JP2015222138A - Refrigerator and network system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To acquire a refrigerator which allows a user to grasp a storage condition inside a storage chamber in real time as image information inside or outside of the house by acquiring the latest condition inside the storage chamber as an image and transmitting necessary minimum image data.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1000 includes: a camera 3 for photographing the inside of a refrigeration chamber 100; a photograph signal transmitting device 5 for allowing the camera 3 to photograph the inside of the refrigeration chamber 100 based on an instruction from the outside or an open/closed state of a refrigeration chamber door 101; an image memory 6 for tentatively storing a storage chamber image photographed by the camera 3; an image processing device 7 for processing the storage chamber image tentatively stored in the image memory 6 into an image in which the amount of communication data for one time is reduced compared to that of the storage chamber image; and an information communication device 8 for communicating with a display device by wired or wireless communication, and for transmitting the image after processing which is processed in the image processing device 7 to the display device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a network system, and more particularly to a refrigerator and a network system capable of grasping the state of food storage in a warehouse by an image.

  A variety of foods are stored in household refrigerators as the eating habits diversify, and the capacity has increased to further increase storage capacity, making it increasingly difficult to grasp the storage status in the storage room. Yes. In recent years, due to the increase in double-income households, it is difficult for housewives to fully grasp the storage status in the storage room, and the stored food is left to be discarded after the expiration date. Occasionally, there were cases where the necessary ingredients were not stocked, and there were also stories of experiences where the ingredients were wasted due to multiple purchases when the couple shared the shopping. The easiest way to check the storage condition in the storage chamber is to open the storage chamber door directly and look at it. However, opening and closing the storage chamber door will cause the temperature in the storage chamber to rise, and energy for re-cooling will be increased. It is wasteful and has a negative impact on the quality of the stored food. Therefore, if the storage situation in the refrigerator storage room can be grasped from a remote location such as during shopping without opening the storage room door, the added value that food and energy waste can be suppressed and the preservation quality of food can be maintained. It is done.

  Therefore, in order to grasp the storage situation in the storage room, as a conventional refrigerator that captures food in the storage and confirms it with image data, the operation with the camera camera door embedded in the storage room side is used. A panoramic image of the storage room has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also, for example, as a system including a conventional refrigerator that can check the image in the storage room when the user likes it, when the image in the storage room is held in a database and accessed via the information network from the user's mobile terminal, There has been proposed one that transmits and displays a recorded image in a storage room on a portable terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2001-317858 A (paragraphs [0040]-[0049], FIG. 4, FIG. 5) JP 2002-243335 A (paragraphs [0027]-[0032], FIG. 1 to FIG. 4)

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, since it is possible to photograph from the right end to the left end in the storage room, it is possible to grasp the food placed in the storage room. However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 uses a camera embedded in a door to capture a plurality of images using an operation of opening the door, and connects these images by image processing to acquire a panoramic image. Yes. For this reason, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the data capacity for obtaining a panoramic image becomes large. Furthermore, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that images obtained by door opening / closing speeds differ, and it is difficult to connect images while suppressing image blurring, particularly when the opening / closing speed is large. there were.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2, when the user requests from the portable terminal, the image in the storage room held in the database is transferred, so it is possible to check the situation in the storage room even from the outside. is there. However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that not only the data capacity becomes enormous but also processing other than image storage is difficult because the entire storage room image is stored in the database together with the photographing time. It was. Moreover, since the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2 calls and displays an image stored in the storage room, not in real time, there is a problem that a time lag occurs with the latest internal situation. .

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. The latest situation in the storage room is acquired as an image, and the minimum necessary image data is transmitted so that the user can use it at home or outside the home. It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator and a network system capable of grasping the storage situation in a storage room in real time as image information.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention includes at least one storage room having a storage room door that closes the opening so as to be openable and closable, photographing means for photographing the storage room, instructions from the outside, or opening and closing of the storage room door Based on the state, an imaging signal transmitting unit that causes the imaging unit to image the storage room, an image storage unit that temporarily stores the storage room image captured by the imaging unit, and the image storage unit that is temporarily stored An image processing unit that processes the storage room image into an image that reduces the amount of communication data at one time compared to the storage room image, and after processing that is processed by the image processing unit by communicating with the display device by wired or wireless communication Communication means for transmitting an image to the display device.

  The present invention captures an image (storage room image) in the storage room based on an instruction from the outside or the open / closed state of the storage room door. In the present invention, the image processing means processes the storage room image into an image in which the amount of communication data for one time is smaller than that of the storage room image, and the processed image processed by the image processing means is used as a portable terminal or the like. Send to display device. For this reason, the present invention can reduce the communication load of the image and improve the communication speed, and can obtain an effect that the user can receive only necessary image information in real time even in a remote place. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to check the storage state without opening the storage room door in the house, that is, without increasing the temperature in the storage room. In addition, the present invention provides an effect of preventing waste such as forgetting to buy or over-buying, for example, when shopping outside the house.

It is a schematic block diagram (front view) of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side projection) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an example of the imaging | photography data of a refrigerator compartment, and the data after an image process in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is an example of the data after the image processing of the refrigerator compartment, and the entering / exiting food extraction image in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is an example of the display method of the food extraction image in a portable terminal in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is an example of the display method of the storage amount estimation result and stock food image in a portable terminal in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is an example of the measurement data (storage volume occupation rate: 0%) which shows the temperature history of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is an example of the measurement data (storage volume occupation rate: 40%) which shows the temperature history of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is an example of the measurement data (storage volume occupation rate: 70%) which shows the temperature history of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 7 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the home system by which the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 8 of this invention is mounted. It is a schematic block diagram of the in-home system and the out-of-home system in which the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 9 of this invention is mounted.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram (front view) of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram (side projection) of the refrigerator compartment in this refrigerator. FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along the line AA ′ of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1000 includes a plurality of storage rooms. For example, the storage room includes a refrigerator room 100, an ice making room 200, a switching room 300, a freezing room 400, and a vegetable room 500. If it demonstrates in detail, each storage room will be arrange | positioned in order of the refrigerator compartment 100, the ice making room 200, the switching room 300, the freezing room 400, and the vegetable room 500 from the top. In addition, the refrigerator compartment door 101 of the refrigerator compartment 100 is provided with an operation panel 1 capable of setting the temperature of each storage compartment, displaying current temperature information, images in the cabinet, and storage status. In addition, the image server 2 is installed near the casing of the refrigerator 1000 (that is, outside the storage room). In the first embodiment, the image server 2 is provided on the ceiling of the casing of the refrigerator 1000. As will be described later, the image server 2 stores and processes images in the refrigerator 1000 and transmits them to a display device such as an external device.

  Note that the installation position of the operation panel 1 is not limited to the refrigeration room door 101 of the refrigeration room 100, and may be installed on a storage room door of another storage room or a side surface of the casing of the refrigerator 1000. Further, the installation position of the image server 2 is not limited to the ceiling portion of the refrigerator 1000. If the image server 2 is outside the storage room of the refrigerator 1000, the image server 2 can be installed on the side or back of the casing of the refrigerator 1000 or the storage room door of the storage room. It may be installed. For example, the image server 2 may be mounted on the control board 1001 installed on the back surface of the refrigerator 1000.

  In FIG. 2, the refrigerator compartment 100 has a front-side opening portion closed by a refrigerator compartment door 101 so that the refrigerator compartment door 101 can be opened and closed, and a plurality of refrigerator compartment shelf plates 102 are installed inside the compartment. It is the composition which was made. The chilled chamber 110 is partitioned from the refrigerated chamber 100 by the lowermost refrigerated chamber shelf plate 102, and is drawn out to the refrigerated chamber door 101 side along a guide jig such as a rail (not shown) inside the chilled chamber 110. A chilled case 111 is installed. Further, on the ceiling wall in the refrigerating room 100, a refrigerating room illumination 103 (illuminating means) for illuminating the inside of the refrigerating room 100 (keeping the illuminance in the refrigerating room 100 above a certain level) is installed. The installation position of the refrigerator compartment lighting 103 is not limited to the ceiling wall in the refrigerator compartment 100, and may be a side wall or a rear wall in the refrigerator compartment 100. Further, if the refrigerator compartment lighting 103 is installed at a plurality of positions, there is an advantage that higher illuminance can be secured.

  On the inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door 101, a camera 3 (photographing means) having a visual field range from the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 100 to the chilled compartment 110 is installed. 100 is configured to be able to photograph the inside. The installation position of the camera 3 is not limited to the inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door 101, and may be any position as long as the food placed on the refrigerator compartment shelf 102 can be photographed over a wide range. If it is installed in the vicinity, there is an advantage that it is easy to shoot because the illuminance can be secured.

  The image server 2 installed on the ceiling outside the refrigerator 1000 incorporates a signal receiving device 4 (signal receiving means) and a shooting signal transmitting device 5 (shooting signal transmitting means) as devices related to shooting. As an apparatus related to image processing, an image memory 6 (image storage means), an image processing apparatus 7 (image processing means), and an information communication apparatus 8 (communication means) are incorporated.

  The signal receiving device 4 includes a wireless communication module (for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (registered trademark)) and a wired communication module (for example, a serial interface and a LAN). The signal receiving device 4 has a configuration capable of wired communication with the operation panel 1 which is one of the display means, and has a configuration capable of wireless communication with the display means such as the user's portable terminal. Yes. The photographing signal transmission device 5 is connected to the signal receiving device 4, the camera 3, and the refrigerator compartment lighting 103, receives a signal from the signal receiving device 4, and operates the camera 3 and the refrigerator compartment lighting 103. The image memory 6 temporarily stores an image taken by the camera 3 and is connected to the camera 3 and the image processing device 7. The image memory 6 has a memory capacity for at least one entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100. The image processing device 7 includes a CPU capable of high-speed image processing (for example, an operating frequency of 400 MHz or more) and a memory capable of storing the processed image, and is connected to the information communication device 8 in addition to the image memory 6. As with the signal receiving device 4, the information communication device 8 is configured to be capable of wired communication with the operation panel 1 and wireless communication with the user's mobile terminal and the like.

  The operation panel 1, the image server 2, the camera 3, and the refrigerator compartment lighting 103 are connected to a control board 1001 installed on the back of the refrigerator 1000 (not shown), and are supplied with power from the control board 1001. It has become.

Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 2, when the signal receiving device 4 receives a photographing request from the operation panel 1 or a user's portable terminal located in a remote place (in other words, via the operation panel 1 or the user's portable terminal located in a remote place). When there is an instruction to shoot the inside of the refrigerator compartment 100), the imaging signal transmission device 5 first turns on the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 and then instructs the camera 3 to perform photography. The entire image taken in the refrigerator compartment 100 is temporarily stored in the image memory 6 and then transferred to the image processing device 7. The image processing device 7 performs image processing on the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 and transfers only the processed image to the information communication device 8. The information communication apparatus 8 transmits and displays the processed image on the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal that has requested the photographing by wired communication or wireless communication.

  FIG. 3 is an example of image data and post-image processing data for the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 3A is an entire image inside the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 and stored in the image memory 6. FIG. FIGS. 3B to 3D show examples of processed images obtained by performing various image processes in the image processing apparatus 7. Specifically, FIG. 3B is an image after compression processing that is averaged between pixels of the entire image and compressed to 1/8, and FIG. 3C is a division process in which the entire image is divided into 16 regions. FIG. 3D is a post-food extraction image obtained by extracting only the food part from the entire image.

  The image processing apparatus 7 according to the first embodiment converts the entire image (storage room image) in the refrigerated room 100 stored in the image memory 6 into an image in which the amount of communication data at one time is smaller than the entire image. Process. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the image processing apparatus 7 processes the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 shown in FIG. 3A into a compressed image with reduced resolution. Thereby, compared with the case where the whole image in the refrigerator compartment 100 shown to Fig.3 (a) is transmitted to the operation panel 1 or a user's portable terminal as it is via the information communication apparatus 8, the amount of communication data can be reduced ( In the example of FIG. 3, 1/8), the communication speed can be improved. That is, by processing the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 into a compressed image by the image processing device 7, that is, by adjusting the compression rate, the resolution becomes coarse, but the situation in the refrigerator compartment 100 can be roughly grasped, so that the remote Even on the ground, it is possible to check the latest storage status almost simultaneously with the photographing request.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 3C, the image processing apparatus 7 displays the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 shown in FIG. Process into divided images divided into numbers. Thereby, since the amount of communication data for one time can be reduced (1/16 in the example of FIG. 3), the communication speed can be improved. Further, for example, by requesting a specific area such as only the lowermost stage or only the left side and transmitting a divided image, it is possible to check the storage status of the desired area while maintaining the resolution.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 3D, the image processing apparatus 7 is configured to obtain an overall image in the refrigerator compartment 100 shown in FIG. 3A and an overall image in the state where the interior of the refrigerator compartment 100 is empty. By calculating the difference, only the change of the image at the time of the photographing request, that is, the portion where the food is placed is extracted. By transmitting the extracted images in order, the amount of communication data for one time can be reduced, thereby improving the communication speed. Furthermore, only the necessary stock food images can be obtained. For example, at a shopping destination, the stock status can be estimated from the food extraction images, and it is possible to prevent over-buying or forgetting to purchase unnecessary food materials. At this time, even if the medium for displaying the image is not a remote portable terminal but the operation panel 1 installed outside the refrigerator compartment door 101, the refrigerator compartment 100 is opened without opening the refrigerator compartment door 101. If the storage condition inside can be confirmed, useless cooling by opening and closing the door can be suppressed.

  In FIG. 2, the communication line connecting the camera 3 and the image memory 6 is preferably a wired connection. The image information transmitted from the camera 3 to the image memory 6 is the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 having a large amount of information shown in FIG. For this reason, there is a possibility that the communication speed is reduced in wireless communication. By connecting the camera 3 and the image memory 6 in a wired manner and maintaining the communication speed, it is possible to check the storage status in the refrigerator compartment 100 in real time on the operation panel 1 or a portable terminal.

  In addition, when transmitting an image to the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal, together with the image information, the time taken by the camera 3 (shooting time information) or the time information (transmission time information) for sending the processed image is also sent. It is desirable to do. If the time information is stored together with the image information, it is possible to check the storage status in the refrigerator compartment 100 by going back in time, for example, browsing the food extraction image shown in FIG. It becomes possible to estimate the expiration date or expiry date by searching the time of warehousing time for the target food. In addition, as a time acquisition means which acquires time information, you may provide the clock function in the refrigerator 1000 or the camera 3, for example. For example, clock information of a portable terminal may be used as time acquisition means. In addition, as a storage destination of the image information and the time information, a dedicated storage unit (image memory) or the like may be provided, or an existing storage unit (image memory 6 or image processing device 7) may be used. . In addition, for example, a storage unit of a portable terminal may be used as a storage destination of the image information and the time information.

  In FIG. 2, the image data stored in the image memory 6 is only one latest image in the refrigerating room 100, and when a new image is taken by the camera 3, the entire past data is stored. The image is preferably erased. The storage status in the refrigerator compartment 100 can be confirmed by the processed images shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D transmitted to the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal. Note that the main body for erasing past whole images may be performed by the image memory 6 itself, or by the user via the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal. Thereby, there is an effect that the memory capacity of the image memory 6 can be reduced, and the user can save only necessary information.

  In addition, in this Embodiment 1, although the structure which installs the camera 3 in the refrigerator compartment 100 was demonstrated to the example, the store room to which these structures are applied is arbitrary. In a storage room other than the refrigerator room 100, for example, the camera 3 is installed on the ceiling surface of the freezer room 400 or the vegetable room 500, connected to the image server 2, and the entire image of the captured freezer room 400 or vegetable room 500 is imaged. Even when the processed image is processed by the processing device 7 and the processed image as shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D is displayed on the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal of the user via the information communication device 8, Similar effects can be obtained.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram (side sectional view) of a refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Note that items not particularly described in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  In FIG. 4, a door open / close detection sensor 9 (door open / close detection means) is installed on the housing side of the refrigerator 1000 (refrigeration room 100) in contact with the cold room door 101. As the door opening / closing detection sensor 9, for example, a magnet type in which the proximity of a magnet (magnet) embedded in the refrigerator door 101 is detected by a pair of reed switches installed on the housing side of the refrigerator 1000 is common. is there. The main role of the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 is to turn on the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 when the open state of the refrigerator compartment door 101 is detected, and to turn off the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 when the closed state is detected. In the second embodiment, the photographing signal transmission device 5 incorporated in the image server 2 in the first embodiment is mounted on the control board 1001 installed on the back surface of the refrigerator 1000, and the door opening / closing detection sensor 9, the refrigerator compartment. The illumination 103 and the camera 3 are connected to the photographing signal transmission device 5.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the description of the same parts as those in Embodiment 1 is omitted.

  In FIG. 4, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the imaging signal transmission device 5 first instructs the camera 3 to perform imaging, and after the imaging is completed, the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 is turned on. Automatically turn off the light. The captured entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 is once stored in the image memory 6 and then transferred to the image processing device 7 as in the first embodiment, and is shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D. The image is processed as follows. The processed image is transmitted via the information communication device 8 to the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal that requested the image by wired communication or wireless communication and displayed.

  In order to put food in and out of the refrigerator compartment 100, it is necessary to open and close the refrigerator compartment door 101. Therefore, when the storage state in the refrigerator compartment 100 changes, the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 always reacts. In the second embodiment, using the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 as a trigger, the camera 3 is photographed every time the refrigerator compartment door 101 is opened and closed, image processing is performed by the image processing device 7, and at least the last door opening / closing process. Since the rear image is stored, when there is an image request from the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal, the latest = the last processed image at the time of the last door opening / closing is performed without taking an image and processing after the request. Can send immediately. For this reason, in addition to the effect shown in Embodiment 1, the effect that the latest storage condition in the refrigerator compartment 100 can be confirmed without the time lag from an image request | requirement is acquired.

  In FIG. 4, even when the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 is taken every time the door is opened and closed, and the image processing apparatus 7 performs image processing, only the latest image = the processed image at the time of the last door opening and closing is stored. However, for example, an image memory for post-processing images may be provided and stored together with time information at which shooting or image processing was performed. The data volume of the processed image is small, and it is possible to check the time-series change of the storage status with the minimum storage capacity only when the storage status changes when the door is opened and closed, and specify based on the time information It is possible to estimate the expiration date or expiry date by going back in time and searching the storage time for the food.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which the photographing signal transmission device 5 is mounted on the control board 1001 in consideration that the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 and the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 are used for purposes other than photographing with the camera 3. However, when it is desired to make the shooting-related function independent of the refrigerator 1000, the shooting signal transmission device 5 may be built in the image server 2 and separately connected to the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 and the refrigerator compartment lighting 103 via a communication line. . Even if the photographing signal transmission device 5 is built in the image server 2, when the door open / close detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the camera 3 is instructed to photograph, and after the photographing is finished. If the operation of turning off the cold room lighting 103 is automatically performed, the same effect can be obtained.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 5: is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. Note that items not specifically described in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first or second embodiment, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  The refrigerator compartment door 101 is a door that rotates around one end side as a fulcrum. For this reason, in FIG. 5, the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 (door opening / closing angle detection means) is installed in the refrigerator door 101 instead of the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 in the structure of Embodiment 2. As the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10, in addition to directly measuring the angle, for example, the distance between the housing side of the refrigerator 1000 and the refrigerator compartment door 101 is measured by infrared rays or the like, and converted into an angle, or a specific specification In order to detect only the angle, there is an infrared sensor or the like that detects that an object (a part of the refrigerator compartment door 101) passes a specific position. Further, if the moving direction is detected like an acceleration sensor, not only the opening / closing angle of the refrigerator compartment door 101 but also the opening / closing direction can be detected.

  Further, the camera 3 is installed on the inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door 101, and the visual field range of the camera 3 moves in the horizontal direction as the refrigerator compartment door 101 is opened and closed. The door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 detects an angle that is easy to grasp (predetermined angle). At this time, the installation position of the camera 3 is preferably as close as possible to the rotation axis of the refrigerator compartment door 101. The closer to the rotation axis, the smaller the radius of the rotation trajectory, and the rotation angle at which the camera 3 captures the inside of the refrigerator compartment 100 in the visual field range when the refrigerator door 101 is opened and closed increases.

  The photographing signal transmission device 5 mounted on the control board 1001 installed on the back of the refrigerator 1000 is connected to the camera 3 and the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10, and the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 allows the refrigerator compartment to When it is detected that the opening / closing angle of the door 101 has become a predetermined angle, a photographing instruction is transmitted to the camera 3.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment is omitted.

  In FIG. 5, when the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 detects that the opening / closing angle of the refrigerator compartment door 101 is set to an angle at which the state in the refrigerator compartment 100 is most easily grasped, a photographing signal is detected. The transmission device 5 instructs the camera 3 to perform shooting. Similar to the first and second embodiments, the entire image taken in the refrigerator compartment 100 is temporarily stored in the image memory 6 and then transferred to the image processing device 7. Image processing is performed as shown in d). The processed image is transmitted via the information communication device 8 to the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal that requested the image by wired communication or wireless communication and displayed.

  In the second embodiment, when the door open / close detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 is turned off after taking a picture with the camera 3. In embodiment 3, the door 3 is photographed by the camera 3 while the door of the refrigerator compartment 101 is at a specific angle by the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10. In general, since the refrigerator compartment illumination 103 is lit when the refrigerator compartment door 101 is in the open state, in the configuration of FIG. It is possible to shoot in a situation where sufficient illuminance is secured without control.

  In addition, when the opening / closing angle of the refrigerator compartment door 101 is detected by the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 and shooting is performed by the camera 3 at a specific angle, shooting is performed twice during the opening operation and during the closing operation for one door opening / closing. As a result, the amount of processing in the image processing device 7 is doubled, and when the opening / closing speed is high, a deviation may occur between the opening operation position and the closing operation position. Therefore, as the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10, it is desirable to detect the opening / closing direction by detecting the moving direction like an acceleration sensor. By distinguishing between the opening operation and the closing operation, only the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 at the time of either operation is stored in the image memory 6 and image processing is performed by the image processing device 7, whereby the amount of image processing is increased. And a stable image at a constant opening / closing angle can be obtained.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 6: is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. Items that are not particularly described in the fourth embodiment are the same as those in the first to third embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  In FIG. 6, the in-and-out food estimation apparatus 11 (in-and-out food estimation means and in-stock food estimation means) is built in the image server 2 in the configuration of the second embodiment, and is connected to the image processing apparatus 7 and the information communication apparatus 8. Has been. The entering / exiting food estimation apparatus 11 compares the food image which processed the image in the continuous two times of the refrigerator compartment 100 image | photographed based on the opening-and-closing state of the refrigerator compartment door 101, for example, and the refrigerator compartment door 101 is compared. At the time of opening and closing, the food image of the food that is estimated to be stored and the food image of the food that is estimated to be stored are selected. And the information communication apparatus 8 becomes a structure which transmits the selected food image (The entering / exiting estimated food extraction image in the refrigerator compartment 100) to the operation panel 1 or a user's portable terminal.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as in the first to third embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 6, as in the second embodiment, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the entire image inside the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 is implemented. As in the first to third embodiments, the image is once stored in the image memory 6 and then transferred to the image processing device 7 where the image processing is performed as shown in FIGS. At this time, in this Embodiment 4, the food extraction image shown in FIG.3 (d) at the time of two continuous door opening / closing among the post-processing images obtained for every door opening / closing is used for the entering / exiting food estimation apparatus. 11, an image of the food that is estimated to have entered and exited when the door is opened and closed is selected. The incoming / outgoing food extraction image estimated by the incoming / outgoing food estimation device 11 is transmitted via the information communication device 8 to the operation panel 1 or the portable terminal that requested the image by wired communication or wireless communication and displayed. Is done.

  FIG. 7 is an example of the data after image processing of the refrigerator compartment and the food / removal food extraction image in the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. That is, a food extraction image obtained by image processing in the image processing device 7 and a food extraction image selected by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11 and estimated to have entered and exited are shown. 7A is a food extraction image extracted by image processing in the image processing device 7 when the door is opened and closed at time A. FIG. 7B is a door when the door is opened and closed at time B (the next door after time A). The food extraction image extracted by the image processing in the image processing device 7 at the time of opening and closing, and FIG. 7C shows the food output selected as having been output by the input / output food estimation device 11 when the door at time B is opened and closed. An extracted image, FIG. 7D, is an incoming food extracted image selected by the incoming / outgoing food estimation apparatus 11 when the door at time B is opened and closed.

  In FIG. 7, (a) when the door is opened and closed at time A, and (b) when the door is opened and closed at time B, each door is opened and closed. The stock status can be estimated based on the amount of data, and the food extracted and stored when the door is opened and closed can be estimated as an image by comparing food extraction images when the door is opened and closed twice. That is, for the door opening and closing at time B, (a) the food extraction image at the time of opening and closing the door at time A is the stock status before the door opening and closing at time B, and (b) the food extraction image at the time of opening and closing the door at time B is Since the stock status after opening and closing the door at time B is shown, the food extracted in (a) shown in (c) but not extracted in (b) has been delivered at the opening and closing of the door at time B. (d) It is possible to estimate that the food that has not been extracted in (a) and extracted in (b) has been received when the door is opened and closed at time B.

  FIG. 8 is an example of a method for displaying a food extraction image on a portable terminal in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. That is, the food extraction image (= stock food extraction image) obtained by image processing in the image processing apparatus 7 and the input / output food extraction image selected by the input / output food estimation apparatus 11 shown in FIG. It is an image. 8A is a display example of a food extraction image of stock food when the door at time B is opened and closed, and FIG. 8B is a list display together with identification information of warehousing / departing until the door is opened and closed at time B. It is an example of a display of a food extraction image.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (a), only the extracted stock food image when opening and closing a specific door can be easily browsed, so that the stock food can be confirmed in a list at a remote place, for example, a shopping destination, which is useless. It becomes possible to prevent over-buying or forgetting to buy ingredients. Further, in FIG. 8B, for example, by searching backwards for the target food, it is possible to estimate the current remaining amount and the best / expiration date from the warehousing and leaving history.

  In FIG. 6, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, a food image is extracted by the image processing device 7 from the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 photographed by the camera 3. Then, although the entering / exiting food image is estimated by the entering / exiting food estimation apparatus 11, the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 makes the refrigerator compartment door 101 at a specific angle as in the third embodiment. You may extract a food image using the whole image in the refrigerator compartment 100 image | photographed with the camera 3 in the middle. Even when the image is taken at a specific door angle, a food image can be extracted for each door opening and closing, so the same effect can be obtained.

  Further, FIG. 8 shows an example in which a food extraction image (= stock food extraction image) obtained by image processing in the image processing device 7 and an input / output food extraction image selected by the input / output food estimation device 11 are displayed on the mobile terminal. However, the medium to be displayed may be the operation panel 1 installed outside the refrigerator compartment door 101. Even if it is not a remote place, if the inventory status and the loading / unloading can be confirmed without opening the door, it is possible to suppress useless cooling by opening and closing the door.

[Embodiment 5]
FIG. 9: is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. Items that are not particularly described in the fifth embodiment are the same as those in the first to fourth embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  In FIG. 9, the storage amount estimation device 12 (storage amount estimation means) is built in the image server 2 in the configuration of the fourth embodiment, and is connected to the incoming / outgoing food estimation device 11 and the information communication device 8. The storage amount estimation device 12 estimates the storage amount in the refrigerator compartment 100 from the food images that are selected by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11 and estimated to have entered and exited. In other words, the storage amount estimation device 12 uses the food image of the food that is estimated to be currently stored in the refrigeration room 100, selected by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11, and the current storage amount in the refrigeration room 100. Is estimated. In addition, the information communication device 8 is configured to transmit the storage amount estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 to the operation panel 1 or the user's mobile terminal.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as in the first to fourth embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 9, as in the second embodiment, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the entire image inside the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 is implemented. As in Embodiments 1 to 4, the image is once stored in the image memory 6 and then transferred to the image processing device 7 to obtain the food extraction image shown in FIG. 3D by image processing. Similar to the fourth embodiment, the food extraction image at the time of opening and closing the door and the stock food image at the time of opening and closing the door are extracted by comparing the food extraction image at the time of opening and closing the door with the input / output food estimation device 11. And transferred to the storage amount estimation device 12. In the fifth embodiment, the storage amount estimation device 12 estimates the storage amount in the refrigerator compartment 100 using the incoming / outgoing food image and the stock food image, and the food image extracted by the incoming / outgoing food estimation device 11. At the same time, the storage amount estimation result is transmitted via the information communication device 8 to the requested operation panel 1 or portable terminal by wired communication or wireless communication and displayed.

  FIG. 10 is an example of a storage amount estimation result and a stock food image display method in the portable terminal in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 10 shows the storage amount estimation result superimposed on the inventory food image list as shown in FIG. 10A shows the display result when the storage amount is large (storage rate: about 90%), and FIG. 10B shows the display result when the storage amount is small (storage rate: about 60%). When scrolling to the top, the right side is when the screen is scrolled to the bottom.

  As shown in the inventory list of FIG. 10, from the food extraction image estimated for each door opening / closing and the information for identifying the shooting time and the warehousing / shipping associated with the image, estimated by the warehousing / removing food estimation device 11. By calculating the number of food extraction images that are estimated to be in stock at a certain time, it is possible to estimate the volume occupancy rate, that is, the storage amount by the approximate storage items. For example, in the case of FIG. 10A in which 24 color images taken in the absence of stored items are obtained, and 22 stock food images are obtained, 22/24 = 92% ≈ In the case of FIG. 10B in which 90% and 14 stock food images are obtained, the storage amount is estimated by the storage amount estimation device 12 such that 14/24 = 58% ≈60%, and this storage amount estimation is performed. As shown in FIG. 10, by transmitting the result together with the inventory food image list to the user's portable terminal via the information communication device 8, for example, it is possible to grasp the storage capacity during shopping at a remote place, and therefore waste that cannot be stored The effect that it is possible to prevent shopping and the like is obtained.

  In FIG. 9, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, a food image is extracted by the image processing device 7 from the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3. Then, the storage amount in the refrigerator compartment 100 is estimated by the storage amount estimation device 12 using the storage / estimation food image and the stock food image estimated by the storage / estimation food estimation device 11. Similarly, the food image may be extracted by the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 by using the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 while the refrigerator compartment door 101 is at a specific angle while the door is being opened / closed. . Even when the image is taken at a specific door angle, a food image can be extracted for each door opening and closing, so the same effect can be obtained.

  In FIG. 10, the food extraction image (= stock food extraction image) obtained by image processing in the image processing device 7 and the storage amount estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 estimated by the storage amount estimation device 12 are displayed on the mobile terminal. Although an example is shown, the operation panel 1 installed outside the refrigerator compartment door 101 may be used as the medium to be displayed. Even if it is not a remote place, if the stock status and the storage amount can be confirmed without opening the door, it is possible to suppress useless cooling by opening and closing the door.

[Embodiment 6]
FIG. 11: is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. Note that items not particularly described in the sixth embodiment are the same as those in the first to fifth embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  In FIG. 11, in addition to the configuration of the fifth embodiment, an internal temperature sensor 13 (internal temperature detection means) that detects the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 100 is installed on, for example, the back wall of the refrigerator compartment 100. In addition, a cooling load estimation device 14 (cooling load estimation means) is built in the image server 2 installed on the outside ceiling of the refrigerator 1000, and inputs from the storage amount estimation device 12 and the internal temperature sensor 13 are input. In response, the cooling load estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 is transmitted to the operation panel 1 or the user's portable terminal via the information communication device 8.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as those in the first to fifth embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 11, as in the second embodiment, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the entire image inside the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 is implemented. As in Embodiments 1 to 5, after being temporarily stored in the image memory 6, it is transferred to the image processing device 7, and the food extraction image shown in FIG. 3D is obtained by image processing. By comparing the food extraction images when the door is opened and closed twice in succession, the entering / exiting food image and the stock food image when opening and closing the door are extracted by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11 as in the fourth embodiment. As in the fifth embodiment, the storage amount estimation device 12 estimates the storage amount in the refrigerator compartment 100 based on the occupation ratio of the stock food image. In the sixth embodiment, the cooling load estimation device 14 is refrigerated using the storage amount estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 by the storage amount estimation device 12 and the air temperature detection result in the refrigerator compartment 100 by the internal temperature sensor 13. The cooling load in the room 100 is estimated, and the cooling load estimation result is sent to the requested operation panel 1 or portable terminal via the information communication device 8 together with the food image extracted by the food entry / exit food estimation device 11. It is transmitted and displayed by wired communication or wireless communication.

  Here, when food is stored in the refrigerator 1000, in order to maintain the quality of the food, it is necessary to cool the food at a temperature suitable for the cooling load of the food. In general, the cooling load is proportional to the storage amount, but even if the storage amount is small, if the thermal load of the stored item is large, the cooling load increases, and if the storage amount increases further, the quality of the food deteriorates. Even if the amount of storage is large, if the temperature is stable at a low temperature, the cooling load is small, so there is no need to reduce the storage amount. It may deteriorate. Therefore, in order to estimate the cooling load, it is desirable to reflect not only the amount of food stored but also the temperature of the air in the cabinet.

  Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the result of air temperature detection by the internal temperature sensor 13 is reflected in the storage amount estimation result by the storage amount estimation device 12, and the cooling load estimation device 14 performs refrigeration. The cooling load in the chamber 100 is estimated.

  12-14 is an example of the actual measurement data which shows the temperature history of the refrigerator compartment in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. FIG. 12 shows storage capacity occupancy: 0%, FIG. 13 shows storage capacity occupancy: 40%, and FIG. 14 shows storage capacity occupancy: 70%. First, the refrigerator compartment door 101 of the refrigerator compartment 100 is fully opened for 1 minute. These are the measured values of the temperature and power consumption at each position in the refrigerator compartment 100 when operated for 24 hours. 12 to 14, (a) is the main temperature and power consumption in the refrigerator compartment 100, (b) is the shelf temperature in the refrigerator compartment 100, and (c) is the actual measurement of the door shelf temperature in the refrigerator compartment 100. It is a result. Also, (a) shows a refrigerator compartment ceiling average temperature 15 which is the average temperature of the refrigerator compartment ceiling surface, a refrigerator compartment back average temperature 16 which is the average temperature of the refrigerator compartment back, and a blower installed on the back of the refrigerator compartment 100. The refrigerator compartment blowout average temperature 17 which is the average temperature of the cooling air supplied from an exit, and the total power consumption 18 of the refrigerator 1000 whole are shown. (B) shows the mass temperature 19 of each shelf in the refrigerator compartment 100 divided into four stages by the refrigerator compartment shelf plate 102. More specifically, the refrigerator compartment shelf uppermost mass temperature 19a, the refrigerator compartment shelf is shown. The second-stage mass temperature 19b, the refrigerator compartment shelf third-stage mass temperature 19c, and the refrigerator compartment shelf lowest-stage mass temperature 19d are shown. (C) shows the mass temperature 20 of each door shelf (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment 100 installed on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 101 by three steps, and more specifically, the upper compartment of the refrigerator compartment door shelf. The mass temperature 20a, the refrigerator compartment door shelf middle mass temperature 20b, and the refrigerator compartment door shelf lower mass temperature 20c are shown. The stored items are simulated with instant noodles in bags, and the measurement position of the mass temperature 19 of each shelf in the refrigerator compartment 100 shown in (b) is on the back side of the stored items.

  From FIG. 12 to FIG. 14, in the internal temperature history of (a) to (c), the higher the storage volume occupancy, the lower the mass temperature 19 of the refrigerator compartment shelf that is arranged on the back side from the stored items. It is shown that Moreover, it is shown that the mass temperature 20 of the refrigerator compartment door shelf arrange | positioned at the door side from the stored item is high temperature. That is, it is shown that the supply of cooling air to the door side is hindered by the stored items. In particular, when the storage volume occupation ratio in FIG. 14 is 70%, the shelf temperature below the inside of the refrigerator compartment 100, the third compartment temperature 19c in the refrigerator compartment shelf, and the lowest compartment temperature 19d in the refrigerator compartment shelf are 0 ° C. or less. It has dropped to. On the other hand, the upper shelf temperature 20a of the refrigerator compartment door shelf, which is the upper shelf temperature in the refrigerator compartment 100, is maintained at 13 to 14 ° C., which is a temperature environment that deviates from the refrigerator compartment and promotes the deterioration of food. It has been shown that The total power consumption 18 is maintained at a maximum value of about 50 W when the storage volume occupation ratio is 0 to 70%. However, the period during which the compressor is turned off and only the pneumatic conveying device is operated decreases as the storage volume occupation ratio increases. That is, it is shown that the higher the storage volume occupancy rate, the higher the power consumption.

  Accordingly, in addition to the storage amount estimation result by the storage amount estimation device 12, the cooling load estimation device 14 estimates the cooling load in the refrigerator compartment 100 using the air temperature detection result by the internal temperature sensor 13, and the information communication device 8 Since the cooling load estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 is transmitted to and displayed on the operation panel 1 or the user's portable terminal via the display, the storage quality of the food can be stored even if there is a margin, By disclosing information to the user that the cooling temperature is low and there is no problem even if the set temperature is raised, the optimal storage, cooling method, and energy-saving behavior are maintained. The effect that can be enlightened.

  Here, in FIG. 11, the internal temperature sensor 13 is installed on the back wall of the third-stage refrigerator compartment shelf 102, but the installation position is not limited to this location, and the air in the refrigerator compartment 100 is not limited to this location. As long as the temperature can be represented, the back wall of another refrigerator compartment shelf 102 or the refrigerator compartment door 101 side may be used. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, if the internal temperature sensor 13 is installed in the vicinity of the measurement position of the refrigeration room door shelf upper stage mass temperature 20a where the temperature rise is most remarkable due to an increase in the amount of storage, the quality can be deteriorated. It is possible to quickly detect the sex and alert the user.

  In FIG. 11, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the camera 3 captures an entire image of the refrigerator compartment 100. Not limited to this, similarly to the third embodiment, the door opening / closing angle detection sensor 10 takes a whole image of the refrigerator compartment 100 by the camera 3 while the door of the refrigerator compartment 101 is at a specific angle. Also good. A food image is extracted from the entire image in the refrigerator compartment 100 by the image processing device 7 and refrigerated by the storage amount estimation device 12 using the incoming and outgoing food image and the stock food image selected by the incoming and outgoing food estimation device 11. The same effect can be obtained by estimating the storage amount in the room 100 and estimating the cooling load in the refrigerator compartment 100 by the cooling load estimation device 14 using the storage amount estimation result.

[Embodiment 7]
FIG. 15: is a schematic block diagram (side sectional drawing) of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 7 of this invention. Note that items not particularly described in the seventh embodiment are the same as those in the first to sixth embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.
In FIG. 15, the refrigerator 1000 includes a refrigeration cycle circuit that cools air supplied to each storage room, and an air passage for supplying air cooled by the refrigeration cycle circuit to each storage room.

  The refrigeration cycle circuit includes a compressor 1002, a condenser (not shown) that condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1002, a throttle device (not shown) that expands the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser, and a throttle device. The cooler 1003 etc. which cools the air supplied to each store room with the expanded refrigerant | coolant are comprised. The compressor 1002 is arrange | positioned at the lower part of the back side of the refrigerator 1000, for example. The cooler 1003 is provided in a cooling air passage 1010 described later. The cooling air passage 1010 is also provided with an air conveyance device 1004 for sending air cooled by the cooler 1003 to each storage room (in other words, for circulating air in the refrigerator 1000).

  The air path for supplying the air cooled by the refrigeration cycle circuit to each storage room is composed of a cooling air path 1010, a return air path 1020, a refrigeration room return air path 104, a vegetable room return air path 501 and the like. ing. The cooling air path 1010 is formed in the back surface part of the refrigerator 1000, for example, and is a ventilation path through which the air cooled by the cooler 1003 is conveyed to each storage room. The inflow amount of the cooling air into each storage room is adjusted by a damper installed in the cooling air passage 1010 (a blowout air volume control device, only the refrigerating room damper 105 for the refrigerating room is shown in FIG. 15). The return air passage 1020 is a ventilation passage through which air that has cooled each chamber is conveyed to the cooler 1003. The refrigerator compartment return air passage 104 is a ventilation passage through which the air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 100 and the chilled chamber 110 is conveyed to the vegetable compartment 500. The air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 100 and the chilled chamber 110 is mixed with the air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 500 in the vegetable compartment return air passage 501, and is conveyed to the cooler 1003.

  In FIG. 15, in addition to the configuration of the sixth embodiment, a cooling control device 21 (cooling control means) is mounted on a control board 1001 installed on the back surface of the refrigerator 1000. The cooling control device 21 is connected to the compressor 1002, the air conveyance device 1004, the refrigerating room damper 105 and other storage room dampers (not shown). The cooling control device 21 receives inputs from the storage amount estimation device 12 and the cooling load estimation device 14 incorporated in the image server 2, sends a control signal to necessary equipment, and operates via the information communication device 8. The configuration is such that the estimation result of the cooling load in the cabinet, the control content to each device, the set temperature of each storage room, and the like can be transmitted to the panel 1 or the user's portable terminal.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as those in the first to sixth embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 15, as in the second embodiment, when the door opening / closing detection sensor 9 detects that the refrigerator compartment door 101 is closed, the entire image inside the refrigerator compartment 100 taken by the camera 3 is implemented. As in Embodiments 1 to 5, after being temporarily stored in the image memory 6, it is transferred to the image processing device 7, and the food extraction image shown in FIG. 3D is obtained by image processing. By comparing the food extraction images when the door is opened and closed twice in succession, the entering / exiting food image and the stock food image when opening and closing the door are extracted by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11 as in the fourth embodiment. Similarly to the fifth embodiment, the storage amount estimation device 12 estimates the storage amount in the refrigerator compartment 100 based on the occupation ratio of the stock food images. Furthermore, as in the sixth embodiment, the air temperature detection result in the refrigerator compartment 100 by the internal temperature sensor 13 is reflected in the storage amount estimation result, and the cooling load in the refrigerator compartment 100 is estimated by the cooling load estimation device 14. The cooling load estimation result is transmitted to the requested operation panel 1 or portable terminal via the information communication device 8 and displayed together with the food image extracted by the entering / exiting food estimation device 11.

  Further, in FIG. 15, the internal air cooled by the cooler 1003 is generally conveyed to each storage room by the air conveying device 1004 via the cooling air passage 1010. And the return air after cooling each store room becomes a circulation air path which returns to the cooler 1003 again via the return air path 1020. At this time, air (for example, −30 ° C. to −25 ° C.) cooled by the cooler 1003 is distributed to cool each storage chamber, and the cooling air is opened and closed by opening and closing a plurality of dampers including the refrigerator compartment damper 105. By adjusting the amount of inflow, individual temperature settings are made for each storage room. For example, the inflow damper of the freezing room 400 (for example, −22 ° C. to −16 ° C.) that is set to the lowest temperature is almost fully opened, and the inflow damper of the vegetable room 500 (for example, 3 ° C. to 9 ° C.) that is set to the highest temperature is almost all It is closed. And the vegetable room 500 is indirectly cooled with the return air which cooled the refrigerator compartment 100 (for example, 0 degreeC-6 degreeC) and the chilled room 110 (for example, 0 degreeC-2 degreeC) lower in temperature setting than the vegetable room 500, etc., The temperature setting has been changed.

  Here, in response to overcooling or undercooling, the temperature setting of each storage room can be adjusted to about ± 2 ° C to 3 ° C. For example, the freezer room 400 is refrigerated to about -25 ° C to -13 ° C. The setting of the chamber 100 can be changed in the range of about −2 ° C. to 9 ° C. When a specific storage room is set to a low temperature due to insufficient cooling, for example, when only the refrigerating room 100 is lowered, the flow of cooling air into the refrigerating room 100 is increased by increasing the opening of the refrigerating room damper 105. If the number of storage chambers needs to be lowered, the number of rotations of the compressor 1002 and the amount of air conveyed by the air conveying device 1004 are increased to increase the cooling capacity of the refrigeration cycle circuit. Become. Therefore, the power consumption of the refrigerator 1000 increases. Conversely, when the temperature of a storage room is increased due to overcooling, the damper opening is reduced for a specific storage room to reduce the inflow of cooling air, and for multiple storage rooms Since the rotation speed of the compressor 1002 and the amount of air transported by the air transport device 1004 are reduced, the power consumption of the refrigerator 1000 is reduced.

  The power consumption of the refrigerator 1000 is smaller than that of other home appliances such as room air conditioners and IH cooking heaters, but since the food is managed, cooling cannot be stopped (power off), so power saving operation is performed. Therefore, it is necessary to raise the set temperature of each storage room according to the preservation | save state of foodstuffs or a cooling load. For example, when the amount of food stored in the storage room is small, or when the amount of stored food is large and stable at low temperatures, the cooling capacity will be excessive. It becomes possible to carry out power saving operation without impairing the power consumption.

  Therefore, in the seventh embodiment, the cooling control device 21 receives the storage amount by using at least one of the storage amount estimation result by the storage amount estimation device 12 and the cooling load estimation result in the warehouse by the cooling load estimation device 14 as an input. And at least one of the compressor 1002, the air conveyance device 1004, and the damper is controlled according to one of the cooling loads. For example, when the storage amount in the storage chamber is small or the cooling load is small even when the storage amount is large and the cooling capacity is sufficient, the number of rotations of the compressor 1002 and the amount of air flow conveyed by the air conveying device 1004 are decreased. When the cooling control device 21 transmits the signal, it is possible to reduce the power consumption level while maintaining the storage quality of the food.

  Further, when the cooling load of only a specific storage room increases, for example, a signal indicating that the door of the refrigerator compartment 100 frequently opens and closes during breakfast or dinner and the cooling load of the refrigerator compartment 100 increases rapidly is obtained from the cooling load estimating device 14. In this case, the cooling control device 21 transmits a signal for increasing the open ratio of the refrigerator compartment damper 105 and reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 1002 and the amount of air flow conveyed by the air conveyance device 1004, thereby cooling the refrigerator compartment 100 in a concentrated manner. By allowing air to flow in, the power consumption level of the refrigerator 1000 as a whole can be reduced.

[Embodiment 8]
FIG. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of a home system on which a refrigerator according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention is placed. Note that items not particularly described in the eighth embodiment are the same as those in the first to seventh embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the network system according to the eighth embodiment includes a home system 2000 that is a home network system. In this in-home system 2000, room air conditioners, hot water heaters, lighting devices, televisions and other home appliances including the refrigerator 1000, and a power measuring device 2002 are connected to the system power supply 2001 by a power line and supplied with power. . Household appliances include not only the above five types but also all devices that can be connected via a network, such as a personal computer, in addition to IH cooking heaters, rice cookers, air purifiers, cleaners, and the like. The power measurement apparatus 2002 can measure the power (power consumption) supplied to each home appliance and the total power supplied from the system power supply 2001 by using a power measurement terminal 2003 such as a CT, and can store a history. . In addition, an information communication device 8 for two-way communication with the home controller 2004 is connected to each home appliance and the power measuring device 2002 either internally or externally. At this time, as the information communication device 8, wireless communication modules such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (registered trademark) are assumed, but each home appliance and the home controller 2004 are placed in the same home, for example, serial You may connect by a wire using an interface and LAN. The in-home controller 2004 manages the power consumption of each home appliance and the power supplied to the system power supply 2001 obtained from the power measuring device 2002, and the operating state and ambient environment information obtained from each home appliance. It is also possible to transmit a control change instruction to it.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as in the first to seventh embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 16, each household electrical appliance such as a refrigerator 1000, a room air conditioner, a water heater, a lighting device, and a television is operated by being supplied with power from the system power supply 2001, and continuously or when requested. Via the information communication device 8, information on the driving state and the surrounding environment is transmitted to the home controller 2004. For example, in the refrigerator 1000, the operation state information includes set temperature and actual temperature history of each storage room, operation modes such as presence / absence of ice making operation and rapid cooling operation, and alerts such as an empty water tank and an open door state. There is information. As information on the surrounding environment, for example, in a room air conditioner, there is information such as indoor air temperature and air humidity detected from the intake air, and in an illumination device, there is information such as indoor illuminance.

  At this time, the electric power measurement terminal 2003 measures the current supplied to each home appliance, the power measurement device 2002 calculates the power consumption of each home appliance and the supply power of the system power supply 2001, and the information communication device 8 The power information is transmitted to the in-home controller 2004. The in-home controller 2004 manages the power consumption of each home appliance and the supply power of the system power supply 2001 obtained from the power measuring device 2002, and the operating state and ambient environment information obtained from each home appliance, A control change instruction is transmitted to each home appliance based on the information. For example, when the total power consumption of each household electrical appliance is close to the supply capacity of the system power supply 2001, a power saving instruction is transmitted to a household electrical appliance with particularly large power consumption. When it is determined that the cooling is excessive from the temperature and the actual temperature history, it is possible to instruct an increase in the set temperature.

  Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1000, as described in the seventh embodiment, the cooling control device 21 receives the storage amount estimation result by the storage amount estimation device 12 and the cooling load estimation result in the warehouse by the cooling load estimation device 14 as inputs. The compressor 1002 and the air conveyance device 1004 are controlled according to the storage amount and the cooling load. At this time, in the cooling control of the refrigerator 1000, generally, basic control such as the operation rate of the compressor 1002 is determined by the air temperature around the refrigerator 1000 before cooling with the set temperature of each storage room as a target. . That is, if the temperature around the refrigerator 1000 is low, the antifreeze heater is operated instead of suppressing the operation of the compressor 1002, and conversely if the temperature is high, the operation rate of the compressor 1002 and the frequency of the defrost operation are increased. Optimized to cool without any problems.

  Therefore, in the eighth embodiment, the refrigerator 1000 receives environmental information around the refrigerator 1000 (environment in which the refrigerator 1000 is installed) from other home appliances via the information communication device 8, that is, the home system 2000. Obtain. And the cooling control apparatus 21 of the refrigerator 1000 changes the cooling capacity with respect to a storage room based on the said environmental information. In the eighth embodiment, as the environment information, for example, indoor air temperature / humidity information by a room air conditioner and indoor illuminance information by a lighting device can be obtained via the in-home controller 2004. . That is, the cooling control device 21 of the refrigerator 1000 determines basic control based on the air temperature around the refrigerator 1000, obtains illuminance information other than the air temperature, and reflects the environmental load around the refrigerator 1000 reflecting the solar radiation and lighting load. For example, it is necessary to maintain the cooling capacity because the load due to solar radiation is high even at low temperatures, or "the high temperature is due to lighting and the cooling load is not so high because it is nighttime". Since the judgment can be made, it is possible to perform cooling without excessive or insufficient in maintaining the preservation quality of the food, and it is possible to obtain an effect of suppressing wasteful operation and saving energy. In the eighth embodiment, the cooling control device 21 is used as an environmental load estimating means for estimating the cooling load of the environment where the refrigerator 1000 is placed based on the environmental information. Of course, the environmental load estimating means may be provided separately from the cooling control device 21.

  Further, since the refrigerator 1000 can obtain air humidity information in the room (that is, around the refrigerator 1000) via the home controller 2004, the humidity information can be reflected in the operation of the refrigerator 1000. For example, when estimating the external cooling load as described above, not only the latent heat load can be taken into account, but also in the defrosting operation where the power consumption is the largest, in the case of low humidity, frosting by opening and closing the door Therefore, the power consumption can be greatly reduced by reducing the number of defrosting operations or extending the time interval.

  On the other hand, as described in the first to seventh embodiments, the processing from the refrigerator 1000 side to the in-home controller 2004 is performed by the image processing device 7 as shown in FIGS. The post-processing image, the storage food estimation in the refrigerator compartment 100 estimated by the storage food estimation image 12 and the storage food estimation image, stock food image and stock food image extracted by the storage food estimation device 11, The cooling load estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 estimated by the cooling load estimation device 14 and the control change contents implemented by the cooling control device 21 are transmitted via the information communication device 8. In the eighth embodiment, the information transmitted from the information communication device 8 can be browsed by the home controller 2004 and other home appliances. If you can browse power consumption information and control change details including other home appliances, you can check the power consumption suppression effect by the control change of the entire home in a list, and on the TV or personal computer screen the image after processing by the image processing device 7 By browsing the stock food image, it is possible to purchase food without waste through the Internet while checking the storage status and stock food without going to the refrigerator 1000. As shown in FIG. 17 to be described later, if the user's portable terminal 3003 is connected to the home controller 2004, an image processed by the image processing device 7, an image of a stock food, or the like can be viewed from the user's portable terminal. You can also.

[Embodiment 9]
FIG. 17 is a schematic configuration diagram of an in-home system and an out-of-home system on which a refrigerator according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention is placed. Note that items not particularly described in the ninth embodiment are the same as those in the first to eighth embodiments, and the same functions and configurations are described using the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the network system according to the ninth embodiment includes an out-of-home system 3000 that is an out-of-home network system in addition to the in-home system 2000. Specifically, a broadband router 2005 is installed in the home system 2000 shown in Embodiment 8, and the home controller 2004 is connected to the Internet 3001 in the outside system 3000 via the broadband router 2005. Furthermore, the Internet 3001 is connected to a cloud server 3002 (external server) in which environmental information such as various power information and weather forecasts is stored, and a user portable terminal 3003 such as a smartphone or a portable tablet. For this reason, the home controller 2004 obtains power information and environmental information from the cloud server 3002, while obtaining power consumption of each home appliance, power supplied from the system power supply 2001, and each home appliance obtained from the power measurement device 2002. In this configuration, the information on the operating state and the surrounding environment can be transmitted to the mobile terminal 3003 of the user.

  The cloud server 3002 stores, for example, a database in which the ID of the refrigerator 1000 and the ID of the user's portable terminal 3003 are registered, and restricts access to a specific refrigerator 1000 from other than the registered portable terminal 3003. A personal authentication means is provided.

  Next, an example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation, the same parts as in the first to eighth embodiments will not be described.

  In FIG. 17, the in-home controller 2004 obtains the power consumption of each home appliance and the supply power of the system power supply 2001 from the power measuring device 2002 in the home system 2000 as described in the eighth embodiment. Get information on driving conditions and surrounding environment. Furthermore, in the ninth embodiment, since it is connected to the Internet 3001 via the broadband router 2005, it is possible to obtain various power information and environmental information from the cloud server 3002. For example, as power information, the supply and demand situation of power related to the area where the home system 2000 is installed is obtained, and when the power consumption in the area is approaching the power that can be supplied, it is particularly suitable for household appliances with large power consumption. A power saving instruction is transmitted to the refrigerator 1000, and when the refrigerator 1000 is determined to be excessively cooled from the set temperature of the storage room and the actual temperature history, an increase in the set temperature can be instructed.

  Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1000, as described in the seventh embodiment, the cooling control device 21 receives the storage amount estimation result by the storage amount estimation device 12 and the cooling load estimation result in the warehouse by the cooling load estimation device 14 as inputs. The compressor 1002 and the air conveyance device 1004 are controlled according to the storage amount and the cooling load, and the temperature / humidity information and the illuminance information are obtained via the in-home controller 2004 in the same manner as in the eighth embodiment. The environmental load is estimated and reflected in the cooling control. Further, in the ninth embodiment, for example, as weather information, weather forecast information regarding the area where the home system 2000 is placed is obtained from the cloud server 3002, and the fluctuation of the cooling load (environmental load) is predicted. Therefore, since the cooling control device 21 can instruct the control corresponding to the cooling load in advance, it becomes possible to cope with a sudden environmental change, and the effect that the preservation quality of the food can always be maintained is obtained.

  Further, as shown in the eighth embodiment, from the refrigerator 1000 side, the processed images shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D processed by the image processing device 7 and the incoming / outgoing food estimation device 11 are processed. The food image and stock food image at the time of opening and closing the door, the storage amount estimation result in the refrigerator compartment 100 estimated by the storage amount estimation device 12, and the cooling load estimation device 14 estimated The cooling load estimation result in the refrigerating room 100 and the control change content implemented by the cooling control device 21 are transmitted via the information communication device 8 and can be browsed by the home controller 2004 and other home appliances. Furthermore, in the ninth embodiment, these pieces of information can be browsed from the user's portable terminal 3003 outside the home via the broadband router 2005 and the Internet 3001. At this time, since the personal authentication means in the cloud server 3002 can restrict browsing from a registered user other than the mobile terminal 3003, for example, if the family mobile terminal 3003 is registered, the security can be maintained and the storage room can be maintained. It is possible to share information such as storage status and stocked foods, and the effect of preventing family members from buying doubles or forgetting to buy them can be obtained.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation panel, 2 Image server, 3 Camera (imaging means), 4 Signal receiver (Signal receiver), 5 Shooting signal transmitter (Shooting signal transmitter), 6 Image memory (Image storage means), 7 Image processor (Image processing means), 8 information communication device (communication means), 9 door opening / closing detection sensor (door opening / closing detection means), 10 door opening / closing angle detection sensor (door opening / closing angle detection means), 11 entry / exit food estimation device (entry / exit) Food estimation means, inventory food estimation means), 12 storage amount estimation device (storage amount estimation means), 13 internal temperature sensor (internal temperature detection means), 14 cooling load estimation device (cooling load estimation means), 15 refrigerator compartment Ceiling surface average temperature, 16 refrigerator compartment back average temperature, 17 refrigerator compartment blowout average temperature, 18 total power consumption, 19 mass temperature, 19a refrigerator compartment shelf top stage mass temperature, 19b refrigerator compartment shelf second stage Temperature, 19c Refrigerating room shelf 3rd stage mass temperature, 19d Refrigerating room shelf bottom mass temperature, 20 Mass temperature, 20a Refrigerating room door shelf upper mass temperature, 20b Refrigerating room door shelf middle mass temperature, 20c Refrigerating room door shelf lower mass Temperature, 21 Cooling control device (cooling control means), 100 refrigerator compartment, 101 refrigerator compartment door, 102 refrigerator compartment shelf, 103 refrigerator compartment illumination (illuminating means), 104 refrigerator compartment return air path, 105 refrigerator compartment damper (blowout air volume) Control device), 110 chilled room, 111 chilled case, 200 ice making room, 300 switching room, 400 freezer room, 500 vegetable room, 501 vegetable room return air path, 1000 refrigerator, 1001 control board, 1002 compressor, 1003 cooler, 1004 Air conveying device, 1010 Cooling air passage, 1020 Return air passage, 2000 Home system, 2001 System power supply, 20 2 power measuring device, 2003 power measurement terminal, 2004-house controller, 2005 broadband router, 3000 out-of-home system, 3001 Internet, 3002 cloud server (external server), 3003 mobile terminal.

Claims (19)

At least one storage chamber having a storage chamber door for closing and opening the opening;
Photographing means for photographing the storage chamber;
An imaging signal transmission means for causing the imaging means to image the storage room based on an instruction from the outside or the open / close state of the storage room door,
Image storage means for temporarily storing the storage room image photographed by the photographing means;
Image processing means for processing the storage room image temporarily stored in the image storage means into an image in which the amount of communication data of one time is reduced compared to the storage room image;
A communication unit that communicates with the display device by wired or wireless communication, and transmits the processed image processed by the image processing unit to the display device;
A refrigerator characterized by comprising. At least the image storage means, the image processing means, and the communication means are stored in an image server installed in the vicinity of the refrigerator housing and outside the storage room.
The refrigerator according to claim 1. The photographing means and the image storage means are connected by wire,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. It has time acquisition means to obtain time information,
The time obtaining means obtains photographing time information when the storage room image is photographed, or transmission time information for transmitting the processed image,
The communication means transmits the photographing time information or the transmission time information to the display device together with the processed image processed by the image processing means.
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. When the storage room is photographed by the photographing means,
The image storage means is erased except for the latest storage room image,
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Door opening and closing detection means for detecting opening and closing of the storage room door;
Illumination means that lights when the storage compartment door is open;
With
When detecting the closed state of the storage room door by the door opening and closing detection means,
The photographing signal transmission means turns off the illumination means after the photographing means has photographed the storage chamber,
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The storage room door is a door that rotates with one end side as a fulcrum,
A door opening / closing angle detection means for detecting an opening / closing angle of the storage compartment door;
The photographing signal transmission means causes the photographing means to photograph the storage chamber when a predetermined angle is detected by the door opening / closing angle detection means.
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The processed image processed by the image processing unit is a compressed image in which the resolution of the storage room image temporarily stored in the image storage unit is reduced.
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-7 characterized by the above-mentioned. The processed image processed by the image processing means is a divided image obtained by dividing the storage room image temporarily stored in the image storage means into a predetermined area area or a predetermined number in the storage room. ,
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-7 characterized by the above-mentioned. The processed image processed by the image processing means is a food image obtained by extracting a food portion installed in the storage room from the storage room image temporarily stored in the image storage means.
The refrigerator as described in any one of Claims 1-7 characterized by the above-mentioned. By comparing the food images of the two consecutive storage room images taken based on the opening and closing state of the storage room door, the food of the food that is estimated to have entered when the storage room door is opened and closed It is provided with an incoming / outgoing food estimation means for selecting an image and the food image of the food that is estimated to have been delivered,
The communication means transmits the food image selected by the incoming and outgoing food estimation means to the display device together with identification information of incoming and outgoing goods.
The refrigerator according to claim 10. Based on the food image of the two consecutive storage room images taken based on the open / closed state of the storage room door, and the food image selected by the entering / exiting food estimation means, A stock food estimation means for selecting the food image of the food that is estimated to be stored;
The communication means transmits the food image selected by the stock food estimation means to the display device.
The refrigerator according to claim 11. The storage amount estimation means for estimating the current storage amount in the storage room based on the food image of the food that is estimated to be currently stored in the storage chamber, selected by the stock food estimation means,
The refrigerator according to claim 12. An internal temperature detecting means for detecting the air temperature in the storage chamber;
Cooling load estimation means for estimating a cooling load in the storage chamber based on the storage amount in the storage chamber estimated by the storage amount estimation means and the air temperature in the storage chamber detected by the internal temperature detection means. The
The refrigerator according to claim 13. A refrigeration cycle circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and a cooler;
An air conveying device for conveying the cooling air cooled by the cooler to the storage chamber;
A blowout air volume control device that adjusts an inflow amount of the cooling air supplied to the storage chamber;
At least one of the compressor, the air conveyance device, and the blown air amount control device according to at least one of the storage amount information obtained by the storage amount estimation means and the cooling load information obtained by the cooling load estimation means. A cooling control means for transmitting a control signal to change the cooling capacity for the storage room;
The refrigerator according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising: The communication means is connected to a home network in a residence where the refrigerator is placed together with other home appliances,
Based on environmental information around the refrigerator obtained from the other home appliances via a home network, an environmental load estimation means for estimating the cooling load of the environment where the refrigerator is placed is provided.
The cooling control means changes the cooling capacity for the storage room based on the estimation result of the environmental load estimation means.
The refrigerator according to claim 15. The communication means is connected to an external server via the Internet,
The cooling control means changes the cooling capacity for the storage room based on environmental load information obtained from the external server for estimating the cooling load of the environment where the refrigerator is placed.
The refrigerator according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that. A network system comprising the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
Information transmitted from the refrigerator via the communication means can be viewed on a home controller that manages a home network, a home appliance connected to the home controller, and a mobile terminal connected to the home controller.
A network system characterized by this. A network system comprising the refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
The external server includes personal authentication means for managing the ID of the portable terminal and the ID of the refrigerator,
Information transmitted from the refrigerator via the communication means can be viewed on the portable terminal existing outside the home via the personal authentication means.
A network system characterized by this.