REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150228253A1
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Jaeyoung, YANG, Jeonghwa, BAEK, Seungcheol, SUH, Eunjung, GWON, Eungyeong
• Granted Patent: US 9,972,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• 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: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body defining a storage compartment that is divided into a plurality of storage sections, and a door coupled to the main body to selectively open or close the storage compartment. The door includes a door glass having at least one transparent display area, and a door frame surrounding one or more edges of the door glass and configured to protect the door glass. The transparent display area is configured to display, based on being touched by a user, information on food stored in one or more of the plurality of storage sections that corresponds to the touched transparent display area.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body defining a storage compartment, the storage compartment being divided into a plurality of storage sections; and

a door coupled to the main body to selectively open or close the storage compartment, the door comprising;

a door glass having at least one transparent display area; and

a door frame surrounding one or more edges of the door glass and configured to protect the door glass,

wherein the transparent display area is configured to display, based on being touched by a user, information on food stored in one or more of the plurality of storage sections that corresponds to the touched transparent display area.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door glass is configured to be switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display area is divided into a plurality of transparent display areas on the door glass, and wherein the plurality of transparent display areas are arranged on locations on the door glass that correspond to the plurality of storage sections.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of transparent display areas is associated with corresponding coordinates on the door glass, and the plurality of transparent display areas are configured to display a touch point of the user along with a corresponding food information image.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the information on the stored food comprises at least one of a name, an expiration date, an amount, or a price of the stored food.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of transparent display areas are configured to display an input screen for inputting food information corresponding to the storage section in which the food is stored.

7. A method for controlling a refrigerator having a door glass provided with at least one transparent display and a storage compartment divided into a plurality of storage sections for storing food, wherein the door glass is configured to selectively open or close the storage compartment, and wherein the door glass allows the food stored in the storage compartment to be visually checked based on the door glass being in the closed position, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on a front surface of the door glass and determining, based on the detected touch, a corresponding one of the plurality of storage sections in which a food of interest is stored; and

displaying on the transparent display, based on the detected touch, one or more food information images along with a point of the touch or a food information input screen.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying on the transparent display includes displaying on the transparent display that is divided into a plurality of transparent display areas on the door glass, the plurality of transparent display areas being arranged on locations on the door glass that correspond to the plurality of storage sections, the plurality of transparent display areas being configured to be individually operated.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising associating each of the plurality of transparent display areas and the touched point with corresponding coordinates on the door glass, wherein the food information image or the food information input screen is displayed on the transparent display area that corresponds to the coordinates of the touched point.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

based on a point within the transparent display being touched again or a set time being lapsed while the food information image is displayed on the transparent display, removing the food information image from the transparent display; and

p1 based on user input of the food information being completed, removing the food information input screen from the transparent display.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising switching the door glass between a transparent state and an opaque state.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the door glass is switched into the opaque state based on the food information image or the food information input screen being removed from the transparent display or based on the set time having lapsed.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising maintaining the door glass in the opaque state based on the door glass not being touched, and

based on a touch on the door glass being recognized by a control unit or based on detection of a closing of the door following an opening of the door, switching the door glass into the transparent state.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, based on detection of the closing of the door following the opening of the door, switching the entirety of the door glass into the transparent state.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, based on the door glass being touched, switching only a specific display area that includes the touched point into the transparent state, or switching the entirety of the door glass into the transparent state.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising setting a touch scheme for switching only the specific display area into the transparent state to be different from a touch scheme for switching the entirety of the door glass into the transparent state.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising, based on the specific display area being touched again while the specific display area or the entirety of the door glass is in the transparent state, allowing a food information check or food information input.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising setting a touch scheme for the food information check to be different from a touch scheme for the food information input.

19. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying, on the transparent display, the one or more food information images includes displaying at least one of a name, an expiration date, an amount, or a price of a stored food.

20. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying, on the transparent display, the food information input screen comprises:

displaying an input window for inputting at least one of a name, a storage time, an expiration date, an amount, or a price of a stored food;

displaying an input completion button for inputting an input completion instruction; and

displaying a keyboard window for inputting a character.

21. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body defining a storage compartment, the storage compartment being divided into a plurality of storage sections; and

a door coupled to the main body to selectively open or close the storage compartment, the door comprising;

a door glass having at least one transparent display area; and

a door frame surrounding one or more edges of the door glass and configured to protect the door glass,

wherein the transparent display area is configured to display, based on the transparent display area being touched by a user, a plurality of selectable menus that includes a recipe menu,

wherein the transparent display area is configured to display, based on the recipe menu being selected, information on a corresponding recipe and information on a retained food that is currently stored in the refrigerator, and

wherein the transparent display area is configured to display the information on the retained food on a location on the door glass that corresponds to a storage section in which the retained food is stored.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein the door glass is configured to be switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state.

23. The refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein the transparent display area is divided into a plurality of transparent display areas on the door glass, and wherein the plurality of transparent display areas are arranged on locations on the door glass that correspond to the plurality of storage sections.

24. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of transparent display areas is associated with corresponding coordinates on the door glass, and the plurality of transparent display areas are configured to display a touch point of the user along with corresponding a food information image.

25. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the information on the stored food comprises at least one of a name, an expiration date, an amount, or a price of the stored food.

26. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of transparent display areas are configured to display an input screen for inputting food information on the transparent display area corresponding to the storage section in which the food is stored.

27. A method for controlling a refrigerator having a door glass provided with at least one transparent display and a storage compartment divided into a plurality of storage sections for storing food, wherein the door glass is configured to selectively open or close the storage compartment, and wherein the door glass allows the food stored in the storage compartment to be visually checked based on the door glass being in the closed position, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on a front surface of the door glass; and

displaying, on the transparent display, a plurality of selectable menus that includes a recipe menu,

wherein, based on the recipe menu being selected, a food information image for a retained food material that is currently stored in the refrigerator among food materials required for a selected recipe is displayed on the transparent display, and

wherein the food information image is displayed on a location corresponding to a storage section in which the retained food material is stored.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein displaying on the transparent display includes displaying on the transparent display that is divided into a plurality of transparent display areas on the door glass, the plurality of transparent display areas being arranged on locations on the door glass that correspond to the plurality of storage sections, the plurality of transparent display areas being configured to be individually operated.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising maintaining the door glass in the opaque state before the touch on the door glass is detected, and

based on the food information image for the retained food material being displayed, switching the transparent display area corresponding to the storage section in which the retained food material is stored into the transparent state.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising switching the door glass into the opaque state before the touch on the door glass is detected, and

switching, based on the touch being detected, the entirety of the door glass into the transparent state.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising displaying the plurality of selectable menus in the form of a touch icon.

32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising, based on the recipe menu being selected, displaying on the transparent display area recipe items stored in a memory of a control unit in the form of a touch icon such that one recipe may be selected by a user among the recipe items.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising, based on the one recipe being touched and selected by the user, displaying information on a food material required for the selected recipe, and based on a retained food material viewing option being selected, displaying the food information image for the retained food material.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising displaying a material shopping selection menu together with the food information image for the retained food material, and

based on the material shopping selection menu being touched by the user, accessing the Internet and displaying an Internet shopping mall screen on the display area.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising, based on a material shopping process being completed, switching the door glass into the opaque state automatically or in response to input of an instruction from the user.