MOBILE TERMINAL, OPERATING METHOD THEREOF, AND REFRIGERATOR

• US 20100283573A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: YUM, Kwanho, Kim, Sangoh, Jang, Bongmun
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/00 General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A mobile terminal, an operating method thereof, and a refrigerator are disclosed. The operating method of the mobile terminal includes receiving state information of the refrigerator from the refrigerator, displaying the state information of the refrigerator on a screen, and transmitting a control signal based on a control operation to the refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to readily control the refrigerator using the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. An operating method of a mobile terminal comprising:

receiving state information of a refrigerator from the refrigerator;

displaying the state information of the refrigerator on a screen; and

transmitting a control signal based on a control operation to the refrigerator.

2. The operating method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying a refrigerator management menu, the refrigerator management menu comprising at least one of a food management item, a monitoring item, a software upgrade item and a remote control item.

3. The operating method according to claim 2, further comprising displaying information about foods stored in the refrigerator on the screen when the food management item in the refrigerator management menu is selected.

4. The operating method according to claim 3, wherein the step of displaying the food information comprises arranging and displaying the food information according to kinds of the foods stored in the refrigerator or in the order of expiration dates or storage periods thereof.

5. The operating method according to claim 3, wherein the step of displaying the food information comprises, when any one of the foods stored in the refrigerator is selected, displaying at least one of an image, name, current date, storage date, elapsed period, expiration date and barcode information of the selected food.

6. The operating method according to claim 3, further comprising acquiring images of the foods stored in the refrigerator,

wherein the information about the foods stored in the refrigerator is generated using the acquired food images.

7. The operating method according to claim 2, further comprising displaying at least one of freezing chamber temperature information, refrigerating chamber temperature information, outdoor air temperature information, door opening/closing information, operation diagnosis information, error content information and a service call item when the monitoring item in the refrigerator management menu is selected.

8. The operating method according to claim 2, further comprising, when the service call item in the refrigerator management menu is selected, making a connection to a service center server to transmit refrigerator diagnosis data to the service center server and displaying a service center connection state picture.

9. The operating method according to claim 2, further comprising, when the software upgrade item in the refrigerator management menu is selected, upgrading refrigerator management software and displaying a software upgrade progress picture.

10. The operating method according to claim 9, further comprising transmitting and uploading the upgraded refrigerator management software to the refrigerator.

11. The operating method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting a refrigerator control signal to the refrigerator when the remote control item in the refrigerator management menu is selected.

12. A mobile terminal for controlling a refrigerator, the mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit for transmitting/receiving data to/from the refrigerator;

a controller for generating information about foods stored in the refrigerator based on state information of the refrigerator received from the refrigerator; and

a display unit for displaying a menu picture comprising a refrigerator management menu, and displaying the generated food information on a screen when a food management item in the refrigerator management menu is selected.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls the display unit to arrange and display the food information according to kinds of the foods stored in the refrigerator or in the order of expiration dates or storage periods thereof.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls the display unit to, when any one of the foods stored in the refrigerator is selected, display at least one of an image, name, current date, storage date, elapsed period, expiration date and barcode information of the selected food.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, further comprising a camera unit for acquiring images of the foods stored in the refrigerator,

wherein the controller generates the food information using the acquired food images.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller transmits a refrigerator control signal to the refrigerator when a remote control item in the refrigerator management menu is selected.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display the refrigerator management menu, the refrigerator management menu comprising at least one of the food management item, a monitoring item, a software upgrade item and a remote control item.

18. A refrigerator comprising:

a display unit for displaying an operating state of the refrigerator;

a wireless communication unit for transmitting/receiving data to/from a mobile terminal; and

a controller for controlling the wireless communication unit to transmit information about foods stored in the refrigerator to the mobile terminal.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the wireless communication unit receives a refrigerator control signal from the mobile terminal,

wherein the controller controls the operating state of the refrigerator in response to the refrigerator control signal.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the wireless communication unit receives refrigerator management software from the mobile terminal,

wherein the controller performs upgrade based on the refrigerator management software.