Refrigerator And Control Method For The Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201982-A1
Application number	US-201514930012-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 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; a drawer movably provided in the storage compartment and provided with a marker; a single camera fixed to a ceiling of the storage compartment and arranged to photograph inside the drawer from outside the drawer; and a controller arranged to recognise a marker in a photograph taken by the camera.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the camera is installed at the upper wall of the storage compartment corresponding to the open upper surface of the drawer within the range of the upper surface onto which the drawer in the closed position and the drawer in the opened position are projected.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the camera is oriented toward the rear wall of the storage compartment to face the interior of the storage compartment and is inclined at a certain angle such that the focus of the camera is directed to one point on the rear wall surface of the storage compartment.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the camera is positioned at the central portion of the upper portion of the storage compartment.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the marker is disposed on the upper side of the front surface of the drawer.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the camera and marker are approximately vertically aligned.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker has a repeated pattern.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises figures having a shape and contrasting colors which are alternated.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the shape is a quadrangle, triangle, circle, and/or wave.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein a pattern in which figures having a certain shape and contrasting colors are repeated two to four times.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a pattern of white and black colours, optionally, wherein the white and black colours are alternately arranged.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a plurality of bands having white squares and black squares which are alternately arranged such that the bands are misaligned.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises colors contrasting that of the drawer, optionally, wherein the drawer is bright-colored, transparent, or semi-transparent.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the length of the marker in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the drawer is greater than the length of the marker in the direction of movement of the drawer.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the marker adjoining the drawer has a dark color contrasting the color of the drawer, and the central portion of the marker has a bright color contrasting the dark color.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker comprises a first color portion and a second color portion having a color contrasting the color of the first color portion or identical to the color of the drawer, wherein the first color portion and second color portion are sequentially disposed.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the second color portion has a width approximately equal to that of the first color portion.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein both ends of the first color portion arranged at the front edge of the marker are connected to both ends of the first color portion arranged at the rear edge of the marker such that the second color portion is surrounded by the first color portions.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the marker is provided with a letter, a sign, or a pattern arranged to allow the user to intuitively understand the use of the marker.

20 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to recognise a coordinate value of the marker in the photograph and compare the coordinate value with that of a previous coordinate value of the marker.

21 . The refrigerator of claim 20 , wherein the controller is arranged to trace the marker and determine whether the drawer is moving or stopped, the degree of opening of the drawer, and whether the drawer begins to be opened or closed.

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 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title