Cooling time prediction system

Abstract

[The technical problem to be solved] A cooling time prediction system is provided that can predict the cooling time during a power outage in advance. Technical means to solve the problem The system includes: a refrigerator 10 equipped with a cooler 20 for cooling the interior; and a server control unit 41 that, in the event of a predicted power outage, calculates the predicted cooling time based on the refrigerator 10's set interior temperature or the actual measured interior temperature, and notifies the user. By calculating the predicted cooling time during a power outage and notifying the user through the server control unit 41, the cooling status of the refrigerator 10 during a power outage can be monitored, allowing for food management during such times.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a system for predicting cooling time. Prior Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses the following technology: when a power outage occurs and power is restored, the temperature of the storage room is detected by a temperature detection unit, and when the temperature of the storage room becomes higher than the predetermined reporting temperature, a power outage reporting unit is used to report the outage. Previous technical documents Patent documents

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-160422 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The problem the invention aims to solve This disclosure provides a cooling time prediction system that can predict the cooling time during a power outage in advance.

[0005] The means to solve the problem The cooling time prediction system disclosed herein is characterized by having: a refrigerator equipped with a cooler for cooling the interior; and a control unit that, in the event of a predicted power outage, calculates the predicted cooling time during the power outage based on the refrigerator's set interior temperature or the actual measured interior temperature, and notifies the user.

[0006] Invention Effects The cooling time prediction system disclosed herein calculates the predicted cooling time during a power outage through the control unit and notifies the user, thus enabling the system to monitor the cooling status of the refrigerator during a power outage and manage the food inside the refrigerator. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0007] Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the cold-keeping time prediction system. Figure 3 is a chart showing one example of the predicted cold-keeping time in a refrigerator. Figure 4 is a chart showing an example of generating a predicted cold-keeping time based on the measured temperature inside the cold storage compartment. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the touch panel of the terminal device in Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a timeline showing an example of how the cooling time is predicted using a database based on prior information in Implementation 1. Figure 7 is a timeline showing another example of how the cooling time is predicted using a database based on prior information in Implementation 1. Figure 8 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using a database in Implementation 1. Figure 9 is a time diagram showing an example of the prediction of the cold-keeping time of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1. Figure 10 is a time diagram showing an example of the terminal device in Embodiment 1 predicting the cooling time. Figure 11 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using measured values ​​in Embodiment 1. Figure 12 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using a database in Embodiment 2. Figure 13 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using measured values ​​in Embodiment 2. Figure 14 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using measured values ​​in Embodiment 2. Figure 15 is a time graph showing an example of how the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 predicts the cooling time using measured values. Figure 16 is a time graph showing an example of how the terminal device in Embodiment 2 predicts the cooling time using measured values. Implementation

[0008] Forms used to implement inventions (The knowledge and insights that form the basis of this revelation) At the time of this disclosure, the inventors realized that the following technology already existed: when a power outage occurs and power is restored, the temperature of the storage room is detected by a temperature detection unit, and when the temperature of the storage room becomes higher than the predetermined reporting temperature, a power outage reporting unit is used to report it.

[0009] In previous technologies, although notifications were issued when the temperature inside the refrigerator rose during the restoration of power after a power outage, users could manage the food and other items inside the refrigerator if they could know the cooling time inside the refrigerator before the power outage. However, the inventors discovered the problem of the difficulty in predicting the cooling time inside the refrigerator, and the subject of this disclosure was ultimately formed in order to solve this problem. Therefore, this disclosure provides a cooling time prediction system that can predict the cooling time during a power outage in advance.

[0010] The following description will illustrate the embodiments in detail with reference to the diagrams. However, sometimes unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or repetitive descriptions of substantially the same components may be omitted. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the patent application.

[0011] (Implementation Form 1) The following diagram illustrates implementation form 1. [1-1. Composition] Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator 10 in embodiment 1.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 10 has a box-shaped shell 11 with an open front. A refrigerator compartment 12 is formed above the shell 11, and a freezer compartment 13 is formed below the shell 11. A partition wall 14 is provided between the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. The refrigerator 10 has a side-opening door 15 at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, which is designed to open and close freely. The freezer compartment 13 has a drawer 16 for storing food.

[0013] A duct 17 connecting the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10 is provided at the rear. A plurality of refrigeration outlets 18 connected to the conduit 17 are formed at the rear of the refrigeration compartment 12. Furthermore, a plurality of freezing outlets 19 connected to the conduit 17 are formed at the rear of the freezing chamber 13. A cooler 20, functioning as an evaporator, is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear of the duct 17 and the freezer compartment 13. A cooling fan 21 is disposed above the cooler 20 in the duct 17. A damper 22 is provided at a position corresponding to the partition wall 14 in the duct 17. The damper 22 adjusts the amount of cold air, which has been cooled by the cooler 20 and driven by the cooling fan 21, sent to the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0014] A compressor 23 is located at the upper rear of the refrigerator compartment 12. The compressor 23, condenser (not shown), expansion mechanism, and cooler 20 are connected by refrigerant piping and form a refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, by discharging refrigerant from compressor 23, the refrigerant is cooled to a predetermined temperature and heat-exchanged with the air flowing in duct 17 to generate cold air. The system is configured to circulate the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13 by means of a cooling fan 21, thereby cooling the contents of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

[0015] [1-1-2. Composition of the Cooling Time Prediction System] Next, the cold preservation time prediction system 1 using the aforementioned refrigerator 10 will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the cold preservation time prediction system 1. As shown in Figure 2, the cooling time prediction system 1 is a system in which a machine connected to a global network GN controls the refrigerator 10 through the global network GN. The global network GN includes the Internet, telephone network, and other communication networks. The cold preservation time prediction system 1 includes a refrigerator 10, a refrigerator management server 40, and a terminal device 50.

[0016] First, the control configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be explained. The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator control unit 30, a refrigerator communication unit 31, a cooling unit 32, and a sensor unit 33. The refrigerator control unit 30 is composed of a processor that executes programs, such as a CPU or MPU, and has a refrigerator storage unit 34. The refrigerator control unit 30 reads the control program stored in the refrigerator storage unit 34 and executes the control of the refrigerator 10 through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0017] The refrigerator storage unit 34 has a storage area that stores programs executed by the refrigerator control unit 30 or data processed by the refrigerator control unit 30. The refrigerator storage section 34 stores the control program executed by the refrigerator control section 30, setting data related to the settings of the refrigerator 10, and other various data. The refrigerator storage section 34 has a non-volatile storage area. Alternatively, the refrigerator storage section 34 may also have a volatile storage area, forming the working area of ​​the refrigerator control section 30.

[0018] The refrigerator communication unit 31 is equipped with communication hardware according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with the machine connected to the overall network GN according to the predetermined communication standard under the control of the refrigerator control unit 30. The refrigerator communication unit 31 communicates with the refrigerator management server 40 according to the predetermined communication standard. The communication standard used by the refrigerator communication unit 31 can be a wireless communication standard (such as IEEE 802.11a / 11b / 11g / 11n / 11ac, Bluetooth (registered trademark)) or a wired communication standard.

[0019] The cooling unit 32, under the control of the refrigerator control unit 30, causes the compressor 23, cooling fan 21 and damper 22 and other mechanisms that cool each compartment of the refrigerator 10 to cool each compartment.

[0020] The sensor unit 33 is equipped with various sensors, and outputs the detection value of each sensor to the refrigerator control unit 30. The aforementioned various sensors are temperature sensors that detect the temperature inside the refrigerator 10, or opening and closing sensors that detect the opening and closing of the door 15 and drawer 16 installed in the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figure 1, the sensor unit 33 includes a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 35 and a freezer compartment temperature sensor 36 as temperature sensors. The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 35 is set at a predetermined position in the refrigerator compartment 12 to detect the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12. The freezer temperature sensor 36 is set at a predetermined position in the freezer 13 to detect the internal temperature of the freezer 13. An ambient temperature sensor 37 is positioned at a predetermined location outside the refrigerator 10 to detect the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 10.

[0021] The refrigerator control unit 30 controls the refrigerator using either the standard operating mode or the pre-cooling operating mode, where the internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 is lower than the standard operating mode. The refrigerator 10 can perform cooling operations in the "weak", "medium" and "strong" stages respectively for the refrigerator compartment 12 and / or the freezer compartment 13 under the standard operating mode. For example, when refrigerator compartment 12 is in standard operating mode, it is set to 5°C in "weak" mode, 4°C in "medium" mode, and 3°C in "strong" mode. When refrigerator compartment 12 is in pre-cooling operating mode, it is set to 3°C. For example, when freezer compartment 13 is in standard operating mode, it is set to -18°C in "weak" mode, -20°C in "medium" mode, and -22°C in "strong" mode. When freezer compartment 13 is in pre-cooling operating mode, it is set to -28°C.

[0022] Next, the configuration of the refrigerator management server 40 will be explained. The refrigerator management server 40 includes a server control unit 41 and a server communication unit 42.

[0023] The server control unit 41 is composed of a processor that executes programs, such as a CPU or MPU, and has a server storage unit 43. The server control unit 41 reads the control program stored in the server storage unit 43 and controls the various parts of the refrigerator management server 40 through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0024] The server storage unit 43 has a storage area that stores programs executed by the server control unit 41 or data processed by the server control unit 41. The server storage unit 43 stores control programs executed by the server control unit 41, setting data related to the settings of the refrigerator management server 40, the cold storage management database 44, and various other data. The server storage unit 43 has a non-volatile storage area. Alternatively, the server storage unit 43 may also have a volatile storage area, constituting the working area of ​​the server control unit 41.

[0025] The cold preservation management database 44 is a database that stores various information related to the operation and control of the refrigerator 10. The cold preservation management database 44 stores information such as the refrigerator ID and the predicted cold preservation time of the refrigerator 10.

[0026] The server communication unit 42 is equipped with communication hardware according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with machines connected to the overall network GN according to the predetermined communication standard under the control of the server control unit 41. In this embodiment, the server communication unit 42 communicates with the refrigerator 10, the terminal device 50, and the power outage prediction server.

[0027] The predicted cooling time information of the refrigerator 10 is stored in the cold storage management database 44 as described above. The predicted cold preservation time information is obtained in advance for each refrigerator 10, specifically for the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, through experiments, etc., based on the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 or the ambient temperature, and the internal storage capacity of the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13, and then digitized into a database.

[0028] Figure 3 is a chart showing one example of the predicted cold-keeping time in the refrigerator compartment 12. As shown in Figure 3, for example, when the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 is 5°C and the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 10 is 16°C, 25°C, and 32°C, the cold-keeping time for the storage capacity of the refrigerator compartment 12 is calculated respectively. In the example in Figure 3, for example, when the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 is 5°C, the ambient temperature is 25°C, and the storage capacity of the refrigerator compartment 12 is 50%, the cold-keeping time is found to be 8 hours. Similarly, based on the internal temperature of the freezer compartment 13, the ambient temperature, and the storage capacity of the freezer compartment 13, a database is created by pre-calculating the predicted cold-keeping time in the freezer compartment 13. In addition, the so-called cold preservation time refers to the time until the temperature reaches 10°C in the case of refrigerator compartment 12, and to the time until the temperature reaches -15°C in the case of freezer compartment 13. This setting takes into account the impact on the food inside the refrigerator, but the base temperature for the cooling time can be adjusted appropriately. For example, in the case of refrigerator compartment 12, the base temperature for the cooling time can be set lower or higher than 10°C. Similarly, in the case of freezer compartment 13, the base temperature for the cooling time can be set lower or higher than -15°C.

[0029] In this case, in this embodiment, in addition to pre-creating a database of information on predicted cold-keeping time, for example, the cold-keeping time can also be generated based on the measured values ​​of the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. Figure 4 is a chart showing an example of generating a predicted cold-keeping time based on the measured temperature inside the cold storage compartment 12. In this case, firstly, the refrigerator control unit 30 detects the temperature inside the refrigerator when the compressor 23 stops or when the compressor 23 is not driven, such as during defrosting, for example, by the sensor unit 33, and sends the detected value to the refrigerator management server 40 through the refrigerator communication unit 31. The refrigerator compartment temperature information and the freezer compartment temperature information are detected by the sensor unit 33 from the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13.

[0030] The server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the prediction of the temperature rise inside the refrigerator based on the changes in the detected temperature values ​​inside the refrigerator. For example, it predicts the subsequent temperature rise inside the refrigerator from the changes in the detected temperature values ​​inside the refrigerator every 5 minutes, thereby generating a temperature rise prediction curve as shown in Figure 4.

[0031] The server control unit 41 calculates the cooling time in the event of a power outage based on the predicted cooling time stored in the cooling management database 44 or the predicted temperature rise curve calculated by the server control unit 41. This cooling time is then sent to the terminal device 50, which will be described later.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 50 will be explained. The terminal device 50 includes a terminal control unit 51, a terminal communication unit 52, and a touch panel 53.

[0033] The terminal control unit 51 is composed of a processor that executes programs, such as a CPU or MPU, and has a terminal storage unit 54. The terminal control unit 51 reads the control program stored in the terminal storage unit 54 and controls the various parts of the terminal device 50 through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0034] A cooling support application can be pre-installed on the terminal device 50. The cooling support application 55 is read from the terminal storage unit 54 by the terminal control unit 51 and executed, thereby informing the user of the predicted cooling time through the terminal device 50.

[0035] The terminal storage unit 54 has a storage area that stores programs executed by the terminal control unit 51 or data processed by the terminal control unit 51. The terminal storage unit 54 stores control programs executed by the terminal control unit 51, setting data related to the settings of the terminal device 50, the cold-keeping support application 55, user IDs, and various other data. The terminal storage unit 54 has a non-volatile storage area. Alternatively, the terminal storage unit 54 may also have a volatile storage area, constituting the working area of ​​the terminal control unit 51.

[0036] The terminal communication unit 52 is equipped with communication hardware according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with the machine connected to the overall network GN according to the predetermined communication standard under the control of the terminal control unit 51. The terminal communication unit 52 communicates with the refrigerator management server 40 according to the predetermined communication standard through the functions of the refrigeration support application 55. The communication standard used by the terminal communication unit 52 is a wireless communication standard.

[0037] The touch panel 53 includes a display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel and a touch sensor that is overlapped with or integrated with the display panel. The display panel displays various images under the control of the terminal control unit 51. The touch sensor detects touch operations and outputs them to the terminal control unit 51. The terminal control unit 51 performs processing corresponding to the touch operation based on the input from the touch sensor.

[0038] For terminal device 50, push notifications will be sent from power outage prediction server 60, such as alarm information based on meteorological information like typhoons or power outage risk prediction information. Push notifications can also be sent to terminal device 50 on a predetermined date and time, such as the 1st of each month. When the terminal device 50 receives alarm information from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 executes the cold preservation support application 55 to request the predicted cold preservation time from the refrigerator management server 40. After the predicted cold preservation time is sent from the refrigerator management server 40 based on this request, the cold preservation time of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10 during the power outage will be displayed on the touch panel 53. Alternatively, it can be configured to predict the cooling time by having the user run the cooling support application 55 without push notifications.

[0039] [1-2. Actions, etc.] Next, the operation of the refrigerator 10 and the cold preservation time prediction system 1 in Embodiment 1 will be explained. First, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the operation of predicting the cooling time based on the database stored in the cooling management database 44 of the refrigerator management server 40 will be explained.

[0040] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of the touch panel of the display terminal device 50. Figure 6 is a time diagram showing an example of predicting the cooling time based on prior information obtained from a database. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 periodically measures the current internal temperature and ambient temperature, and sends the measurement results to the refrigerator management server 40. The refrigerator management server 40 stores the sent refrigerator temperature information and ambient temperature information in the server storage unit 43.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, when a push notification such as alarm information has been sent from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 displays a confirmation button for confirming the cooling time during a power outage on the touch panel 53.

[0042] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(a), when a push notification has been sent, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 starts the cold-keeping support application. When the cold-keeping support application starts, the current operating mode of the refrigerator 10 (in Figure 5, the operating mode is displayed as standard mode) and a confirmation button for predicting the cold-keeping time will be displayed on the touch panel of the terminal device 50. When the user presses the confirmation button, as shown in Figure 5(b), the terminal control unit 51 displays the selection icon for the storage capacity of the refrigerator 10 on the touch panel. Users select the storage capacity using the storage capacity selection icon and then click the "Next" icon. Similarly, users input the storage capacity for the freezer compartment (not shown).

[0043] When the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction is issued to send the storage quantity entered by the user in the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40 from the terminal device 50.

[0044] After the storage capacity in the refrigerator is sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 retrieves the corresponding predicted cooling time from the database stored in the cooling management database 44 based on the sent storage capacity information, the pre-stored internal temperature information and ambient temperature information, and sends the predicted cooling time to the terminal device 50.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5(c), the terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time sent from the refrigerator management server 40 on the touch panel 53. In addition, in the case of the cold storage compartment 12, the predicted cold storage time can not only show the time from the current time until it reaches 10°C, but also, for example, show the temperature inside the compartment after several hours.

[0046] In addition, in this case, for example, it can also be proposed to extend the predicted cold storage time when frozen PET bottles are placed in the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13. In this case, for example, it can also be used to display the predicted extension of the cold-keeping time corresponding to the capacity of the PET bottle by selecting the bottle's capacity.

[0047] Figure 7 is a time graph showing other examples of how the cooling time can be predicted using a database based on prior information. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is configured to automatically obtain the storage capacity within the compartment. Specifically, the refrigerator 10 periodically measures the current internal temperature and ambient temperature, automatically measures the storage capacity within the compartment, and sends the measurement results to the refrigerator management server 40. The storage capacity within the compartment is measured, for example, based on factors such as illumination, weight, and images within the compartment. The refrigerator management server 40 stores the sent refrigerator temperature information and ambient temperature information in the server storage unit 43.

[0048] Furthermore, via push notification, when the user presses the confirmation button, the confirmation operation information of the terminal device 50 is sent to the refrigerator management server 40. After the confirmation operation information is sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 retrieves the corresponding predicted cold preservation time from the database stored in the cold preservation management database 44 based on the pre-stored internal temperature information, ambient temperature information and storage capacity information, and sends the predicted cold preservation time to the terminal device 50. Terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time sent from refrigerator management server 40 on touch panel 53.

[0049] Figure 8 is a time graph showing an example of using a database to predict the cooling time. As shown in Figure 8, when a push notification such as alarm information has been sent from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 displays a confirmation button for confirming the cooling time during a power outage on the touch panel 53. When the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction is issued to measure the current internal temperature, ambient temperature, and storage capacity of the refrigerator 10 from the terminal device 50, and the measurement results are sent to the refrigerator management server 40.

[0050] After the measurement results are sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40, as described above, extracts the corresponding predicted cold preservation time from the database stored in the cold preservation management database 44, based on the internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and internal capacity information sent from the refrigerator 10, and sends the predicted cold preservation time to the terminal device 50.

[0051] Terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time sent from refrigerator management server 40 on touch panel 53.

[0052] Figure 9 is a time graph showing an example of the predicted time for the refrigerator 10 to keep cold. In this embodiment, the refrigerator storage section 34 stores a database containing information on predicted cooling time. As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, when a push notification such as alarm information has been sent from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 displays a confirmation button for confirming the cooling time during a power outage on the touch panel 53. When the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction is issued to the terminal device 50 to measure the current internal temperature, ambient temperature, and storage capacity of the refrigerator 10.

[0053] The refrigerator control unit 30, based on the measured internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and storage capacity information, extracts the corresponding predicted cooling time from the database stored in the refrigerator storage unit 34, and sends the predicted cooling time to the terminal device 50. Terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time sent from refrigerator 10 on touch panel 53.

[0054] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, the user can input the storage capacity of the refrigerator 10 through the terminal device 50 and send the storage capacity information to the refrigerator 10, thereby allowing the refrigerator control unit 30 to extract the predicted cooling time. In this example, the predicted cooling time can be calculated using the refrigerator 10 without using the refrigerator management server 40, and displayed on the terminal device 50. Therefore, even without a device connected to a general network GN such as Wi-Fi, the predicted cooling time can be obtained as long as there is a short-range communication device such as Bluetooth.

[0055] Figure 10 is a time graph showing an example of how the terminal device 50 predicts the cooling time. In this embodiment, the terminal storage unit 54 stores a database containing information on predicted cooling time in advance.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, in this embodiment, when a push notification such as alarm information has been sent from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 displays a confirmation button for confirming the cooling time during a power outage on the touch panel 53. When the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction is issued to the terminal device 50 to measure the current internal temperature, ambient temperature, and storage capacity of the refrigerator 10.

[0057] The refrigerator control unit 30 sends the measured internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and storage capacity information to the terminal device 50. Based on the internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and storage capacity information sent from the refrigerator 10, the terminal control unit 51 retrieves the corresponding predicted cooling time from the database stored in the terminal storage unit 54, and displays the predicted cooling time on the touch panel 53.

[0058] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, the user can input the storage capacity of the refrigerator 10 through the terminal device 50. In this way, the terminal control unit 51 can extract the predicted cold-keeping time based on the internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and the input storage capacity information sent from the refrigerator 10. In this example, the predicted cooling time can be calculated using the refrigerator 10 without using the refrigerator management server 40, and displayed on the terminal device 50. Therefore, even without a device connected to a general network GN such as Wi-Fi, the predicted cooling time can be obtained as long as there is a short-range communication device such as Bluetooth.

[0059] Next, the operation of predicting the cooling time based on the measured value by the refrigerator management server 40 will be explained. Figure 11 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using measured values. As shown in Figure 11, when a push notification such as alarm information has been sent from the power outage prediction server 60, the terminal control unit 51 of the terminal device 50 displays a confirmation button for confirming the cooling time during a power outage on the touch panel 53. When the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction is issued to send the predicted cooling time from the terminal device 50 to the refrigerator management server 40.

[0060] In the refrigerator management server 40, the detected value of the internal temperature when the compressor 23 is stopped is sent from the refrigerator 10 to the refrigerator management server 40 in advance. As described above, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the predicted temperature rise curve for the predicted cooling time based on the internal temperature sent from the refrigerator 10, calculates the cooling time when a power outage occurs at the current time, and sends the predicted cooling time to the terminal device 50.

[0061] Terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time sent from refrigerator management server 40 on touch panel 53. In this case, as mentioned above, it can be used to display the temperature inside the warehouse after several hours, or it can be used to display a proposal aimed at extending the predicted cold-keeping time.

[0062] Furthermore, although the procedure for predicting the cooling time based on measured values ​​has been explained, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the refrigerator management server 40 can also be configured not to obtain the internal temperature information of the refrigerator 10 in advance, but instead send the detected internal temperature value, which is pre-stored in the refrigerator storage section 34 when the compressor 23 is stopped, to the refrigerator management server 40 after the user presses the confirmation button. In this case, it is preferable to send the latest internal temperature value before the user presses the confirmation button, that is, the internal temperature value when the compressor 23 is stopped, to the refrigerator management server 40. At least two internal temperature values ​​need to be sent to the refrigerator management server 40. More than two internal temperature values ​​can also be sent to the refrigerator management server 40. Furthermore, the internal temperature values ​​can also be stored in the temperature sensor. Furthermore, similar to the case of using the aforementioned database to predict the cooling time, the prediction of the cooling time can be made not only by the refrigerator management server 40, but also by the refrigerator 10 or the terminal device 50.

[0063] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, there is: a refrigerator 10, which includes a cooler 20 for cooling the inside of the refrigerator; and a server control unit 41 (control unit) which, in the event of a predicted power outage, calculates the predicted cooling time during a power outage based on the set temperature inside the refrigerator 10 or the actual measured temperature inside the refrigerator, and notifies the user. Therefore, by using the server control unit 41 to calculate the predicted cooling time during a power outage and to notify the user, the cooling status of the refrigerator 10 during a power outage can be monitored, and food management can be carried out during a power outage.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) includes: a database, which pre-calculates the cooling time based on the set temperature inside the storage room and the ambient temperature, and the server control unit 41 calculates the predicted cooling time during a power outage based on the database. This allows for easy prediction of cooling time based on the database.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) obtains the measured internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 when the cooling is stopped, and the server control unit 41 calculates the predicted cold preservation time during a power outage based on the obtained internal temperature. This allows us to predict the cooling time during a power outage based on the measured temperature inside the storage room.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) obtains the ambient temperature of the refrigerator 10 and the storage capacity inside the refrigerator, and calculates the predicted cold preservation time during a power outage based on the temperature inside the refrigerator, the ambient temperature, and the storage capacity. This allows for the prediction of cooling time during power outages.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a terminal device 50 is included, which can communicate with the refrigerator 10 and the refrigerator management server 40. The terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time calculated by the server control unit 41 and informs the user. In this way, the terminal device 50 can notify the user of the predicted cooling time during a power outage.

[0068] (Implementation Form 2) Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. [2-1. Composition] In this embodiment, the configuration of the refrigerator 10 and the cold preservation time prediction system 1 is the same as that in embodiment 1. Therefore, the diagrams used in the description of embodiment 1 are used for explanation, and the same symbols are added for the same parts and their descriptions are omitted. In Embodiment 1, the cooling time before the power outage is predicted; in contrast, in this embodiment, the cooling time during the power outage is predicted.

[0069] Similar to Embodiment 1, a cold preservation management database 44 is set up on the refrigerator management server 40, and the predicted cold preservation time information of the refrigerator 10 that has been database-processed is stored in the cold preservation management database 44. In Embodiment 1, although the server control unit 41 is configured to calculate the predicted cold-keeping time based on the internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and internal capacity information of the refrigerator 10, it becomes difficult to obtain this information during a power outage. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, a battery equipped with a sensor unit 33 and a refrigerator communication unit 31 capable of driving only the refrigerator 10 is used to send the measured value of the refrigerator's internal temperature to the refrigerator management server 40 during a power outage. Then, the server control unit 41 will predict the cooling time from the cooling management database 44 based on the internal temperature information.

[0070] Similarly, as in Embodiment 1, the cold storage time can also be generated based on the measured values ​​of the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. In this case, firstly, the refrigerator control unit 30 detects the temperature inside the refrigerator when the compressor 23 stops or when the compressor 23 is not driven, such as during defrosting, for example, by the sensor unit 33, and sends the detected value to the refrigerator management server 40 through the refrigerator communication unit 31. The server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the prediction of temperature rise in the refrigerator based on the changes in the received temperature detection values.

[0071] In this situation, in this embodiment, since there is a power outage, the refrigerator 10 stops at the current time, and the internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 cannot be obtained. Therefore, when predicting the cooling time based on the measured temperature inside the refrigerator, it is sufficient to predict the cooling time based on the measured value obtained before the power outage. Alternatively, as mentioned above, it is also possible to use a battery to send the measured temperature inside the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40 during a power outage.

[0072] Furthermore, during a power outage, the refrigerator management server 40 is unable to determine whether the refrigerator 10 is experiencing a power outage. Therefore, for example, the refrigerator 10 can be communicated from the refrigerator management server 40 at predetermined intervals, and if there is a response, it is determined that there is no power outage. Similarly, when predicting the cooling time based on actual measurements, it can also be determined as a power outage if no actual measurement of the internal temperature is sent from the refrigerator 10 within a certain period of time. In addition, it can also be used to send the message that the device is in a power outage state to the refrigerator management server 40 by having the user operate the terminal device 50.

[0073] [2-2. Actions, etc.] Next, the operation of the refrigerator 10 and the cold preservation time prediction system 1 in embodiment 2 will be explained. First, referring to Figure 12, the operation of predicting the cooling time based on the database stored in the cooling management database 44 of the refrigerator management server 40 will be explained.

[0074] Figure 12 is a time graph showing an example of using a database to predict cooling time. As shown in Figure 12, the refrigerator 10 periodically measures the current internal temperature and ambient temperature, and automatically measures the amount of food stored inside the refrigerator, and sends the measurement results to the refrigerator management server 40. The refrigerator management server 40 stores the sent internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and storage capacity information in the server storage unit 43.

[0075] Furthermore, during a power outage, when the user presses the confirmation button on the terminal device 50, the confirmation operation information of the terminal device 50 is sent to the refrigerator management server 40.

[0076] Once the confirmation operation information is sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 extracts the corresponding predicted cold preservation time from the database stored in the cold preservation management database 44, based on the internal temperature information, ambient temperature information, and storage capacity information sent from the refrigerator 10.

[0077] In this situation, since there is a power outage, no new information on the internal temperature, ambient temperature, or storage capacity will be sent from the refrigerator 10. Therefore, the cooling time will be predicted based on the information on the internal temperature, ambient temperature, and storage capacity sent before the power outage. As mentioned above, for example, the refrigerator 10 can be communicated from the refrigerator management server 40 at predetermined intervals, and if there is no response, it is determined that there is a power outage. Therefore, the refrigerator management server 40 first stores the time of the power outage, and then subtracts the time from the time of the power outage to the time when the user presses the confirmation button from the predicted cooling time to calculate the remaining cooling time.

[0078] The terminal device 50 displays the remaining cooling time, which has been sent from the refrigerator management server 40, on the touch panel 53. Simultaneously, it displays the internal temperature of the refrigerator. In this case, similar to Embodiment 1, it can be used to display the temperature inside the warehouse after several hours, or it can be used to display a proposal aimed at extending the predicted cold-keeping time.

[0079] Next, the operation of predicting the cooling time based on the measured value by the refrigerator management server 40 will be explained. Figure 13 is a time graph showing the actions taken to predict the cooling time using measured values. In this embodiment, for example, it may be configured such that a battery is provided that can power only the sensor unit 33 and the refrigerator communication unit 31 of the refrigerator 10, and in the event of a power outage, the battery can be used to send the measured value of the temperature inside the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40. Alternatively, it may be configured such that a temperature sensor used during a power outage, unlike the refrigerator, can send the measured value of the temperature inside the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40. In this case, the temperature sensor used during a power outage is powered by a battery and has the same functions as the sensor unit 33 and the refrigerator communication unit 31 of the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figure 13, when the user presses the confirmation button on the terminal device 50, an instruction is issued to send the predicted cooling time to the refrigerator management server 40 from the terminal device 50.

[0080] In the refrigerator management server 40, based on the detected temperature value of the refrigerator during the power outage sent in advance, the temperature rise prediction curve for the predicted cold preservation time is calculated, and the predicted cold preservation time is obtained. Then, the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the remaining cooling time based on the predicted cooling time and sends it to the terminal device 50.

[0081] Terminal device 50 displays the remaining cooling time and / or the temperature inside the refrigerator that has been sent from refrigerator management server 40 on touch panel 53.

[0082] Next, the procedure for predicting the cooling time based on actual measured values ​​will be explained. Figure 14 is a time graph showing an example of predicting the cooling time using measured values. In this embodiment, for example, it is configured to include a refrigerator control unit 30, a sensor unit 33, and a refrigerator communication unit 31 that can drive the refrigerator 10, and in the event of a power outage, the battery can be used to send the measured value of the temperature inside the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40. Alternatively, it can be configured such that, unlike refrigerator 10, the temperature sensor used during a power outage can send the measured temperature inside the refrigerator to refrigerator management server 40. In this case, the temperature sensor used during a power outage has the same functions as the refrigerator control unit 30, sensor unit 33, and refrigerator communication unit 31 of refrigerator 10.

[0083] As shown in Figure 14, when the user presses the confirmation button on the terminal device 50, an instruction is issued to measure the current internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 from the terminal device 50 and send the internal temperature information, including the measurement result, to the refrigerator management server 40. This internal temperature information also includes the result of measuring the internal temperature during a power outage before the user pressed the confirmation button. At least two internal temperature measurements must be sent to the refrigerator management server 40. More than two internal temperature measurements may also be sent to the refrigerator management server 40. In this case, the refrigerator storage unit 34 stores the internal temperature during a power outage. Alternatively, the sensor unit 33 may also have the function of storing the internal temperature during a power outage without driving the refrigerator control unit 30.

[0084] After the temperature information inside the refrigerator is sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the predicted temperature rise curve based on the temperature information inside the refrigerator, calculates the predicted cooling time, calculates the remaining cooling time based on the predicted cooling time, and sends it to the terminal device 50. Alternatively, after the user presses the confirmation button, an instruction can be issued to measure the current internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 from the terminal device 50 and send the measurement result to the refrigerator management server 40. In this case, after the measurement result is sent to the refrigerator management server 40, the server control unit 41 of the refrigerator management server 40 calculates the predicted temperature rise curve for the predicted cooling time based on the pre-sent detection value of the internal temperature during a power outage, calculates the predicted cooling time, and calculates the remaining cooling time based on the predicted cooling time, and sends it to the terminal device 50. Terminal device 50 displays the remaining cooling time and / or the temperature inside the refrigerator that has been sent from refrigerator management server 40 on touch panel 53.

[0085] Next, the operation of the refrigerator 10 in predicting the cold-keeping time based on the measured value will be explained. Figure 15 is a time graph showing an example of how refrigerator 10 predicts the cooling time using measured values. In this embodiment, for example, it is configured to include a refrigerator control unit 30, a sensor unit 33, and a refrigerator communication unit 31 that can drive the refrigerator 10, and in the event of a power outage, the battery can be used to send the remaining cooling time and / or the measured value of the temperature inside the refrigerator to the terminal device 50. Alternatively, it can be configured such that, unlike refrigerator 10, the temperature sensor used during a power outage can send the remaining cooling time and / or the measured value of the internal temperature to terminal device 50. In this case, the temperature sensor used during a power outage is battery-powered and has the same functions as the refrigerator control unit 30, sensor unit 33, and refrigerator communication unit 31 of refrigerator 10.

[0086] As shown in Figure 15, when the user presses the confirmation button on the terminal device 50, an instruction is issued to measure the current internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 from the terminal device 50, and to calculate the predicted cold preservation time and / or the remaining cold preservation time based on the internal temperature information including the measurement results. The internal temperature information also includes the result of measuring the internal temperature during a power outage before the user presses the confirmation button. At least two internal temperature measurements are required. More than two internal temperature measurements may also be obtained. In this case, the refrigerator storage section 34 stores the internal temperature during a power outage. Alternatively, the sensor section 33 may also have the function of storing the internal temperature during a power outage without activating the refrigerator control section 30. The refrigerator control unit 30 calculates the predicted temperature rise curve based on the actual measured temperature inside the refrigerator, determines the predicted cooling time, calculates the remaining cooling time based on the predicted cooling time, and sends the result to the terminal device 50. Terminal device 50 displays the remaining cooling time and / or internal temperature sent from refrigerator 10 on touch panel 53.

[0087] In this example, the remaining cooling time can be calculated using the refrigerator 10 without using the refrigerator management server 40, and displayed on the terminal device 50. Therefore, even if devices connected to a general network (GN) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) cannot be used during a power outage, the remaining cooling time and / or the temperature inside the refrigerator can be obtained as long as a short-range communication device such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) is available.

[0088] Next, the operation of the terminal device 50 in predicting the cooling time based on the measured value will be explained. Figure 16 is a time graph showing an example of how the terminal device 50 predicts the cooling time using measured values. In this embodiment, for example, it is configured to include a sensor unit 33 and a refrigerator communication unit 31 that can drive the refrigerator 10, and in the event of a power outage, the battery can be used to send the measured value of the temperature inside the refrigerator to the terminal device 50. Alternatively, it can be configured such that, unlike refrigerator 10, the temperature sensor used during a power outage can send the measured temperature inside the refrigerator to terminal device 50. In this case, the temperature sensor used during a power outage has the same functions as the refrigerator control unit 30, sensor unit 33, and refrigerator communication unit 31 of refrigerator 10.

[0089] As shown in Figure 16, when the user presses the confirmation button on the terminal device 50, an instruction is issued to measure the current internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 from the terminal device 50 and send the internal temperature information containing the measurement result to the terminal device 50. The internal temperature information also includes the result of measuring the internal temperature during a power outage before the user presses the confirmation button. At least two internal temperature measurement results must be sent to the terminal device 50. More than two internal temperature measurement results may also be sent to the terminal device 50. In this case, the refrigerator storage section 34 stores the internal temperature during a power outage. Alternatively, the sensor section 33 may also have the function of storing the internal temperature during a power outage without driving the refrigerator control section 30. Based on the internal temperature information sent from the refrigerator 10, the terminal control unit 51 calculates the predicted temperature rise curve for the predicted cold-keeping time, determines the predicted cold-keeping time, and calculates the remaining cold-keeping time based on the predicted cold-keeping time. The terminal device 50 displays the calculated remaining cold-keeping time and / or the temperature inside the storage room on the touch panel 53.

[0090] [2-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, there is: a refrigerator 10, which includes a cooler 20 for cooling the inside of the refrigerator; and a server control unit 41 (control unit) that, in the event of a power outage, calculates a predicted cooling time based on the set temperature inside the refrigerator 10 or the actual measured temperature inside the refrigerator, and notifies the user. Therefore, by using the server control unit 41 to calculate the remaining cooling time during a power outage and to notify the user, the cooling status of the refrigerator 10 during a power outage can be monitored, and food management can be carried out during a power outage.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) includes: a database, which pre-calculates the cooling time based on the set temperature inside the storage room and the ambient temperature, and the server control unit 41 calculates the remaining cooling time during a power outage based on the database. This allows for easy prediction of cooling time based on the database.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) obtains the actual temperature inside the refrigerator 10 during a power outage, and the server control unit 41 calculates the remaining cooling time during the power outage based on the obtained temperature inside the refrigerator. This allows us to predict the cooling time during a power outage based on the measured temperature inside the storage room.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 41 (control unit) obtains the ambient temperature and the storage capacity of the refrigerator 10, and calculates the remaining cold-keeping time during a power outage based on the temperature inside the refrigerator, the ambient temperature, and the storage capacity. This allows for the prediction of the cooling time during power outages.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a refrigerator management server 40 is included, which can communicate with the refrigerator 10. The refrigerator includes a sensor unit for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator and a battery for powering the sensor unit during a power outage. The refrigerator sends the temperature inside the refrigerator to the refrigerator management server 40 during a power outage. This allows for the prediction of the cooling time during a power outage.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a terminal device 50 is included, which can communicate with the refrigerator 10 and the refrigerator management server 40. The terminal device 50 displays the predicted cooling time calculated by the server control unit 41 and informs the user. In this way, the terminal device 50 can notify the user of the predicted cooling time during a power outage.

[0096] Furthermore, embodiments 1 and 2 are described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology disclosed herein is not limited to these embodiments and can also be applied to embodiments that have undergone changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc.

[0097] Industrial availability As described above, the cold preservation time prediction system of the present invention can be used as a cold preservation time prediction system that can determine the cold preservation time during a power outage and can perform food management in the warehouse based on the cold preservation time.

[0098] 1: Cold Keeping Time Prediction System 10: Refrigerator 11: Shell 12: Refrigerator 13: Freezer 14: Partition wall 15: Door 16: Drawer 17: Catheter 18: Refrigeration nozzle 19: Freezing outlet 20: Cooler 21: Cooling fan 22: Air damper 23: Compressor 30: Refrigerator Control Unit 31: Refrigerator Communications Department 32: Cooling section 33: Sensor Section 34: Refrigerator Storage Section 35: Refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36: Freezer temperature sensor 37: Ambient temperature sensor 40: Refrigerator Management Server 41: Server Control Department 42: Server Communication Department 43: Server Storage Department 44: Cold Storage Management Database 50: Terminal device 51: Terminal Control Department 52: Terminal Communications Department 53: Touch panel 54: Terminal Storage Department 55: Cold Storage Support Application 60: Power Outage Prediction Server GN: Overall Network

Claims

1. A cold-keeping time prediction system, characterized by comprising: a refrigerator equipped with a cooler for cooling the interior; a control unit that, in the event of a predicted power outage, calculates the predicted cold-keeping time during a power outage based on the refrigerator's set interior temperature or the measured interior temperature, and notifies the user; a refrigerator management server capable of communicating with the refrigerator; and a terminal device capable of communicating with both the refrigerator and the refrigerator management server, wherein the control unit is a server control unit of the refrigerator management server, and the terminal device, based on the interior temperature, ambient temperature, and storage capacity of the refrigerator's refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment obtained by the control unit, displays the predicted cold-keeping time of the refrigerator compartment and the predicted cold-keeping time of the freezer compartment calculated by the server control unit on the same screen.

2. The cold preservation time prediction system of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned control unit includes: a database for pre-calculating the cold preservation time based on the aforementioned set temperature inside the cold storage, and the aforementioned control unit for calculating the predicted cold preservation time during a power outage based on the aforementioned database.

3. The cold preservation time prediction system of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned control unit obtains the measured internal temperature of the refrigerator when the cooling of the aforementioned refrigerator has stopped, and the aforementioned control unit calculates the predicted cold preservation time during a power outage based on the obtained internal temperature.

4. The cold preservation time prediction system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned control unit obtains the ambient temperature of the aforementioned refrigerator and calculates the predicted cold preservation time based on the internal temperature and the aforementioned ambient temperature.

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