Refrigerator And Control Method For The Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016165113-A1
Application number	US-201514930057-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator and a control method for the same are disclosed. The 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, 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 region (a first region) for storing of food arranged in an external space of the drawer in the storage compartment and a region (a second region) for storing of food arranged in an internal space of the drawer in the storage compartment, and a controller to separate, through a capturing time of a picture containing both the first region and the second region, a portion for the first region (a first region picture) and a portion for the second region (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 storage compartment formed in a cabinet of the refrigerator by a fixed insulation wall, the storage compartment being provided with an access opening; a door rotatably provided to the cabinet and arranged to open and close the access opening; a drawer provided in the storage compartment; a camera fixed to a ceiling of the storage compartment arranged to photograph both a first region for storing of food arranged in an external space of the drawer in the storage compartment and a second region for storing of food arranged in an internal space of the drawer in the storage compartment; and a controller arranged to:
determine a capturing time of a picture containing both the first region and the second region;
separate, based on the capturing time of the picture containing both the first region and the second region, a first region picture and a second region picture from the picture; and
individually divide and store the first region picture and the second region picture.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is positioned at a lateral centre of the storage compartment.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to:
determine an updating condition for the first region picture and the second region picture, the updating condition based on according to the capturing time; and determine, among taken pictures, a picture that satisfies the updating condition for the first region picture and the second region picture.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is arranged to independently update the first region picture and the second region picture.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to:
determine a picture taken at a time when the door is closed after being opened; and extract and store an image for updating the first region, based on the determined picture taken at the time when the door is closed after being opened.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to:
determine a picture taken at a time when the drawer is introduced after being withdrawn; and extract and store an image for updating the second region, based on the determined picture taken at the time when the drawer is introduced after being withdrawn.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is arranged to:
separate a first region picture and a second region picture from each of a plurality of pictures; and individually divide and store the first region picture and the second region picture.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first region is a region arranged to have food placed therein by at least one shelf, the first region being positioned on the second region.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , further comprising a display provided to a front of the door and arranged to display the first region picture and the second region picture by dividing the first region picture and the second region picture from each other, the first region picture and the second region picture being independently updated on the display.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the storage compartment is provided with a third region arranged under the drawer to vertically overlap the drawer when the drawer is in a withdrawn state, the third region being divided from the first region and the second region and arranged to store food.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the first region and the second region are photographed together when the drawer is in the withdrawn state, and the first region and the third region are photographed together when the drawer is in an introduced state.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is arranged to separate the first region picture and a third region picture from the picture to individually divide and store the first region picture and the third region picture.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is arranged to individually update the first region picture, the second region picture and the third region picture.

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

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · 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