Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience when restocking items in a refrigerator due to lack of knowledge about the quantities and types of items stored, leading to inefficient shopping and potential food waste.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator system equipped with cameras installed on movable doors that take pictures of the interior as the doors open and close, combining these images to provide a user with a comprehensive view of stored items through a display or terminal, allowing remote access to inventory information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users open the refrigerator door to check stored items, then they can see the contents and know what needs replenishment, but energy is lost due to cold air escape and the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses cameras to capture images of the refrigerator interior and transmits these images to a user terminal device. This creates a visual copy of the stored items, allowing users to view the contents remotely without physically opening the door, thus preventing energy loss while maintaining information access.
2Loss of information
If users open the refrigerator door frequently to check contents, then they can make informed purchasing decisions, but time is wasted and energy is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically capturing images of the refrigerator interior at scheduled intervals or when the door is opened, and pre-processing these images for transmission. This allows users to access information about stored items on-demand without having to physically check the contents, saving time and reducing the frequency of door openings.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple cameras are installed to capture the entire refrigerator interior, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator interior is divided into multiple imaging zones, with cameras strategically positioned to capture specific regions. The control unit processes and combines images from multiple cameras to create a comprehensive view of the stored items, achieving full coverage while optimizing the number of cameras needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the temporal dimension by capturing images at different time points (when the door is opened or at scheduled intervals) and combining them with spatial information from multiple camera angles. This approach achieves comprehensive interior coverage without requiring a single complex all-encompassing camera system.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a main body having a storage compartment, a first door rotatably installed at a first side of the main body to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment, and a second door rotatably installed at a second side of the main body to open and close a second portion of the storage compartment. A first camera may be installed at the first door to take a picture of an interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the first door, and a second camera may be installed at the second door to take a picture of the interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the second door. A controller may combine plural pictures taken by the first camera and the second camera into a single corrected image of a region of the first compartment spanning from the first door to the second door.