Electronic device for food management and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10908582-B2
Application number	US-201815881464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic device for food management and a control method thereof. A control method of an electronic device for food management includes measuring intensity of light, which is irradiated with food and reflected, by wavelengths using an infrared sensor; obtaining state information of the food based on the measured light intensity information; and adjusting at least one of temperature and humidity of an area where the food is disposed in the electronic device based on at least one of the obtained state information and preset usage plan information of the food. Accordingly, food which is managed in an optimal state in consideration of a state of a food stored in an electronic device and a using method (consumption period and consumption method) of the food can be provided to a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of an electronic device for managing food included in the electronic device, the method comprising:
irradiating light to an area where the food is disposed;
measuring an intensity of light, which is reflected by the food, by wavelengths;
obtaining state information of the food based on the measured intensity; and
adjusting at least one of temperature and humidity of the area where the food is disposed based on the obtained state information and usage plan information,
wherein the adjusting comprises:
identifying a storable date of the food based on the obtained state information,
identifying an expected date of consumption of the food based on the usage plan information,
based on the storable date being earlier than the expected date, adjusting at least one of the temperature and the humidity of the area where the food is disposed,
in response to identifying that a state of the food is a low grade based on the obtained state information, identifying a time period in which the food is stored in the electronic device, and
in response to the time period being longer than a predetermined time period, adjusting the at least one of the temperature and the humidity to store the food for a long time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises, in response to the usage plan information for long-term storage being input, adjusting at least one of the temperature and the humidity so that the food is able to be stored for a long time based on the state information of the food.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises, in response to the usage plan information for rapid ripening being input, adjusting at least one of the temperature and the humidity so that the food is able to be ripened within a period corresponding to use plan information for the rapid ripening.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a guide UI for the food on a screen based on the obtained state information,
wherein the guide UI comprises at least one of a first UI element for providing a food state and a second UI element for providing recipe information of the food.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining a state change model of the food from among a plurality of prestored state change models based on the measured intensity and obtaining food state information by applying light intensity of a specific wavelength from among light intensities by wavelengths of the food to the obtained state change model.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the state change model is a model which is generated by accumulating light intensities measured from wavelength of light which is reflected by irradiating the food with light.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises transmitting the measured intensity to an external server and receiving the state information of the food determined based on the measured intensity from the external server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state information comprises at least one of a type, ripening degree, and a content of nutrition of the food.

9. An electronic device for managing a food included in the electronic device, the electronic device comprising:
a sensor configured to irradiate light to an area where food is disposed and measure an intensity of light, which is reflected by the food, by wavelengths; and
a controller configured to:
obtain state information of the food based on the measured intensity, and
adjust at least one of temperature and humidity of the area where food is disposed based on the obtained state information and usage plan information, wherein during the adjusting the controller is further configured to:
identify a storable date of the food based on the obtained state information,
identify an expected date of consumption of the food based on usage plan information,
based on the storable date being earlier than the expected date, adjust at least one of the temperature and the humidity of the area where the food is disposed,
in response to identifying that a state of the food is a low grade based on the obtained state information, identify a time period in which the food is stored in the electronic device, and
in response to the time period being longer than a predetermined time period, adjust the at least one of the temperature and the humidity to store the food for a long time period.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device, in response to the usage plan information for long-term storage being input, adjusts at least one of the temperature and the humidity so that the food is able to be stored for a long time based on the state information of the food.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the controller, in response to the usage plan information for rapid ripening being input, adjusts at least one of the temperature and the humidity so that the food is able to be ripened within a period corresponding to use plan information for the rapid ripening.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a display,
wherein the controller controls the display to display a guide UI for the food on a screen based on the obtained state information,
wherein the guide UI comprises at least one of a first UI element for providing a food state and a second UI element for providing recipe information of the food.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a storage for storing a plurality of state change models by foods,
wherein the controller obtains a state change model of the food from among a plurality of prestored state change models based on the measured intensity and obtaining food state information by applying light intensity of a specific wavelength from among light intensities by wavelengths of the food to the obtained state change model.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the state change model is a model which is generated by accumulating light intensities measured from wavelength of light which is reflected by irradiating the food with light.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a communicator configured to perform data communication with an external server,
wherein the controller controls the communicator to transmit the measured intensity to the external server and receive the state information of the food determined based on the measured intensity from the external server.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the state information comprises at least one of a type, ripening degree, and a content of nutrition of the food.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jun-Hoe
• Noh Tae-Gyoon
• Lee Seo-Ho
• Ha Joo-Young
• Lee Ji-Young
• Han Jeong-Su

Classifications

• A23B2/00

  Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general · CPC title

• F25D2317/04131

  Control means therefor · CPC title

• F25D23/12

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title

• G01N33/02

  Food · CPC title

• G01N21/359 Primary

  using near infrared light · CPC title