OBJECT RECOGNITION SYSTEM FOR AN APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR MANAGING HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY OF CONSUMABLES

• US 20170039511A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Post, Ryan M., Corona, Enrique, Edwards, David, Moore, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,474,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/04 Sensors detecting the presence of a person
• 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: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance includes a cabinet having an inner liner that defines at least one aperture for accessing a refrigerating compartment. A door is operably coupled to the cabinet and is operable between open and closed positions. A plurality of storage surfaces is positioned within the refrigerating compartment. Each storage surface is adapted to receive at least one temporarily stored item. A scanning apparatus is adapted to record data related to the storage surfaces and the at least one temporarily stored item. The scanning apparatus conducts first and second data capturing phases. The secondary data recorded during the second data capturing phase is compared against previous data recorded during the first data capturing phase to create a current inventory manifest. The current inventory manifest is compared with a set of predetermined parameters related to the at least one temporarily stored item to selectively provide an output.

Claims

1. A refrigerating appliance comprising:

a cabinet having an inner liner that defines at least one aperture for accessing a corresponding refrigerating compartment;

at least one door operably coupled to the cabinet and operable between open and closed positions, the open position defined by the refrigerating compartment being accessible through the at least one aperture, the closed position being defined by the door engaging at least a portion of the at least one aperture;

a plurality of storage surfaces positioned within the refrigerating compartment, each of the plurality of storage surfaces adapted to receive at least one temporarily stored item;

a scanning apparatus adapted to record data related to the plurality of storage surfaces and the at least one temporarily stored item, wherein the scanning apparatus conducts first and second data capturing phases, and wherein secondary data recorded during the second data capturing phase is compared against previous data recorded during the first data capturing phase to create a current inventory manifest, and wherein the current inventory manifest is compared with a set of predetermined parameters related to the at least one temporarily stored item to selectively provide an output.

2. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the output identifies a recommendation with respect to a changed temporarily stored item of the at least one temporarily stored item.

3. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the scanning apparatus conducts a data capturing phase within the refrigerating compartment each time the at least one door is moved to the closed position and conducts another data capturing phase with respect to the door when the door is in the open position.

4. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein each time the data capturing phase of the refrigerating compartment is conducted, the recorded data is compared against previous data recorded during a previously conducted data capturing phase of the refrigerating compartment.

5. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one door includes a drawer that is slidable operable relative to the cabinet, and wherein the closed position is defined by the drawer being positioned within the refrigerating compartment, and wherein the open position is defined by the drawer being extended from the refrigerating compartment.

6. The refrigerating appliance of claim 3, wherein the scanning apparatus performs a series of successive scans of the at least one refrigerating compartment during each of the first and second data capturing phases, and wherein each successive scan is performed at a predetermined rotational position of the at least one door with respect to the refrigerating compartment.

7. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the scanning apparatus includes at least one camera disposed on at least one of the at least one door and the inner liner.

8. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the scanning apparatus includes a motion sensor adapted to detect movement of a user through the at least one aperture.

9. An appliance comprising:

a cabinet having an interior compartment, wherein the cabinet defines at least one corresponding aperture for accessing the interior compartment;

at least one door panel coupled to the cabinet and operable between open and closed positions;

a storage area defined within the interior compartment, the storage area adapted to receive at least one temporarily stored item;

a scanning apparatus adapted to record data related to the storage area and the at least one temporarily stored item, wherein the scanning apparatus conducts first and second data capturing phases, and wherein secondary data recorded during the second data capturing phase is compared against previous data recorded during the first data capturing phase to create a current inventory manifest, and wherein the current inventory manifest is compared with a set of predetermined parameters related to the at least one temporarily stored item to selectively provide an output.

10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein a portion of the scanning apparatus is disposed on the at least one door panel, wherein the first data capturing phase is conducted during movement of the at least one door panel from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the second data capturing phase is conducted during a subsequent movement of the at least one door panel from the open position to the closed position.

11. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the at least one door panel is at least one rotationally operable door hingedly connected to the cabinet proximate the at least one corresponding aperture.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the scanning apparatus performs multiple individual scans of the at least one interior compartment during each of the first and second data capturing phases.

13. The appliance of claim 12, wherein each individual scan is performed at a distinct and predetermined rotational position of the at least one rotationally operable door.

14. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the output is defined by a recommendation related to at least one of use and maintenance of the at least one temporarily stored item.

15. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the scanning apparatus includes a motion sensor adapted to detect when a user accesses the storage area, wherein when the at least one door panel is moved to the open position and the motion sensor is free of detecting access to the storage area, the scanning apparatus is free of activation.

16. An object recognition system for an appliance, the object recognition system comprising:

a plurality of storage surfaces positioned within a storage area, each of the plurality storage surfaces adapted to receive at least one temporarily stored item;

a scanning apparatus adapted to record data related to the plurality of storage surfaces and the at least one temporarily stored item, wherein the scanning apparatus conducts first and second data capturing phases, and wherein secondary data recorded during the second data capturing phase is compared against previous data recorded during the first data capturing phase to create a current inventory manifest, and wherein the current inventory manifest is compared with a set of predetermined parameters related to the at least one temporarily stored item to selectively provide an output related to at least one temporarily stored item.

17. The object recognition system of claim 16, wherein the output related to the at least one temporarily stored item includes an indicia transmitted to a user regarding contents of the at least one temporarily stored item.

18. The object recognition system of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of storage containers, wherein each storage container of the plurality of storage containers includes a distinct identifier tag that operates in conjunction with the scanning apparatus to track at least a location of each storage container within the storage area.

19. The object recognition system of claim 18, wherein the distinct identifier tag is a radio-frequency identification tag, and wherein the scanning apparatus includes a radio-frequency identification tag reader in communication with each radio-frequency identification tag of the plurality of storage containers.

20. The object recognition system of claim 16, wherein the output related to at least one temporarily stored item is a shopping list for a user to replenish a specified set of temporarily stored items.