Refrigerator appliance and methods of item location identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in identifying and tracking items within a refrigerator appliance, leading to accidental purchases of excessive or undesired items, and failure to replenish consumed items due to lack of awareness.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator appliance equipped with a camera module and a microphone, controlled by a controller that initiates a capture sequence to determine the internal location of stored items based on two-dimensional images and sound recordings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users add/remove items from a common refrigerator appliance without communicating, then the refrigerator can be freely used by multiple users, but users may accidentally purchase excessive or undesired items and fail to track item locations
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator appliance automatically performs item tracking and location identification without requiring user intervention. The system self-monitors item placements, generates notifications, and maintains inventory records autonomously, allowing multiple users to benefit from tracking capabilities without each user needing to manually input data or communicate with others.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to users about item locations, inventory status, and consumption patterns through notifications and alerts. This feedback mechanism enables users to make informed purchasing decisions by knowing what items are already in the refrigerator and their specific locations, preventing duplicate purchases while maintaining free multi-user access.
2Loss of information
If users manually input each item being stored, then item tracking information can be obtained, but the process becomes cumbersome and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual input process with an automated optical scanning system. The refrigerator uses cameras and image recognition technology to automatically detect, identify, and track items as they are placed inside, eliminating the need for users to manually type or input item information while maintaining accurate tracking records.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically monitoring and recording item placements without requiring user action. The refrigerator independently captures images, processes them to identify items, updates inventory databases, and generates notifications, freeing users from the cumbersome manual input task while ensuring continuous item tracking.
3Measurement precision
If scales or picture-based methods are used to estimate item quantity or identification, then some item attributes can be determined, but the methods are prone to inaccuracies when items become hidden or overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional picture-based estimation to multi-dimensional spatial analysis using multiple camera angles and depth information. By capturing images from different perspectives and analyzing spatial relationships, the system can accurately identify items even when they overlap or are partially hidden, significantly improving both measurement precision and reliability compared to single-angle photography or scaling methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a camera module, a microphone, and a controller. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The camera module may be mounted to the cabinet. The microphone may be mounted to the cabinet within the chilled chamber. The controller may be operably coupled to the camera module. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include initiating a capture sequence at the camera module and the microphone, determining an internal location of a first stored item within the chilled chamber based on a two-dimensional image and a sound recording of the capture sequence, and recording the internal location of the first stored item.