Food detection device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food detection systems struggle to accurately capture images of food items being taken into or out of a refrigerator due to the limitations of capturing from the front side, which can obscure items behind others.
Innovation Solution
A food detection device equipped with a refrigerator compartment camera and drawer cameras positioned above the refrigerator to capture images from the front and side, combined with sensors to determine door and drawer states, ensuring comprehensive image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera is positioned at the front side of the refrigerator to capture images, then the device structure is simple and easy to install, but food items behind other items cannot be accurately captured
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is repositioned from the conventional front-side horizontal view to an upper vertical view, changing the observation dimension. This allows the camera to capture food items from above, eliminating occlusion by other items and enabling accurate detection of all food items regardless of their depth position within the refrigerator compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the camera at the front to look backward into the refrigerator, the camera is inverted to the upper position looking downward. This reversal of the camera's spatial orientation solves the occlusion problem by providing a top-down perspective where no items can block the view of others.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are installed to capture all food items, then detection accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By changing from horizontal front-side viewing to vertical top-down viewing, a single camera achieves complete coverage of all food items in the refrigerator compartment. This dimensional change eliminates the need for multiple cameras that would be required with front-side positioning to achieve similar comprehensive coverage.
3Measurement precision
If cameras are positioned inside the refrigerator compartment, then food items are captured clearly, but the device requires complex installation and power supply arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator's existing upper structure is utilized to mount the camera, and the refrigerator's power supply system is used to power the camera. This eliminates the need for separate installation structures and power sources, making the system easy to deploy while maintaining clear image capture capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a food detection device 2 that can accurately detect, with a camera, a food item taken into or out of a refrigerator 1. The food detection device 2 is attached to an upper part of the refrigerator 1 by a user P and configured to detect, with a refrigerator compartment camera 21 and a drawer camera 22, a food item taken into or out of the refrigerator 1 and includes a camera module 220 including the refrigerator compartment camera 21 and the drawer camera 22 configured to capture an image of the refrigerator 1 from an upper front of the refrigerator 1, and an electric power supply unit 230 configured to supply electric power at least to the camera module 220.