ROBOT REFRIGERATOR AND SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME

• US 20120109378A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sangoh, Park, Sungil, Lee, Namgi
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/38 Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/04 by conveyors in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot refrigerator and a robot refrigerator system. The robot refrigerator can be remotely controlled. The robot refrigerator generates image information from a surrounding image and transmits the generated image information to a wireless communication device. Then, the wireless communication device remotely controls the robot refrigerator, or monitors or remotely controls the robot refrigerator in real time, so that the robot refrigerator can easily avoid an obstacle to thus minimize a movement time of the robot refrigerator. Thus, user convenience and system reliability can be improved.

Claims

1. A robot refrigerator comprising:

a main body having a storage space therein and wheels disposed at a lower portion thereof;

a first control unit configured to transmit status information to an external device and control the operation of the main body based on a remote control signal from the external device; and

a second control unit configured to generate image information from a surrounding image and transmit the generated image information to the external device.

2. The robot refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a running motor provided in the main body and rotating the wheels to move the main body; and

a lifting motor provided in the main body and lifting or lowering the storage space.

3. The robot refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the first control unit comprises:

a running motor driving unit configured to drive the running motor based on the remote control signal;

a lifting motor driving unit configured to drive the lifting motor;

a cooling unit configured to adjust the temperature in the interior of the storage space; and

a first communication unit configured to transmit the status information to the external device.

4. The robot refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second control unit comprises:

an image processing unit configured to process the surrounding image to generate image information; and

a second communication unit configured to transmit the image information to the external device.

5. The robot refrigerator of claim 4, further comprising:

an obstacle detection unit configured to detect a nearby obstacle, wherein the first control unit determines whether to move the robot refrigerator according to the presence or absence of an obstacle.

6. The robot refrigerator of claim 4, further comprising:

a power unit connected to an external power source so as to be charged, and supplying power when the robot refrigerator is moving.

7. The robot refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the main body comprises:

an output unit configured to output a current status of the robot refrigerator to the exterior; and

an input unit configured to directly receive a command from the exterior.

8. The robot refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the remote control signal is generated based on the image information.

9. A robot refrigerator system comprising:

a robot refrigerator having a storage space therein and wheels provided at a lower portion thereof, transmitting current status information and image information according to a surrounding image, and moving based on a remote control signal; and

a wireless communication device configured to generate the remote control signal based on the current status information and the image information of the robot refrigerator and transmit the remote control signal to control the robot refrigerator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the robot refrigerator comprises:

a running motor rotating the wheels to move the main body;

a lifting motor lifting or lowering the storage space;

a running motor driving unit configured to drive the running motor based on the remote control signal;

a lifting motor driving unit configured to drive the lifting motor;

a cooling unit configured to adjust the temperature in the interior of the storage space;

a first communication unit configured to transmit the status information to the wireless communication unit; and

a second communication unit configured to transmit the image information to the wireless communication unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first communication unit performs transmission and reception through Bluetooth™

.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second communication unit performs transmission and reception through Wi-Fi.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the robot refrigerator further comprises:

an obstacle detection unit configured to detect a nearby obstacle.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the robot refrigerator further comprises:

a power unit connected to an external power source so as to be charged, and supplying power when the robot refrigerator is moving.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the robot refrigerator system further comprises:

a power supply unit connected with the robot refrigerator, supplying power to the robot refrigerator from an external power source, or charging the power unit.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the power supply unit comprises:

a location signal generation unit configured to transmit an induction signal for inducing the robot refrigerator to return.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication unit comprises:

a third communication unit configured to receive the status information from the robot refrigerator and transmitting the remote control signal to the robot refrigerator; and

a fourth communication unit configured to receive the image information from the robot refrigerator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the third communication unit performs transmission and reception through Bluetooth™

.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the fourth communication unit performs transmission and reception through Wi-Fi.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication device further comprises:

a display unit configured to display the received status information and image information.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a smartphone.