Refrigerating device with a camera module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132547-B2
Application number	US-201414910337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerating device includes a camera module for capturing a first digital image with markings in the interior of the refrigerating device. The refrigerating device includes a processing device which is configured to convert the first digital image into a second digital image on the basis of the captured markings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerating device, comprising:
an inner container defining a refrigerating device interior;
a refrigerating device door enclosing said refrigerating device interior;
markings disposed in said refrigerating device interior;
a camera module for capturing a first digital image including said markings;
an electrical triggering line triggering said camera module for initiating image capturing at a triggering point and capturing images of said inner container from different angles upon said refrigerating device door being opening or closed; and
a processing device configured to convert said first digital image into a second digital image on a basis of said captured markings;
said processing device analyzing a digital image of said captured image and identifying said markings;
said processing device using said markings to crop said image to an area defined by said markings; and
said markings and said processing device enabling images captured by said camera module and obtained from different angles to be adapted and to have distortion removed from said captured images permitting different refrigerating space crops to be compensated for at different angular speeds of said refrigerating device door.

2. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , which further comprises an inner refrigerating device container, said markings being formed by projections having geometrical shapes inside said inner container.

3. The refrigerating device according to claim 2 , wherein said markings are formed by edges inside said inner container.

4. The refrigerating device according to claim 2 , wherein said markings differ in color from said inner container.

5. The refrigerating device according to claim 2 , wherein said markings include four markings defining a rectangular area inside said inner container.

6. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said markings are triangular in shape.

7. The refrigerating device according to claim 2 , wherein said markings are retroreflectors.

8. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , which further comprises an illumination device disposed in a vicinity of said camera module.

9. The refrigerating device according to claim 8 , wherein said illumination device includes a flash device.

10. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to remove an edge area of said first digital image on the basis of said markings, in order to obtain said second digital image.

11. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to change an image size of said first digital image on the basis of said markings, in order to obtain said second digital image.

12. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to adapt an image resolution of said first digital image on the basis of said markings, in order to obtain said second digital image.

13. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to select an image crop of said first digital image on the basis of said markings, in order to obtain said second digital image.

14. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to carry out an image rotation of said first digital image on the basis of said markings, in order to obtain said second digital image.

15. The refrigerating device according to claim 1 , wherein said processing device is configured to apply at least one of a trapezoidal filter or a distortion filter on the basis of said markings.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Grimminger Jochen
• Kempfle Stephan
• Werner Hans Peter
• Wetzel Gerhard

Classifications

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D11/00 Primary

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G06T5/006

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04N5/2628

  Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation · CPC title