Refrigerator with camera and control method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215483-B2
Application number	US-201715721131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment formed in a cabinet of the refrigerator by a fixed insulation wall, the storage compartment being provided with an access opening. The refrigerator also includes a door rotatably provided to the cabinet to open and close the access opening, a drawer provided in the storage compartment, a camera fixed to a ceiling of the storage compartment to photograph both a first region for storing of food arranged in an external space of the drawer and a second region for storing of food arranged in an internal space of the drawer, and a controller configured to separate, through a capturing time of a picture containing both the first region and the second region, a first region picture and a second region picture from the picture to individually divide and store the first region picture and the second region picture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet in which a storage compartment is defined by a fixed insulation wall, the storage compartment configured to store food and having an access opening;
a door rotatably provided at the cabinet and configured to open and close the access opening of the storage compartment;
a camera configured to take a photo that captures a plurality of regions of an interior of the storage compartment;
a display; and
at least one processor configured to control the display to display, simultaneously on a screen, a plurality of images that represent the plurality of regions,
wherein the plurality of images displayed on the screen of the display are arranged in a row and separated from each other, each image having the same width.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by controlling the displaying of each of the plurality of images independently from each other.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the displaying of each of the plurality of images independently from each other by:
updating the displaying of a first set of images among the plurality of images with new images; and
maintaining the displaying of a second set of images among the plurality of images.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display the plurality of images to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display the plurality of images such that the plurality of regions are displayed separately from each other.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display the plurality of images corresponding to a vertical arrangement of the plurality of regions in the storage compartment.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display the plurality of images corresponding to a horizontal arrangement of the plurality of regions in the storage compartment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display a frame surrounding the plurality of images.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of regions is displayed within the frame in the screen of the display.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of images have a same length in a vertical direction.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the plurality of images by:
controlling the display to display at least two regions, among the plurality of regions, that overlap each other in the storage compartment.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to divide the photo taken by the camera into a first image capturing a first region of the plurality of regions, and a second image capturing a second region of the plurality of regions.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein
the first region is a region that stores food in an external space of a drawer,
the second region is a region that stores food in an internal space of the drawer, and
the external space is inside of the cabinet and outside of the drawer.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to divide the photo taken by the camera into a first image capturing a first region of the plurality of regions, and a third image capturing a third region of the plurality of regions.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein
the first region is a region that stores food in an external space of a drawer,
the third region is a region under the drawer and vertically overlaps the drawer in a state in which the drawer is withdrawn, and
the external space is inside of the cabinet and outside of the drawer.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the camera is further configured to take the photo based on a closing of the drawer.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to individually replace the plurality of images within the frame with updated images of the plurality of regions.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kwanhyung
• Hong Samnyol
• Kwon Sungdu
• Lee Ikkyu
• Lee Myoungju
• Kim Jeonghwan

Classifications

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/52

  Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements · CPC title

• H04N23/633

  for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title