be stored in the vegetable compartment 500, and creates or deletes a shopping memo (step S20).

[0082] If the control device 50 determines that it has not received a voice signal, it determines whether the acceptance of the shopping memo creation or deletion has ended (step S21). If the control device 50 determines that the acceptance has not ended, it returns to step S11 and continues processing. Furthermore, if the control device 50 determines that it has not received a voice signal for a certain period of time, it ends processing.

[0083] As a result, in the refrigerator 1 according to the second to fourth embodiments, when creating or deleting a shopping memo, the storage compartment in which food is to be stored can be determined based on the volume ratio and open / close signals of the two microphones. Therefore, the user can create a shopping memo that includes the storage compartment without being particularly concerned about the direction from which the user speaks.

[0084] Embodiment 5. In the refrigerator 1 of the above-described embodiments 1 to 4, the communication unit 130 transmits a signal containing memo data created by the control device 50 to the cloud server 1000 via the telecommunications line 3000. The terminal device 2000 then receives a signal containing data related to the shopping memo from the cloud server 1000 and displays the shopping memo including the names of items related to the purchases. However, this is not limited to this. The control device 50 may perform the processing, and the communication unit 130 of the refrigerator 1 may transmit a signal containing data related to the shopping memo directly to the terminal device 2000. The terminal device 2000 may then display the shopping memo on the display unit 2100 based on the signal sent from the refrigerator 1, without going through the cloud server 1000. In this case, the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 2000 may directly communicate with each other over short distances without going through the telecommunications line 3000.

[0085] In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the control device 50 included in the refrigerator 1 creates memo data based on audio signals, open / close signals, etc. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a control device included in the cloud server 1000 may function as the control device 50 and create shopping memo data based on audio signals, open / close signals, etc. sent from the communication unit 130 of the refrigerator 1 via the telecommunications line 3000.

[0086] In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the case where a shopping memo is created has been described, but the use of the memo is not limited to shopping.

[0087] REFRIGERATOR LIST 1 Refrigerator, 2 Refrigerator body, 3 Cooling compartment, 4 Cooler, 5 Blower fan, 6 Damper, 7 Compressor, 8 Condenser, 9 Capillary tube, 10 Storage space, 11 Ceiling surface recess, 12 Holder, 13 Lighting cover, 14 LED, 15 Refrigerator compartment board, 16 Refrigerator compartment ceiling microphone, 17 Partition member, 18 Partition recess, 19 Design cover, 19a Upper end, 19a1 Tip, 19b Lower end, 20 Outer box, 21 Inner box, 21a Inner box ceiling surface, 23 Refrigerator front microphone, 24 Partition board, 25 Heat dissipation pipe, 28, 29 Door opening / closing detection unit, 50 Control device, 51 Control processing unit, 52 Memory unit, 100 Refrigerator compartment, 101 Refrigerator compartment door, 101a Side portion, 102 Lower storage space, 103 Operation unit, 104 display unit, 105 start button, 106a registration operation button, 106b registration operation switch, 107a deletion operation button, 107b deletion operation switch, 110 food storage shelf, 111 outside compartment temperature sensor, 112 outside compartment humidity sensor, 120 operation panel, 130 communication unit, 200 ice maker, 201 ice maker door, 300 switching compartment, 301 switching compartment door, 400 freezer compartment, 401 freezer compartment door, 402 freezer compartment temperature sensor, 500 vegetable compartment, 501 vegetable compartment door, 502 vegetable compartment temperature sensor, 511 control processing unit, 1000 cloud server, 2000 terminal device, 2100 display unit, 3000 telecommunications line.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a plurality of storage compartments including a first storage compartment in a main body, a door provided on the front surface of the main body for opening and closing the first storage chamber; a first door open / close detection unit that detects whether the door of the first storage compartment is open or closed and sends an open / close signal; a first audio acquisition unit that is installed on a ceiling of the first storage room and that acquires audio and transmits an audio signal including data of the acquired audio; a second audio acquisition unit that is installed on a portion of a partition member that separates the first storage chamber from a storage chamber below the first storage chamber, the portion being the front surface of the main body, and that acquires the audio and sends the audio signal including data of the acquired audio; a control device that determines an item name from the voice acquired by the first voice acquisition unit and the second voice acquisition unit, and creates shopping memo data including the determined item name; Equipped with the control device has a memory unit that stores the height of the user, detects that the door is open based on the opening / closing signal, and determines that an item corresponding to the item name is stored in a lower storage space in the first storage room or in a storage room lower than the first storage room if a ratio of the volume of the voice acquired by the second voice acquisition unit to the volume of the voice acquired by the first voice acquisition unit is equal to or less than a threshold value set based on the height stored in the memory unit; If the ratio is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the item corresponding to the item name is stored in an upper storage space than the lower storage space in the first storage room, The refrigerator creates memo data by associating data on the name of the storage space or the storage room in which the item is determined to be stored with data on the name of the item.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first sound acquisition unit is installed adjacent to a light source for illumination in a space between the ceiling unit and the cover.

3. The partition member has a partition recess on a front surface, the second sound acquisition unit is disposed in the partition recess, a design cover that covers the partition recess and the front surface of the second sound acquisition unit; The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a heat radiation pipe arranged on the partition recess side of the decorative cover so as to be in contact with the decorative cover.

4. The refrigerator described in claim 3, wherein the decorative cover has folded portions at its upper and lower ends that are folded and protrude toward the rear side of the main body, and at least the protruding surface of the folded portion at the upper end side of the decorative cover protrudes toward the rear side of the main body further than the rear end of the substrate having the second sound acquisition unit.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the door has an operation unit provided with an operation button that accepts voices acquired by the first voice acquisition unit and the second voice acquisition unit.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door is rotatable about both ends or one end of the front surface of the first storage compartment, and has an operation switch on a side surface thereof for receiving audio signals acquired by the first audio acquisition unit and the second audio acquisition unit.

7. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein when the control device determines based on the open / close signal that the doors of the uppermost storage compartment and the storage compartments below the uppermost compartment are open when the control device receives the voice signals from the first voice acquisition unit and the second voice acquisition unit, the control device compares the volume of the voice in the voice signals from the first voice acquisition unit and the second voice acquisition unit, and when the control device determines that the volume of the voice from the second voice acquisition unit is lower than the volume of the voice from the first voice acquisition unit by a predetermined ratio, the control device determines that a food name related to the lower storage compartment has been spoken.

8. An outside temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the space outside the storage An outside humidity sensor that detects humidity in the space outside the storage a drawer door open / close detection unit that detects whether a drawer door is open or closed in a plurality of drawer door-equipped storage compartments among the storage compartments below the first storage compartment; a storage chamber temperature sensor for detecting a storage chamber temperature in the drawer-type storage chamber; The control device When the drawer door open / close detection unit detects that the plurality of drawer doors are open and the first voice acquisition unit and the second voice acquisition unit acquire voice, 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door opening amounts of the plurality of drawer doors are estimated based on the rise in the storage room temperature detected by the storage room temperature sensor, and when it is determined that the door opening amount of the drawer door in the top drawer storage room is equal to or greater than a preset door opening amount, it is determined that the item corresponding to the item name determined from the acquired voice is to be stored in the top drawer door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a communication unit that transmits a signal including the memo data created by the control device to an external device.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the external device is a cloud server.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the external device is a terminal device.

12. A main body having a plurality of storage chambers including a first storage chamber; a door provided on the front surface of the main body for opening and closing the first storage chamber; a first door open / close detection unit that detects whether the door of the first storage compartment is open or closed and sends an open / close signal; a first audio acquisition unit that is installed on a ceiling of the first storage room and that acquires audio and transmits an audio signal including data of the acquired audio; a second audio acquisition unit that is installed on a portion of a partition member that separates the first storage chamber from a storage chamber below the first storage chamber, the portion being the front surface of the main body, and that acquires the audio and sends the audio signal including data of the acquired audio; a communication unit that transmits the voice signal acquired by the first voice acquisition unit and the voice signal acquired by the second voice acquisition unit to an outside; a storage unit that stores a height of a user, and detects that the door is open based on the open / close signal and the audio signal sent from the refrigerator, and determines that an item corresponding to an item name is stored in a lower storage space in the first storage compartment or in a storage compartment lower than the first storage compartment when a ratio of a volume of the audio acquired by the second audio acquisition unit to a volume of the audio acquired by the first audio acquisition unit is equal to or less than a threshold value that is set based on the height stored in the storage unit, If the ratio is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the item corresponding to the item name is stored in an upper storage space than the lower storage space in the first storage room, a control device that creates memo data by associating data on the name of the storage space or the storage room in which the item is determined to be stored with data on the name of the item; a terminal device having a display unit that receives a signal including the memo data from the control device and displays the shopping memo; A refrigerator system that connects the above components via telecommunications lines.