Refrigerator and refrigerator watching system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10371439-B2
Application number	US-201514663355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator includes an outside environment information obtaining unit including at least one of a sound obtaining unit configured to obtain outside environment information and an imaging unit configured to image an outside environment, the outside environment information obtaining unit being configured to obtain outside environment information which is capable of grasping an outside situation and a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device connected thereto via a network, thereby rendering the outside environment information obtained by the outside environment information obtaining unit referable at the external device side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
at least one processor configured to detect a change in an operating state of a cooling operation of the refrigerator caused by a change in an installation environment of the refrigerator at a time when no user is operating the refrigerator;
at least one sensor including at least one of a microphone configured to obtain sound from an outside of the refrigerator in a room in which the refrigerator is installed in response to the at least one processor detecting the change in the operating state of the cooling operation of the refrigerator and a camera configured to obtain an image of the outside of the refrigerator in a room in which the refrigerator is installed in response to the at least one processor detecting the change in the operating state of the cooling operation of the refrigerator; and
a transceiver configured to communicate with an external device via a network, thereby transmitting outside environment information including the at least one of the sound and the image obtained by the at least one sensor to the external device, thereby causing the external device to display, by a display, the image and reproduce, by a loudspeaker, the sound from the outside environment information transmitted from the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect an opening and/or closing operation of a door of a storage compartment provided in the refrigerator, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the opening/closing operation of the door being detected by the at least one processor.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising an outside temperature sensor configured to detect an outside temperature, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the outside temperature obtained by the outside temperature sensor deviating from a set reference temperature range.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation panel configured to input settings to the refrigerator, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the setting operation being input from the operation panel.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a motion sensor configured to detect a human body present near the refrigerator, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to a human body being detected by the motion sensor.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information at intervals of a predetermined time.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising an illuminance sensor configured to detect an illuminance in an environment outside the refrigerator, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor exceeding a predetermined reference illuminance.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive operation command information transmitted from the external device side and to cause the at least one sensor to obtain the outside environment information, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the operation command information being received by the transceiver.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the operation command information includes an operation command a user of the external device artificially carries out.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the operation command information includes an operation command the external device automatically outputs in response to a predetermined output condition being met.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the transceiver is configured to receive operation setting information transmitted from the external device side and to set an operating condition including at least a time at which the at least one sensor obtains the outside environment information; and
the at least one sensor is configured to obtain the outside environment information in response to the operating condition set by the operation setting information received by the transceiver being met.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage configured to store the outside environment information obtained by the at least one sensor, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate the outside environment information stored in the storage to the external device and receive external information from the external device and store the external information in the storage.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the storage includes an external storage connected to the network.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to:
receive device side information obtained by at least one device side sensor provided at an external device side, the device side information including sound obtained by the at least one device side sensor and an image obtained by the at least one device side sensor, the device side information being information describing a situation at the external device side,
the refrigerator further comprising at least one of a refrigerator side loudspeaker configured to output a sound obtained by the at least one device side sensor and a refrigerator side display configured to display the image obtained by the at least one device side sensor.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein:
the transceiver is configured to receive informing command information transmitted from the external device side, the informing command information including information configured to affect operation of the at least one of the refrigerator side loudspeaker and the refrigerator side display; and
the at least one of the refrigerator side loudspeaker and the refrigerator side display is configured to inform the device side information in response to the informing command information being received by the transceiver.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the camera is provided on a central part of an upper front of the refrigerator side display.

17. A watching system comprising:
a refrigerator comprising:
at least one processor configured to detect a change in an operating state of a cooling operation of the refrigerator caused by a change in an installation environment of the refrigerator at a time when no user is operating the refrigerator;
at least one sensor including at least one of a microphone configured to obtain sound from an outside of the refrigerator in a room in which the refrigerator is installed in response to the at least one processor detecting the change in the operating state of the cooling operation of the refrigerator and a camera configured to obtain an image of the outside of the refrigerator in a room in which the refrigerator is installed in response to the at least one processor detecting the change in the operating state of the cooling operation of the refrigerator; and
a transceiver configured to transmit outside environment information including the at least one of the sound and the image obtained by the at least one sensor; and

an external device connected to the refrigerator via a network, the external device comprising

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Marutani Yuuki
• Furuta Kazuhiro
• Mashimo Takuya

Classifications

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F25D29/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• G08B21/22

  responsive to presence or absence of persons · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D29/003

  for movable devices · CPC title