Refrigerator camera module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920982-B2
Application number	US-201514950466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A 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. The refrigerator also includes 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 first region for storing of food arranged in an external space of the drawer and a second region for storing of food arranged in an internal space of the drawer, and a controller configured to separate, through a capturing time of a picture containing both the first region and the second region, a first region picture and 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 cabinet configured to accommodate a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air into the cabinet, the cabinet having an opening formed in a front surface thereof that allows a user to store or retrieve food in the cabinet;
a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet and configured to open or close the opening;
a storage compartment comprising a plurality of spaces partitioned in the cabinet and in the door, the storage compartment forming a single cold air maintenance space that is configured to store food therein; and
a camera unit disposed in the storage compartment and configured to capture an image of food in the storage compartment,
wherein the camera unit comprises:
a housing secured to the storage compartment;
a camera seated on the housing and configured to maintain an image capture direction in which the camera is configured to capture the image of the food in the storage compartment;
a transparent window provided at a front surface of the housing; and
a heater disposed on a surface of a first side of the transparent window that is opposite to a second side of the transparent window exposed to the storage compartment, the heater facing a lens of the camera,
wherein the heater is configured to supply heat and to maintain the transparent window at a temperature of at least 12 degrees Celsius and less than or equal to a condensation generation temperature of the transparent window, regardless of temperature changes in the storage compartment caused by opening or closing of the door;
wherein the heater is sealed from the storage compartment by the housing and the transparent window, and
wherein the camera is surrounded by the housing and the transparent window, and is sealed from the storage compartment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of 12 degrees Celsius is greater than or equal to half of the condensation generation temperature of the transparent window.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to supply heat and maintain the transparent window at a temperature ranging from 12 degrees Celsius to 17 degrees Celsius.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the heater is configured to maintain a central portion of the transparent window at the temperature ranging from 12 degrees Celsius to 17 degrees Celsius.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the condensation generation temperature is a temperature at which water condenses on the transparent window in a state in which the door opens the storage compartment.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is operated continuously based on receiving continuously supplied power.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the transparent window as current is supplied to the heater when power is applied to the refrigerator.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the transparent window while the storage compartment is maintained at a temperature less than an outside temperature.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to continuously supply heat to the transparent window.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the transparent window based on receiving constant electricity.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to continuously radiate heat of a temperature that is greater than a temperature inside the storage compartment.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the transparent window to a temperature distribution within a range that is higher than a temperature that has been set for the storage compartment.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first housing, a second housing, and a sealing member disposed between the first housing and the second housing.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent window is formed of glass.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a lens located so as to be spaced apart from the transparent window.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is located so as to be spaced apart from a lens of the camera.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is located such that a portion thereof in contact with the transparent window has a rectangular shape.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is located along a periphery of the transparent window away from a center of the transparent window.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent window has a rectangular shape.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent window has a vertical length that is different from a horizontal length of the transparent window.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera unit is located to protrude from the storage compartment and to face an image capture direction of a lens of the camera.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent window comprises a hydrophilic coating and has a water contact angle within a range of 15 degrees.

23. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet configured to accommodate a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air into the cabinet, the cabinet having an opening formed in a front surface thereof that allows a user to store or retrieve food in the cabinet;
a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet and configured to open or close the opening;
a storage compartment provided in the cabinet and defined by the door and the cabinet, the storage compartment forming a single cold air maintenance space that is configured to store food therein; and
a camera unit disposed in the storage compartment and configured to capture an image of food in the storage compartment,
wherein the camera unit comprises:
a housing secured to the storage compartment;
a camera seated on the housing and configured to maintain an image capture direction in which the camera is configured to capture the image of the food in the storage compartment;
a transparent window provided at a front surface of the housing; and
a heater disposed on a surface of a first side of the transparent window that is opposite to a second side of the transparent window exposed to the storage compartment, the heater facing a lens of the camera,
wherein the heater is configured to supply heat and maintain a temperature that is greater than or equal to half of a condensation generation temperature of the transparent window and that is less than or equal to the condensation generation temperature of the transparent window, regardless of temperature changes in the storage compartment caused by opening or closing of the door;
wherein the heater is sealed from the storage compartment by the housing and the transparent window, and
wherein the camera is surrounded by the housing and the transparent window, and is sealed from the storage compartment.

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

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/52

  Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements · CPC title

• H04N23/633

  for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera · CPC title