Refrigerator and refrigerator control method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a refrigerator and a refrigerator control method. The refrigerator may comprise: at least one storage compartment; at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment; a door driving unit for controlling the opening or closing of the at least one door; a sensor unit including at least one camera sensor; a memory including at least one storage medium for storing instructions; and at least one processor including a processing circuit. The at least one processor can: identify the approach of a user by using the sensor unit; identify whether the approaching user is a pre-registered user; identify, on the basis of identifying that the user is the pre-registered user, a door opening gesture of the user by using the sensor unit; recognize the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture; determine a door opening speed and a door opening extent on the basis of the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture; and control the door driving unit such that the door to be opened from among the at least one door is opened to the door opening extent at the door opening speed.

Description

Refrigerator and refrigerator control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the refrigerator.

[0002] A refrigerator is a device for keeping food fresh by having a main body having a storage compartment and a cold air supply system that supplies cold air to the storage compartment. The storage compartment may include a refrigerator compartment that is maintained at approximately 0 to 5 degrees Celsius to refrigerate food, and a freezer compartment that is maintained at approximately 0 to minus 30 degrees Celsius to freeze food. The storage compartment is provided so that the front is open for the retrieval and retrieval of food.

[0003] A refrigerator can repeat a cooling cycle in which the refrigerant is compressed, condensed, expanded, and evaporated using a compressor, condenser, expander, and evaporator. In this case, both the freezer and refrigerator compartments can be cooled by a single evaporator installed on the freezer side, or cooling can be achieved independently by installing evaporators in the freezer and refrigerator compartments, respectively.

[0004] The refrigerator may include a door configured to open and close the storage compartment. The door is rotatably configured relative to the main body to open and close the storage compartment.

[0005] The refrigerator may include a door opening and closing structure configured to allow the door to be easily opened or closed.

[0006] The door may include a manual opening / closing type door configured to be opened and closed directly by a user, and an automatic opening / closing type door configured to be opened and closed automatically using a door opening / closing device according to user input. In the automatic opening / closing type door, the user may move the door by applying force directly at any time while the door is automatically opening or closing.

[0007] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator may be provided. The refrigerator may include at least one storage compartment; at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment; a door driving unit for controlling the opening and closing of the at least one door; a sensor unit including at least one camera sensor; a memory including at least one storage medium storing at least one instruction; and at least one processor capable of executing the at least one instruction. The at least one processor may control the operation method of the refrigerator by executing the at least one instruction.

[0009] According to one embodiment, at least one processor identifies a user approach using a sensor unit, identifies whether the approaching user is a pre-registered user, identifies a door opening gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on the identification that the user is a pre-registered user, recognizes the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture, determines a door opening speed and a door opening degree based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture, and controls a door driving unit to open the door among the at least one door at the door opening speed and to the door opening degree.

[0010] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a plurality of doors. According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine which of the at least one doors of the refrigerator to open based on the gesture characteristics of a door opening gesture.

[0011] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, at least one processor can: use a sensor unit to identify a user departure, and based on identifying the user departure, close all of the open doors.

[0012] According to one embodiment, user access may include at least one of access within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or access within the field of view of the sensor unit. According to one embodiment, user departure may include at least one of departure outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or departure outside the field of view of the sensor unit.

[0013] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, the at least one processor can: identify a door closing gesture of the user using a sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user, recognize a gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture, determine a door closing speed and a door to be closed among at least one open door based on the gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture, and control a door driving unit to close the door to be closed at the door closing speed.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit may include a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor located at different positions. According to one embodiment, the first camera sensor may be located at the center of the front of the refrigerator, and the second camera sensor may be located at the upper front of the refrigerator. According to one embodiment, the second camera sensor may be positioned so as to be obscured by at least one closed upper door.

[0015] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may activate a second camera sensor based on the condition that all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor.

[0016] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can activate a second camera sensor based on the condition that at least one upper door is open.

[0017] According to one embodiment, at least one processor acquires user face data using a sensor unit, said face data includes image data, and can identify whether said user is a previously registered user based on the face data of previously registered users and said user's face data.

[0018] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a first door, a second door, a third door, and a fourth door. According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right.

[0019] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can identify user access or user departure using a second camera sensor based on whether the first door and the second door are open, and identify user access or user departure using a first camera sensor based on whether at least one of the first door or the second door is closed.

[0020] According to one embodiment, a door opening gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture may include information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is on, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0021] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can determine which door to open based on information about which arm is performing the door opening gesture or at least one of the direction of rotation of the forearm, determine the door opening speed based on the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and determine the degree of door opening based on the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the door closing gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door closing gesture may include information on which side the arm performing the door closing gesture is, the direction of rotation of the forearm, and the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm.

[0023] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, at least one processor determines which of the open doors to close based on at least one of information regarding which arm performs the door closing gesture or the direction of rotation of the forearm, and can determine the door closing speed based on the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm.

[0024] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can store personalized information for each registered user in the memory and, based on identifying that the accessed user is a pre-registered user, perform at least one control operation related to the personalized information for the user.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a refrigerator may be provided. The method for controlling a refrigerator may include at least one operation. The at least one operation may include: an operation of identifying a user approach using a sensor unit of the refrigerator; an operation of identifying whether the approaching user is a pre-registered user; an operation of identifying a door opening gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; an operation of recognizing a gesture characteristic of the door opening gesture; an operation of determining a door opening speed and a door opening degree based on the gesture characteristic of the door opening gesture; and an operation of controlling a door drive unit to open one of the at least one doors of the refrigerator to the door opening speed and the door opening degree.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator further includes the operation of determining which of at least one door of the refrigerator to open based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture; and the at least one door of the refrigerator may include a plurality of doors.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator further comprises: an operation of identifying a user departure using the sensor unit; and an operation of closing all of the open doors among at least one door of the refrigerator based on identifying the user departure; wherein the user access includes at least one of approaching within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or approaching within the field of view of the sensor unit, and the user departure may include at least one of leaving outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or leaving outside the field of view of the sensor unit.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator may further include: identifying a door closing gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; recognizing a gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture; determining a door closing speed and a door to be closed among the open doors based on the gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture; and controlling the door driving unit to close the door to be closed at the door closing speed.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit of the refrigerator includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor having different positions, and the control method of the refrigerator may further include an operation of activating the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of a first condition in which all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor.

[0030] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator includes at least one upper door and at least one lower door, and the sensor unit of the refrigerator includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor at different positions, and the second camera sensor is positioned to be obscured by the at least one upper door that is closed, and the control method of the refrigerator may further include an operation of activating the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of a second condition in which the at least one upper door is open.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the operation of identifying whether an accessed user is a pre-registered user may include: acquiring face data of the user using a sensor unit of a refrigerator, wherein the face data includes image data; and identifying whether the user is a pre-registered user based on face data of pre-registered users and the face data of the user.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the operation of identifying user access or identifying user departure using the sensor unit may include the operation of identifying user access or user departure using the second camera sensor when the first door and the second door are open, and the operation of identifying user access or user departure using the first camera sensor when at least one of the first door or the second door is closed.

[0033] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator comprises a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right, and the door opening gesture comprises a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture include information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm, and the angle of rotation of the forearm, and the operation of determining the door to be opened among the at least one door of the refrigerator based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture includes the operation of determining the door to be opened among the first door, the second door, the third door, and the fourth door based on at least one of information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is or the direction of rotation of the forearm, and the operation of determining the door opening speed and the degree of door opening based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture includes: the operation of determining the door opening speed based on the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm; and may include an operation to determine the degree of door opening based on the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0034] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a refrigerator with a top table separated according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from above.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates a door driving unit disposed within the door and top table of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a pusher, a link, and gears arranged within the driving unit of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining the field of view of a camera sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the field of view of a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a refrigerator detecting the distance of an object according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating the operation of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure identifying a user using facial recognition.

[0046] FIG. 12 illustrates skeletal tracking of a user according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 13 illustrates a door opening / closing gesture according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIGS. 14 and FIGS. 15 are drawings for explaining the operation of determining which door to open or close of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments described herein, rather than being limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure is capable of various modifications by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure.

[0050] The purposes and effects of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned in the drawings and the following related description, and various modifications may be made within the technical scope of the present disclosure. The effects according to the embodiments of the present disclosure mentioned below are merely illustrative and are not limited thereto; depending on various modifications, different or additional effects may be realized.

[0051] In the present disclosure, the singular form of the noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0052] In the present disclosure, each of the phrases such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0053] In the following drawings and related descriptions, functions, configurations, technical terms, and technical details well known in the art to which this disclosure pertains may be omitted. This is intended to convey the essentials of this disclosure more clearly and concisely by minimizing unnecessary detailed descriptions.

[0054] In the drawings, each block of the flowcharts and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by at least one instruction. The instruction may be loaded into a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to generate means for performing the functions described in the drawings. The instruction may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the drawings by being executed on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment.

[0055] Meanwhile, various elements and areas in the drawings are depicted schematically, and the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited by the relative sizes, spacing, or arrangements depicted in the attached drawings. The refrigerator of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration and / or operation shown in the drawings and may include all other configurations capable of performing the same or similar functions.

[0056] In this disclosure, terms such as "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "side," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" are defined based on the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0057] The individual components depicted in the drawings are not required to be implemented in a physically separate form, but are shown separately to aid in the description and understanding of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form in which the individual components shown in the drawings are merged, modified, or have some components deleted and / or added. Each component may perform functions in conjunction with one another while existing in physically separated locations via a network or communication link.

[0058] Likewise, the operations depicted in the drawings are illustrative to aid in the description and understanding of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure may be modified by merging, changing the order of, or deleting and / or adding parts of the operations shown in the drawings. For example, two or more operations shown consecutively in the drawings may be performed simultaneously, in reverse order as necessary, repeatedly, or omitted depending on the actual situation.

[0059] A refrigerator according to one embodiment may include a main body.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the “body” may include an inner body, an outer body disposed on the outside of the inner body, and / or an insulating material provided between the inner body and the outer body.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the “inner body” may include at least one of a case, plate, panel, or liner forming a storage chamber. The inner body may be formed as a single body or may be formed by assembling a plurality of plates. The “outer body” may form the exterior of the main body and may be coupled to the outer side of the inner body so that an insulating material is disposed between the inner body and the outer body.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the “insulating material” can insulate the inside and outside of the storage room so that the temperature inside the storage room can be maintained at a set optimal temperature without being affected by the external environment of the storage room. According to one embodiment, the insulating material may include a foamed insulating material. The foamed insulating material can be formed by injecting and foaming urethane foam, which is a mixture of polyurethane and a foaming agent, between the inner and outer layers.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the insulation material may additionally include a vacuum insulation material in addition to a foam insulation material, or the insulation material may consist solely of a vacuum insulation material instead of a foam insulation material. The vacuum insulation material may include a core material and an outer shell material that accommodates the core material and seals the interior under vacuum or near-vacuum pressure. However, the insulation material is not limited to the foam insulation material or vacuum insulation material described above and may include various materials that can be used for insulation.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the “storage room” may include a space defined by an internal structure. The storage room may further include an internal structure defining a space corresponding to the storage room. Various items such as food, medicine, and cosmetics may be stored in the storage room, and the storage room may be formed so that at least one side is open to allow for the retrieval and retrieval of items.

[0065] According to one embodiment, a refrigerator may include one or more storage compartments. When two or more storage compartments are formed in the refrigerator, each storage compartment may have a different use and may be maintained at a different temperature. To this end, each storage compartment may be partitioned from one another by a partition containing an insulating material.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the storage room may be configured to be maintained within an appropriate temperature range depending on the use, and may include a "refrigeration room," a "freezing room," or a "variable temperature room" distinguished according to the use and / or temperature range. The refrigerator room may be maintained at a temperature suitable for refrigerating items, and the freezing room may be maintained at a temperature suitable for freezing items. "Refrigeration" may mean cooling items to a temperature that does not freeze, for example, the refrigerator room may be maintained within a range of 0 degrees Celsius to 7 degrees Celsius. "Freezing" may mean cooling items to freeze or maintain them in a frozen state, for example, the freezing room may be maintained within a range of -20 degrees Celsius to -1 degree Celsius. The variable temperature room may be used as either the refrigerator room or the freezing room, with or without the user's choice.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the storage room may be called by various names such as "vegetable room," "fresh room," "cooling room," and "ice-making room," in addition to names such as "refrigeration room," "freezer room," and "variable temperature room."

[0068] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include at least one door configured to open and close one side of the storage compartment. The door may be configured to open and close each of one or more storage compartments, or a single door may be configured to open and close multiple storage compartments. The door may be installed to be rotatable or sliding on the front of the main body.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the “door” may be configured to seal the storage room when the door is closed. The door may include an insulating material to insulate the storage room when the door is closed.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the door may include a door outer panel forming the front of the door, a door inner panel forming the rear of the door and facing the storage room, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulation material provided inside them.

[0071] According to one embodiment, a gasket may be provided on the edge of the door inner plate to seal the storage compartment by adhering to the front of the main body when the door is closed. The door inner plate may include a dyke protruding backward to allow a door basket capable of storing items to be mounted.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the door may include a door body and a front panel detachably coupled to the front side of the door body and forming the front of the door. The door body may include a door outer panel forming the front of the door body, a door inner panel forming the rear of the door body and facing the storage compartment, an upper cap, a lower cap, and a door insulation material provided inside them.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include a cold air supply device arranged to supply cold air to the storage compartment.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the “cold air supply device” may include a machine, apparatus, electronic device and / or a system combining the same that can generate cold air and guide cold air to cool a storage room.

[0075] According to one embodiment, a cold air supply device can generate cold air through a refrigeration cycle that includes the compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of a refrigerant. To this end, the cold air supply device may include a refrigeration cycle device having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator capable of driving the refrigeration cycle. According to one embodiment, the cold air supply device may include a semiconductor such as a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element can cool a storage chamber through heat generation and cooling action via the Peltier effect.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include a machine room arranged to accommodate at least some parts belonging to a cold air supply device.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the “machine room” may be configured to be partitioned and insulated from the storage room to prevent heat generated from components placed in the machine room from being transferred to the storage room. The interior of the machine room may be configured to communicate with the exterior of the main body to dissipate heat from components placed inside the machine room.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include a dispenser provided to provide water and / or ice. The dispenser may be provided on the door so that it is accessible to the user without opening the door.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include an ice-making device configured to generate ice. The ice-making device may include an ice-making tray that stores water, an ice-removing device that separates ice from the ice-making tray, and an ice bucket that stores the ice generated from the ice-making tray.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include a control unit for controlling the refrigerator.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the “control unit” may include a memory for storing or remembering a program and / or data for controlling a refrigerator, and a processor for outputting a control signal for controlling a component of the refrigerator, such as a cold air supply device, according to the program and / or data stored in the memory.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the memory can store or record various information, data, commands, programs, etc., necessary for the operation of the refrigerator. The memory can store temporary data generated while generating control signals for controlling components included in the refrigerator. The memory may include at least one of volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the processor includes a processing circuit and can control the overall operation of the refrigerator. The processor can control the components of the refrigerator by executing a program stored in memory. The processor may include a separate NPU that performs the operation of an artificial intelligence model. Additionally, the processor may include a central processing unit, a graphics-only processor (GPU), etc. The processor can generate a control signal to control the operation of the cold air supply unit. For example, the processor may receive temperature information of the storage compartment from a temperature sensor and generate a cooling control signal to control the operation of the cold air supply unit based on the temperature information of the storage compartment.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the processor can process user input of a user interface and control the operation of the user interface according to a program and / or data stored in memory. The user interface may be provided using an input interface and an output interface. The processor can receive user input from the user interface. Additionally, the processor can transmit display control signals and image data to the user interface to display an image on the user interface in response to the user input.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the processor and memory may be provided integrally or separately. The processor may include one or more processors. For example, the processor may include a main processor and at least one sub-processor. The memory may include one or more storage spaces.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator may include a processor and memory that control all components included in the refrigerator, and may include a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories that individually control the components of the refrigerator. For example, the refrigerator may include a processor and memory that control the operation of a cold air supply device according to the output of a temperature sensor. Additionally, the refrigerator may separately provide a processor and memory that control the operation of a user interface according to user input.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the communication module includes a communication circuit and can communicate with external devices, such as a server, mobile device, or other home appliance, through a nearby access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the refrigerator or user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The refrigerator or user device can be connected to the server through the wide area network (WAN).

[0088] According to one embodiment, the input interface may include, for example, a key, a touchscreen, and a microphone. The input interface may receive user input and transmit it to a processor.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the output interface may include, for example, a display or a speaker. The output interface may output information such as various notifications or messages generated by the processor.

[0090] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0091] Meanwhile, expressions such as "upward," "downward," "front," and "rear" used in the following description are defined based on the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms. For example, the terms "front" and "rear" below may refer to the front and rear of the refrigerator in the X-direction, respectively, based on the drawings. The terms "upward" and "downward" below may refer to the upward and downward directions of the refrigerator in the Z-direction, respectively, based on the drawings. The terms "left" and "right" below may refer to the left and right directions of the refrigerator in the Y-direction, respectively, based on the drawings.

[0092] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator (1) may include a main body (10), a storage room (20), a door (30), and / or a cold air supply device.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the storage room (20) may be partitioned inside the main body (10) and formed into multiple spaces. A door (30) may be positioned at the front of the main body (10) to open and close the storage room (20). A cold air supply device may be provided inside the main body (10) to supply cold air to the storage room (20).

[0095] According to one embodiment, the main body (10) may include an inner housing (11) and / or an outer housing (12). The inner housing (11) may be provided to form, for example, the exterior of the storage room (20). The inner housing (11) may be, for example, made of a plastic material and injection molded integrally. The outer housing (12) may be provided to form, for example, at least a part of the exterior of the refrigerator (1). The outer housing (12) may be made of, for example, a metal material with excellent durability and aesthetic appeal. A receiving space may be formed between the inner housing (11) and the outer housing (12). A main body insulation material (not shown) that insulates the storage room (20) may be provided in part of the receiving space.

[0096] According to one embodiment, a cold air supply device can generate cold air by using a cooling circulation cycle that compresses, condenses, expands, and evaporates a refrigerant.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the storage room (20) may be divided into multiple sections by partitions (14). The storage room (20) may be formed by the internal housing (11) of the main body (10) and the partitions (14). Inside the storage room (20), a plurality of shelves (24) or storage containers (25) may be provided to store food. The plurality of shelves (24) and storage containers (25) may be provided, for example, to be separable.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the storage room (20) may be divided into a plurality of storage rooms by partitions (14). For example, the storage room (20) may include one first storage room (21) located at the top (e.g., upper storage room) and two second storage rooms (22) (e.g., lower storage rooms) and a third storage room (23) (e.g., lower storage room) located at the bottom, as illustrated.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the partition (14) may include a first partition (141) and a second partition (142). The partition (14) may, for example, have a T-shaped cross-section. The first partition (141) may be provided horizontally, for example, to partition the first storage room (21) and the second and third storage rooms (22, 23). The second partition (142) may be provided vertically, for example, to partition the second storage room (22) and the third storage room (23). The second partition (142) may be formed to protrude downward from the first partition (141), for example. The illustrated second partition (142) is formed protruding from the center of the first partition (141), but is not limited thereto, and the size of the second storage room (22) and the third storage room (23) may vary depending on the position of the second partition (142).

[0100] According to one embodiment, among the illustrated storage rooms (20), the first storage room (21) may be used as a refrigerator room, and the second and third storage rooms (22, 23) may be used as freezer rooms, but are not limited thereto, and the location and number of each of the refrigerator room and freezer room may change according to the user's needs.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the number, size, or shape of the storage rooms (20) may vary depending on the shape or location of the partition wall (14). The storage rooms (20) may be insulated, for example, by the partition wall (14).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the storage room (20) may be divided into left and right sections by a single vertical partition. Here, the vertical partition may be formed such that one end contacts the upper part of the inner housing (11) and the other end contacts the lower part of the inner housing (11). Depending on the position of the vertical partition, the size of the storage room (20) divided into left and right sections may vary. For example, the vertical partition may be provided in the center so that the storage room (20) divided into left and right sections is provided in a mirror-symmetric manner. According to one embodiment, there may be multiple vertical partitions. If there are multiple vertical partitions, three or more storage rooms (20) may be provided in the left and right directions.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the storage room (20) may be divided only into upper and lower sections by a single horizontal partition. That is, the storage room (20) may be divided into two sections, an upper storage room and a lower storage room. Here, the horizontal partition may be formed such that one end contacts the left side of the inner housing (11) and the other end contacts the right side of the inner housing (11). Depending on the position of the horizontal partition, the size of the upper and lower sections of the storage room (20) may vary. According to one embodiment, there may be multiple horizontal partitions. If there are multiple horizontal partitions, three or more storage rooms (20) may be provided in the vertical direction. In addition to the above-described embodiment, multiple storage rooms (20) of various types may be configured depending on the shape and number of the partitions (14).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may include a first door (31) (e.g., upper door) or a second door (32) (e.g., lower door) as illustrated. The door (30) may be provided to open and close, for example, an opening (10a) of the main body (10). The first door (31) may be provided as a pair (e.g., double door) to open and close the first storage room (21), for example. The second door (32) may be provided as a pair (e.g., double door) to open and close the second storage room (22) or the third storage room (23), for example. In addition, the number and shape of the door (30) may vary in correspondence with the number and shape of the storage room (20), and the door (30) may be configured to rotate around the hinge (16) as well as to slide.

[0105] According to one embodiment, a rotating bar (316) may be provided on one of the pair of first doors (31). The rotating bar (316) may be positioned, for example, on the side opposite to the side forming the axis of rotation in one of the pair of first doors (31). The rotating bar (316) may be provided, for example, so that the axis of rotation is fixed to the side of one of the pair of first doors (31) and can rotate around the axis of rotation. The rotating bar (316) may be provided, for example, to be positioned in the center of the front of the main body (10) when one of the pair of first doors (31) is closed. The rotating bar (316) can seal the gap between the pair of first doors (31) when the pair of first doors (31) are closed. The main body (10) may be provided with a rotating bar guide (15) that guides the movement of the rotating bar (316) when one of the pair of first doors (31) is closed.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the door (30) (e.g., first door (31) or second door (32)) may include a door panel (30a) or a door body (30b). The door panel (30a) and the door body (30b) may be joined so as to be separable.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the door body (30b) may be fixed to the main body (10) at one side by a hinge (16), for example. The door body (30b) may be provided to be rotatable relative to the main body (10). The door panel (30a) may form part of the front exterior of the refrigerator (1), for example. The door panel (30a) may be an important aesthetic element, particularly when the refrigerator (1) is placed indoors. Accordingly, the user may customize the front exterior of the refrigerator (1) as desired by replacing the door panel (30a) with one having a different color or design. According to some embodiments, the door panel (30a) and the door body (30b) may be formed as a single unit.

[0108] For convenience of explanation, only one first door (31) and one second door (32) are described below, and the description of the remaining first door (31) and the remaining second door (32) is omitted. However, the first door (31) and the second door (32) for which the description is omitted may have the same or similar configuration as the first door (31) and the second door (32) described below. Additionally, the second door (32) may have the same configuration as the first door (31), and a detailed description may be omitted.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the first door (31) may include a first door shelf (313), a first shelf support (314), or a first gasket (315). The first door (31) may be rotatably coupled to the main body (10), for example, to open and close at least a portion of the first storage room (21).

[0110] According to one embodiment, the first door shelf (313) may be provided to store food, for example. On both the left and right sides of the first door shelf (313), a first shelf support (314) may be provided to support the first door shelf (313). The first shelf support (314) may be formed to extend vertically from the first door (31), for example. That is, the first shelf support (314) may be provided to protrude rearward from the back surface of the first door (31) and extend in the vertical direction. The first shelf support (314) may be provided detachably to the first door (31) as a separate component, for example, or may be formed integrally. The first shelf support (314) may be formed to protrude rearward from the rear surface of the door body (30b), for example.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the first gasket (315) may be provided to wrap around the back edge of the first door (31), for example. Specifically, the first gasket (315) may be provided to wrap around the edge of the door body (30b). The first gasket (315) may be provided to seal the gap with the main body (10) when the first door (31) is closed.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the second door (32) may include a second gasket (322). The second door (32) may be rotatably coupled to the main body (10), for example, to open and close the second storage room (22) or the third storage room (23).

[0113] According to one embodiment, the second gasket (322) may be provided to wrap around, for example, the back edge of the second door (32). The second gasket (322) may be provided to seal the gap with the main body (10) when the second door (32) is closed.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the second door (31) may further include a configuration that is wholly or partially identical to the first door shelf (313) and the first shelf support (314) of the first door (32).

[0115] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a top table (13) provided on the upper part of the main body (10). The top table (13) may be coupled to the upper part of the outer housing (12). For example, the top table (13) may be coupled to the upper surface of the outer housing (12). For example, the top table (13) may be fixed to the outer housing (12).

[0116] According to one embodiment, the top table (13) can cover the hinge bracket (40) of the upper door. In this case, the top table (13) may be referred to as a hinge bracket cover.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the top table (13) can cover various electrical components. A receiving space for accommodating various electrical components may be formed on the inside of the top table (13). For example, the top table (13) can cover a door drive unit (400) described later in FIG. 2, and the door drive unit (400) can be accommodated on the inside of the top table (13). In this case, the top table (13) may be referred to as a door drive unit cover.

[0118] Although the refrigerator (1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described as an example of the present disclosure on the premise that it is a cold-cooling refrigerator, the concept of the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can also be applied to a direct-cooling refrigerator.

[0119] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a refrigerator with the top table separated, viewed from above, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a main body (10), a door (30), and / or a door drive unit (400).

[0121] According to one embodiment, the configuration of the main body (10) and / or door (30) of the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 2 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the main body (10) and / or door (30) of the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1. The embodiment of FIG. 2 may be optionally combined with the embodiments of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 through FIG. 15.

[0122] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to automatically open the door (30). For example, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to automatically rotate the door (30) relative to the main body (10) so that the front of the main body (10) and / or the storage room (20) is opened.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to automatically close the door (30). For example, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to automatically rotate the door (30) relative to the main body (10) so that the front of the main body (10) and / or the storage room (e.g., the storage room (20) of FIG. 1) is closed.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may be mounted on the main body (10). The door drive unit (400) may open the door (30) by pressing the door (30) in an opening direction while mounted on the main body (10). The door drive unit (400) may be configured to press the door (30) based on conditions for opening the door (30).

[0125] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to automatically open the first storage room (21). For example, the door drive unit (400) may include a first door drive unit (400A) configured to open the first-1 door (30A) and a second door drive unit (400B) configured to open the first-2 door (30B).

[0126] According to one embodiment, the first door drive unit (400A) may be configured to open the first-1 door (30A). The first door drive unit (400A) may be configured to automatically open the first-1 door (30A) based on conditions for opening the first-1 door (30A). The first door drive unit (400A) may be configured to rotate the first-1 door (30A) relative to the main body (10) so that a part of the first storage room (21) is opened.

[0127] According to one embodiment, a second door drive unit (400B) may be provided to open the first-2 door (30B). The second door drive unit (400B) may be provided to automatically open the first-2 door (30B) based on conditions for opening the first-2 door (30B). The second door drive unit (400B) may be provided to rotate the first-2 door (30B) relative to the main body (10) so that another part of the first storage room (21) is opened.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the first door drive unit (400A) and the second door drive unit (400B) may be configured to open the first storage room (21) independently of each other.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may be mounted on the upper part of the main body (10). For example, the door drive unit (400) may be accommodated inside a top table (e.g., the top table (13) of FIG. 1). The upper part of the door drive unit (400) may be covered by the top table (13). The door drive unit (400) may be placed on the upper surface of the outer housing (12). Referring to FIG. 2, the first door drive unit (400A) may be placed to the left of the center on the upper part of the main body (10), and the second door drive unit (400B) may be placed to the right of the center on the upper part of the main body (10). For example, the first door drive unit (400A) and the second door drive unit (400B) may be placed side by side in the horizontal direction (Y).

[0130] According to one embodiment, a door driving unit (400) may be mounted on the upper part of the main body (10) and configured to press the upper part of the door (30). For example, a first door driving unit (400A) may be configured to press the upper part of the first-1 door (30A). Additionally, a second door driving unit (400B) may be configured to press the upper part of the first-2 door (30B).

[0131] The location and structure of the door drive unit (400) are not limited to the above disclosure and may be mounted at various locations on the main body (10), and may be configured to open the first storage room (21) by pressing various parts other than the upper part of the first-1 door (30A) or the first-2 door (30B).

[0132] For example, the door drive unit (400) may be mounted on a horizontal partition (e.g., the first partition (141) of FIG. 1) and configured to press the lower part of the first-1 door (30A) or the first-2 door (30B).

[0133] For example, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to open the second storage room (e.g., the second storage room (22) of FIG. 1). The door drive unit (400) may be configured to press the door based on conditions for opening the second storage room (22). The door drive unit (400) may be mounted on the lower part of the main body (10) or may be mounted on a horizontal partition (e.g., the first partition wall (141) of FIG. 1).

[0134] For example, the door drive unit (400) may be configured to open the third storage room (e.g., the third storage room (23) of FIG. 1). The door drive unit (400) may be configured to press the door based on conditions for opening the third storage room (23). The door drive unit (400) may be mounted on the lower part of the main body (10) or may be mounted on a horizontal partition (e.g., the first partition wall (141) of FIG. 1).

[0135] For convenience of explanation, the following description is based on an example in which the door drive unit (400) is mounted on the upper part of the main body (10) and configured to open the first storage room (21) by pressing the first-1 door (30A) or the first-2 door (30B).

[0136] In the following, for convenience of explanation, the first door drive unit (400A) among the first door drive unit (400A) and the second door drive unit (400B) will be described as an example, and for convenience, the first door drive unit (400A) may be referred to as the 'door drive unit (400)'. The features of the door drive unit (400) described below may also be applied to the second door drive unit (400B) accordingly.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a guide (200). The guide (200) may be provided to guide the rotation of the door (30) when the door (30) is opened or closed. According to one embodiment, the guide (200) may be provided to induce the door (30) to rotate in a specific direction depending on the position of the door (30). According to one embodiment, the guide (200) may be provided to assist the door (30) in opening or closing depending on the position of the door (30).

[0138] According to one embodiment, the guide (200) may be provided such that when the door (30) is opened or closed, force is applied to the door (30) in a direction in which the door (30) is opened or closed, depending on the position of the door (30) (or the position of a part connected to the door (30) (e.g., lever device (100)). Hereinafter, the position of the door (30) may include the position of a part connected to the door (30) and moving together (e.g., lever device (100)).

[0139] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may receive force in the direction of opening or in the direction of closing by the guide (200) depending on the relative position of the door (30) to the guide (200). For example, when the door (30) is opened, based on the door (30) being positioned at a specific position relative to the guide (200), the guide (200) may guide the rotation of the door (30) so that the door (30) rotates in the direction of opening. For example, when the door (30) is closed, based on the door (30) being positioned at a specific position relative to the guide (200), the guide (200) may guide the rotation of the door (30) so that the door (30) rotates in the direction of closing.

[0140] According to one embodiment, if the direction of rotation when the door (30) is opened is the first direction and the direction of rotation when the door (30) is closed is the second direction, then when the door (30) rotates in the first direction or the second direction, depending on the position of the door (30) relative to the guide (200), the guide (200) can transmit a force to rotate in the first direction to the door (30) to guide the door (30) to rotate in the first direction, or transmit a force to rotate in the second direction to guide the door (30) to rotate in the second direction.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the guide (200) may be fixed to the main body (10). For example, the guide (200) may be coupled to the hinge bracket (40). The guide (200) may be coupled to the hinge bracket (40) of the upper door. For example, the guide (200) may be formed integrally with the hinge bracket (40) of the upper door.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a lever device (100). The lever device (100) may be mounted on the door (30). For example, the lever device (100) may be mounted on the upper part of the door (30).

[0143] According to one embodiment, the lever device (100) may include a lever configured to contact the guide (200) when the door (30) is opened or closed. The lever device (100) may receive force from the guide (200) when the lever (130) contacts the guide (200). When the lever (130) contacts the guide (200), the force applied from the guide (200) may vary depending on the relative position of the lever (130) with respect to the guide (200). Here, the phrase "the force applied from the guide (200) to the lever device (100) varies" can be understood to mean that the magnitude or direction of the force received by the lever device (100) from the guide (200) may change depending on the relative position of the lever (130) in contact with the guide (200).

[0144] According to one embodiment, the lever device (100) may transmit force to the door (30) in a direction in which the door (30) is opened or in a direction in which the door (30) is closed, depending on the relative position of the lever (130) to the guide (200) when the lever (130) contacts the guide (200). For example, when the door (30) is opened, the lever device (100) may transmit force to the door (30) in a direction in which the door (30) is opened, depending on the position of the lever connected to the door (30). For example, when the door (30) is closed, the lever device (100) may transmit force to the door (30) in a direction in which the door (30) is closed, depending on the position of the lever connected to the door (30).

[0145] According to one embodiment, if the direction of rotation when the door (30) is opened is the first direction and the direction of rotation when the door (30) is closed is the second direction, the lever device (100) can transmit a force to rotate in the first direction or a force to rotate in the second direction to the door (30) depending on the position of the lever connected to the door (30) when the door (30) rotates in the first direction or the second direction.

[0146] For convenience of explanation, the following description is based on an example in which the guide (200) is coupled to the hinge bracket (40) of the upper door and the lever device (100) is mounted on the upper part of the first-1 door (30A) or the upper part of the first-2 door (30B) to guide the rotation of the first-1 door (30A) or the first-2 door (30B). However, the design can be modified in various ways, such as the guide being coupled to the lower door hinge bracket and the lever device being mounted on the upper part of the lower door to guide the rotation of the lower door.

[0147] According to one embodiment, the door (30) can be opened by rotating in a first direction and closed by rotating in a second direction opposite to the first direction. That is, the door (30) can be arranged to rotate in a first direction from a closed position toward an open position and can be closed by rotating in a second direction from an open position toward a closed position.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the opening angle of the door (30) may be defined as the angle to which the door (30) is rotated from the closed position. For example, the opening angle of the door (30) may be defined as the angle to which the door (30) is rotated in a first direction from the closed position. As the opening angle of the door (30) increases, the degree to which the door (30) opens the storage room (20) may increase. The opening position of the door (30) may be defined as the position of the door (30) when the opening angle of the door (30) is at its maximum.

[0149] According to one embodiment, the door (30) may be rotatably provided around a rotation axis extending in one direction. For example, as illustrated, the door (30) may be rotatably provided around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction (Z).

[0150] According to one embodiment, the rotation axis of the door (30) may be determined differently depending on the connection relationship between the door (30) and the main body (10). The rotation axis of the door (30) may pass through the door (30) and the hinge bracket (40). Thus, the door (30) may be rotatably provided with respect to the hinge bracket (40) around the rotation axis.

[0151] According to one embodiment, the hinge bracket (40) is fixed to the main body (10), and based on the fact that the part connecting the door (30) and the hinge bracket (40) is fixed to the main body (10), the axis of rotation of the door (30) can be defined as a virtual straight line fixed to the main body (10). For example, the door (30) can be arranged to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position around the axis of rotation at a position fixed to the main body (10).

[0152] According to one embodiment, when the door (30) opens or closes the storage room (20), the hinge bracket (40) moves relative to the main body (10) or the part connecting the door (30) and the hinge bracket (40) moves relative to the main body (10) (for example, a multi-joint hinge type in which the hinge brackets are rotatably connected to each other), and the rotation axis of the door (30) may not be fixed relative to the main body (10). Even in this case, the opening angle of the door (30) may be defined as the angle in which the door (30) is rotated in a first direction from the closed position, and as the door (30) rotates from the closed position to the open position, the opening angle of the door (30) increases.

[0153] The aforementioned door drive unit (400) may be configured to rotate the door (30) from a closed position toward an open position. The door drive unit (400) may press the door (30) to rotate the door (30) toward an open position.

[0154] The aforementioned guide (200) may be provided to guide the rotation of the door (30) when the door (30) is opened or closed. The guide (200) may apply force to the door (30) while the door (30) is being opened or closed. When the door (30) is opened, the magnitude or direction of the force applied to the door (30) by the guide (200) may vary depending on the opening angle of the door (30). Additionally, when the door (30) is closed, the magnitude or direction of the force applied to the door (30) by the guide (200) may vary depending on the opening angle of the door (30).

[0155] The aforementioned lever device (100) is mounted on the door (30) and can move together with the door (30) when the door (30) is opened or closed. The lever device (100) can transmit force to the door (30) by contacting the guide (200) when the door (30) is opened or closed. The relative position of the lever device (100) with respect to the guide (200) may vary depending on the opening angle of the door (30), and the point where the lever (130) of the lever device (100) contacts the guide (200) may vary depending on the opening angle of the door (30). Depending on which point on the guide (200) the lever (130) of the lever device (100) contacts, the magnitude and direction of the force applied to the door (30) may vary.

[0156] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a door driving unit (150), a sensor unit (160), a cooling unit (170), a communication unit (180), a control unit (190), and / or a display (200).

[0158] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (150) can control the opening or closing of at least one door. The door drive unit (150) may include at least one of a motor drive unit (151), a motor (152), a pusher (153), a link (154), or a gear (155). For example, the door drive unit (150) can precisely control the movement of at least one door (30) (e.g., control of opening speed, opening angle) depending on whether or not the at least one door (30) is opened or the degree of opening.

[0159] According to one embodiment, the motor drive unit (151) can control the motor. For example, the motor drive unit (151) can activate or deactivate the motor (152). For example, the motor drive unit (151) can control the operating state of the motor (152) by supplying or cutting off power to the motor (152).

[0160] According to one embodiment, the motor (152) can open at least one door by moving (e.g., rotational movement). For example, the motor (152) can open at least one door by being activated based on the control of the motor drive unit. For example, the motor (152) can close at least one door by being deactivated based on the control of the motor drive unit.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the pusher (153) can push the door (30) to open the door (30) with respect to the main body (10) or storage room (20). For example, the pusher (153) can receive power transmitted from the motor (152) through the gear (155) and slide forward with respect to the main body (10) or storage room (20).

[0162] According to one embodiment, the link (154) can push the door (30) to open the door (30) with respect to the main body (10) or storage room (20). One side of the link (154) may be connected to the main body (10), and the other side may be rotatably connected to the door (30). For example, the link (154) may open the door (30) by receiving power transmitted from the motor (152) through the gear (155) and moving forward with respect to the main body (10) or storage room (20).

[0163] According to one embodiment, the gear (155) can transmit power provided from the motor (152) to the pusher (153) and / or link (154). For example, the gear (155) may include a pinion gear for transmitting power to the pusher (153) as a plurality of power transmission members. For example, the gear (155) may include a link gear for transmitting power to the link (154) as a plurality of power transmission members.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit (160) may include a temperature sensor (161), a proximity sensor (162), a camera sensor (163), a door sensor (164) and / or an angle sensor (165).

[0165] According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor (161) can detect the temperature around the refrigerator (1) or inside the refrigerator (1). For example, the temperature sensor (161) may include a plurality of temperature sensors that detect the temperature inside the storage room (20). For example, the temperature sensor (161) may include a plurality of temperature sensors that detect the external temperature around the refrigerator (1). For example, the plurality of temperature sensors may be installed in each of the plurality of storage rooms (20) to detect the temperature of each of the plurality of storage rooms (20) and output an electrical signal corresponding to the detected temperature to the control unit (190). Each of the plurality of temperature sensors may include a thermistor whose electrical resistance changes according to the temperature.

[0166] According to one embodiment, the proximity sensor (162) may be a sensor that detects whether the distance to a person or object is within a predetermined distance by detecting a change in distance from a person or object. For example, the proximity sensor (162) may identify the approach of a user and detect the distance between the user and the refrigerator (1). For example, the proximity sensor (162) may include at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a capacitive sensor, and an inductive sensor.

[0167] According to one embodiment, the camera sensor (163) may be a sensor that converts light collected in a sensing area into an electrical signal to generate a digital image. For example, the camera sensor (163) may capture an object around the refrigerator (1) or inside the refrigerator (1) and generate a digital image. For example, the camera sensor (163) may include at least one of a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) sensor, a ToF (time-of-flight) sensor, a CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor, an IR camera, or an RGB camera.

[0168] According to one embodiment, the camera sensor (163) may include a plurality of camera sensors. The plurality of camera sensors may be located at different locations on the main body of the refrigerator (1) (e.g., the upper and lower parts of the refrigerator (1), or the space between the first door (31) and the second door (32)). By being located at different locations, the plurality of camera sensors may have different fields of view (FOV).

[0169] According to one embodiment, a camera sensor (163) may be used to detect user gestures. For example, a refrigerator (1) may use the camera sensor (163) to recognize that a user performs a predetermined gesture and perform a corresponding control action (e.g., door opening / closing action).

[0170] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit (160) may include a distance sensing sensor (not shown). The distance sensing sensor may detect the distance between the door (30) and an external object (e.g., a user) and transmit a value determined according to a specified distance to the processor (191). According to one embodiment, the distance sensing sensor may include a proximity sensor (162).

[0171] According to one embodiment, the distance sensing sensor and / or proximity sensor (162) may be implemented using a camera sensor (163). For example, the function of the aforementioned proximity sensor (162) may be performed using the camera sensor (163), such as when the camera sensor (163) is a depth camera (e.g., a ToF camera).

[0172] According to one embodiment, the door sensor (164) can identify whether the door is open or closed and transmit information regarding whether the door is open or closed to the processor (191). For example, the door sensor (164) may be configured to detect the magnetic field of a magnet mounted adjacent to the door drive unit (150). The door sensor (164) may detect changes in the magnetic field caused by the magnet as the door (30) moves. For example, the door sensor (164) may include a Hall sensor that detects the magnetic field. However, the type of door sensor (164) is not limited thereto and may include various types of sensors capable of detecting the angle of the door (30) relative to the main body (10).

[0173] According to one embodiment, the angle sensor (165) can detect the angle between the refrigerator body (10) and the door (30) and transmit the detected angle value to the processor (191). The angle sensor (165) can detect the position of the door (30) in various ways. For example, the angle sensor (165) can measure the rotation angle of the door using a gyroscope or accelerometer, or detect changes in the magnetic field according to the angle using magnets and / or magnetic sensors attached to the body (10) and the door (30). According to one embodiment, the angle sensor (165) and the door sensor (164) may be implemented as a single combined configuration.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the cooling unit (170) can supply cooled air to the storage room. For example, the cooling unit (170) can maintain the temperature of the storage room within a specified temperature range by utilizing the circulation of a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit.

[0175] According to one embodiment, the cooling unit (170) may include a compressor (171) that compresses a refrigerant in a gaseous state, a condenser (172) that converts the compressed gaseous refrigerant into a liquid state, an expander (173) that reduces the pressure of the liquid refrigerant, and an evaporator (174) that converts the reduced pressure liquid refrigerant into a gaseous state. The cooling unit (170) can cool the air in the storage room by utilizing the phenomenon in which the liquid refrigerant absorbs thermal energy from the surrounding air while converting into a gaseous state.

[0176] According to one embodiment, the cooling unit (170) may not necessarily use a refrigerant. For example, the cooling unit (170) may include a Peltier element utilizing the Peltier effect or a magnetic cooling material utilizing the magneto-caloric effect.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (180) includes a communication circuit and can exchange data with external devices such as a server device, a user device, a display (200) and / or a cooking device.

[0178] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (180) may include a wired communication module (182) that exchanges data with external devices via a wire and / or a wireless communication module (181) that exchanges data with external devices wirelessly.

[0179] According to one embodiment, the wired communication module (182) can connect to a wired communication network and communicate with external devices through the wired communication network. For example, the wired communication module (182) can connect to a wired communication network via Ethernet (Ethernet, IEEE 802.3 technical standard) and receive data from external devices through the wired communication network.

[0180] According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (181) can communicate wirelessly with a base station or an access point (AP) and can connect to a wired communication network through the base station or access point. The wireless communication module (181) can also communicate with external devices connected to the wired communication network via the base station or access point. For example, the wireless communication module (181) can communicate wirelessly with the access point (AP) using Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 technical standard) or communicate with the base station using wireless communication technologies such as CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LET (Long Term Evolution), or WiBro. The wireless communication module (181) can also receive data from external devices via the base station or access point. Additionally, the wireless communication module (181) can communicate directly with external devices. For example, the wireless communication module (181) can receive data wirelessly from external devices using wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15.1 technical standard), and ZigBee (ZigBee, IEEE 802.15.4 technical standard).

[0181] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (180) can transmit and receive data with external devices, and in particular, receive video data including video and / or audio from external devices and output the received data to the control unit (190).

[0182] According to one embodiment, the control unit (190) processes user input and / or door opening / closing detection data and / or communication data, and can control the components included in the refrigerator (1) based on the data processing.

[0183] According to one embodiment, the control unit (190) may include a memory (192) for storing programs and / or data, and a processor (191) for processing user input, door opening / closing detection data and / or communication data according to the programs and / or data stored in the memory (192) and controlling the operation of the refrigerator (1).

[0184] According to one embodiment, the memory (192) may store / remember programs and / or data. A program may include a plurality of instructions combined to perform a specific function, and data may be processed and / or manipulated by a plurality of instructions included in the program. Additionally, the programs and / or data may include system programs and / or system data directly related to the operation of the refrigerator (1), and application programs and / or application data that provide convenience to the user.

[0185] According to one embodiment, the memory (192) may include a non-volatile memory that stores a program and / or data for controlling components included in the refrigerator (1), and a volatile memory that stores temporary data generated while controlling components included in the refrigerator (1).

[0186] According to one embodiment, the non-volatile memory may store, for example, programs and / or data electrically, magnetically, or optically. The non-volatile memory may include, for example, ROM (read-only memory) or flash memory for storing data for a long period. Additionally, the non-volatile memory may include storage devices such as a solid disk drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or an optical disk drive (ODD).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the volatile memory may load programs and / or data from, for example, non-volatile memory and electrically store programs and / or data. The volatile memory may include, for example, storage devices such as static random access memory (S-RAM) and dynamic random access memory (D-RAM) for temporarily storing data.

[0188] This memory (192) can store / remember programs and data such as an operating system (OS), middleware, and applications, and can provide programs and data to the processor (191) in response to a request from the processor (191).

[0189] According to one embodiment, the processor (191) can process user input of the display (200), detection data of the sensor unit (160), driving data of the door driving unit (150), and / or communication data of the communication unit (180) according to a program and / or data stored in the memory (192). Based on the data processing, the processor (191) can generate a control signal to control the sensor operation of the sensor unit (160), the door driving operation of the door driving unit (150), and / or the operation of the communication unit (180).

[0190] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a door driving unit disposed within the door and top table of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0191] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a pusher, a link, and gears arranged within the door drive unit of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0192] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may include a main body (10), a door (30), and / or a door driving unit (400). FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings showing parts of the main body (10) and the door (30) as viewed from above of the refrigerator (1).

[0193] According to one embodiment, the configuration of the main body (10), door (30), and door driving unit (400) of the refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 4 and 5 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the main body (10), door (30), and door driving unit (150) of the refrigerator (1) of FIGS. 1 to 3. The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 may be optionally combined with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 4 to 15.

[0194] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can open or close the main body (10) or storage room (21) by means of a door (30). According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) of the refrigerator (1) may be provided to rotate the door (30) from a closed position toward an open position. For example, the door drive unit (400) may press the door (30) in the closed position to rotate the door (30) toward an open position. According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) of the refrigerator (1) may be provided to rotate the door (30) from an open position toward a closed position. For example, the door drive unit (400) may pull the door (30) in the open position to rotate the door (30) toward a closed position.

[0195] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can automatically rotate the door (30) from a 'closed position to an open position' or from an 'open position to a closed position' relative to the main body (10) using a door driving unit (400).

[0196] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can automatically open or close the door (30) by a specific extent (including angle) at a specific speed (including angular speed) using a door driving unit (400). For example, the refrigerator (1) can open the door (30) by a first angle at a first angular speed and by a second angle at a second angular speed.

[0197] According to one embodiment, the door drive unit (400) may include at least one case (410), a power source (e.g., a motor (420)), a pusher (430), a link (440), and a power transmission member (e.g., a gear (450)).

[0198] According to one embodiment, the case (410) may accommodate at least a portion of the pusher (430), at least a portion of the link (440), a plurality of gears (450), and a motor (420). The case (410) may be mounted within a top table (e.g., the top table (13) of FIG. 1). The case (410) may include a fixing portion that is coupled to the top table (13) and is provided to be fixed to the main body (10). For example, the case (410) may be fixed to the top table (13) by a fastening member (e.g., a screw) that passes through the fixing portion.

[0199] According to one embodiment, a pusher (430) may be provided such that at least a portion thereof is located within a case (410) and presses the door (30) to open the door (30). The pusher (430) may be supported by the case (410), and the case (410) may be fixed to the main body (10). As the door (30) is opened using the pusher (430), a first opening operation (or first opening state) in which the door (30) is partially opened with respect to the main body (10) may be provided.

[0200] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may be movably provided with respect to the main body (10) and / or case (410). At least a portion of the pusher (430) may be formed to press the door (30) while sliding with respect to the main body (10) and / or case (410). For example, the case (410) includes a first opening (411) formed so that one end of the pusher (430) is exposed, and a portion of the pusher (430) may reciprocate inside and outside the case (410) while passing through the first opening (411).

[0201] According to one embodiment, a part of the pusher (430) (e.g., a moving rod (431)) may be inserted into a receiving space (412) within the case (410) and received within the receiving space (412), or withdrawn from the receiving space (412) to press the door (30). For example, the pusher (430) (e.g., one end of the pusher (430) hereinafter) may be arranged to be movable between a first pusher position (P1) and a second pusher position (P2). For example, the pusher (430) may be arranged to be reciprocally movable between a first pusher position (P1) and a second pusher position (P2).

[0202] According to one embodiment, the first pusher position (P1) may be the position of the pusher (430) when the door (30) is in a closed state. The second pusher position (P2) may be the position where the pusher (430) moves from the first pusher position (P1) in a direction that presses the door (30). The pusher (430) can move from the first pusher position (P1) toward the second pusher position (P2) and press the closed door (30) to open it. The second pusher position (P2) may be the position where the pusher (430) moves forward from the first pusher position (P1).

[0203] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may be formed to be linearly movable between a first pusher position (P1) and a second pusher position (P2). The pusher (430) may be provided to be linearly movable in the forward and backward direction (X). However, the direction of movement of the pusher (430) is not limited thereto, and the pusher (430) may move non-linearly between the first pusher position (P1) and the second pusher position (P2).

[0204] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may press the door (30) until it reaches a second pusher position (P2). Afterward, the pusher (430) may stop moving or move to a first pusher position (P1) (e.g., return) based on having reached the second pusher position (P2). In this case, the pusher (430) may no longer press the door (30).

[0205] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may include a moving rod (431) that is movably provided with respect to the main body (10). The moving rod (431) may be movable with respect to the case (410). The moving rod (431) may be supported by the case (410). At least a portion of the moving rod (431) may be received in the case (410). A portion of the moving rod (431) may be drawn in or withdrawn from the receiving space (412).

[0206] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may include a push roller (432). The push roller (432) may be mounted on one side of the moving rod (431) in the direction of pressing the door (30). When the pusher (430) moves from a first pusher position (P1) to a second pusher position (P2), the push roller (432) may come into contact with the door (30). For example, the door (30) may be directly pressed by the push roller (432).

[0207] According to one embodiment, the push roller (432) may be formed to be rotatable with respect to the moving rod (431). As the rotatable push roller (432) is positioned on one side of the moving rod (431), friction between the pusher (430) and the door (30) can be reduced, and wear on the pusher (430) and the door (30) can be prevented.

[0208] According to one embodiment, the door driving unit (400) includes a pusher (430) that is movable relative to the main body (10) and is configured to press the door (30), and the door (30) can be automatically opened using the pusher (430).

[0209] According to one embodiment, the link (440) may be provided such that at least a portion thereof is located within the case (410) and presses the door (30) to open the door (30). The link (440) may be supported by the case (410), and the case (410) may be fixed to the main body (10).

[0210] According to one embodiment, the link (440) is arranged to connect the main body (10) and the door (30) and may include a first link portion (441) and a second link portion (442) rotatably connected from one end of the first link portion (441). By using the link (440), a second opening operation (or second opening state) in which the door (30) is fully opened with respect to the main body (10) can be provided. For example, after the door (30) is opened by the pusher (430), the door (30) can be additionally opened by using the link (440) to provide a second opening operation (or second opening state). For example, after the door (30) is opened by the link (440), the door (30) can be additionally opened by using the link (440) to provide a second opening operation (or second opening state).

[0211] According to one embodiment, the link (440) may be rotatably movable with respect to the main body (10) and / or case (410). A first link portion (441) of the link (440) may be rotatably connected around the axis of rotation of a link gear (451) among the gears (450). For example, one end of the first link portion (441) may be rotatably connected to the link gear (451), and the other end may be rotatably connected to a second link portion (442). The second link portion (442) of the link (440) may be rotatably connected to a door (30) and may open the door (30) by transmitting the force received from the link gear (451) and the first link portion (441) to the door (30).

[0212] According to one embodiment, a portion of the link (440) (e.g., a second link portion (442)) may be formed to rotate relative to the case (410) to press against the door (30) and open at a specified angle relative to the main body (10). The case (410) includes a second opening (413) formed so that a portion of the second link portion (442) of the link (440) is exposed, and the portion of the second link portion (442) may move inside and outside the case (410) while passing through the second opening (413).

[0213] According to one embodiment, the first link portion (441) of the link (440) may be inserted into the receiving space (412) within the case (410) and may rotate while being received within the receiving space (412). A portion of the second link portion (442) of the link (440) may be inserted into the receiving space (412) within the case (410) or withdrawn from the receiving space (412) to press against the door (30). For example, one end of the second link portion (442) may be provided to be movable between the first link position (L1) and the second link position (L2). For example, one end of the second link portion (442) may be provided to be movable between the first link position (L1) and the second link position (L2).

[0214] According to one embodiment, the first link position (L1) may be the position of one end of the second link portion (442) when the door (30) is closed. The second link position (L2) may be the position of one end of the second link portion (442) when the door (30) is open. When one end of the second link portion (442) is at the second link position (L2), the door (30) may be open at an angle of 90 degrees or more with respect to the main body (10). According to one embodiment, the position of one end of the second link portion (442) may move from the first link position (L1) toward the second link position (L2) to press and open the closed door (30), or open the open door (30) at a larger angle with respect to the main body. The second pusher position (P2) may be the position where the pusher (430) has moved forward and sideways from the first link position (L1).

[0215] According to one embodiment, the link (440) may be formed to be non-linearly movable between a first link position (L1) and a second link position (L2). The first link portion (441) and the second link portion (442) are each rotatably connected, and the second link portion (442) is a plate with a curved line shape, and the direction of movement may be non-linear.

[0216] According to one embodiment, the link (440) may press the door (30) until it reaches a second link position (L2). Afterward, based on the fact that one end of the second link portion (442) has reached the second link position (L2), it may stop moving or move to the first link position (L1) (e.g., return). In this case, the link (440) may no longer press the door (30).

[0217] According to one embodiment, the door driving unit (400) includes a link (440) that is movable relative to the main body (10) and is configured to press the door (30), and the door (30) can be automatically opened using the link (440).

[0218] According to one embodiment, the motor (430) can generate power for the pusher (430) and / or the link (440) to move. For example, the motor (430) can transmit the power required for the pusher (430) when the pusher (430) moves between a first pusher position (P1) and a second pusher position (P2). The motor (430) can transmit the power required for the link (440) when the link (420) moves between a first link position (L1) and a second link position (L2).

[0219] According to one embodiment, the motor (430) may include a drive motor and a motor driver connected to the drive motor. The drive motor may generate power by receiving a drive current from the motor driver. The motor driver may be electrically connected to a control unit of the refrigerator (1) (e.g., control unit (190) of FIG. 3) and may operate based on a control signal received from the control unit.

[0220] According to one embodiment, the motor (430) may be supported by the case (410). The motor (430) may be accommodated inside the case (410).

[0221] According to one embodiment, the gear (450) can transmit power generated by the motor (430) to the pusher (430) and / or link (440). The gear (450) may be supported by a case (410). The gear (450) may be placed in a receiving space (412) inside the case (410).

[0222] According to one embodiment, the pusher (430) may have a structure capable of receiving power from a gear (450). For example, the structure capable of receiving power from the gear (450) may be formed on a moving rod (431). Power generated by the motor (430) may be transmitted to the moving rod (431) and the push roller (432) using the gear (450).

[0223] According to one embodiment, the link (440) may have a structure capable of receiving power from the gear (450). For example, the structure capable of receiving power from the gear (450) may be formed in the first link portion (441). Power generated by the motor (430) may be transmitted to the first link portion (441) and / or the second link portion (442) using the link gear (451).

[0224] According to one embodiment, the gear (450) may include a plurality of gears.

[0225] According to one embodiment, the moving rod (431) may include a rod gear portion (431a) that meshes with a pinion gear (452) among the gears (450), and the rod gear portion (431a) may receive power from the pinion gear (452) and the gear(s) meshed with the pinion gear (452). For example, the pinion gear (452) and the rod gear portion (431a) may form a rack-pinion gear structure, and the moving rod (431) may move linearly with respect to the case (410).

[0226] According to one embodiment, the first link portion (441) may be connected to the link gear (451) of the gear (450) having the same axis of rotation, and the link gear (451) may receive power from the gear(s) meshed with the link gear (451). The power transmitted to the first link portion (441) may rotate the first link portion (441) in a forward or reverse direction.

[0227] According to one embodiment, the motor (430) can be controlled by a control unit of the refrigerator (1) (e.g., the control unit (190) of FIG. 3). The motor (430) can be electrically connected to the control unit (190). The control unit (190) can transmit a control signal to the motor (430) to control the motor (430), and the motor (430) can operate based on the control signal received from the control unit.

[0228] According to one embodiment, the control unit (190) can control the motor (430) to move the pusher (430) from a first pusher position (P1) to a second pusher position (P2) based on a condition for opening the door (30). For example, the condition for opening the door (30) may include a condition for recognizing a user gesture for opening the door (30).

[0229] According to one embodiment, the control unit (190) of the refrigerator (1) can control the motor (430) to move the link (440) from a first link position (L1) to a second link position (L2) based on a condition for opening the door (30). For example, the condition for opening the door (30) may include a condition for recognizing a user gesture for opening the door (30).

[0230] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0231] In operation 610, the refrigerator (1) can identify whether all doors (e.g., doors (30) in FIG. 1) are closed. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify whether each door is closed using a sensor (e.g., door sensor (164) and / or angle sensor (165) in FIG. 3).

[0232] According to one embodiment, based on all doors being closed, the refrigerator (1) can perform at least one of operations 620 to 670. According to one embodiment, based on at least one door being open, the refrigerator (1) can perform operations 680 and / or operations 690.

[0233] In operation 620, the refrigerator (1) can identify user access. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify user access using a sensor (e.g., the proximity sensor (162) and / or camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3). User access may include, for example, access within a predetermined threshold distance and / or access within the field of view of the camera sensor.

[0234] In operation 630, the refrigerator (1) can identify whether the accessed user is a pre-registered user. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify whether the user is a pre-registered user by using a camera sensor (163) to acquire the user's face data and comparing it with the face data of pre-stored registered users (e.g., deep learning-based face similarity comparison).

[0235] In operation 640, the refrigerator (1) can identify a door opening gesture based on identifying that the user accessing it is a pre-registered user. The door opening gesture may be a pre-defined gesture to open at least a part of the door (e.g., the door (30) in FIG. 1).

[0236] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) stores personalized information for each pre-registered user and can perform actions personalized for each user (e.g., control actions for at least some configurations of the refrigerator (1)). The personalized information for each registered user may include various information such as, for example, information about food preferred by each registered user (e.g., remaining amount, expiration date), preferred refrigerator (1) temperature and humidity information, door mainly opened, diet information, recipe information, and schedule information.

[0237] According to one embodiment, a personalized action for a registered user may include the output of personalized information for the registered user (e.g., outputting information in the form of voice and / or text such as, “You have 2 of your favorite beverage A left. There are B days left until expiration,” “We recommend recipe C that can be made with ingredients you have,” or “Your schedule for today is D and E”) or an action utilizing personalized information for the registered user (e.g., if a specific user opens a specific door at 9:00 AM every day, the door is automatically opened when the user is identified at 9:00 AM).

[0238] According to one embodiment, a personalized action for a registered user may include an action of transmitting a signal to an external electronic device (e.g., IoT appliance, smart appliance) that causes the external electronic device to perform at least one control action. For example, a refrigerator (1) may transmit a signal to an external smart oven that causes the smart oven to preheat while recommending a recipe using the external smart oven.

[0239] According to one embodiment, personalized information for each registered user may be stored in a memory (e.g., memory (192) of FIG. 3) and / or an external server based on user input. According to one embodiment, personalized information for each registered user may be acquired and stored by the refrigerator (1) learning the user's behavioral patterns (e.g., frequency of refrigerator use, refrigerator door opening and time of opening, main food ingredients consumed, etc.) (e.g., learning using a deep learning model). According to one embodiment, personalized information for each registered user (e.g., schedule information entered by the user into a smartphone) may be received and stored by the refrigerator (1) from an external electronic device (e.g., the user's smartphone).

[0240] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may grant control rights to only the pre-registered user by not recognizing the user's gestures based on the fact that the accessing user is not a pre-registered user. For example, the refrigerator (1) may prevent theft and restrict specific family members (e.g., children) from opening the refrigerator by allowing only the pre-registered user to open the door.

[0241] In operation 650, the refrigerator (1) can recognize the gesture characteristics of the identified door opening gesture. The gesture characteristics may include the pattern of the gesture and the kinematic characteristics of the gesture. The pattern of the gesture may include information such as, for example, the type of gesture, the body part performing the gesture (e.g., left arm, right arm, left hand, right hand), and the form of the gesture movement. The kinematic characteristics of the gesture may include information such as, for example, the direction of the gesture (e.g., upward direction, downward direction, right direction, left direction), the speed of the gesture (including angular velocity for gestures involving rotational movement), the acceleration of the gesture, and the degree of movement of the gesture (e.g., the distance traveled or rotation angle of the body part performing the gesture).

[0242] In operation 660, the refrigerator (1) can determine which door to open among the door opening speed (including angular velocity when opened by rotation), the degree of door opening (including angle when opened by rotation), and / or the door (e.g., the door (30) of FIG. 1) based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture (e.g., speed of the gesture, degree of movement of the gesture, direction of the gesture, body part performing the gesture). For example, the refrigerator (1) can determine which door to open among the rotational angular velocity when opening the door, the degree (angle) of opening the door, and / or the door (30) based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture (e.g., speed of the gesture, degree of movement of the gesture, direction of the gesture, body part performing the gesture).

[0243] According to one embodiment, the door to be opened determined in operation 660 may be a single door or a plurality of doors. For example, if the door (30) of the refrigerator (1) includes a plurality of doors, the refrigerator (1) may determine one or more doors to be opened based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture.

[0244] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may determine only some of the door opening speed, door opening degree, or door to be opened based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture, and determine the remainder in a different way. For example, the refrigerator (1) may determine only the door opening speed and door to be opened based on the gesture characteristics and open the door by a specified door opening degree. For example, the refrigerator (1) may determine only the door opening degree and door to be opened based on the gesture characteristics and open the door at a specified door opening speed. For example, the refrigerator (1) may determine only the door opening speed and / or door opening degree based on the gesture characteristics and open one or more doors determined by other methods (e.g., preset information, user gaze direction, user hand direction, user pattern analysis, user input (e.g., voice input, touch input)).

[0245] In operation 670, the refrigerator (1) can control a door drive unit (e.g., door drive unit (150) of FIG. 3) to open the door to be opened determined in operation 660, at the door opening speed determined in operation 660, and to the degree of door opening determined in operation 660. By setting the speed, degree, and door to be opened differently according to the characteristics of the door opening gesture performed by the user, the refrigerator (1) can provide a door opening experience that matches the user's intention.

[0246] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can perform operations identical or similar to operations 620 to 670 based on at least one door being open. For example, based on a part of the door (30) being open and a part being closed, the refrigerator (1) can open at least one of the closed parts of the door based on the gesture characteristics of a door opening gesture performed by a registered user. For example, based on a door (30) being completely open, the refrigerator (1) can open a door that was open by a first degree (e.g., 45°) further by a second degree (e.g., 90°) greater than the first degree, based on the gesture characteristics of a door opening gesture performed by a registered user.

[0247] In operation 680, the refrigerator (1) can identify user departure. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify user departure using a sensor (e.g., the proximity sensor (162) and / or the camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3). User departure may include, for example, leaving beyond a predetermined threshold distance and / or leaving beyond the field of view of the camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3).

[0248] In operation 690, the refrigerator (1) can close all open doors based on identifying the user leaving. For example, after the refrigerator (1) opens at least one door by performing operations 620 to 670, the refrigerator (1) can automatically close the door based on identifying the user leaving. For example, the refrigerator (1) can provide a convenient user experience.

[0249] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may recognize a user’s door closing gesture (a gesture predefined for closing at least a portion of an open door) and perform a corresponding door closing action. For example, the refrigerator (1) may determine the rotational angular velocity when closing the door and / or the door to be closed (when at least one door is open) based on the gesture characteristics of the door closing gesture.

[0250] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining a first camera sensor (710) and a second camera sensor (720) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0251] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining the field of view of a camera sensor (800) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0252] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the field of view of a first camera sensor (710) and a second camera sensor (720) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0253] According to one embodiment, a camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3) may include a plurality of camera sensors. For example, the camera sensor (163) may include a first camera sensor (710) and a second camera sensor (720).

[0254] Referring to FIG. 8, according to one embodiment, the field of view may refer to the field of view of a scene that a camera sensor (800) can capture. The camera sensor (800) cannot recognize a first object (810) outside the field of view, but can recognize a second object (820) within the field of view.

[0255] The camera sensor (800) may be, for example, the camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3. The camera sensor (800) may be, for example, the first camera sensor (710) or the second camera sensor (720) of FIG. 7.

[0256] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, a first camera sensor (710) and a second camera sensor (720) may be located at different positions on the body of a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1). For example, the first camera sensor (710) may be located between at least one upper door (e.g., the first door (31) of FIG. 1) and at least one lower door (e.g., the second door (32) of FIG. 1). For example, the second camera sensor (720) may be located at the top of the body. For example, the space occupied by the second camera sensor (720) may be reduced by positioning it so that it is exposed only when at least one upper door is open, and power consumption may be saved by setting it to operate (activate) only when at least one upper door is open.

[0257] Referring to FIG. 9, according to one embodiment, the first camera sensor (710) and the second camera sensor (720) located at different positions may have different viewing angles. Accordingly, there may be cases where only one of the first camera sensor (710) or the second camera sensor (720) can recognize an object at the same position.

[0258] According to one embodiment, based on the user (910) standing close to the refrigerator (1), at least some body part (915) (e.g., face) of the user (910) may be located outside the field of view of the first camera sensor (710). In this case, the refrigerator (1) may not be able to perform sensing operations (e.g., face recognition operation, gesture recognition operation) related to at least some body part (915) using only the first camera sensor (710).

[0259] According to one embodiment, an object outside the field of view of the first camera sensor (710) may be included within the field of view of the second camera sensor (720). For example, at least some body parts (915) of a user (910) located outside the field of view of the first camera sensor (710) may be included within the field of view of the second camera sensor (720). In this case, the refrigerator (1) may perform a sensing operation related to at least some body parts (915) using the second camera sensor (720). Power consumption can be saved by setting the second camera sensor (720) to be activated only when all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor, for example.

[0260] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can identify that a user has approached based on the detection of a user within the field of view of at least one of the first camera sensor (710) or the second camera sensor (720).

[0261] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining the criteria for identifying the approach and departure of an object by a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0262] Referring to FIG. 10, according to one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) can recognize the distance of an object using a sensor (1000) (e.g., the proximity sensor (162) and / or camera sensor (163) of FIG. 3). The refrigerator (1) can distinguish between cases where the distance to the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold distance d and cases where it is greater than or equal to d. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify that the second object (1020) has approached based on the second object (1020) coming within a distance d. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify that the first object (1010) has left based on the first object (1010) moving out of a distance d.

[0263] FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining face recognition and user identification according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0264] Referring to FIG. 11, according to one embodiment, a refrigerator (e.g., refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) can acquire user face data (1110) using a camera sensor (e.g., first camera sensor (710) or second camera sensor (720) of FIG. 7). The user face data (1110) may include image or video data containing the user's face.

[0265] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may use a facial recognition algorithm. For example, the refrigerator (1) may input user face data (1110) into the facial recognition algorithm to extract features (e.g., extract feature vectors) and compare them with features extracted from at least one pre-stored registered user face data (1120). The pre-stored registered user face data (1120) may include, for example, the first face data (1121) of the first registered user, the second face data (1122) of the second registered user, and the third face data (1123) of the third registered user.

[0266] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can determine whether a user is a previously registered user by calculating the similarity (e.g., similarity between feature vectors) between the user's face data (1110) and the face data (1120) of registered users. The calculation of similarity may be performed, for example, based on the Euclidean distance or cosine similarity between feature vectors.

[0267] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can determine that the faces of the same person are based on the fact that the similarity between the face data is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, the refrigerator (1) can identify the user as a registered third user based on the fact that the first similarity between the user's face data (1110) and the first face data (1121) and the second similarity between the user's face data (1110) and the second face data (1122) are less than the threshold, and only the third similarity between the user's face data (1110) and the third face data (1123) is greater than or equal to the threshold.

[0268] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can determine that the face is that of another person based on the similarity between the face data being less than a threshold. For example, based on the similarity between each face data included in the face data (1120) of registered users and the face data (1110) of a user being less than the threshold, the refrigerator (1) can identify that the user is not a registered user.

[0269] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) may be configured to activate at least one control action (e.g., door opening / closing action via gesture) based on identifying that the user is a registered user.

[0270] FIG. 12 is a drawing for explaining skeleton recognition and skeleton tracking according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0271] Referring to FIG. 12, according to one embodiment, a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) can acquire a user’s body image (1210) using a camera sensor (e.g., the first camera sensor (710) or the second camera sensor (720) of FIG. 7) and can recognize and track a skeleton (1220) from the user’s body image (1210) and use it. For example, the refrigerator (1) can recognize a user’s gesture by tracking the skeleton (1220).

[0272] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can recognize and track a skeleton (1220) using a deep learning-based pose estimation algorithm. For example, the refrigerator (1) can acquire and preprocess a user's body image (1210), acquire position information (e.g., 2D coordinate data or 3D coordinate data) of the body's joints (e.g., head, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees) using a pose estimation algorithm, create a skeleton (1220) model based on the positions of the joints, and track the skeleton (1220) in real time based on changes in the positions of the joints in consecutive image frames. The refrigerator (1) can recognize a corresponding gesture based, for example, on changes in the positions of the user's shoulder, elbow, and / or wrist joints.

[0273] FIG. 13 illustrates a door opening / closing gesture according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0274] Referring to FIG. 13, the door opening / closing gesture (1310) may include a gesture of rotating the forearm of one arm. The refrigerator (1) may recognize the door opening / closing gesture (1310) by, for example, tracking the skeleton of the user's arm. The door opening / closing gesture (1310) may be either a door opening gesture or a door closing gesture, or it may be a gesture capable of controlling both door opening and closing in both directions.

[0275] According to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can recognize the gesture characteristics of a door opening / closing gesture (1310) for opening or closing the door, as described in operations 650 and 660 of FIG. 6, and determine the door opening speed (including angular speed when opened by rotation) and / or the degree of door opening based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening / closing gesture (1310). The gesture characteristics of the door opening / closing gesture (1310) may include, for example, the rotational angular speed of the forearm performing the door opening / closing gesture (1310) and / or the rotation angle of the forearm. For example, the refrigerator (1) can open or close the door by a degree of door opening corresponding to the rotation angle of the forearm of the door opening / closing gesture (1310), with a door opening speed corresponding to the rotational angular speed of the forearm of the door opening / closing gesture (1310). For example, the door opening speed is proportional to the angular velocity of the forearm rotation of the door opening / closing gesture (1310), and the degree of door opening may be proportional to the angle of rotation of the forearm of the door opening / closing gesture (1310).

[0276] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure determining the door to be opened based on a body part performing a gesture.

[0277] FIG. 15 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure determining the door to be opened based on the direction of a gesture.

[0278] In FIGS. 14 and 15, it is assumed that the doors of the refrigerator (1) include a left upper door, a right upper door, a left lower door, and a right lower door, but the number and arrangement of the doors of the refrigerator (1) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure (e.g., the door (30) of FIG. 1) are not limited thereto.

[0279] According to one embodiment, as described in operations 650 and 660 of FIG. 6, the refrigerator (1) recognizes the gesture characteristics of a door opening / closing gesture (e.g., door opening / closing gesture (1310) of FIG. 13) for opening or closing the door, and can determine which of the refrigerator's doors to open or close based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening / closing gesture. The gesture characteristics of the door opening / closing gesture may include, for example, a body part performing the gesture (e.g., left arm, right arm) and / or the direction of the gesture (e.g., upward direction, downward direction).

[0280] Referring to FIG. 14, according to one embodiment, the refrigerator (1) can identify whether the arm performing the door opening / closing gesture is the left arm (1410) or the right arm (1420) based on the fact that the door opening / closing gesture is a gesture performed with one arm. Based on the fact that the arm performing the door opening / closing gesture is the left arm (1410), the refrigerator (1) can open or close the doors on the left side (e.g., the upper left door and the lower left door) (1430) in response. Based on the fact that the arm performing the door opening / closing gesture is the right arm (1420), the refrigerator (1) can open or close the doors on the right side (e.g., the upper right door and the lower right door) (1440) in response.

[0281] Referring to FIG. 15, according to one embodiment, a refrigerator (1) can recognize the direction of a door opening / closing gesture based on the fact that the door opening / closing gesture includes a gesture of rotating an arm (e.g., the door opening / closing gesture (1310) of FIG. 13). Based on the fact that the direction of the door opening / closing gesture is upward (1510), the refrigerator (1) can open or close the upper doors (e.g., the left upper door and the right upper door) (1530) among the doors in response. Based on the fact that the direction of the door opening / closing gesture is downward (1510), the refrigerator (1) can open or close the lower doors (e.g., the left lower door and the right lower door) (1540) among the doors in response.

[0282] According to one embodiment, the door opening / closing gesture may be predefined or customized by the user. For example, a registered user may set a desired gesture as a door opening gesture or a door closing gesture, and the refrigerator (1) may identify the registered user and recognize the door opening / closing gesture set by the registered user. For example, if the first registered user defines a first gesture (e.g., a right flick gesture) as the opening gesture for the right side doors, the refrigerator (1) may first identify the first registered user and open the right side doors based on the first registered user performing the first gesture.

[0283] According to one embodiment, the door closing gesture may be defined separately from the door opening gesture, or may be defined as the reverse gesture of the door opening gesture. For example, based on the fact that the door opening gesture is an upward forearm rotation gesture performed with the right arm that opens the upper right door, the door closing gesture of the open upper right door may be defined as a downward forearm rotation gesture performed with the right arm.

[0284] According to one embodiment, at least one of the door opening gesture or the door closing gesture may not necessarily be defined. For example, only the door opening gesture may be defined and the door closing gesture may not be defined. In this case, the refrigerator (1) may open at least one door based on recognizing the user's door opening gesture, and close the door based on recognizing the user leaving instead of the gesture when at least one door is open.

[0285] In FIGS. 13 to 15, the operation of a refrigerator (e.g., the refrigerator (1) of FIG. 1) recognizing a door opening / closing gesture and characteristics of the door opening / closing gesture can be performed, for example, based on image data acquired using a camera sensor (e.g., the first camera sensor (710) or the second camera sensor (720) of FIG. 7). For example, the refrigerator (1) can recognize a user's gesture and characteristics of the gesture using skeletal tracking as described in FIG. 12.

[0286] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator may be provided. The refrigerator may include at least one storage compartment; at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment; a door driving unit for controlling the opening and closing of the at least one door; a sensor unit including at least one camera sensor; a memory including at least one storage medium storing at least one instruction; and at least one processor capable of executing the at least one instruction. The at least one processor may control the operation method of the refrigerator by executing the at least one instruction.

[0287] According to one embodiment, at least one processor identifies a user approach using a sensor unit, identifies whether the approaching user is a pre-registered user, identifies a door opening gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on the identification that the user is a pre-registered user, recognizes the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture, determines a door opening speed and a door opening degree based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture, and controls a door driving unit to open the door among the at least one door at the door opening speed and to the door opening degree.

[0288] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a plurality of doors. According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine which of the at least one doors of the refrigerator to open based on the gesture characteristics of a door opening gesture.

[0289] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, at least one processor can: use a sensor unit to identify a user departure, and based on identifying the user departure, close all of the open doors.

[0290] According to one embodiment, user access may include at least one of access within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or access within the field of view of the sensor unit. According to one embodiment, user departure may include at least one of departure outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or departure outside the field of view of the sensor unit.

[0291] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, the at least one processor can: identify a door closing gesture of the user using a sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user, recognize a gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture, determine a door closing speed and a door to be closed among at least one open door based on the gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture, and control a door driving unit to close the door to be closed at the door closing speed.

[0292] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit may include a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor located at different positions. According to one embodiment, the first camera sensor may be located at the center of the front of the refrigerator, and the second camera sensor may be located at the upper front of the refrigerator. According to one embodiment, the second camera sensor may be positioned so as to be obscured by at least one closed upper door.

[0293] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may activate a second camera sensor based on the condition that all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor.

[0294] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can activate a second camera sensor based on the condition that at least one upper door is open.

[0295] According to one embodiment, at least one processor acquires user face data using a sensor unit, said face data includes image data, and can identify whether said user is a previously registered user based on the face data of previously registered users and said user's face data.

[0296] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a first door, a second door, a third door, and a fourth door. According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator may include a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right.

[0297] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can identify user access or user departure using a second camera sensor based on whether the first door and the second door are open, and identify user access or user departure using a first camera sensor based on whether at least one of the first door or the second door is closed.

[0298] According to one embodiment, a door opening gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture may include information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is on, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0299] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can determine which door to open based on information about which arm is performing the door opening gesture or at least one of the direction of rotation of the forearm, determine the door opening speed based on the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and determine the degree of door opening based on the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0300] According to one embodiment, the door closing gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door closing gesture may include information on which side the arm performing the door closing gesture is, the direction of rotation of the forearm, and the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm.

[0301] According to one embodiment, while at least one door is open, at least one processor determines which of the open doors to close based on at least one of information regarding which arm performs the door closing gesture or the direction of rotation of the forearm, and can determine the door closing speed based on the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm.

[0302] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can store personalized information for each registered user in the memory and, based on identifying that the accessed user is a pre-registered user, perform at least one control operation related to the personalized information for the user.

[0303] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a refrigerator may be provided. The method for controlling a refrigerator may include at least one operation. The at least one operation may include: an operation of identifying a user approach using a sensor unit of the refrigerator; an operation of identifying whether the approaching user is a pre-registered user; an operation of identifying a door opening gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; an operation of recognizing a gesture characteristic of the door opening gesture; an operation of determining a door opening speed and a door opening degree based on the gesture characteristic of the door opening gesture; and an operation of controlling a door drive unit to open one of the at least one doors of the refrigerator to the door opening speed and the door opening degree.

[0304] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator further includes the operation of determining which of at least one door of the refrigerator to open based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture; and the at least one door of the refrigerator may include a plurality of doors.

[0305] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator further comprises: an operation of identifying a user departure using the sensor unit; and an operation of closing all of the open doors among at least one door of the refrigerator based on identifying the user departure; wherein the user access includes at least one of approaching within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or approaching within the field of view of the sensor unit, and the user departure may include at least one of leaving outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or leaving outside the field of view of the sensor unit.

[0306] According to one embodiment, the control method of the refrigerator may further include: identifying a door closing gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; recognizing a gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture; determining a door closing speed and a door to be closed among the open doors based on the gesture characteristic of the door closing gesture; and controlling the door driving unit to close the door to be closed at the door closing speed.

[0307] According to one embodiment, the sensor unit of the refrigerator includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor having different positions, and the control method of the refrigerator may further include an operation of activating the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of a first condition in which all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor.

[0308] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator includes at least one upper door and at least one lower door, and the sensor unit of the refrigerator includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor at different positions, and the second camera sensor is positioned to be obscured by the at least one upper door that is closed, and the control method of the refrigerator may further include an operation of activating the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of a second condition in which the at least one upper door is open.

[0309] According to one embodiment, the operation of identifying whether an accessed user is a pre-registered user may include: acquiring face data of the user using a sensor unit of a refrigerator, wherein the face data includes image data; and identifying whether the user is a pre-registered user based on face data of pre-registered users and the face data of the user.

[0310] According to one embodiment, the operation of identifying user access or identifying user departure using the sensor unit may include the operation of identifying user access or user departure using the second camera sensor when the first door and the second door are open, and the operation of identifying user access or user departure using the first camera sensor when at least one of the first door or the second door is closed.

[0311] According to one embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerator comprises a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right, and the door opening gesture comprises a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left arm or the right arm, and the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture include information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm, and the angle of rotation of the forearm, and the operation of determining the door to be opened among the at least one door of the refrigerator based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture includes the operation of determining the door to be opened among the first door, the second door, the third door, and the fourth door based on at least one of information on which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is or the direction of rotation of the forearm, and the operation of determining the door opening speed and the degree of door opening based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture includes: the operation of determining the door opening speed based on the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm; and may include an operation to determine the degree of door opening based on the rotation angle of the forearm.

[0312] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented as software containing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium, included in a computer program product in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., flash memory, SSD, HDD, optical disc, magnetic tape, etc.), or distributed online through an application store, website, or cloud service. Additionally, they may be implemented within a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0313] Each component according to the various embodiments described above may be composed of a single or multiple entities, and some auxiliary components may be omitted or additionally included. Some components may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each corresponding component prior to integration.

[0314] Each component according to the various embodiments described above may be composed of a single or multiple entities, and some auxiliary components may be omitted or additionally included. Some components may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each corresponding component prior to integration.

[0315] The operations according to the various embodiments described above may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

Claims

1. Regarding refrigerators, At least one storage room; At least one door for opening and closing the above at least one storage room; A door driving unit for controlling the opening or closing of at least one door; A sensor unit including at least one camera sensor; Memory comprising at least one storage medium for storing instructions; and at least one processor including a processing circuit; comprising, The above at least one processor is: Identifying user approach using the above sensor unit; Identify whether the accessed user is a pre-registered user; Based on identifying that the above user is a pre-registered user, the door opening gesture of the above user is identified using the sensor unit; Recognizing the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture; Determining the door opening speed and door opening extent based on the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture; A door drive unit configured to control the door to be opened among the at least one door above by opening it to the degree of opening at the door opening speed, refrigerator.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned at least one door includes a plurality of doors, and The above at least one processor is, Configured to determine which of the at least one door to open based on the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture, refrigerator.

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, While at least a part of the above-mentioned at least one door is open, the above-mentioned at least one processor: Identifying user departure using the above sensor unit; It is configured to close all open doors based on identifying the user's departure; The above user access includes at least one of access within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or access within the field of view of the sensor unit; The above user departure includes at least one of departure outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or departure outside the field of view of the sensor unit. refrigerator.

4. In Paragraph 2 or 3, While at least a part of the above-mentioned at least one door is open, the above-mentioned at least one processor: Based on identifying that the above user is a pre-registered user, the door closing gesture of the above user is identified using the sensor unit; Recognizing the gesture characteristics of the above door closing gesture; Based on the gesture characteristics of the above door closing gesture, determine the door closing speed and the door to be closed among the open doors; A door drive unit configured to control the door to be closed at the door closing speed, refrigerator.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 4, The sensor unit includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor at different positions, and The above at least one processor is, It is configured to activate the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of the first condition, and The first condition above includes a condition in which all or part of the user is not identified within the field of view of the first camera sensor, refrigerator.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, The above-mentioned at least one door includes at least one upper door and at least one lower door, and The sensor unit includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor at different positions, and the second camera sensor is positioned to be covered by the at least one upper door that is closed. The above at least one processor is, It is configured to activate the second camera sensor based on the fulfillment of the second condition, and The above second condition includes the condition that the at least one upper door is open, refrigerator.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 6, The above at least one processor is: Acquires the user's face data using the sensor unit above, and the face data includes image data; A configuration for identifying whether the user is a pre-registered user based on the face data of pre-registered users and the face data of the user, refrigerator.

8. In Paragraph 3, The above at least one door includes a first door, a second door, a third door and a fourth door, and The sensor unit includes a first camera sensor and a second camera sensor, and The first camera sensor is located in the front center of the refrigerator, and The second camera sensor is located at the top front of the refrigerator and is positioned to be obscured by the closed first door and the closed second door. The above at least one processor is: Based on the fact that the first door and the second door are open, the second camera sensor is used to identify the user's approach or the user's departure; Configured to identify user access or user departure using the first camera sensor based on whether at least one of the first door or the second door is closed, refrigerator.

9. In Paragraph 2, The above at least one door includes a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right. The above door opening gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left or right arm, and The gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture include information regarding which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is on, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and the rotational angle of the forearm. The above at least one processor is: Determining which door to open among the first door, the second door, the third door, or the fourth door based on information regarding which arm performs the door opening gesture or at least one of the rotation direction of the forearm; Determining the door opening speed based on the rotational angular velocity of the forearm; Configured to determine the degree of door opening based on the rotation angle of the forearm, refrigerator.

10. In Paragraph 4, The above at least one door includes a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right. The above door closing gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left or right arm, and The gesture characteristics of the above door closing gesture include information regarding which side the arm performing the door closing gesture is on, the direction of rotation of the forearm, and the angular velocity of rotation of the forearm. While at least one of the first door, the second door, the third door, or the fourth door is open, the at least one processor: Determining which of the open doors to close based on information regarding which arm performs the door closing gesture or at least one of the rotation direction of the forearm; Configured to determine the door closing speed based on the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, refrigerator.

11. In Paragraph 1 or 7, The above at least one processor is: Personalized information for each pre-registered user is stored in the memory; Configured to perform at least one control operation related to the personalized information corresponding to the user, based on identifying that the accessed user is a pre-registered user. refrigerator.

12. Regarding the control method of the refrigerator: An operation to identify user approach using the sensor unit of the refrigerator above; An action to identify whether the accessed user is a pre-registered user; An operation to identify the door opening gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; An action that recognizes the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture; An operation to determine the door opening speed and the door opening extent based on the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture; An operation to determine which of at least one door of the refrigerator to open based on the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture; and The operation of controlling the door drive unit of the refrigerator to open the door to be opened at the door opening speed and to the degree of door opening; method.

13. In Paragraph 12, An operation to identify user departure using the above sensor unit; and The operation of closing all open doors among at least one door of the refrigerator based on identifying the user's departure; further comprising The above user access includes at least one of access within a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or access within the field of view of the sensor unit. The above user departure includes at least one of departure outside a predetermined threshold distance from the sensor unit or departure outside the field of view of the sensor unit. method.

14. In Paragraph 12 or 13, An operation to identify the door closing gesture of the user using the sensor unit based on identifying that the user is a pre-registered user; An action of recognizing the gesture characteristics of the above door closing gesture; An operation to determine the door closing speed and the door to be closed among the open doors based on the gesture characteristics of the above door closing gesture; and The operation of controlling the door drive unit to close the door to be closed at the door closing speed; further comprising method.

15. In any one of paragraphs 12 through 14, At least one door of the refrigerator comprises a first door on the upper left, a second door on the upper right, a third door on the lower left, and a fourth door on the lower right. The above door opening gesture includes a gesture of rotating the forearm of the left or right arm, and The gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture include information regarding which side the arm performing the door opening gesture is on, the direction of rotation of the forearm, the rotational angular velocity of the forearm, and the rotational angle of the forearm. The operation of determining which door to open among at least one door of the refrigerator based on the gesture characteristics of the door opening gesture is, The method includes an operation to determine which door to open among the first door, the second door, the third door, and the fourth door based on information regarding which arm performs the door opening gesture or at least one of the rotation direction of the forearm. The operation for determining the door opening speed and the degree of door opening based on the gesture characteristics of the above door opening gesture is: The operation of determining the door opening speed based on the rotational angular velocity of the forearm; and the operation of determining the degree of door opening based on the rotational angle of the forearm; comprising method.

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