Content and context aware microscopic cooling optimization for refrigerators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655907-B2
Application number	US-201715844167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: detecting a first type of food item added to a first compartment of a refrigerator, determining an ideal storage temperature associated with the type of food item added to the first compartment, adjusting an ambient storage temperature in the first compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item, detecting a second type of food item added to a second compartment of the refrigerator, determining an ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item added to the second compartment, and adjusting an ambient storage temperature in the second compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item. The ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item is different than the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling temperature settings, comprising:
detecting a first type of food item added to a first compartment of a refrigerator;
determining an ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item added to the first compartment;
adjusting an ambient storage temperature in the first compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item;
detecting a second type of food item added to a second compartment of the refrigerator;
determining an ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item added to the second compartment;
adjusting an ambient storage temperature in the second compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item;
projecting whether a temperature of the first type of food item will reach an optimal temperature by a time associated with a future event which corresponds to the first type of food item, wherein projecting whether the temperature of the first type of food item will reach the optimal temperature by the future event includes approximating a current temperature of the first type of food item; and
adjusting the ambient storage temperature in the first compartment in response to projecting that the temperature of the first type of food item will not reach the optimal temperature by the time associated with the future event,
wherein the ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item is different than the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second types of food items are detected using a detection component selected from the group consisting of: a digital camera, a barcode scanner, and a wireless tag reader.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second types of food items are detected using the digital camera, wherein detecting the first and second types of food items includes using image recognition software in combination with an input from the digital camera.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the future event is detected from a source of information selected from the group consisting of: an email account, text messages, a calendar, a location of a user, a current time, and audio monitoring.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein projecting whether the temperature of the first type of food item will reach the optimal temperature by the future event includes evaluating collected user context and/or historical data corresponding to previous use of the refrigerator.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second compartments are individually controllable and configured to maintain the ambient storage temperature in the first compartment at a value that is different than a value of the ambient storage temperature in the second compartment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein projecting whether the temperature of the first type of food item will reach the optimal temperature by the future event includes determining a heat capacity which corresponds to the first type of food item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the current temperature of the first type of food item is approximated by evaluating a thermal scan of the first type of food item, wherein the thermal scan of the first type of food item is captured by a camera located in an interior of the refrigerator.

9. A computer program product for controlling temperature settings, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
detecting, by the processor, a first type of food item added to a first compartment of a refrigerator;
determining, by the processor, an ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item added to the first compartment;
adjusting, by the processor, an ambient storage temperature in the first compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item;
detecting, by the processor, a second type of food item added to a second compartment of the refrigerator;
determining, by the processor, an ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item added to the second compartment;
adjusting, by the processor, an ambient storage temperature in the second compartment to substantially match the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item;
using, by the processor, a specific heat capacity which corresponds to the first type of food item to project whether a temperature of the first type of food item will reach an optimal temperature by a time associated with a future event which corresponds to the first type of food item; and
adjusting, by the processor, the ambient storage temperature in the first compartment in response to projecting that the temperature of the first type of food item will not reach the optimal temperature by the time associated with the future event,
wherein the ideal storage temperature associated with the first type of food item is different than the ideal storage temperature associated with the second type of food item.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the first and second types of food items are detected using a digital camera, wherein detecting the first and second types of food items includes using image recognition software in combination with an input from the digital camera.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , the program instructions readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the method comprising:
detecting, by the processor, the future event which corresponds to the first type of food item.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the future event is detected from a source of information selected from a group consisting of: an email account, text messages, a calendar, a location of a user, a current time, and audio monitoring.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein using, by the processor, the specific heat capacity which corresponds to the first type of food item to project whether the temperature of the first type of food item will reach the optimal temperature by the time associated with the future event includes measuring a current temperature of the first type of food item using one or more sensors.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the first and second compartments are individually controllable and configured to maintain the ambient storage temperature in the first compartment at a value that is different than a value of the ambient storage temperature in the second compartment.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 , the program instructions readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the method comprising:
approximating, by the processor, a current temperature of the first type of food item; and
using, by the processor, the current temperature of the first type of food item and the specific heat capacity which corresponds to the first type of food item to project whether the temperature of the first type of food item will reach the optimal temperature by the time associated with the

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hwang Inseok
• Liu Su
• Rozner Eric J
• Yoo Chungkuk

Classifications

• F25D29/003 Primary

  for movable devices · CPC title

• F25D2600/06

  Controlling according to a predetermined profile · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• G05D23/1934

  each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means · CPC title

• F25D2700/08

  Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] · CPC title