KR20120011486A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator is provided to easily decide whether stored foods are spoiled or not because images of the stored foods are detected by a camera and visualized. CONSTITUTION: A refrigerator comprises a main body, a door, a storage room(300), a camera(400), a memory unit, and a control unit(500). The door is rotatably installed in the main body. The storage room installed in the inner part of the main body visualizes images of stored foods by detecting the images of the stored foods. The memory unit stores the images of the stored foods visualized by the camera. The control unit decides whether the stored foods are spoiled or not according to differences of the stored foods' images in the memory unit.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of improving user convenience by displaying whether a quality change of a stored product stored in the refrigerator is improved and preventing the use of the deteriorated storage.

The refrigerator is a device for supplying the cold air generated by the freezing cycle to the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber to maintain the freshness of various foods for a long time.

In general, a refrigerator includes a main body having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment for storing food, and a door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment by being rotatably coupled to one side of the main body, and the main body includes a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, and the like. The refrigeration cycle of the component is provided to supply the cold air generated in the evaporator to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment so that the storage, such as food stored in the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment for a long time.

That is, the freezing chamber usually maintains a cooling temperature of -18 ° C or lower, and the refrigerating chamber has a range of cooling temperatures around 2 ° C.

The refrigerating compartment is divided into a plurality of spaces by shelves or the like so as to efficiently store and store the storage according to the type of the stored matter. A refrigerating compartment is provided with a storage compartment for storing meat and fish in the upper region of the refrigerating compartment. The lower region is provided with a storage compartment for storing vegetables and fruits.

Meat, fish, vegetables and fruits stored in such a storage room, even if stored at a low temperature, tissue is damaged and deteriorated over a certain time due to moisture in the storage room, microorganisms present on the surface of the storage.

However, in order to determine the quality of the stock, such as deterioration or the like, there is a problem in that it takes a long time and a complicated procedure because a separate quality analysis process for measuring a change in dryness and nutritional components is required.

In addition, the consumer will not use the above-described separate quality analysis process for reasons such as time, cost, and complicated procedures when ingesting meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc. in the storage room. There was an increased risk of disease.

On the other hand, in recent years, as the demand for a refrigerator that has been advanced due to the improvement of the living environment gradually increases, a display unit such as an LCD panel is provided in the door of the refrigerator to provide information about the refrigerator and control the refrigerator.

However, the display unit provides only basic information such as the time, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment to the user, and does not indicate whether the food stored in the refrigerating compartment is deteriorated. There was a problem.

The present invention is to solve the above-described problems, the camera unit for detecting the image of the storage is installed in the storage room in which the storage of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, etc., the dryness of the stored product is measured, nutritional component changes It is to provide a refrigerator that can easily determine whether or not the storage, such as damage to the storage without going through a separate process, such as measurement, and can be displayed to the user through the display unit whether the storage, such as damage. .

The technical object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned technical objects and other technical objects which are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

Refrigerator of the present invention for achieving the above object, the main body; A door rotatably coupled to the main body; A storage compartment provided inside the main body to store a storage; A camera unit mounted inside the storage chamber and sensing and visualizing an image of the storage; A memory unit for storing an image of the storage visualized by the camera unit; And a controller determining whether the storage is damaged according to a difference between images of the storage stored in the memory unit. It includes.

According to the present invention, a separate camera unit is provided in the storage compartment, and the camera unit detects and visualizes an image of a stored product such as meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit stored in the storage compartment, thereby measuring the dryness of the stored product and the nutritional component. There is an advantage in that it is easy to determine whether or not the damage of the storage non-destructively without going through a separate process such as change measurement.

In addition, the display unit provided on the outer surface of the door to indicate whether the storage or the like damage to the user, if the vegetables and fruits are deteriorated it is possible to quickly remove the deteriorated vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator There is an advantage.

1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating a storage compartment provided in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a main configuration diagram illustrating a control unit constituting a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing the color change of the storage stored in the storage compartment provided in the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a message displayed on the display unit provided in the front of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the size or shape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. In addition, terms that are specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the present invention may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

In addition, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention may easily implement other embodiments within the scope of the same idea, but this also falls within the scope of the present invention. Of course.

1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 1 will be described in detail the basic structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the overall appearance of the refrigerator is formed by the main body 100 is provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The storage chamber 300, which is a storage space for storing food and the like, is formed inside the main body 100, and the storage chamber 300 is left and right by a barrier 110 provided inside the main body 100. Each compartment is provided with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment.

Of course, depending on the type of the refrigerator, the barrier 110 may be divided into the storage compartment 300 inside the main body 100 up and down may be provided with each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, the present invention is a kind of such a refrigerator It can be applied to various types of refrigerators regardless.

In addition, the storage compartment 300 is divided into a plurality of spaces by a shelf or the like so as to efficiently store and store according to the type of the storage, and the storage region of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits in the lower region of the refrigerating compartment. Storage room 300 for storing the is provided.

In addition, the camera unit 400 is mounted inside the storage chamber 300, and the camera unit 400 senses and visualizes an image of a storage stored in the storage chamber 300.

On the other hand, the front surface of the main body 100 is formed to be opened, the front surface of the main body 100 is provided so that the door 200 is rotatable, that is, the open front surface of the main body 100, that is, the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber Is configured to selectively shield.

That is, the door 200 is configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively, and open and close the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment independently by rotating in both sides.

On the other hand, the door 200 for opening and closing the freezer compartment is provided with a dispenser 230 to enable the user to easily take out water and ice purified from the outside.

In addition, a display unit 210 and a button unit 220 are provided at an upper portion of the dispenser 230, and the display unit 210 may be formed of a liquid crystal display (LCD), and Temperature, humidity, whether the refrigeration cycle is driven and the image of the storage stored in the storage room 300, whether the damage is displayed to the user.

The user controls the temperature, humidity, and the like of the refrigerator by manipulating the button unit 220 provided on one side of the display unit 210, and displays an image of the storage stored in the storage room 300 and whether or not there is damage. Display on the display unit 210.

2 is a perspective view illustrating a storage compartment 300 provided in a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 2 will be described in detail with respect to the camera unit 400 for sensing the image stored in the storage room 300.

As shown in FIG. 2, a camera unit 400 is mounted on an upper side of the storage compartment 300 provided under the refrigerating compartment, and the camera unit 400 is a control unit provided at one side of the storage compartment 300. It is connected with 500.

On the other hand, the camera unit 400 senses and visualizes, for example, spinach image, such as vegetables and fruits stored in the storage compartment 300.

That is, the present invention relates to a refrigerator for non-destructively analyzing whether or not damage to meat, fish, vegetables and fruits stored in the storage room 300 by using image processing technology, the image processing technology A technology for processing an image supplied from an image source to display on a display panel implemented by liquid crystal or plasma.

Therefore, the camera unit 400 processes and visualizes images of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits stored in the storage room 300.

In addition, the controller 500 determines whether the spinach is damaged according to the difference in the image of the spinach visualized by the camera unit 400.

That is, when the vegetables and fruits are stored in the storage chamber 300 for a long time, the swelling pressure of the cells such as the vegetables and fruits decreases, so that the water leaks to the outside. Wither

The withered vegetables and fruits are changed in color due to oxidation, and as time passes, the ratio of yellow increases to that of green.

Therefore, the control unit 500 controls the camera unit 400 to visualize colors of vegetables and fruits of the storage room 300 at every set time, and the storage room 300 visualized by the camera unit 400. When the color difference value exceeds the preset color range by comparing the colors of vegetables and fruits, it is determined that the vegetables and fruits are damaged.

On the other hand, although not shown, when the meat is stored in the storage room 300, the control unit 500 determines whether the meat is damaged according to the difference of the image of the meat visualized by the camera unit 400.

That is, when the meat is stored in the storage room 300 for a long time, the juice is leaked to the outside from the meat.

When the juice is leaked from the meat in this way, the overall external shape of the meat is changed from the outer surface of the meat itself to the interface where the juice leaked out.

Therefore, the control unit 500 controls the camera unit 400 to visualize the shape of the meat, etc. stored in the storage room 300 at every set time, and the meat such as the meat visualized by the camera unit 400. When the shape difference value exceeds the range of the preset shape by comparing shapes, it is determined that the meat or the like is damaged.

3 is a diagram illustrating a main part of a control unit 500 constituting a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 3 with respect to the operation of the present invention the refrigerator determines whether the meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and the like stored in the storage room 300 by using the camera unit 400 for detecting the image of the image source It explains in detail.

First, when the user wants to know whether the vegetables or fruits stored in the storage room 300 are damaged or not, the button unit 220 is operated.

That is, when the user manipulates the button unit 220, the control unit 500 detects the color of the storage of vegetables and fruits stored in the storage room 300 at the camera unit 400 at regular time intervals. Control the camera unit 400 to visualize the color of the storage.

Here, the predetermined time interval may be changed to a time interval desired by the user by manipulating the button unit 220.

Meanwhile, the display unit 210 provided on the outer surface of the door 200 displays the colors of the vegetables and fruits visualized by the camera unit 400 to the user at regular time intervals.

Accordingly, the user may recognize the current quality of the vegetables and fruits by referring to the colors of the vegetables and the fruits stored in the storage room 300 through the display unit 210.

On the other hand, the color of the vegetables and fruits, such as visualized at a predetermined time interval in the camera unit 400 is stored in the memory unit 600, the control unit 500 is stored in the memory unit 600 the vegetables and fruits It is determined whether or not the vegetables and fruits are damaged according to the difference in the color of the back.

That is, when the color of the vegetables and fruits measured at regular time intervals exceeds a preset color range, the controller 500 determines that the tissues of the vegetables and fruits are damaged.

On the other hand, when the user wants to know whether the meat or the like stored in the storage room 300 is damaged to operate the button unit 220.

That is, when a user manipulates the button unit 220, the control unit 500 detects the shape of a stored object such as meat stored in the storage room 300 by the camera unit 400 at a predetermined time interval. The camera unit 400 is controlled to visualize the shape of the storage.

Here, the predetermined time interval may be changed to a time interval desired by the user by manipulating the button unit 220.

On the other hand, the display unit 210 provided on the outer surface of the door 200 displays the shape of the meat and the like visualized by the camera unit 400 to the user at regular time intervals.

Accordingly, the user can recognize the quality of the meat and the like by detecting the amount of the juice leaked from the meat by referring to the shape of the meat stored in the storage room 300 through the display unit 210. Can be.

On the other hand, the shape of the meat and the like visualized at a predetermined time interval in the camera unit 400 is stored in the memory unit 600, the control unit 500 of the shape of the meat and the like stored in the memory unit 600 It is determined whether the meat or the like is damaged according to the difference.

That is, when the shape of the meat or the like measured at regular time intervals leaks into the juice, the controller 500 determines that the tissue of the meat or the like is damaged.

4 is a view showing the color change of the storage stored in the storage compartment provided in the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, spinach and bok choy.

As shown in the upper portion of FIG. 4, immediately after vegetables such as spinach and bok choy are stored in the storage room 300, the fresh green color is maintained.

However, over time, tissues such as spinach and bok choy are damaged, and the surface color of the spinach and bok choy is changed due to oxidation.

That is, as shown in the lower portion of Figure 4, when the tissues such as spinach and bok choy when the tissue is damaged over time, the ratio of yellow to the damaged tissue is increased, the color becomes lighter.

In this case, the controller 500 compares the imaged surface color, such as spinach and bok choy after a certain time and after a certain time, and when the difference in the surface color is beyond the set color range the vegetable and It is judged that tissues such as fruits are damaged.

Here, the preset color range may be changed to a color range desired by the user by adjusting the delta (△) value by operating the button unit 220.

On the other hand, when the meat, such as pork, beef, etc. is stored in the storage compartment 300 as another embodiment, the entire shape is maintained almost the same as the shape of the outer surface of the meat itself immediately after the meat is stored.

However, as time passes, tissues such as the meat are damaged, and the juice leaks outward from the meat, and thus the overall external shape of the meat changes to the interface where the juice leaks out.

In this case, the control unit 500 compares the imaged shape of the meat, such as before a certain time and after a predetermined time, and when the difference in shape exceeds the range of a predetermined shape, the tissue such as meat is I think it's damaged.

Here, of course, the range of the preset shape may be changed to the range of the shape desired by the user by operating the button unit 220.

When the control unit 500 determines that the tissues such as the meat, vegetables, and fruits are damaged, the display unit 210, as shown in Figure 6, the juice leaked from the meat, the vegetables and fruits, etc. In addition to displaying the fact that the color of the user, and at the same time may display a message to discard or consume the meat, vegetables and fruits and the like.

Therefore, when the tissues of meat, vegetables and fruits stored in the storage compartment 300 are damaged, the user may discard or immediately consume them. It can be quickly removed from inside the refrigerator to prevent odors.

In addition, the user can reduce the likelihood of getting sick by ingesting deteriorated meat, vegetables and fruits.

Although embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, these are merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent embodiments of the present invention are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the following claims.

100: main body 200: door
300: storage room 400: camera unit
500: control unit 510: memory unit

Claims (7)

main body;
A door rotatably coupled to the main body;
A storage compartment provided inside the main body to store a storage;
A camera unit mounted inside the storage chamber and sensing and visualizing an image of the storage;
A memory unit for storing an image of the storage visualized by the camera unit; And
A controller configured to determine whether the storage is damaged according to a difference between images of the storage stored in the memory unit; Refrigerator comprising a. The method of claim 1,
A display unit provided on an outer surface of the door and displaying an image of the storage visualized by the camera unit to a user; Refrigerator comprising more. The method of claim 2,
The display unit,
The refrigerator, characterized in that to display to the user whether or not the damage of the storage determined by the control unit. The method of claim 1,
The camera unit,
Refrigerator for detecting the color of the storage. The method of claim 1,
The camera unit,
Refrigerator for detecting the shape of the storage. The method of claim 1,
The camera unit,
And a refrigerator mounted on an upper portion of the storage compartment. The method of claim 3,
A button unit provided at one side of the display unit and operable to display an image of the stored image or damage of the stored image on the display unit; Refrigerator comprising more.

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