Smart Refrigerator Inventory Imaging for Food Waste Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerator systems fail to effectively identify and suggest consumption of food items before they become stale, leading to food wastage and unhealthy eating habits, while also being inefficient in assisting users with timely procurement and healthier food choices.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator system equipped with a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and a camera that captures images of food items to analyze their quantity, quality, and kind, providing diet recommendations and automatic shopping list updates to minimize wastage and promote healthier eating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If manual food monitoring and shopping list management is used, then users have control over food procurement, but users spend considerable time in food procurement and logistics operation
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator system automatically monitors food items using cameras and sensors, generates shopping lists based on inventory analysis, and tracks expiration dates without requiring manual user intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously managing food inventory and procurement tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (writing shopping lists, checking food inventory, monitoring expiration dates) with automated electronic systems including cameras, image processing algorithms, and database management that continuously monitor and manage food stocks.
2Measurement precision
If automated image recognition system is implemented, then food identification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device that captures images of food items, which are then processed by image recognition software. This intermediary approach enables accurate food identification without requiring direct complex sensor contact with each food item.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex manual food inspection processes with automated image recognition technology using CPU and GPU processing, achieving high identification accuracy through software-based analysis rather than physical examination.
3Illumination intensity
If continuous lighting is provided in refrigerator, then image capture quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator light operates periodically rather than continuously, activating specifically when the camera needs to capture images for inventory monitoring. This periodic operation provides sufficient illumination for image capture while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption during periods when imaging is not required.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a refrigerator system, a method and a software program product for controlling and/or advising a diet for a user. The refrigerator system has a refrigerator including a light and a camera that captures an image of contents of the refrigerator. The image is processed by a graphics processing unit (GPU) integrated with the refrigerator and/or a cloud server. The GPU analyzes the image to recognize a quantity, a quality, and/or a kind of food articles and/or food packages such as, vegetables, fruits, beverages, etc. A central processing unit (CPU)/GPU of the refrigerator provides diet plans, recipe recommendations, identifies grocery replenishment requirements, updates and shares shopping lists with food delivery agents, etc., based on the analysis of the refrigerator contents. The invention helps in minimizing food wastage, expanding meal options considering expiry dates, and maximizing benefits of a healthy diet by recommending and controlling the user's diet.