Remote inspection and control of refrigerator

• US 6,502,411 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Takehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Esquivel, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US09/948,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 621/29, 621/25, 621/27, 236/51, 340/870.17, 340/584, 340/585, 700/275, 700/276, 700/277
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002

Abstract

A remote inspection device for a refrigerator receives information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals. The remote inspection device further inspects the refrigerator on the basis of the received information.

Claims

1. A remote inspection device for a refrigerator comprising:

communication means for receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals;

a data base regarding the operating state of each type of the refrigerator to be inspected, the data base being used to determine whether an abnormal condition appeared in the operating state of the refrigerator results from a failure of the refrigerator or an improper use of the refrigerator by a user; and

inspection means for inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information and the data base.

2. A remote inspection device for a refrigerator comprising:

communication means for receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals, the communication means being transmissible to the refrigerator connected via the communication network to the communication means; and

inspection means for inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information and causing the communication means to transmit, to the refrigerator, an operating program or information required according to a result of inspection of the refrigerator.

3. A method of remote inspection for a refrigerator, comprising:

receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals; and

inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information, transmitting an inspection program via the communication network to the refrigerator and executing the inspection program when an indication of an abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator.

4. A method of remote inspection for a refrigerator, comprising:

receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals; and

inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information, transmitting a compensating operation program via the communication network to the refrigerator when an indication of an abnormal condition is detected regarding the operation state of the refrigerator, the program recovering the refrigerator from the indication of the abnormal condition, and executing the compensating operation program.

5. A method of remote inspection for a refrigerator, comprising:

receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals; and

inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information, referring to a data base regarding the operating state of each type of the refrigerator to be inspected, and determining whether an abnormal condition appeared in the operating state of the refrigerator results from a failure of the refrigerator or an improper use of the refrigerator by a user.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the inspecting step includes transmitting information via the communication network to the refrigerator when it is determined that the abnormal condition results from the improper use of the refrigerator by the user, said transmitted information being indicative of an improper use of the refrigerator.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the inspecting step includes referring to the data base to specify a location of the failure when it is determined that the abnormal condition results from the failure of the refrigerator.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the inspecting step includes transmitting an emergency operation program via the communication network to the refrigerator and executing the emergency operation program when it is determined that the abnormal condition results from the failure of the refrigerator.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the inspecting step includes transmitting information indicative of occurrence of failure via the communication means to the refrigerator and causing informing means to deliver the information.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the inspecting step includes transmitting information indicative of an emergency measure via the communication means to the refrigerator and causing informing means to deliver the information.

11. A refrigerator comprising:

communication means communicating via a communication network a remote inspection device provided for inspecting an operating state of the refrigerator; and

control means for transmitting to the remote inspection device information about the operating state of the refrigerator by using the communication means continuously or at predetermined intervals, the control means further executing a process according to an operating command delivered from the remote inspection device and received by the communication means.

12. A refrigerator according to claim 11, which further comprises informing means and wherein the control means delivers to the informing means information about the operating state of the refrigerator and the information transmitted from the remote inspection device to the control means.

13. A method of controlling a refrigerator comprising:

transmitting information about an operating state of the refrigerator via a communication network to a remote inspection device continuously or at predetermined intervals, the remote inspection device being provided for inspecting an operating state of the refrigerator; and

executing a process according to an operating command transmitted via the communication network from the remote inspection device.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the process executing step includes executing a program transmitted from the remote inspection device.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the process executing step includes delivering to informing means information transmitted from the remote inspection device.

16. A recording medium on which a program for operating a refrigerator is recorded, the program carrying out:

transmitting information about an operating state of the refrigerator via a communication network to a remote inspection device continuously or at predetermined intervals, the remote inspection device being provided for inspecting the operating state of the refrigerator; and

controlling a process according to an operating command transmitted via the communication network from the remote inspection device.

17. A program for operating a refrigerator, the program carrying out:

transmitting information about an operating state of the refrigerator via a communication network to a remote inspection device continuously or at predetermined intervals, the remote inspection device being provided for inspecting the operating state of the refrigerator; and

controlling a process according to an operating command transmitted via the communication network from the remote inspection device.

18. A remote inspection system comprising:

a refrigerator transmitting information about an operating state of the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals; and

a remote inspection device externally accessed via the communication network to inspect the refrigerator on the basis of the information about the operating state transmitted from the refrigerator.

19. A remote inspection system according to claim 18, further comprising a terminal unit interposed between the refrigerator and the communication network for obtaining information about an operating state from the refrigerator and transmitting the obtained information via the communication network to the remote inspection device, the terminal unit receiving a program or information transmitted via the communication network from the remote inspection device to supply the received program or information to the refrigerator.

20. A remote inspection system according to claim 19, wherein the terminal unit includes informing means for delivering the information about an operating state of the refrigerator and information transmitted from the remote inspection device.

21. A remote inspection system according to claim 18, wherein when an indication of abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator, the remote inspection device transmits an inspection program via the communication network to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator inspects the indication of the abnormal condition according to the received inspection program.

22. A remote inspection system according to claim 18, wherein when an indication of abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator, the remote inspection device transmits a compensating operation program via the communication network to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator executes a compensating operation to recover from the indication of abnormal condition.

23. A remote inspection system according to claim 18, wherein the remote inspection device includes a data base regarding an operating state of each type of the refrigerator to be inspected, and the remote inspection device refers to the data base to determine whether an abnormal condition appeared in the operating state of the refrigerator results from a failure of the refrigerator or an improper use of the refrigerator by a user.

24. A remote inspection system according to claim 23, wherein the remote inspection device transmits information via the communication network to the refrigerator, the information being indicative of an improper use of the refrigerator, and the refrigerator includes informing means and delivers to the informing means the received information.

25. A remote inspection system according to claim 23, wherein when determining that the abnormal condition results from the failure of the refrigerator, the remote inspection device refers to the data base to specify a location of the failure.

26. A remote inspection system according to claim 23, wherein when determining that the abnormal condition results from the failure of the refrigerator, the remote inspection device transmits an emergency operation program via the communication network to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator executes an emergency operation according to the emergency operation program.

27. A remote inspection system according to claim 26, wherein the remote inspection device transmits information via the communication network to the refrigerator, said information being indicative of occurrence of a failure, and the refrigerator includes informing means and delivers the received information to the informing means.

28. A remote inspection system according to claim 27, wherein the remote inspection device transmits information indicative of an emergency measure via the communication network to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator delivers the received information to the informing means.