Refrigerator, camera device, refrigerator door pocket, and home appliance network system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10951863-B2
Application number	US-201414776733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator ( 1 ) is provided with an image capturing camera 18 (image capturing unit) configured to capture an image of an interior of a storage chamber (such as a refrigeration chamber 3 ); and a communication portion ( 52 ) (communication unit) configured to transmit image of the interior of the storage chamber captured by the image capturing camera ( 18 ) to an external device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a camera mount within the interior of the refrigerator, the camera mount including a detection subject;
a camera configured to capture an image of an interior of the refrigerator, the camera comprising a sensor configured to:
determine that the interior of the refrigerator is eligible for image capture based on detecting a proximity of the camera to the detection subject in the camera mount, determining a storage chamber in which the camera is placed from among a plurality of storage chambers based on the detecting, the detecting not based on contact between the camera and the detection subject, and detecting an orientation of the camera and the storage chamber in which the camera is placed, and
enable the camera to capture the image in response to determining that the interior of the refrigerator is eligible for image capture; and

a transceiver configured to transmit image information of the interior of the refrigerator captured by the image capturing unit and a result of detection by the detection subject to an external device.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit image information of the interior of the refrigerator captured by the camera mounted on the mount to an external device.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to control a timing for capturing an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera at a timing after a door has been closed.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera at a timing after a predetermined time period has elapsed after a door has been closed.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , further comprising a lens heater configured to remove dew condensate from a lens surface of the camera, wherein the processor is configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera at a timing after the dew condensate has been removed from the lens surface.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive instructions for capturing an image of the interior of the refrigerator from an external device, and
wherein the processor is configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera at a timing based on the instructions given from the external device.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to prepare an image capturing environment when capturing an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to prepare the image capturing environment by illuminating a light when capturing an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera.

10. The refrigerator according of claim 9 , wherein the light is provided in plural in the interior of the refrigerator, the processor being configured to prepare the image capturing environment by illuminating one or more lights configured to illuminate a specific location of the interior of the refrigerator.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to prepare the image capturing environment by controlling an illuminance of the light disposed in a location confronting the camera when capturing an image of the interior of the refrigerator by the camera.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the fridge interior using a wide-angle lens.

13. A camera device comprising:
a camera mount within an interior of a refrigerator, the camera mount including a detection subject;
a camera configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator, the camera comprising a sensor configured to:
determine that the interior of the refrigerator is eligible for image capture based on detecting a proximity of the camera to the detection subject in the camera mount, determining a storage chamber in which the camera is placed from among a plurality of storage chambers based on the detecting, the detecting not based on contact between the camera and the detection subject, and detecting an orientation of the camera and the storage chamber in which the camera is placed, and
enable the camera to capture the image in response to determining that the interior of the refrigerator is eligible for image capture; and

a camera-side transceiver configured to communicate a result of detection by the detection subject with an external device.

14. A home appliance network system comprising:
a camera mount within an interior of a storage chamber configured to store goods, the camera mount including a detection subject;
a camera configured to capture an image of the interior of the storage chamber configured to store goods, the camera comprising a detecting portion configured to detect a proximity to the detection subject and a control portion configured to:
determine that the interior of the storage chamber is eligible for image capture based on the detecting the proximity of the camera to the detection subject in the camera mount, determining a storage chamber in which the camera is placed from among a plurality of storage chambers based on the detecting, the detecting not based on contact between the camera and the detection subject, and detecting an orientation of the camera and the storage chamber in which the camera is placed, and
enable the camera to capture the image in response to determining that the interior of the storage chamber is eligible for image capture;

a server comprising a processor, a transceiver, and a memory, the server being configured to communicate with the camera through a communication line, the transceiver being configured to acquire image information of the interior of the storage chamber, and the memory being configured to store image information acquired by the transceiver; and
a communication terminal comprising a display, the communication terminal being configured to communicate with the server through the communication line, and the display being configured to acquire and display image information of the interior of the storage chamber stored in the memory of the server.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Marutani Yuuki
• Furuta Kazuhiro
• Izawa Hirokazu
• Watanabe Kota
• Kawada Ryo

Classifications

• F25D2700/08

  Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] · CPC title

• F25D2700/02

  Sensors detecting door opening · CPC title

• F25D2500/06

  Stock management · CPC title

• F25D2400/36

  Visual displays · CPC title

• F25D29/005

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title