EP3324142A1 - Fridge and/or freezer and method for managing goods to be cooled in a fridge and/or freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing refrigerated goods in a refrigerator and / or freezer with at least one communication module and at least one hardware module, wherein the communication module is configured for establishing a data connection with the hardware module and wherein the hardware module for inputting information concerning the refrigerated goods formed characterized by the steps of: inputting information concerning the refrigerated goods; Comparing the entered information with stored information; and performing at least one management step depending on the result of the comparison. The invention is also directed to a refrigerator and / or freezer for carrying out the method.

Description

The invention relates to a method for managing refrigerated goods in a refrigerator and / or freezer with at least one communication module and at least one hardware module, wherein the communication module for establishing a data connection with the hardware module is set up and wherein the hardware module for inputting information concerning the refrigerated goods formed is. The invention is also directed to a refrigerator and / or freezer for carrying out the method.

For the management of the refrigerated goods in a refrigerator and / or freezer, manually operated lists, visual checks and similar non-automated methods are used, which detect what content the corresponding refrigerator and / or freezer has and / or which products are stored. and / or freezer are added. In this case, the type, expiry date, quantity, price and other parameters of the respective product have to be recorded and / or managed manually or by a person.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved method for managing the refrigerated goods of a refrigerator and / or freezer and a corresponding refrigerator and / or freezer, in which the management of the refrigerated goods contained therein is simplified and automated as possible.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

• Eingeben von das Kühlgut betreffenden Informationen;
• Vergleichen der eingegebenen Informationen mit hinterlegten Informationen;
  und
• Ausführen wenigstens eines Verwaltungsschritts in Abhängigkeit von dem Ergebnis des Vergleichs.

Accordingly, the method comprises the steps:

• Inputting information concerning the refrigerated goods;
• Comparing the entered information with stored information;
  and
• Performing at least one management step in dependence on the result of the comparison.

In the present case, the term refrigerated goods also includes objects which are stored in the refrigerator and / or freezer, as well as objects or products which require no refrigeration or deep-freezing for storage.

According to the method, the communication module of the refrigerator and / or freezer can be connected via an interface, for example in a plug-in shaft to the refrigerator and / or freezer and interact with the device electronics of the refrigerator and / or freezer or perform a data exchange. According to the invention, for example, a control / regulating step of the corresponding refrigerator and / or freezer is considered as a management step. In an exemplary simple case, the cooling performance of the refrigerator and / or freezer may be reduced if information is sensed thereon conclude that the goods stored in the refrigerator and / or freezer requires little or no cooling.

The communication module can be designed such that a plurality of hardware modules, in particular for data transfer, can be connected thereto, which improves the possibilities of data-based food management. The further hardware modules may be devices for detecting the contents of the refrigerator and / or freezer, for detecting operating conditions of the refrigerator and / or freezer and / or for input and / or output devices for information transfer and / or outsourced receiving devices act, by means of which delivery of goods delivered goods are cached separately from the refrigerator and / or freezer without the user of the refrigerator and / or freezer until picked up by the user, for example, in the morning after waking up or evening after returning home or in the cooling - And / or freezer to be stored.

The information underlying the comparison can be factory set by the manufacturer of the refrigerator and / or freezer or its components, and / or can also be retrofitted by an operator or the user of the refrigerator and / or freezer in a further process step entered or automatically in another step, for example, be obtained from an external server.

When comparing the input information with the stored information can be determined, for example, as the result that a minimum quantity of a certain refrigerated goods is below or threatens to expire the expiration date of a particular item to be cooled. A subsequently executed management step can then be to supplement a shopping list, in particular automatically with the refrigerated goods, whose minimum quantity has been undershot or to send information about a hardware module to the user of the refrigerator and / or freezer, which indicates which item of refrigerated goods of the expiring expiration date is to be consumed soon.

In a preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the input of the information relating to the item to be cooled takes place automatically and / or manually. In a combined automatic and manual input, for example, by means of a designed as a camera module hardware module in the refrigerator and / or freezer manually stored refrigerated goods detected during storage of the camera module automatically and appropriate information is entered according to the method.

When entering the information purely automatically, for example, they can be read by an RFID chip as soon as appropriately marked goods are located inside the refrigerator and / or freezer.

The communication module may further include a computing unit or be coupled to a computing unit, which is designed to perform the inventively provided comparisons. The communication module or devices connected thereto can also be designed for processing operations, such as image recognition processes, by means of which the information relating to the item to be cooled can be processed or processed. It is conceivable that such prepared information is used for comparison with the stored information.

Also conceivable is an at least partially purely manual input of the refrigerated goods information in which a user of the refrigerator and / or freezer via a voice input and / or input through a touch screen or keyboard information about refrigerated goods such as the Art , which can enter the best before date, the storage location, the quantity and the like.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, in which the input of the information relating to the item to be cooled is carried out by means of a hardware module embodied as a camera module, can via the hardware module and / or the adjustment of automatically generated shopping lists and / or the detection of supply and Departures of refrigerated goods in or out of the refrigerator and / or freezer the contents of the refrigerator and / or freezer are determined.

About even subsequently expandable hardware modules, which are also coupled to the communication module for data connection or transmission, the contents of, for example, a pantry or other from the refrigerator and / or freezer storage different areas, in particular a "Virtual Pantry" can be detected. Additional storage areas, which can not be detected by hardware modules, can be managed, for example, by manual entry of data relating to stored goods or by manual creation of articles, and the corresponding data can be made available to the process in a further step.

• • Automatisches oder manuelles Eingeben von das Lagergut einer vom Kühl- und/oder Gefriergerät unterschiedlichen Lagerstelle betreffenden Informationen.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the method comprises the step:

• • Automatic or manual entry of the stored goods information of a different location of the refrigerator and / or freezer storage information.

By means of the method according to the invention, it is thus possible to resort to additional information which goes beyond the refrigerated goods stored inside the refrigerator and / or freezer. This allows the user a more comprehensive and convenient management of his food in particular.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the management step is the automatic creation of a shopping list and / or selecting at least one cooking recipe and / or creating at least one consumption forecast and / or creating at least one shopping proposal and / or performing at least one Ordering process and / or performing at least one storage and / or removal of refrigerated goods and / or the creation of at least one assessment of the used item of refrigerated goods and / or a court produced therefrom.

It is thus possible, for example, to offer recipes to the user of the refrigerator and / or freezer based on his existing or methodally detected products and / or on the basis of the selected cooking recipes or the evaluations or other data input or ascertained according to the method via further applications such as apps. If the user executes a recipe, the quantities consumed are calculated on the basis of certain parameters, such as the number of persons served, weight data, quantities and the like.

By using a shopping list management or the created shopping list, future sales forecasts can be created and shopping lists and / or recipe suggestions dynamically created. If the administrative step consists in ordering a good, in particular automatically, a further management step may be to open a receiving device coupled to the refrigerator and / or freezer when the ordered goods are delivered and, if appropriate, to a corresponding signal from the delivery service and / or or close. This can be done completely automatically, so that re-ordered goods can be stored without further action by the user of the refrigerator and / or freezer, for example, in the absence of the user or during the bedtime of the user by a delivery service in the receiving device. It merely has to be ensured that the receiving device is arranged for the delivery service accessible and possibly controllable or openable.

In this case, a hardware module embodied as a smartphone or as a tablet can be provided, which is coupled to the communication module and / or to the receiving device for data transmission and on which at least part of the administrative steps can be executed or by means of which at least part of the administrative steps can be controlled or enabled ,

The invention further relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with at least one communication module and at least one hardware module, wherein the communication module is set up to establish a data connection with the hardware module and wherein the hardware module is configured to input information concerning the refrigerated goods and wherein the cooling and / or freezer for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 5 is arranged.

The refrigerator and / or freezer may in particular have one or more of the devices mentioned in connection with the embodiment of the method in the manner described above or be connected to these in particular for data transfer. There are no corresponding repetitions.

In a preferred embodiment it can be provided that the hardware module is a camera module and / or a receiving device and / or that the communication module and / or the hardware module are wirelessly connected to each other in particular via a Bluetooth connection.

By a wireless connection of said components, a particularly simple modification or retrofitting of a refrigerator and / or freezer can be carried out with the corresponding components. Also, hardware modules can be coupled independently of, for example, cable slots on the communication module.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the communication module and / or the hardware module are designed to be modular, in particular with a power supply independent of the refrigerator and / or freezer.

It may further be provided that the refrigerator and / or freezer is adapted to be connected to a particular external server. The server connection can be used for the data relating to the item to be refrigerated and / or the data or steps relating to the item of administration with data stored on the server by other users or other refrigerators and / or freezers compare and suggest second management steps based on this second comparison. This may include, for example, cooking recipes or shopping suggestions, which are created taking into account the corresponding data from other users. This makes it possible, for example, to recommend to users with an above average often overlapping shopping behavior products and / or recipes that are unknown to the other user but are likely to affect their taste. Also, management steps such as the automatic ordering of goods in delivery services can be performed via the server connection.

Further details and advantages will be explained with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

The single FIGURE shows an exemplary process sequence of the method according to the invention, in which the item to be cooled passes through the optionally sequential steps or administrative steps of planning, shopping, storage, preparation, cooking, consuming and follow-up.

According to the method, the planning step can be represented or supported by the selection and / or the suggestion of at least one cooking recipe. The step of purchasing the corresponding chilled goods can be represented or supported by the supplementary administrative steps of creating a shopping list and / or by commissioning a delivery service with the delivery of corresponding refrigerated goods or products. The step of storing may further comprise, as a further management step, issuing certain stock recommendations to the respective products. The step of preparation may include, as a further management step, issuing appropriate cooking instructions, and the step of post-processing may include, for example, adjusting a shopping list based on the consumption of ingredients and / or preparing an evaluation of a recipe and / or product.

In the middle region of the figure is shown symbolically in a curve from left to right, which may be included in the above-mentioned steps. In the left-hand area it is shown how corresponding recipes with the ingredients necessary for the execution of the recipes are created or output according to the method. This can be done for example via a smartphone and / or a tablet.

Corresponding foods can be purchased or supplied by a delivery service and stored in the refrigerator and / or freezer or stored in a receiving device. Furthermore, if necessary, tutorials for the preparation of the food can also be output via the smartphone and / or tablet or retrieved by the user.

The evaluation of the recipes or products can be done, for example, via social media, which can also be used with the smartphone and / or the tablet and in connection with the method according to the invention. The described functional enhancements offer the possibility of being far-reaching involved in the cooking process or in the consumption process of the refrigerated goods and to be able to offer novel solutions in the areas of planning, shopping, preparation and reworking, for example by connecting additional hardware modules or programs.

By connecting the refrigerator and / or freezer to a corresponding receiving device or other hardware modules using the device or the method, an interface between an end user, the manufacturer of the refrigerator and / or freezer and a delivery service and / or other third party be created.

Such an interface simplifies the use of appropriate delivery services for the customer, simplifies or enhances the logistics for the delivery service or operations for the third party, and offers the manufacturer of the refrigerator and / or freezer a novel key position between the user and, for example, a delivery service. Furthermore, due to the open design of the Systems third party for software and / or hardware components without any inconvenience in the existing process or in the existing refrigerator and / or freezer included. It is conceivable that the hardware components have special features or properties required for use within food management. In the case of possible receiving devices, this may include lockable and discernible storage compartments which may be controlled by the method and / or by a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention.

Claims (10)

Method for managing refrigerated goods in a refrigerator and / or freezer with at least one communication module and at least one hardware module, wherein the communication module is configured to establish a data connection with the hardware module and wherein the hardware module is configured to input information relating to the refrigerated goods, characterized by the steps: • entering information relating to the item to be refrigerated; • comparing the entered information with stored information; and • carrying out at least one management step depending on the result of the comparison. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the input of the refrigerated goods information is automatic and / or manual. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the input of the information relating to the item to be cooled is carried out by means of a hardware module designed as a camera module. Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises the step: • Automatic or manual entry of the stored goods information of a different location of the refrigerator and / or freezer storage information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the management step is the automatic creation of at least one shopping list and / or the selection of at least one cooking recipe and / or the production of at least one consumption forecast and / or the creation of at least one shopping proposal and / or performing at least one order process and / or performing at least one storage and / or removal of refrigerated goods and / or the creation of at least one assessment of the used refrigerated goods and / or a court produced therefrom. Cooling and / or freezing device having at least one communication module and at least one hardware module, wherein the communication module is set up to establish a data connection with the hardware module and wherein the hardware module is configured to input information concerning the refrigerated goods, characterized in that the cooling and / or or freezer is configured for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 5. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the hardware module is a camera module and / or a receiving device. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the communication module and / or the hardware module are wirelessly connected to each other in particular via a Bluetooth connection. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the communication module and / or the hardware module are designed modular in particular with independent of the refrigerator and / or freezer power supply. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the refrigerator and / or freezer is adapted to be connected to a particular external server.

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