REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20160138860A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: SUNG, Myoungho, KANG, Hyungjoo, CHOI, Haemin, LEE, Ikkyu, LEE, Myoungju, KIM, Jeonghwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,365,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/02 Refrigerators including a heater
• 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 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A refrigerator and a control method for the same are disclosed. A refrigerator includes a storage compartment, a drawer movably provided in the storage compartment and provided with a marker, a camera that photographs inside the drawer from outside the drawer, and a controller that senses a position of the marker in photographs taken through the camera at time intervals, and that determines state information about the drawer based on a change in position of the marker in the photographs. A method includes recognizing closing of the drawer by sensing a start of opening of the drawer; acquiring an image of the drawer interior using the camera; processing the image to recognize the marker from the image; tracing a movement of the marker; acquiring a final image of the drawer interior using the camera when closing of the drawer begins; and displaying the final image.

Claims

1. A camera system configured to be installed inside a refrigerator, wherein the camera system comprises:

a camera module comprising an image sensor, a camera lens, electrical components to drive the image sensor, and a transparent window spaced a certain distance from the camera lens; and

a camera housing configured to seat and fix the camera module at a determined position in the camera housing, wherein the camera housing comprises;

to a fixing surface arranged to adjoin an upper wall of a storage compartment of a refrigerator;

a front surface arranged to face an access opening of the storage compartment and side surfaces connecting the front surface to a rear surface of the camera housing; and

is a top surface provided with an opening allowing the transparent window of the camera module to be exposed therethrough.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the camera housing is arranged to extend to a position that is lower than a position of the opening formed in the top surface of the camera housing when adjoined to the upper wall of the storage compartment of the refrigerator.

3. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the camera housing is inclined at an angle with respect to the fixing surface.

4. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface is opposing the front surface, and wherein a length of the front surface is greater than a length of the rear surface.

5. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising a housing installation part arranged to provide a recessed space.

6. The camera system according to claim 5, wherein the housing installation part is arranged in the upper wall of the storage compartment, and wherein the camera housing is fixed to the housing installation part.

7. The camera system according to claim 6, wherein the camera module fixed to the camera housing is arranged to be received in the recessed portion of the housing installation part.

8. The camera system according to claim 7, wherein the housing installation part is arranged such that when the camera module is received in the recessed portion, a gap is formed between the camera module and the inner surface of the housing installation part.

9. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the front surface and side surfaces of the camera housing extend further than the opening in the top surface of the camera housing.

10. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixing surface or the top surface comprises at least one flat surface.

11. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein:

the camera housing comprises a seating part inclined at a certain angle with respect to the fixing surface and arranged to receive a flat surface of the camera module.

12. The camera system according to claim 5, wherein the recessed portion of the housing installation part comprises a seating part inclined at a certain angle with respect to the fixing surface which is arranged to receive a flat surface of the camera module.

13. A refrigerator comprising:

a storage compartment configured with an access opening in a front surface thereof and an upper wall, a lower wall, both sidewalls and a rear wall and provided therein with a shelf region divided by a plurality of shelves and a drawer region having at least one drawer, the upper wall, lower wall, sidewalls and rear wall being formed of an insulating material;

a cabinet provided therein with the storage compartment;

at least one door arranged to closely contact the front surface of the storage compartment to open and close the storage compartment; and

a camera system as claimed in claim 1.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the camera system is installed at the upper wall of the storage compartment between the access opening and a front edge of the shelves

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the top surface of the camera housing faces away from the opening of the storage compartment.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the rear surface of the camera housing faces the rear wall of the storage compartment

17. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the recessed space of housing installation part is recessed inward into the upper wall of the storage compartment

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17, wherein the walls of the refrigerator are otherwise filled with an insulating material.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the portion of the top surface of the camera housing closest to the opening of the storage compartment is farther apart from the surface of the upper wall of the storage compartment than the portion of the top surface closest to the rear wall of the storage compartment.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the front surface and the side surfaces are arranged such that the path along which external air from the access opening reaches the transparent window is elongated.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the camera system is installed outside the drawer but arranged to capture photographs including the interior of the drawer.