Artificial intelligence refrigerator having transparent display assembly

• US 10,599,392 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeon, Chansung, Jeong, Hyocheol, Cho, Sanghun
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US15/860,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20180189027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/04 Sensors detecting the presence of a person
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Provided is an artificial intelligence refrigerator. The artificial intelligence refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door opening and closing the cabinet, a transparent display assembly which covers an opened see-through part of the door and through which an inner space of the artificial intelligence refrigerator is seen, and a screen is outputted, a display PCB controlling an operation of the transparent display assembly, a voice recognition unit connected to the display PCB to process a user'"'"'s voice signal, and a microphone connected to the voice recognition unit. The display PCB outputs output screens of the transparent display assembly in stages according to a processing state of the voice signal when a user'"'"'s voice is inputted.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage space;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cabinet, the door defining an opening;

a light device disposed in the cabinet or the door;

a transparent display assembly that covers the opening of the door, that allows an inner space of the refrigerator to be visible through the transparent display assembly, and that is configured to display one or more screens, the transparent display assembly comprising;

a display configured to output the one or more screens, and

a back light disposed behind the display and configured to emit light to the display based on operation of the display;

a display printed circuit board (PCB) configured to control an operation of the transparent display assembly;

a microphone configured to receive a voice signal based on a voice recognition mode;

a voice recognition unit connected to the display PCB and to the microphone, and configured to process the voice signal,

wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to have any one of a plurality of states, the plurality of states comprising;

a transparent mode state in which the light device is turned on to allow the inner space of the refrigerator to be visible through the transparent display assembly, the display being configured to not operate based on the transparent display assembly being in the transparent mode state,

an opaque mode state in which the light device is turned off to make the inner space of the refrigerator invisible through the transparent display assembly, the display being configured to not operate based on the transparent display assembly being in the opaque mode state, and

a display mode state in which the light device is turned off and the back light is turned on, the display being configured to, based on the transparent display assembly being in the display mode state, operate and output the one or more screens, and wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to;

based on a start of the voice recognition mode, change from the transparent mode state or the opaque mode state into the display mode state, and

in response to an input of the voice signal in the voice recognition mode, output a screen indicating processing of the voice signal to the display according to a processing state of the voice signal.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the voice recognition unit and the display PCB are integrated into one board and connected to each other.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the voice recognition unit is a separate voice recognition module connected to the display PCB by a connector.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising a controller disposed at one side of the display PCB and connected to a second connector,

wherein an operating system of the controller is different from an operating system of the display PCB, the operating system of the display PCB being configured to control what is visualized on the transparent display assembly.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the display PCB comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with home appliances that are connected through a remote internet server or a network, and

wherein the microphone is configured to receive, through the remote internet server, the voice signal to control operations of the home appliances.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the display PCB comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with an indoor home appliance through a near-field wireless communication, and

wherein the microphone is configured to receive the voice signal to control an operation of the indoor home appliance.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to:

change a transparency level or a brightness level of the transparent display assembly;

before a user inputs the voice signal, increase the transparency level or the brightness level of the transparent display assembly to raise visibility of the inner space of the refrigerator through the transparent display assembly; and

after the user has input the voice signal, decrease the transparency level or the brightness level of the transparent display assembly to raise readability of the one or more screens displayed on the display.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the display PCB is connected to a main PCB that is configured to control an overall operation of the refrigerator and to control the overall operation of the refrigerator by the voice signal.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to:

display an initial screen;

in response to a touch manipulation or an input of a triggering voice command through the microphone at the initial screen, display a screen indicating activation of a voice command input function.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to, based on the microphone receiving a specific command, display a screen indicating activation of a voice command input function.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to, while outputting the one or more screens to the display:

based on the voice signal, display an initial screen that shows the inner space of the refrigerator;

display a voice input standby screen based on an input on the initial screen to activate a voice command input function;

display a voice input screen based on a reception of a voice command at the voice input standby screen;

display an operation processing screen based on a completion of the voice command input at the voice input screen; and

display a response screen indicating a processing result together with a sound corresponding to the processing result.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to increase a brightness level or a transparency level of the transparent display assembly to a maximum level based on displaying the initial screen.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein each of the voice input standby screen, the voice input screen, the operation processing screen, and the response screen, includes a different status bar and text corresponding to a present state.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the initial screen includes a menu button, and

wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to receive, in a state in which the menu button is removed from each of the voice input standby screen, the voice input screen, the operation processing screen, and the response screen, a touch input on a corresponding position where the menu button was displayed in the initial screen.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein each of the voice input standby screen, the voice input screen, the operation processing screen, and the response screen, includes a cancel button, and

wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to display the initial screen based on a manipulation of the cancel button.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to:

based on a determination that the microphone is turned off, stop displaying the voice input standby screen, and display a microphone off screen; and

based on display of the microphone off screen, display the response screen indicating that the microphone off screen has been outputted.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the transparent display assembly is further configured to:

based on a determination of an occurrence of a system error, stop displaying the voice input standby screen, and display a system error screen; and

based on display of the system error screen, display the response screen indicating that the system error screen has been outputted.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly comprises:

a front panel defining at least a portion of a front surface of the door;

a rear panel defining at least a portion of a rear surface of the door;

an outer spacer disposed along a circumference of each of the front panel and the rear panel and configured to maintain a space therebetween, the outer spacer contacting the front panel and the rear panel to define a sealed space, wherein the display is disposed on a rear surface of the front panel within the sealed space;

a light guide plate spaced apart from the display and configured to guide the light from the back light to the display; and

a first spacer configured to support the light guide plate and to maintain a distance between the display and the light guide plate within the sealed space.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the microphone is disposed at the door or at the cabinet and configured to face a front side of the refrigerator.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the microphone includes a plurality of microphones spaced apart from each other by a distance and configured to receive the voice signal.