Refrigerator with camera and control method for the same

• US 9,890,994 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Kwanhyung, Hong, Samnyol, Kwon, Sungdu, Lee, Ikkyu, Lee, Myoungju, Kim, Jeonghwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/930,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/10 with respect to heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/00 General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/062 defining a cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/067 Supporting elements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2300/00 Special arrangements or features for refrigerators; cold rooms; ice-boxes; Cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/021 French doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/02 Refrigerators including a heater
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/00 Control issues
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/06 Sensors detecting the presence of a product
• 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: G02B 27/0006 : with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 : Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 : Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 : Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 : involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 : Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 : Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 : Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 : Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 : Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 : for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 : Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 : for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment formed in a cabinet of the refrigerator by a fixed insulation wall, the storage compartment being provided with an access opening. The refrigerator also includes a door rotatably provided to the cabinet to open and close the access opening, a drawer provided in the storage compartment, a camera fixed to a ceiling of the storage compartment to photograph both a first region for storing of food arranged in an external space of the drawer and a second region for storing of food arranged in an internal space of the drawer, and a controller configured to separate, through a capturing time of a picture containing both the first region and the second region, a first region picture and a second region picture from the picture to individually divide and store the first region picture and the second region picture.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a storage compartment formed in a cabinet of the refrigerator by a fixed insulation wall, the storage compartment being provided with an access opening;

a door rotatably provided to the cabinet and arranged to open and close the access opening;

at least one drawer provided in the storage compartment;

at least one shelf provided in the storage compartment, the at least one shelf being positioned at an upper side of the drawer; and

a camera fixed to a ceiling of the storage compartment between a front edge of the shelf and the access opening, wherein the camera is arranged to photograph both a region for storing of food provided in an external space of the drawer in the storage compartment and a region provided in an internal space of the drawer for storing of food.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the fixed insulation wall comprises the ceiling, a lower wall, two side walls and a rear wall.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the access opening is provided in a front surface of the storage compartment.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one shelf comprises a plurality of shelves vertically arranged, and the camera is positioned farther forward than the front edge of the shelf located at a foremost position.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the camera is positioned

at a lateral center of the storage compartment.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the region for storing of food provided in an external space of the drawer in the storage compartment includes a region arranged under the drawer to vertically overlap the drawer when the drawer is in a withdrawn state.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the camera is positioned perpendicularly over the center of a dimension from the front to the back of the region arranged under the drawer to vertically overlap the drawer when the drawer is in a withdrawn state.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the region arranged under the drawer to vertically overlap the drawer when the drawer is in a withdrawn state is a recessed space formed on a bottom of the storage compartment for storing food, and is provided with a transparent cover provided to an upper portion of the space to open and close the space.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one drawer comprises a plurality of drawers at least partially and vertically overlapping each other.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of drawers located at a lower position protrudes farther forward than another one of the plurality of drawers located at a higher position.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one drawer comprises two drawers arranged to be laterally symmetrical to each other in the storage compartment.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, when the drawer is in the fully withdrawn state, a front edge of the drawer protrudes farther forward toward the access opening than the front edge of the at least one shelf.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein a horizontal angle of view of the camera is determined such that the horizontal angle of view includes at least one portion of both ends of the at least one shelf, and the vertical angle of view of the camera includes at least one portion of a rear edge of the at least one shelf and the front edge of the drawer in the fully withdrawn state.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the camera is inclined at an angle such that a camera lens and a transparent window of the camera face rearward and downward into the storage compartment.