JP6910113B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator capable of capturing an image of the inside of the refrigerator.

Conventionally, there are refrigerators and refrigerator systems that can grasp the storage status in the refrigerator from the images captured by the imaging unit. In such a refrigerator and a refrigerator system, if the lens of the imaging unit becomes cloudy, it becomes impossible to acquire a clear image.
Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, the temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator are measured, the dew point temperature is calculated based on the temperature and humidity measurement results, and when the lens of the imaging unit is below this dew point temperature, the lens is used. A refrigerator that prevents cloudiness by warming it with a heater and raising it above the dew point temperature is described.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a refrigerator in which the periphery of the lens of the image pickup unit is kept at a low temperature and low humidity by taking an image during the cooling operation to promote the elimination of dew condensation on the image pickup unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-163585 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-196844

In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 2, an image is taken during the cooling operation to prevent fogging of the lens. However, if the cold air is concentrated toward the lens, the food around the imaging unit is excessively cooled, which may deteriorate the storage quality, for example, the refrigerated food freezes or the food dries. be. In addition, by concentrating the cold air toward the lens, the cold air does not reach other areas in the refrigerator, causing an extreme difference in the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator. For example, in a part of the space inside the refrigerator, the temperature exceeds the set temperature. There is a possibility that the storage quality of food may deteriorate, such as an increase in storage temperature.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable a clear image to be acquired even when the image pickup unit becomes cloudy due to opening and closing of a door.

The refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator that cools an object, and has a storage chamber for storing and cooling the object, a door that is opened and closed when the object is taken in and out of the storage chamber, and opening and closing of the door. A sensor for detecting the temperature, an image pickup unit for capturing an image in the storage room, and a heater for warming the image pickup unit are provided, and after the sensor detects that the door is closed, the outside of the refrigerator is provided. than determined dew point temperature by the temperature and humidity, if the temperature of the storage chamber is low, pre-Symbol to measure the waiting time by operating the heater, after the elapse of the waiting time, the image of the storage chamber to the imaging unit it is captured, that the door is closed after detecting said sensor, when the temperature of the storage chamber is the dew point temperature or higher, prior to the expiration of the previous SL standby time, the storage chamber to the imaging unit It is characterized in that the image of is taken.

According to one aspect of the present invention, since the image is taken after the waiting time elapses after the door is closed, a clear image can be obtained even when the imaging unit becomes cloudy due to the opening and closing of the door.

It is a front view of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiments 1-8. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1-6 and Embodiment 8. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the control part which controls the imaging process in a refrigerator in Embodiments 1-8. (A) and (B) are schematic views showing a hardware configuration example of the control unit in the first to eighth embodiments. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the fifth embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the relationship between the cloudiness elimination time and the estimated dew condensation amount in Embodiment 5. It is a schematic diagram which shows the relationship between the cloudiness elimination time and the amount of water vapor contained in Embodiment 5. 6 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the sixth embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the inside of the refrigerator in a state where the opening / closing door in the seventh embodiment is closed. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerating chamber in Embodiment 7. FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the seventh embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using an open / close sensor in the sixth embodiment.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
Refrigerator 100 cools the things stored inside. The refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerating room 110, a switching room 120, an ice making room 130, a freezing room 140, and a vegetable room 150 as storage rooms for storing and cooling things.
The refrigerating chamber 110 is arranged at the uppermost part of the refrigerator 100, and includes an opening / closing door 111 which is a door that is opened / closed when putting in and taking out the things contained therein. The opening / closing door 111 is provided with an operation unit 112 composed of a liquid crystal display unit, an input unit, and the like for displaying the temperature and the like of each room for the purpose of operating the temperature setting and the like of each room.
The switching chamber 120 is arranged below the refrigerating chamber 110, and the internal temperature can be switched to a freezing temperature zone (-18 ° C.) or a soft freezing (-7 ° C.) temperature zone. The switching chamber 120 includes a drawer door 121.

The ice making chamber 130 is arranged in parallel with the switching chamber 120, and includes a drawer door 131.
The freezing chamber 140 is arranged below the switching chamber 120 and the ice making chamber 130, and includes a drawer door 141.
The vegetable compartment 150 is located at the bottom and includes a drawer door 151.
The configuration of the refrigerator 100 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the configuration of the refrigerator 100 may be another configuration, such as one in which at least one of the switching chamber 120 and the ice making chamber 130 is not provided.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG.
The refrigerator 100 is surrounded by a heat insulating material 101. The storage chamber of the refrigerator 100 is cooled by sending the cold air cooled by the cooler 102 by the blower fan 103. The temperature is detected by the temperature sensors 104a to 104d inside the refrigerator, which are temperature sensors installed in the storage chamber, and the opening degree of the damper (not shown), the output of the compressor 105, and the blower fan 103 are set so as to reach a preset temperature. The amount of air blown is controlled.

A food shelf 113 is installed in the refrigerating chamber 110 to partition the storage space, and a food storage case 106a is installed in the chilled chamber 114 kept at a specific storage temperature at the lower part. The presence / absence and layout of the food shelf 113, the chilled chamber 114, and the food storage case 106a are not limited to the illustrated examples.

Each of the ice making chamber 130, the freezing chamber 140, and the vegetable compartment 150 is also provided with food storage cases 106b to 106d.

Doors 111, 113 to 151 of the storage chambers 110 to 150 are provided with open / close sensors 107a to 107d, which are sensors for detecting the opening and closing of the doors 111, 113 to 151.
Further, in the refrigerator compartment 110, in addition to the open / close sensor 107a, a lighting 115 is installed on the ceiling. When the user opens the open / close door 111 for storing food or the like, the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation and the light 115 is turned on.

The opening / closing door 111 is provided with a pocket 116 for storing food.
Further, the opening / closing door 111 is provided with an image acquisition unit 117 as an image capturing unit for capturing an image in the refrigerating chamber 110 so as to capture an image in the depth direction of the refrigerating chamber 110. In the first embodiment, two image acquisition units 117 are installed in the refrigerator in order to expand the imaging range of the image in the refrigerator. For example, one image acquisition unit 117 may be installed. In addition, three or more image acquisition units 117 may be installed.
Further, the opening / closing door 111 is provided with an internal temperature sensor 104a for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator and an internal humidity sensor 118 for detecting the humidity inside the refrigerator.
Further, the opening / closing door 111 is provided with an outside temperature sensor 108 for detecting the temperature outside the refrigerator and an outside humidity sensor 109 for detecting the humidity outside the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the control unit 160 that controls the imaging process in the refrigerator 100.
The control unit 160 includes a controller 161, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 161 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image. At this time, the controller 161 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image after the waiting time has elapsed since the opening / closing sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door. Therefore, the image acquisition unit 117 captures an image in the refrigerating chamber 110 after a waiting time has elapsed after the opening / closing sensor 107a detects that the opening / closing door 111 has been closed. In the first embodiment, the waiting time is a predetermined fixed time.
The controller 161 can also control the heater 171 that warms the image acquisition unit 117.

The image storage unit 162 temporarily stores the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 117.
When a plurality of image data are generated at the time of one imaging, the image processing unit 163 generates image data in which a plurality of images represented by the plurality of image data are combined into one image. One image data processed by the image processing unit 163 is displayed by the operation unit 112, and is also displayed by an image display terminal such as a smartphone or tablet via a data communication unit 170 corresponding to NFC (Near Field Communication) or the like. It is sent to 180 and displayed. Further, the image data is transmitted from the router 181 to the Internet 182 via the data communication unit 170 corresponding to the wireless LAN standard, and is received by the server device 183. The server device 183 can store the received image data, and can also send the received image data to the image display terminal 180 for display.

Therefore, the user can confirm the image in the refrigerator similar to the case where the user stands in front of the refrigerator 100 and opens the opening / closing door 111 on the operation unit 112 and the image display terminal 180. As a result, the storage status in the refrigerator compartment 110 can be grasped without opening the opening / closing door 111 and even at a place away from the refrigerator 100.

The refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment has the internal temperature sensors 104a to 104d, the internal humidity sensor 118, the external temperature sensor 108, the external humidity sensor 109, and the heater 171 among the configurations shown in FIG. It does not have to be provided.

A part or all of the control unit 160 described above includes, for example, a memory 190 and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in the memory 190, as shown in FIG. 4 (A). ) And other processors 191. Such a program may be provided through a network, or may be recorded and provided on a recording medium.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, for example, a part or all of the control unit 160 includes a single circuit, a decoding circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated). It can also be configured by a processing circuit 192 such as a Circuits) or an FPGA (Field Processor Gate Array).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the first embodiment.
First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S10), the controller 161 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S11).

After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S12), the controller 161 waits for a predetermined waiting time (S13), and signals that the waiting time has elapsed, and stores the image acquisition unit 117. The inside is imaged (S14).

After that, when the controller 161 detects that the image acquisition unit 117 has completed imaging (S15), the controller 161 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S16).

According to the first embodiment, each time the open / close sensor 107a detects that the door is closed, the inside of the refrigerator is imaged, so that the user can always check the latest image.
Further, by setting the lighting period of the lighting 115 from the closing of the door to the end of the imaging, it is possible to capture a clear image of the inside of the refrigerator and obtain an energy saving effect by suppressing the lighting lighting time. The controller 161 may turn off the illumination 115 once when the door is closed, and then turn it on again when the standby time elapses to perform imaging.
In addition, in the first embodiment, the opening / closing sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the opening / closing door 111, waits for a waiting time, and then performs imaging. For this reason, the image acquisition unit 117 that has been cooled in the refrigerator is exposed to the air outside the refrigerator when the door is opened in a state of being below the dew point temperature in the air outside the refrigerator, and the image acquisition unit 117 becomes cloudy. Even in such a case, it is possible to secure a time until the cloudiness is cleared by touching the low-temperature and low-humidity air in the refrigerator. Therefore, since the imaging can be performed in a state where the cloudiness is surely eliminated, a clear image can be acquired.

Embodiment 2
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 260 in the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment includes a controller 261, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 260 in the second embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 261 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image. At this time, the controller 261 changes the standby time according to the opening time, which is the time between the opening and closing of the opening / closing door 111, which is measured by using the opening / closing sensor 107a. For example, the controller 261 determines the waiting time so that the longer the opening time, the longer the waiting time. However, the controller 261 has a predetermined maximum value of the waiting time, and when the opening time exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the maximum value is used as the waiting time. As an example, the controller 261 can determine the waiting time corresponding to the opening time by using the table information in which the corresponding waiting time is determined for each range of the opening time.

The refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment has the internal temperature sensors 104a to 104d, the internal humidity sensor 118, the external temperature sensor 108, the external humidity sensor 109, and the heater 171 among the configurations shown in FIG. It does not have to be provided.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the second embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the waiting time from detecting the closing operation of the door to performing the imaging is changed according to the opening time of the door.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S20), the controller 261 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S21) and starts timing the opening time.
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S22), the controller 261 ends the time counting of the opening time and specifies the opening time of the opening / closing door 111 from the door opening operation to the door closing operation (S23). ).

Then, the controller 261 determines the waiting time based on the opening time of the opening / closing door 111 (S24), and waits for the determined waiting time (S25). Then, on the signal that the waiting time has elapsed, the controller 261 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator (S26).
After that, when the controller 261 detects that the image acquisition unit 117 has completed imaging (S27), the controller 261 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S28).

From the opening time of the opening / closing door 111, the amount of water vapor contained in the ambient air of the image acquisition unit 117 after the door closing operation can be predicted. For example, when the door opening time is long, high-temperature and high-humidity air outside the refrigerator enters the refrigerator, and the amount of water vapor contained in the ambient air of the image acquisition unit 117 after the door is closed increases. For this reason, it can be expected that the dew condensation on the image acquisition unit 117 will not dry easily, and the time until the cloudiness will disappear will be long. Further, if the opening time of the opening / closing door 111 is short, the amount of water vapor contained is small, so that the dew condensation on the image acquisition unit 117 is likely to dry, and it is expected that the time until the cloudiness is cleared is shortened.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the door opening time is long, the controller 261 can more accurately eliminate the cloudiness by setting the waiting time longer, and can improve the imaging quality. Further, when the door opening time is short, the controller 261 can shorten the time from when the door is closed until the user can check the latest image by setting the waiting time to be short.

Further, by setting the standby time based on the opening time of the door obtained from the open / close sensor 107, the imaging quality can be improved without adding parts not related to the imaging operation itself.

Embodiment 3
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 360 in the refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment includes a controller 361, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 360 in the third embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 361 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image. At this time, the controller 361 acquires the outside temperature, which is the temperature outside the refrigerator 300, from the outside temperature sensor 108, and changes the standby time according to the outside temperature. For example, the controller 361 determines the standby time so that the higher the outside temperature, the longer the standby time. However, the controller 361 has a predetermined maximum value of the standby time, and when the outside temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the maximum value is used as the standby time. As an example, the controller 361 can determine the standby time corresponding to the outside temperature by using the table information that defines the corresponding standby time for each range of the outside temperature.

The refrigerator 300 according to the third embodiment does not have the internal temperature sensors 104a to 104d, the internal humidity sensor 118, the external humidity sensor 109, and the heater 171 in the configuration shown in FIG. good.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the third embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the waiting time from the detection of the door closing operation to the imaging is changed according to the outside temperature.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S30), the controller 361 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S31).
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S32), the controller 361 acquires the outside temperature, which is the temperature outside the refrigerator 300, from the outside temperature sensor 108 (S33).

Then, the controller 361 determines the standby time based on the outside temperature (S34), and waits for the determined standby time (S35). Then, on the signal that the waiting time has elapsed, the controller 361 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator (S36).
After that, when the controller 361 detects that the image acquisition unit 117 has completed imaging (S37), the controller 361 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S38).

The amount of dew condensation adhering to the image acquisition unit 117 after the door closing operation can be predicted from the outside temperature. For example, when the outside temperature is high, the amount of water vapor contained in the outside air increases. On the other hand, the temperature of the air in the refrigerator 300 is controlled so as to be maintained at the temperature set by the operation unit 112, and the fluctuation of humidity is small because of the closed space. Therefore, it is considered that the saturated water vapor pressure in the refrigerator has only a slight fluctuation depending on the operating conditions. That is, when the outside temperature is high, the difference between the amount of water vapor contained in the outside air and the amount of saturated water vapor in the air around the image acquisition unit 117 installed inside the refrigerator is large, which is the cause of cloudiness. It can be expected that the amount of dew condensation will increase. Therefore, when the outside temperature is high, the cloudiness can be eliminated more accurately and the imaging quality can be improved by setting a long standby time. Further, when the outside temperature is low, the waiting time can be set short to shorten the time from when the user closes the door until the latest image can be confirmed.

Embodiment 4
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 400 according to the fourth embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 460 in the refrigerator 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a controller 461, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 460 in the fourth embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 461 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image. At this time, the controller 461 acquires the outside humidity, which is the humidity outside the refrigerator 400, from the outside humidity sensor 109, and changes the standby time according to the outside humidity. For example, the controller 461 determines the standby time so that the higher the humidity outside the refrigerator, the longer the standby time. However, the controller 461 has a predetermined maximum value of the standby time, and when the humidity outside the refrigerator exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the maximum value is used as the standby time. As an example, the controller 461 can determine the standby time corresponding to the outside humidity by using the table information that defines the corresponding standby time for each range of the outside humidity.

The refrigerator 400 according to the fourth embodiment does not have the internal temperature sensors 104a to 104d, the internal humidity sensor 118, the external temperature sensor 108, and the heater 171 in the configuration shown in FIG. good.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the fourth embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the waiting time from detecting the closing operation of the door to performing the imaging is changed according to the humidity outside the refrigerator.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S40), the controller 461 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S41).
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S42), the controller 461 acquires the outside humidity, which is the humidity outside the refrigerator 400, from the outside humidity sensor 109 (S43).

Then, the controller 461 determines the standby time based on the humidity outside the refrigerator (S44), and waits for the determined standby time (S45). Then, on the signal that the waiting time has elapsed, the controller 461 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator (S46).
After that, when the controller 461 detects the completion of imaging by the image acquisition unit 117 (S47), the controller 461 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S48).

The amount of dew condensation adhering to the image acquisition unit 117 after the door closing operation can be predicted from the humidity outside the refrigerator. As mentioned above, it is considered that the saturated water vapor pressure inside the refrigerator has only a slight fluctuation depending on the operating conditions. Therefore, when the humidity outside the refrigerator is high, the amount of water vapor contained in the air outside the refrigerator and the image acquired inside the refrigerator are acquired. It can be expected that the difference from the saturated water vapor pressure of the air around the part 117 is large, and the amount of dew condensation on the image acquisition part 117, which is the cause of cloudiness, increases. Therefore, when the humidity outside the refrigerator is high, the cloudiness can be eliminated more accurately and the imaging quality can be improved by setting a long standby time. In addition, when the humidity outside the refrigerator is low, the user can check the latest image without waiting after the door is closed by setting the waiting time short.

In the above-described embodiments 2 to 4, the controllers 261, 361, and 461 become longer as the amount of water vapor contained in the refrigerating chamber 110 increases, as described in the following embodiment 6. As such, the waiting time may be determined.

Embodiment 5
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 560 in the refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment includes a controller 561, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 560 in the fifth embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 561 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image.
At this time, first, the controller 561 determines whether or not cloudiness occurs in the image acquisition unit 117. For example, the controller 561 identifies the dew point temperature from the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity detected by the outside humidity sensor 109. Then, the controller 561 causes cloudiness when the temperature inside the refrigerator detected by the temperature sensor 104a is lower than the specified dew point temperature, and cloudiness occurs when the temperature inside the refrigerator is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature. Is determined not to occur.
The controller 561 may calculate the dew point temperature by a known method. For example, the controller 561 may obtain the dew point temperature by obtaining the water vapor pressure from the outside temperature and the outside humidity, and obtaining the temperature at which the water vapor pressure is the saturated water vapor pressure. Further, the controller 561 may approximately calculate the dew point temperature using a saturated water vapor pressure table or the like defined by JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) or the like.
Further, the controller 561 may estimate the temperature inside the refrigerator from the temperature setting status inside the refrigerator.

Then, when the controller 561 determines that cloudiness occurs, the opening time when the opening / closing door 111 is open and the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 108, which are timed by the opening / closing sensor 107a, are determined. The standby time is changed according to the outside humidity detected by the outside humidity sensor 109. For example, the controller 561 determines the standby time so that the longer the opening time, the higher the outside temperature, and the higher the outside humidity, the longer the waiting time. However, the maximum value of the standby time is predetermined in the controller 561, and when at least one of the opening time, the outside temperature and the outside humidity is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the waiting time is set. The maximum value is used as. As an example, the controller 561 determines the corresponding standby time by using the table information that defines the corresponding standby time for each combination of the open time range, the outside temperature range, and the outside humidity range. Can be done.
When the controller 561 determines that cloudiness does not occur, the open / close sensor 107a detects that the open / close door 111 has been closed, in other words, the image acquisition unit 117 takes an image before the waiting time elapses. To instruct.

The refrigerator 500 according to the fifth embodiment does not have to include the internal humidity sensor 118 and the heater 171 in the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the fifth embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in addition to determining the necessity of waiting for imaging based on the temperature outside the refrigerator and the humidity outside the refrigerator, waiting until the image is taken after the door closing operation is detected. The difference is that the time is changed according to the opening time of the door, the outside temperature and the outside humidity.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S50), the controller 561 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S51) and starts timing the opening time.
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S52), the controller 561 ends the time counting of the opening time and specifies the opening time of the opening / closing door 111 from the door opening operation to the door closing operation (S53). ).

Further, the controller 561 acquires the outside temperature from the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity from the outside humidity sensor 109.
Then, the controller 561 determines whether or not cloudiness has occurred, in other words, whether or not it is necessary to wait for imaging, based on the acquired outside temperature and outside humidity (S55). If it is determined that cloudiness has occurred (Yes in S55), the process proceeds to step S56, and if it is determined that cloudiness has not occurred (No in S55), the process proceeds to step S58.

In step S56, the controller 561 determines the standby time based on the opening time of the open / close door 111, the outside temperature, and the outside humidity. Then, the controller 561 waits for the determined standby time (S57). Then, the process proceeds to step S58.

In step S58, the controller 561 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator.
After that, when the controller 561 detects the completion of imaging by the image acquisition unit 117 (S59), the controller 561 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S60).

According to the fifth embodiment, the presence or absence of cloudiness is estimated to determine the necessity of waiting for imaging. Therefore, for example, when it is determined that waiting for imaging is not necessary, imaging is possible immediately after the door is closed, and the user Can check the latest image without waiting after the door is closed.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the relationship between the cloudiness elimination time and the estimated amount of dew condensation in the fifth embodiment. Further, FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the relationship between the cloudiness elimination time and the amount of water vapor contained in the fifth embodiment.
The estimated amount of dew condensation is obtained by the difference between the amount of water vapor contained in the outside air before the door is opened and the amount of saturated water vapor in the inside air around the image acquisition unit 117.
The estimated amount of dew condensation shown in FIG. 11 is a value calculated from the temperature and humidity of the outside air and the temperature of the inside air. As the estimated amount of dew condensation increases, the time from the door closing operation to the clearing of the cloudiness of the image acquisition unit 117 tends to increase, and the time from the temperature inside the refrigerator and the temperature inside the refrigerator to clear the cloudiness can be predicted. I understand.
The temperature inside the refrigerator may be the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 104a inside the refrigerator, or may be the temperature estimated from the temperature setting of the refrigerator 500.

The amount of water vapor contained can be calculated from the temperature and humidity of the air, and the amount of water vapor contained is a value calculated from the temperature and humidity of the air around the image acquisition unit 117 immediately after the door is closed. As the amount of water vapor contained increases, the time from the door closing operation to the clearing of the cloudiness of the image acquisition unit 117 tends to increase, and when compared with the relationship diagram between the cloudiness elimination time and the estimated dew condensation amount, it is primary. The relative residuals of the approximated results were small. From this, in addition to the temperature and humidity outside the refrigerator, the water vapor contained in the air around the image acquisition unit 117 after the door is closed is estimated from the door opening time, and the standby time is set based on the amount of water vapor contained, thereby causing cloudiness from the door closing operation. The time until it clears up can be calculated more accurately. As a result, a clear image can be acquired and the imaging quality can be improved.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the temperature / humidity around the opening / closing door 111 is detected by installing the outside temperature sensor 108, the outside humidity sensor 109, and the image acquisition unit 117 inside the opening / closing door 111. This makes it possible to calculate the waiting time more accurately. Further, the productivity can be improved by providing the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity sensor 109 on the substrate of the operation unit 112 and integrating them.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the controller 561 determines the standby time based on the opening time, the outside temperature, and the outside humidity, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the controller 561 may determine the standby time based on the open time as in the second embodiment, or may determine the standby time based on the outside temperature as in the third embodiment. , The standby time may be determined based on the humidity outside the refrigerator as in the fourth embodiment. Further, the waiting time may be a predetermined fixed time.

Embodiment 6
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 660 in the refrigerator 600 according to the sixth embodiment includes a controller 661, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 660 in the sixth embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 661 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image.
At this time, first, the controller 661 determines whether or not cloudiness occurs in the image acquisition unit 117. The determination here is the same as in the fifth embodiment.
Then, when the controller 661 determines that cloudiness occurs, the temperature inside the refrigerator 600, which is the temperature inside the refrigerator 600 detected by the temperature sensor 104a inside the refrigerator, and the humidity inside the refrigerator 600 detected by the humidity sensor 118 inside the refrigerator. The standby time is changed according to the humidity inside the refrigerator. For example, the controller 661 can calculate the amount of water vapor contained in the refrigerator, in other words, around the image acquisition unit 117 in the refrigerator chamber 110, based on the temperature inside the refrigerator and the humidity inside the refrigerator. Then, the controller 661 determines the standby time so that the larger the calculated amount of water vapor contained, the longer the standby time. However, the controller 661 has a predetermined maximum value of the standby time, and when the amount of water vapor contained exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the maximum value is used as the standby time. As an example, the controller 661 can determine the corresponding standby time by using the table information that defines the corresponding standby time for each range of the contained water vapor content.
The temperature inside the refrigerator may be the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 104a inside the refrigerator, or may be the temperature estimated from the temperature setting of the refrigerator 600.

The refrigerator 500 according to the sixth embodiment does not have to include the heater 171 in the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the sixth embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in addition to determining the necessity of waiting for imaging based on the temperature outside the refrigerator and the humidity outside the refrigerator, waiting until the image is taken after the door closing operation is detected. The difference is that the time is changed according to the temperature inside the refrigerator and the humidity inside the refrigerator.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S70), the controller 661 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S71).
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S72), the controller 661 acquires the outside temperature from the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity from the outside humidity sensor 109 (S73). ..

Then, the controller 661 determines whether or not cloudiness has occurred, in other words, whether or not it is necessary to wait for imaging, based on the acquired outside temperature and outside humidity (S74). If it is determined that cloudiness has occurred (Yes in S74), the process proceeds to step S75, and if it is determined that cloudiness has not occurred (No in S74), the process proceeds to step S78.

In step S75, the controller 661 acquires the internal temperature from the internal temperature sensor 104a and the internal humidity from the internal humidity sensor 118.
Then, the controller 661 determines the standby time based on the temperature inside the refrigerator and the humidity inside the refrigerator (S76), and waits for the determined standby time (S77). Then, the process proceeds to step S78.

In step S78, the controller 661 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator.
After that, when the controller 661 detects that the image acquisition unit 117 has completed imaging (S79), the controller 661 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S80).

By estimating the amount of water vapor contained in the air around the image acquisition unit 117 after the door is closed from the detected temperature and humidity inside the refrigerator, the time until the cloudiness is cleared can be calculated more accurately. As a result, a clear image can be acquired and the imaging quality can be improved.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the temperature / humidity around the opening / closing door 111 is detected by installing the outside temperature sensor 108, the outside humidity sensor 109, and the image acquisition unit 117 inside the opening / closing door 111. This makes it possible to calculate the waiting time more accurately.

Embodiment 7
As shown in FIG. 1, it is a front view of the refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment.
The refrigerator 700 includes a refrigerating room 710, a switching room 120, an ice making room 130, a freezing room 140, and a vegetable room 150. The refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment except for the refrigerating chamber 710.
The refrigerating chamber 710 includes an opening / closing door 711, which is different from the refrigerating chamber 110 in the first embodiment in the opening / closing door 711.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the inside of the refrigerator in a state where the opening / closing door 711 according to the seventh embodiment is closed.
As shown in FIG. 13, the opening / closing door 711 includes a pocket 116, an image acquisition unit 117, a center pillar 790, and a cover 791. The pocket 116 and the image acquisition unit 117 are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

The center pillar 790 is provided so as to cover the boundary partitioning the left side door 711A and the right side door 711B in the opening / closing door 711.
Further, in the center pillar 790, the image acquisition unit 117 is installed in a state of being housed in the cover 791.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerating chamber 710 according to the seventh embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 14, the center pillar 790 is equipped with a heater 171 to prevent dew due to cold air leakage from between the left door 711A and the right door 711B.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 760 in the refrigerator 700 according to the seventh embodiment includes a controller 761, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 760 in the sixth embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

The controller 761 determines whether or not the heater 171 needs to be energized. For example, the controller 761 identifies the dew point temperature from the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity detected by the outside humidity sensor 109. Then, the controller 761 determines that it is necessary to energize the heater 171 when the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 104a is lower than the specified dew point temperature, and the internal temperature is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature. If, it is determined that it is not necessary to energize the heater 171.
The controller 761 may estimate the temperature inside the refrigerator from the temperature setting status inside the refrigerator.

Then, when the controller 761 determines that it is necessary to energize the heater 171, the controller 761 heats the heater 171 built in the center pillar 790. As a result, the image acquisition unit 117 is heated via the cover 791, and the temperature of the image acquisition unit 117 becomes higher than the dew point temperature, so that cloudiness that occurs during imaging can be prevented.

Further, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 761 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image.
At this time, first, the controller 761 determines whether or not cloudiness occurs in the image acquisition unit 117. The determination here is the same as in the fifth embodiment.
Then, when it is determined that cloudiness occurs, the controller 761 changes the standby time according to the opening time when the opening / closing door 711 is open, which is measured by using the opening / closing sensor 107a. For example, the controller 761 determines the waiting time so that the longer the opening time, the longer the waiting time. However, the controller 761 has a predetermined maximum value of the waiting time, and when the opening time exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the maximum value is used as the waiting time.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the seventh embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the second embodiment, but the heat generated by the heater 171 is used to eliminate the cloudiness of the image acquisition unit 117, and when it is determined that the cloudiness occurs, the device waits. The difference is that time waiting is performed.

First, the controller 761 acquires the outside temperature from the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity from the outside humidity sensor 109 (S90).

Then, the controller 761 determines whether or not it is necessary to energize the heater 171 based on the acquired outside temperature and outside humidity (S91). If it is determined that the heater 171 needs to be energized (Yes in S91), the process proceeds to step S92, and if it is determined that the heater 171 does not need to be energized (No in S91), the process proceeds to step S92. Proceed to S94.

In step S92, the controller 761 starts energizing the heater 171. Then, when the controller 761 is energized for a predetermined period of time, the controller 761 ends the energization of the heater 171 (S93).
Here, since the processing of steps S90 to S93 is performed regularly, the image acquisition unit 117 can always be maintained at the dew point temperature or higher, so that a clear image without cloudiness can be obtained regardless of the environment inside and outside the refrigerator. Can be obtained.

In step S94, the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation. Then, the controller 761 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S95) and starts timing the opening time.
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S96), the controller 761 ends the time counting of the opening time and specifies the opening time of the opening / closing door 711 from the door opening operation to the door closing operation (S97). ).

Next, the controller 761 acquires the outside temperature from the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity from the outside humidity sensor 109 (S98).

Then, the controller 761 determines the presence / absence of cloudiness, in other words, the necessity of waiting for imaging, based on the acquired outside temperature and outside humidity (S99). If it is determined that cloudiness has occurred (Yes in S99), the process proceeds to step S100, and if it is determined that cloudiness has not occurred (No in S99), the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S100, the controller 761 determines the waiting time based on the opening time of the open / close door 711. Then, the controller 761 waits for the determined waiting time (S101). Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the controller 761 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator.
After that, when the controller 761 detects the completion of imaging by the image acquisition unit 117 (S103), the controller 761 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S104).

Since frequent energization of the heater 171 leads to deterioration of power consumption, the controller 761 estimates even if it is determined in step S91 that it is necessary to energize the heater 171 based on the outside temperature / humidity detection result. If the amount of dew condensation is small, it is not necessary to proceed to step S92. In such a case, the controller 761 provides a standby time (S100, S101) based on the specific result (S97) of the door opening time, thereby suppressing deterioration of power consumption due to energization of the heater 171 while suppressing image quality. Can be kept.

Embodiment 8
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 800 according to the eighth embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 860 in the refrigerator 800 according to the eighth embodiment includes a controller 861, an image storage unit 162, and an image processing unit 163.
The image storage unit 162 and the image processing unit 163 of the control unit 860 in the eighth embodiment are the same as the control unit 160 in the first embodiment.

When the open / close sensor 107a detects the closing operation of the door, the controller 861 instructs the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image.
At this time, first, the controller 861 determines whether or not cloudiness occurs in the image acquisition unit 117. The determination here is the same as in the fifth embodiment.
Then, when the controller 861 determines that cloudiness occurs, the opening time when the opening / closing door 111 is open and the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 108, which are timed by the opening / closing sensor 107a, are determined. The ventilation time by the blower fan 103 is changed according to the outside humidity detected by the outside humidity sensor 109. For example, the controller 861 makes the blowing time longer as the opening time is longer, the outside temperature is higher, and the outside humidity is higher. However, the maximum value of the ventilation time is predetermined in the controller 861, and when at least one of the opening time, the outside temperature and the outside humidity is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold value, the ventilation time is set. The maximum value is used as. As an example, the controller 861 determines the corresponding ventilation time by using the table information that defines the corresponding ventilation time for each combination of the opening time range, the outside temperature range, and the outside humidity range. Can be done.
The refrigerator 800 according to the eighth embodiment may not include the internal temperature sensors 104a to 104d, the internal humidity sensor 118, and the heater 171 in the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an imaging operation using the open / close sensor 107a in the sixth embodiment.
The basic processing flow is the same as that of the fifth embodiment, except that the ventilation control is used to eliminate the cloudiness of the image acquisition unit 117.

First, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door opening operation (S110), the controller 861 turns on the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S111) and starts timing the opening time.
After that, when the open / close sensor 107a detects the door closing operation (S112), the controller 861 ends the time counting of the opening time and specifies the opening time of the opening / closing door 111 from the door opening operation to the door closing operation (S113). ).

Next, the controller 861 acquires the outside temperature from the outside temperature sensor 108 and the outside humidity from the outside humidity sensor 109 (S114).

Then, the controller 861 determines whether or not cloudiness is generated, in other words, whether or not it is necessary to wait for imaging, based on the acquired outside temperature and outside humidity (S115). If it is determined that cloudiness has occurred (Yes in S115), the process proceeds to step S116, and if it is determined that cloudiness has not occurred (No in S115), the process proceeds to step S119.

In step S116, the controller 861 determines the ventilation time based on the opening time of the opening / closing door 111, the outside temperature, and the outside humidity. The controller 861 starts the operation of the blower fan 103 (S117). Then, when the controller 861 operates the blower fan 103 for the blower time determined in step S116, the controller 861 stops the operation of the blower fan 103 (S118). Then, the process proceeds to step S119.

In step S119, the controller 861 causes the image acquisition unit 117 to take an image of the inside of the refrigerator.
After that, when the controller 861 detects the completion of imaging by the image acquisition unit 117 (S120), the controller 861 turns off the lighting 115 in the refrigerator (S121).

According to the eighth embodiment, the time lag from the door closing operation to the image capture can be shortened, and the time until the user can confirm the latest image can be shortened.

In the eighth embodiment, the controller 861 determines the standby time based on the opening time, the outside temperature, and the outside humidity, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the controller 861 may determine the standby time based on the open time as in the second embodiment, or may determine the standby time based on the outside temperature as in the third embodiment. , The standby time may be determined based on the humidity outside the refrigerator as in the fourth embodiment. Further, the waiting time may be a predetermined fixed time. Further, the waiting time may be determined based on the amount of water vapor contained as in the sixth embodiment.

100,200,300,400,500,600,700,800 Refrigerator, 101 Insulation material, 102 Cooler, 103 Blower fan, 104 Temperature sensor, 105 Compressor, 106 Food storage case, 107 Open / close sensor, 108 Outside temperature Sensor, 109 Outdoor humidity sensor, 110,710 Refrigerator room, 111,711 Open / close door, 112 Operation unit, 113 Food shelf, 114 Chilled room, 115 Lighting, 116 pockets, 117 Image acquisition unit, 118 Internal humidity sensor, 120 Switching room, 121 drawer door, 130 ice making room, 131 drawer door, 140 freezer room, 141 drawer door, 150 vegetable room, 151 drawer door, 160, 260, 360, 460, 560, 660, 760, 860 control unit, 161 , 261, 361, 461, 561, 661, 761, 861 controller, 162 image storage unit, 163 image processing unit, 171 heater, 190 memory, 191 processor, 192 processing circuit.

Claims (7)

A refrigerator that cools things
A storage room for storing and cooling the above items,
A door that opens and closes when the item is taken in and out of the storage room,
A sensor that detects the opening and closing of the door and
An imaging unit that captures images in the storage room,
A heater for warming the imaging unit is provided.
Said door is closed from the sensor detects, than determined dew point temperature by the temperature and humidity of the outside of the refrigerator, wherein when the temperature of the storage chamber is low, the waiting time by operating the pre-Symbol heater After the elapse of the waiting time, the image pickup unit is made to take an image of the storage chamber.
Said door is closed after detecting said sensor, when the temperature of the storage chamber is the dew point temperature or higher, prior to the expiration of the previous SL waiting time, an image of the storage chamber to the imaging unit A refrigerator characterized by having an image taken. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time is a predetermined fixed time. A refrigerator that cools things
A storage room for storing and cooling the above items,
A door that opens and closes when the item is taken in and out of the storage room,
A sensor that detects the opening and closing of the door and
An imaging unit that captures images in the storage room,
A heater for warming the imaging unit is provided.
Said door is closed after detecting said sensor, said than outside temperature and dew point temperature determined by the humidity of the refrigerator, wherein when the temperature of the storage chamber is low, determines the waiting time, before Symbol heater To measure the waiting time, and after the waiting time elapses, the imaging unit is made to take an image of the storage chamber.
Refrigerators that the door is closed after detecting said sensor, when the temperature of the storage chamber is the dew point temperature or more, characterized in that to capture an image of the storage chamber prior SL imaging unit .. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time is longer as the time between the opening of the door and the closing of the door is longer. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time is longer as the temperature outside the refrigerator is higher. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time is longer as the humidity outside the refrigerator is higher. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time is longer as the amount of water vapor contained in the storage chamber is larger.

Images