refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators only serve the function of storing food at low temperatures, lacking features to facilitate easy inventory management, leading to redundant purchases or missed necessary items, as users must open the door to inspect contents.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator equipped with a camera device mounted on the door, allowing for the visualization of the storage compartment without opening the door, with adjustable camera configurations to suit different loading arrangements, and the ability to transmit images to a display or communication device for easy monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a camera device is mounted on the door to photograph the storage room, then users can view contents without opening the door, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to create visual copies (images) of the storage room contents, allowing users to view information about stored items without physically opening the door. The camera captures optical information and transmits it to external devices, creating a visual replica of the interior state.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera device acts as an intermediary between the user and the storage contents. Instead of direct visual access requiring door opening, the camera mediates by capturing and transmitting images, allowing indirect observation of the storage room state.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to photograph different regions of the storage room, then complete coverage is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage room is divided into multiple regions, with different cameras assigned to photograph specific areas. This segmentation allows comprehensive coverage of the entire storage space while using multiple simpler camera units rather than one complex imaging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs cameras positioned at different locations and angles to capture the storage room from multiple spatial dimensions. By distributing cameras throughout the door structure, the system achieves three-dimensional coverage of the storage space.
Data Source
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AI summary
The refrigerator includes a main body having a storage room, a door for opening and closing the storage room, and a camera device having a plurality of cameras for photographing the storage room and mounted on the inner surface of the door. The state of the storage room can be checked without opening the door by the camera device.