JP2013238344A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator of high energy saving property, capable of quickly performing communication with a mobile terminal.SOLUTION: A refrigerator performs RFID radio communication with a mobile terminal, and the refrigerator includes a human presence detecting means 31A for detecting presence of a human around the refrigerator. When the human presence detecting means detects a human, electric power is supplied to a radio transmitting/receiving portion 21 from a power source supply portion 31, and when no human is detected, power supply is stopped. Thus, the refrigerator supplies power to the radio transmitting/receiving portion only during a time when a human is present around the refrigerator and RFID radio communication is possible to be performed, and power supply is stopped during a time other than that. Because of this, the radio transmitting/receiving portion can be suppressed to consume electric power, and when radio transmission/reception is performed with the mobile terminal, the radio communication can be started without delay since power source is being supplied to the radio transmitting/receiving portion. Thus a refrigerator of high energy saving property is provided in which data communication with the mobile terminal can be performed without delay while power consumption by the radio transmitting/receiving part is suppressed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator with high energy saving suitable for a home appliance service system using a communication network such as the Internet.

  In general, there is a system in which convenience is improved by exchanging information with home appliances via a communication network such as the Internet. For example, it is possible to connect a refrigerator to the Internet and transmit the details of the failure to a service provider so that accurate failure repair is possible (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The devices used in such a system are not limited to refrigerators, and other home appliances are often the same. Such devices are called so-called Internet home appliances, and in recent years, with the development of communication infrastructure and the evolution of mobile terminals, they have become more and more widespread. Expected to be equipped.

JP 2002-295939 A

  As information on home appliances is being promoted as described above, devices commonly called white goods are used in daily life regardless of age or gender. Is done. That is, as long as a single refrigerator is only connected to the Internet, there is no problem in usability and the service can be fully enjoyed. However, when the computerization of home appliances spreads and multiple home appliances are connected to the Internet and become a service target, what kind of solid the target device shows in the bidirectional exchange of device information, such as children and the elderly Is difficult to understand and difficult to use. In addition, for example, when two refrigerators are held in the home, a problem that the temperature inside the refrigerator is set incorrectly can be predicted.

  In addition, security measures are also a major issue. In other words, considering the reality that even a system such as an administrative organization protected by a very high level of security is subject to cyber-damage, there is a good chance that household appliances and information will be damaged by the computerization of home appliances. . For example, there is a risk that device information will be leaked and a device will be controlled without permission. Although measures to protect by various security technologies are socially taken, there is a possibility that the basic function of the product may be impaired especially when the setting is changed without permission.

  Therefore, the present inventors provide an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag in the refrigerator main body, and by bringing the portable terminal close to the RFID tag, the data is exchanged between the refrigerator main body and the portable terminal, via the portable terminal. We have already proposed a refrigerator that communicates with the Internet.

Since this refrigerator performs communication using ultra-close proximity communication called an RFID tag, the target device is not mistakenly identified, and there is no problem of individual identification as in a general wireless communication system. In addition, the usability is improved, and the RFID tag data is directly read by the portable terminal, so there is no security problem as in the case of reading information via a communication network such as the Internet, and the safety is also improved.

  In addition, a service can be provided by connecting to the Internet via a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone without adding an expensive configuration such as a communication function for Internet communication to the refrigerator itself.

  However, when the RFID tag of the ultra close proximity communication type is brought close to the portable terminal, power is supplied by the dielectric action of the RFID tag itself, and operation can be started and transmission / reception becomes possible. Therefore, the portable terminal must be kept close until then. There was a problem that usability was one step further.

  In order to solve this, it is only necessary to supply the micro-power to the RFID tag from the refrigerator main body instead of the dielectric power supply of the RFID tag itself so that the RFID tag is always in an operating state.

  However, refrigerators have a high usage ratio of electric power in the home, and there is a strong demand to suppress the electric power used as much as possible. Under such circumstances, supplying power to the RFID tag from the main body side as described above to put the RFID tag into an operating state has a strong resistance even though it is a minute power source.

  Particularly recently, the safety of nuclear power generation has begun to be reviewed, and as a result, power shortages have occurred due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants, etc. As such, it has become a tough era when further power saving is required, and it is necessary to reduce even the minute power consumed by the wireless transceiver.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can perform Internet communication with high usability and security safety without adding an expensive communication function, and also suppresses power consumption of the refrigerator itself to save energy. A refrigerator with high performance is provided.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a refrigerator that performs RFID wireless communication with a mobile terminal, a wireless transmission / reception unit that performs RFID wireless communication with the mobile terminal, and a power source that supplies power to the wireless transmission / reception unit A supply unit; a presence / absence detection unit that detects presence / absence of a person around the refrigerator; and a control unit that controls the wireless transmission / reception unit and the power supply unit, wherein the human presence detection unit detects the person. During the interval, power is supplied from the power supply unit to the wireless transmission / reception unit, and power supply is stopped while no person is detected.

  As a result, power is supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit only when there is a possibility that a person is in the vicinity of the refrigerator and performs RFID wireless communication, and the power supply is stopped at other times. In addition to being able to suppress power consumption and when wirelessly transmitting / receiving to / from a mobile terminal, power is already supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit. Wireless communication can be started quickly, that is, instantaneously, and usability is improved. And, of course, even if there is a selection of multiple home appliances, the mobile terminal must be brought near the target refrigerator when communicating, so even the children and the elderly misunderstand the target. It is easy to use without worrying about operation, and can be used with peace of mind, and it is easy to use, and there is also a security problem because data is directly transmitted and received between the refrigerator and mobile terminal without using the Internet Safety is also improved. Moreover, it is not necessary to add an expensive communication function to the refrigerator itself, and can be provided at a low cost.

  The present invention provides a refrigerator with high usability, security safety, and high energy efficiency by suppressing power consumption by a wireless transmission / reception unit while improving usability by enabling quick data communication with a mobile terminal. Can do.

The front view which shows the use condition of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Schematic sectional view of the refrigerator Schematic cross-sectional view of the refrigerator Front view showing the operation unit of the refrigerator Control block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a home appliance service system comprising the refrigerator and a portable terminal Flowchart explaining operation in the home appliance service system Explanatory drawing of the refrigerator in Embodiment 2 of the refrigerator

  1st invention is the refrigerator which performs RFID wireless communication with a portable terminal, Comprising: The wireless transmission / reception part which performs RFID wireless communication between portable terminals, The power supply part which supplies a power supply to the said wireless transmission / reception part, Refrigerator Human presence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a nearby person, and a control unit for controlling the wireless transmission / reception unit and the power supply unit, the control unit is a power supply unit while the human presence detection unit is detecting a person Power is supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit, and power supply is stopped while no person is detected.

  As a result, power is supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit only when there is a possibility that a person is in the vicinity of the refrigerator and performs RFID wireless communication, and the power supply is stopped at other times. In addition to being able to suppress power consumption and when wirelessly transmitting / receiving to / from a mobile terminal, power is already supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit. Wireless communication can be started quickly, that is, instantaneously, and usability is improved. In addition, even when multiple home appliances are selected, a portable terminal is always brought near the target refrigerator when communication is performed, so even children and the elderly can understand the target intuitively without misunderstanding It is easy to use without worrying about operation, easy to use, and there is no security problem because data is sent and received directly between the refrigerator and mobile terminal without using the Internet, Safety is also improved. Moreover, it is not necessary to add an expensive communication function to the refrigerator itself, and can be provided at a low cost.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the presence / absence detecting means is configured to use a sensor for causing the control unit to save power when no person is detected, and uses the sensor for performing power saving operation. Thus, further power saving can be achieved, and further higher energy saving can be realized without incurring a cost increase.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the presence / absence detection means is constituted by a human sensor, and directly detects the presence / absence of a person. The stop can be controlled.

  According to a fourth invention, in the first or second invention, the presence / absence detection means is constituted by an illuminance sensor, and an illuminance sensor for power saving operation for controlling a set temperature of cooling according to the illuminance is used. As in the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to achieve further power saving by using a sensor for performing power saving operation as in the second aspect of the invention, and it is possible to realize further higher energy savings without causing an increase in cost.

According to a fifth invention, in the first invention, the presence / absence detecting means is constituted by a door opening / closing detection unit for detecting opening / closing of the door, and opening / closing the door of the refrigerator means that a person exists. The presence / absence of a person can be detected, and a sensor dedicated to confirming the presence / absence of a person is not required, thereby simplifying the configuration.

  According to a sixth invention, in the first invention, the presence / absence detection means is constituted by an electric field sensor, and when a person is present in the electric field generated by the electric field sensor, this is detected. Since it is formed within a limited range, this is detected only when a person approaches the refrigerator, and the accuracy of confirming the existence of a person becomes extremely high.

  7th invention is the information storage which memorize | stores at least any one data of the count frequency data or door opening time of a door opening / closing detection part and the door opening / closing detection part in 1st-6th invention. And a data transmission unit that transmits at least one of the number-of-times data from the information storage unit and the opening time of the door from the wireless transmission / reception unit to the portable terminal and displays the data on the display unit of the portable terminal.

  As a result, the user can know at least one of the door opening frequency data or the door opening time via the display unit of the mobile terminal, and thereafter the user takes power saving actions such as reducing the door opening / closing frequency. Therefore, it is possible to save power and improve the energy saving performance of the refrigerator.

  In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the control unit is configured to control the temperature setting of the refrigerator, and the wireless communication unit transmits the data in the information storage unit to the portable terminal and receives the control data from the portable terminal. In this case, the control unit is configured to change the set temperature based on the control data.

  Accordingly, the user can transmit control data from the portable terminal according to the number of times the door is opened and closed, and can change the set temperature condition so that the operation of the refrigerator itself is a low power consumption operation. Along with power saving by reducing the number of opening and closing times, a great energy saving effect can be expected.

  According to a ninth invention, in the eighth invention, further comprising a previous day information storage unit for storing the previous day data of the door opening / closing number or opening time from the door opening / closing detection unit, and the door opening / closing is based on information from the previous day information storage unit The control data for increasing the set temperature is output to the control unit at a predetermined time before the time period when the number of times increases.

  As a result, by lowering the set temperature and lowering the internal temperature before the time zone when the door open / close increases and the internal temperature tends to rise, the internal temperature increases slightly because the door open / close frequency increases. However, the influence on food can be made minute, and good food cost cooling can be maintained without increasing power consumption.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the eighth or ninth aspect of the present invention, further comprising a refrigerator abnormality detection unit, wherein the control unit is set even when control data is received from a portable terminal when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality. The temperature is not changed.

  As a result, the doors are less opened and closed in the case of abnormalities in the refrigerator, for example, when the compressor temperature continues to operate without reaching the set temperature no matter what time the internal temperature has passed due to damage to the door packing. By changing the preset temperature to a low level, the compressor can continue to operate at a higher capacity, and it is possible to prevent failures that would waste power wasted and to make it highly reliable. it can.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a front view showing a use state of a refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the refrigerator, FIG. 3 is a schematic plan sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. 4 is an operation unit of the refrigerator. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a home appliance service system including the refrigerator and a portable terminal, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in the home appliance service system.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, which is provided with a plurality of storage chambers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 as shown in FIG. These storage rooms are a refrigerator room 2, an ice making room 3, and a switching room 4 located on the side of the ice making room 3 from above (switchable from a freezing room temperature of about -18 ° C to a vegetable room temperature of about 6 ° C), a freezing room 5 、 Vegetable room 6 The layout is appropriately set as necessary.

  The refrigerator main body 1 is composed of an outer box 1a mainly using a steel plate, an inner box 1b formed of a resin such as ABS, and a hard foam filled and foamed in a space between the outer box 1a and the inner box 1b. It is comprised with the urethane foam 1c. Furthermore, the vacuum heat insulating material 1d is embedded in the hard urethane foam in order to partially enhance the heat insulating performance as necessary. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a vacuum heat insulating material 1d is attached in the space of the back surface corresponding to the ice making chamber 3, the switching chamber 4, and the freezing chamber 5 to form a composite with the hard urethane foam 1c.

  Further, the top surface portion of the refrigerator body 1 has a stepped recess shape toward the back side of the refrigerator, and a machine room 7 is formed in the step-like recess, and the compressor room 8, moisture is formed in the machine room 7. A high-pressure side component of the refrigeration cycle such as a dryer (not shown) for removal and a refrigerator control unit (not shown) are accommodated to increase the storage capacity of the lowermost vegetable compartment.

  The cooler 9 constituting the low-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle is disposed behind the freezer compartment 5 so as to cool the storage chambers 2 to 6 by forcibly blowing the cool air generated by the cooler 9 by the cooling fan 10. It has become.

  Each of the storage chambers 2 to 6 is configured to be opened and closed by doors 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 provided corresponding to the storage chambers 2 to 6, respectively. Each of the doors 11 to 15 has a handle portion 16, Like the refrigerator main body 1, the hard urethane foam 1 c is filled and foamed. Each of these doors 11 to 15 is provided with a door opening / closing detection unit (not shown in the diagram explaining the structure) correspondingly, and the number of times of opening / closing and the accumulated opening time data are processed by the refrigerator control unit. It is like that.

  Here, in the refrigerator of this embodiment, the door of the refrigerator compartment 2 positioned at the top is a double door, and is composed of two doors 11a and 11b having different left and right areas. The right door 11b having a large area is configured to be opened simply by lightly pushing the door surface by the automatic door opening / closing mechanism 17, and the opening / closing is detected by a door opening / closing detection unit (not shown). An operation unit 18 is provided at the end of the right door 11b in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 18 includes an electrostatic touch switch type setting switch 19 for setting the temperature of each of the storage chambers 2 to 6, and a setting state display unit 20 disposed above the setting switch 19. In this refrigerator, a wireless transmission / reception unit 21 made of an RFID tag or the like is provided. In this embodiment, the RFID tag used as the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is a passive tag type having a communication distance of 100 mm or less.

  The wireless transmission / reception unit 21 transmits / receives data to / from a portable terminal 22 such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a PDA. For example, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 outputs and transmits data such as the door opening / closing count or the door opening accumulated time to the portable terminal 22 and the Internet The wireless transmission / reception unit 21 receives control data such as a set temperature sent to the mobile terminal 22 via communication from the mobile terminal 22 to configure a simple home appliance service system.

  That is, when the user brings the mobile terminal 22 close as shown in FIG. 1, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 transmits / receives data between the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 and the mobile terminal 22, and data from the wireless transmission / reception unit 21. Is configured to be displayed on a display unit (not shown in FIG. 1) of the portable terminal 22.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the home appliance service system will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the home appliance service system, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation.

  In FIG. 5, reference numeral 23 denotes the door opening / closing detection unit, 24 denotes a number counting unit for counting the number of times the door is opened / closed detected by the door opening / closing detection unit 23, and 25 denotes a number storage for storing the number of times counted by the number counting unit 24. , 26 is a time measuring unit that measures the door opening time detected by the door opening / closing detection unit 23, 27 is a time storage unit that cumulatively stores the time measured by the time measuring unit 26, and 28 is the number of times The information storage unit includes a storage unit 25 and a time storage unit 27.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes a wireless transmission / reception unit that transmits door opening / closing frequency data and door opening cumulative time data to the mobile terminal 22 or receives control data from the mobile terminal 22. In this embodiment, the antenna 21a is connected to the mobile terminal 22. It consists of an integrated RFID tag. A proximity communication detection unit 29 detects a data request / control signal when a mobile terminal 22 such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a PDA approaches and transmits a data request / control signal. When the control signal transmission is detected, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 operates.

  Accordingly, when the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 approaches the portable terminal 22 and requests data, for example, the proximity communication detection unit 29 enters an operation state, and the latest door opening / closing number stored in the number storage unit 25 and the time storage unit 27 and Data such as the cumulative door opening time (cumulative time while the door is open) is transmitted from the antenna 21a to the outside.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes a previous day information storage unit which updates and stores data such as the number of times of opening and closing the door on the previous day and the total opening time of the door stored in the information storage unit 28. Reference numeral 30A denotes an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the refrigerator, for example, an abnormality such as the compressor being operated for an abnormally long time. As a reason why the compressor continues to operate for an abnormally long time, for example, the door packing may be damaged, and the set temperature may not be reached no matter what time the internal temperature passes.

31 is a power supply unit of the wireless transmission / reception unit 21, and 31A is a human presence / absence detecting means, which in this embodiment is composed of a human sensor that detects a human body by infrared rays, and there is a person around the refrigerator, for example, in front. It is detected whether or not. In particular, the presence / absence detection means 31A in this embodiment is originally provided for power-saving operation, that is, when there is no person, there is no possibility of food being taken in and out by the user, and the internal temperature rises. Because there is no such thing, we use what is provided to save power by changing the set temperature in the cabinet to a higher level. A control unit 32 controls the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 and the power supply unit 31 together with the temperature setting of the refrigerator. The power supply unit 31 supplies power to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 while the human presence detection means 31A detects a person. When power is supplied and no more people are detected, the power saving operation described above is performed and control is performed to stop the power supply to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21. Further, when the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 in a state where power is supplied receives the data request signal, the control unit 32 takes in data such as the number of times of opening / closing the door from the information storage unit 28 and transmits the data to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21. When the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 receives control data from the portable terminal 22, the control content of the refrigerator, for example, the set temperature of cooling, is controlled based on the control data.

  On the other hand, the mobile terminal 22 uses a general mobile phone in this embodiment, and as is well known, a first communication unit 33 that performs near field communication, an antenna 33a thereof, and a second communication unit 34 for call and Internet communication. The antenna 34a, first and second communication control units 35 and 36 for controlling these communication units, a portable control unit 38 including a display control unit 37, a display unit 39 such as a liquid crystal display, and an operation unit 40 such as a touch switch. The storage unit 41 and the like.

  When the portable terminal 22 is switched to the near field communication by the first communication control unit 35 by operating the operation unit 40, the data request signal is transmitted to the other party and the data from the other party can be received, and the display control unit 37 is also received. Switches the display on the display unit 39 and causes the display unit 39 to display the data received by the first communication unit 33. That is, by bringing the antenna 33 a of the first communication unit 33 close to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 of the refrigerator, data such as the number of door opening / closing operations from the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 can be received and displayed on the display unit 39.

  Further, the mobile terminal 22 can receive various data via the Internet line (not shown) by the second communication unit 34 as in the case of an ordinary mobile phone, and one of them is a refrigerator related to the present invention. Control data, for example, set temperature data, can be captured and transmitted to the wireless transceiver 21 of the refrigerator.

  In the above configuration, the operation will be described below using the control flow of FIG. First, when a user opens a refrigerator door, for example, the right door 11b of the refrigerator compartment 2 for taking in and out food, in step 1, the door opening / closing detection unit 23 detects the door opening / closing, and in step 2, the frequency counting unit 24 The number of times is counted and stored in the number-of-times storage unit 25, and the time storage unit 27 accumulates and stores the door opening time.

  In step 3, if the presence / absence detection means 31A has not detected the presence of a person, the temperature setting is changed to a higher temperature in the cabinet (not shown), and a power saving operation is performed. If it has not elapsed, the process returns to step 1; if it has elapsed, the door opening / closing count data and the door opening accumulated time data are stored in the previous day information storage unit 30; Reset the number of times the door has been opened and closed, and return to Step 1.

  When it is detected in step 3 that a person is present, the control unit 32 supplies power to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 from the power supply unit 31 in step 6 to place the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 in a standby state.

  In this state, in step 7, it is confirmed whether or not the proximity communication detecting unit 29 is requesting data. If there is no request, the same as the previous step through the confirmation step of presence / absence of control data, presence / absence of abnormality, etc. described later. Move to step 4.

  In this state, when the user transmits the data request signal by bringing the antenna 33a portion of the portable terminal 22 close to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 of the refrigerator door (step 8), the proximity communication detection unit 29 detects this in step 7. The wireless transmission / reception unit 21 starts operation, and the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 acquires data such as the number of times of opening / closing the door stored in the number storage unit 25 and the time storage unit 27 in step 9 and transmits the data in step 10. . Thereby, the portable terminal 22 receives the data at step 11, and displays the data on the display unit 39 of the portable terminal 22 at step 12.

  Here, as described above, when the person is in the vicinity of the refrigerator and there is a possibility of performing wireless communication, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is supplied with power and is in a standby state. Otherwise, the power supply is stopped. Yes. Therefore, when the user is not in the vicinity of the refrigerator and there is no possibility of exchanging data with the mobile terminal 22, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 and save power. On the other hand, when the user is in the vicinity of the refrigerator and exchanges data with the portable terminal 22, since the power is supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 and is in a standby state, data is immediately exchanged with the portable terminal 22. Can communicate. That is, in a normal RFID tag, power is supplied by its own dielectric action, operation is started, and transmission / reception becomes possible, so it takes time to exchange data. However, according to the configuration of the present invention, the portable terminal is brought closer As soon as the transmission / reception is started, the user-friendliness is improved while saving power.

  In addition, since the presence / absence detection for starting the immediate transmission / reception is performed using the presence / absence detection means 31A provided for the power saving operation, the presence / absence detection means 31A provided for the power saving operation is used. Thus, it is possible to further improve the energy saving performance without incurring a cost increase such as providing a sensor dedicated to power supply control.

  In addition, since the refrigerator in this embodiment obtains data by bringing the mobile terminal 22 directly close to the refrigerator itself as the target device, even when there are a plurality of target refrigerators, the refrigerator is always carried by the target refrigerator. Since you will bring a terminal, you can understand it intuitively, even if you are a child, etc., you can use it without worrying about operation, it is easy to use, and it does not involve the Internet Since the data is directly received by the target refrigerator and the portable terminal, there is no security problem and the safety is improved.

  Further, the user can know the number of times the door is opened and closed by looking at the display unit 39 of the portable terminal 22, and for example, when the number or time is large, the user is careful to reduce the number of times the door is opened and closed. Will be promoted. In addition, the refrigerator does not require display power for notifying the user of the number of times the door is opened and closed, so that power can be further saved, and energy saving of the refrigerator is improved. That is, since the refrigerator can know the number of times of opening and closing the door via the display unit 39 of the portable terminal 22, the refrigerator itself does not consume any power for displaying the number of times of opening and closing the door. Energy saving will be promoted.

  On the other hand, data such as the number of times the door is opened and closed acquired by the mobile terminal 22 as described above is sent to a predetermined place such as an energy-saving service center or a parent who is attending work, etc. Can be sent.

  Accordingly, for example, a supplier such as an energy saving service center sees data such as the number of times of opening and closing the door transmitted from the mobile terminal 22 and transmits control data of the refrigerator, for example, set temperature data of the internal cooling temperature, to the mobile terminal 22. be able to.

  When the user who has received the set temperature data again brings the portable terminal 22 close to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 of the refrigerator and transmits a control signal in step 14, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 enters the operating state in the same manner as described above. In step 15, it is confirmed whether or not there is a control signal. As a result of the confirmation, in the next step 16, it is confirmed whether or not the abnormality detection unit 30A has detected an abnormality. If there is an abnormality, the process proceeds to step 4 without doing anything. In step 17, the set temperature of the refrigerator is updated to the set temperature that is control data transmitted from the portable terminal 22.

  The update of the set temperature is as follows according to the status of the door opening / closing frequency and the door opening accumulated time data.

  That is, as one example, the control data when the number of times of opening and closing the door is large is data for setting the set temperature high. As a result, when the number of times the door is opened and closed, the internal temperature tends to rise and the compressor starts to operate each time, and the power consumption tends to increase. Even if it rises a little by opening and closing, it can suppress that a compressor operates, and can suppress power consumption.

  Further, the control data when the door opening / closing frequency is small is data for setting the set temperature low. As a result, when the number of doors open / closed is small, the internal temperature rise is small and the temperature is kept low when the doors are open / closed. In contrast, when the temperature of the food is kept low during this period, and the number of times the door is opened and closed increases, the food temperature can be kept low even if the temperature inside the chamber rises somewhat, and it is consumed. Good food cooling can be maintained without increasing power.

  As described above, the refrigerator can transmit control data from the portable terminal according to the number of times the door is opened and closed, and can change the conditions so that the operation of the refrigerator itself is a low power consumption operation. A large energy saving effect can be expected in combination with power saving by reducing the number of times the door is opened and closed by a user who is enlightened by saving the number of times the door is opened and closed on the display unit 39.

  In addition, the refrigerator of this embodiment includes a previous day information storage unit 30 that stores the previous day data such as the number of times of door opening / closing from the door opening / closing detection unit 23, and the door opening / closing is performed based on the information from the previous day information storage unit 30. Control data that sets the set temperature at a high level is output to the control unit 32 a predetermined time before the increased time zone. As a result, the control unit 32 changes the set temperature to a low level a predetermined time before.

  In this way, by lowering the set temperature and lowering the internal temperature before the time period when the door open / close increases and the internal temperature tends to rise, the number of door opening / closing increases and the internal temperature decreases slightly. Even if it rises, the effect on food can be made minute, and good food cost cooling can be maintained without increasing power consumption.

  Further, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator abnormality detection unit 30A. When the abnormality detection unit 30A detects an abnormality, the control unit 32 changes the control content as described above even if control data is received from the portable terminal. It is set as the structure which does not perform.

  As a result, there is little opening and closing of the door when there is an abnormality in the refrigerator, for example, when the temperature does not reach the set temperature regardless of how long the internal temperature has passed due to damage to the door packing, and the compressor continues to operate It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a failure that wastes electric power by continuously changing the temperature to a low level and keeping the compressor operating at a higher capacity.

  In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is provided on the door of the storage chamber 2 that is the highest level of the refrigerator, that is, the uppermost door of the plurality of storage chambers. Obstacles such as when the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is provided, that is, cold air leaking when the door above the door provided with the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is opened touches the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 and causes condensation on the surface. This will not cause troubles such as deterioration of communication state and deterioration of component reliability. Therefore, the door opening / closing frequency and time can be exchanged accurately and reliably with the portable terminal 22, and a high-quality refrigerator can be obtained and the user can use it with peace of mind.

The wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is provided in a door corresponding to the refrigerator compartment 2 among the plurality of storage rooms. The refrigerator compartment 2 has a higher internal temperature than the ice making room 3 and the freezer compartment 5, so the internal cold air Can reduce the influence of. Therefore, the temperature difference between the surface and the inside of the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 can be suppressed to be small, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation, and it is possible to reduce obstacles such as deterioration of communication state and deterioration of component reliability.

  Further, the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is incorporated in the operation unit 18 provided at the end of the right door 11b, and even if a user sticks a posting to the door on a daily basis, the sticking is applied to the central portion of the door. In many cases, the surface of the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 located at the end of the door is rarely covered. Therefore, the user can directly face and approach the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 of the portable terminal 22, and data transmission / reception errors caused by bringing the portable terminal 22 closer to the display object are reduced and the surface of the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is covered. It is not necessary to dispose of the bulletin board and move the mobile terminal closer, and it is possible to ensure reliable communication performance and improve usability.

  In addition, the right door 11b of the storage room 2 provided with the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is provided with an automatic door opening / closing mechanism 17 corresponding thereto, so that even if the user's hand working in the kitchen is wet with water It is possible to reduce the failure of the wireless transmission / reception unit due to this water. That is, since the user only needs to touch the door lightly, the amount of water droplets adhering to the door surface when the door is opened or closed becomes extremely small, and when the mobile terminal 22 such as a mobile phone is brought close to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21. The water droplets adhering to the door surface can be prevented from adhering to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 itself or the portable terminal 22 approaching the wireless transmission / reception unit 21, thereby fouling or getting wet, and deterioration of the communication state. In addition, it is possible to reduce failures such as deterioration of component reliability.

(Embodiment 2)
Although the second embodiment is not shown, the presence / absence detecting means 31A is configured by an illuminance sensor, and when the illuminance is below a certain level, for example, at night, it is considered that a person is not in the vicinity of the refrigerator. is there.

  This illuminance sensor, for example, is used for energy-saving operation by changing the setting to a higher temperature in the cabinet because food is not taken in and out during that time when it detects that it is midnight. An illuminance sensor for energy-saving operation can be used as well, and energy saving can be further enhanced without increasing costs such as providing a sensor dedicated to power supply control, as in the case of the human sensor.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, the presence / absence detection means 31A is configured by the door opening / closing detection unit 23 described in the first embodiment.

  If the door opening / closing detection unit 23 detects the door opening / closing, it means that there is a user around the refrigerator, and the presence or absence of a person can be detected. When the door opening / closing detection unit 23 is also used as the presence / absence detection means 31A, a sensor dedicated to the presence / absence detection is not required, and the configuration can be simplified.

(Embodiment 4)
Although the fourth embodiment is not shown, the presence / absence detecting means 31A is constituted by an electric field sensor. The electric field sensor generates an electric field, and detects an object, that is, a person entering the electric field. Since the electric field is formed within a limited range, this is detected only when a person approaches the refrigerator, and the accuracy of confirming the presence or absence of the person is extremely high.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, a display unit 43 that is also used as the display unit 39 of the portable terminal 22 is provided exclusively for the door 11b of the refrigerator body 1. The door opening / closing frequency and door opening accumulated time data are displayed.

  In the case of the fifth embodiment, it is possible to know the number of times the door is opened and closed, the total opening time of the door, and the like by looking at the display unit 43 provided on the refrigerator itself, and other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment. And the explanation is omitted.

  As described above, the refrigerator described in this embodiment has improved usability and safety, and can be instantly communicated to be a refrigerator with a high energy saving effect. What has been described is one form for realizing the present invention, and various modifications can be made within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the control flow has been described in such a manner that the power supply to the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 is immediately stopped when the presence / absence detection unit 31A no longer detects the presence of a person. The power supply may be stopped after a predetermined time from the detection of the presence of, for example, after about 5 minutes. By doing so, chattering of human detection can be prevented and reliability is improved. In addition, the data transmitted from the wireless transmission / reception unit 21 to the portable terminal 22 is the door opening / closing count and the door opening accumulated time for power saving enlightenment, and both of them. However, this may be either one or other data. Further, it may be included. Moreover, although the said data was made into the form displayed on the display parts 39 and 43, it can also be considered as the form which alert | reports with an audio | voice.

  As described above, the present invention provides a refrigerator with high usability, security safety, and high energy efficiency by suppressing power consumption by the wireless transmission / reception unit while enabling immediate data communication with a mobile terminal. Can be deployed widely for home and business use.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 2,3,4,5,6 Storage room 2 Refrigeration room 7 Machine room 8 Compressor 9 Cooler 10 Cooling fan 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Door 16 Hand part 17 Automatic door opening / closing mechanism 18 Operation Unit 19 Setting switch 20 Setting state display unit 21 Wireless transmission / reception unit 22 Mobile terminal 23 Door open / close detection unit 24 Count count unit 25 Count storage unit 26 Time measurement unit 27 Time storage unit 28 Information storage unit 29 Proximity communication detection unit 30 Previous day information storage Unit 30A Abnormality detection unit 31 Power supply unit 31A Human presence detection means 32 Control unit 33 First communication unit 34 Second communication unit 35 First communication control unit 36 Second communication control unit 37 Display control unit 38 Portable control unit 39, 43 Display unit 40 Operation unit 41 Storage unit

Claims (10)

A refrigerator that performs RFID wireless communication with a portable terminal, a wireless transmission / reception unit that performs RFID wireless communication with the portable terminal, a power supply unit that supplies power to the wireless transmission / reception unit, and the presence or absence of a person around the refrigerator A presence / absence detection means for detecting, and a control section for controlling the wireless transmission / reception section and the power supply section, wherein the control section supplies power from the power supply section to the wireless transmission / reception section while the person presence / absence detection means is detecting a person. Refrigerator that stops supplying power while not detecting people. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the presence / absence detection means is configured using a sensor for causing the control unit to perform power saving operation when no person is detected. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the presence / absence detection means comprises a human sensor. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the presence / absence detection means is constituted by an illuminance sensor. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the presence / absence detection means comprises a door opening / closing detection unit for detecting opening / closing of the door. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the presence / absence detection means comprises an electric field sensor. A door opening / closing detection unit for detecting opening / closing of the door; and an information storage unit for storing at least one of count data or door opening time data of the door opening / closing detection unit, the number of times data from the information storage unit or the door The refrigerator of any one of Claims 1-6 which can transmit at least any one data of opening time to a portable terminal from a radio | wireless transmission / reception part, and display it on the display part of a portable terminal. The control unit is configured to control the temperature setting of the refrigerator, and the wireless communication unit transmits the data in the information storage unit to the mobile terminal, and when the control data is received from the mobile terminal, the control unit adds the control data to the control data. The refrigerator of Claim 7 which changes preset temperature based on. It further includes a previous day information storage unit for storing the previous day data of the door opening / closing number of times or opening time from the door opening / closing detection unit, and based on the information from the previous day information storage unit, the set temperature is set a predetermined time before the time when the door opening / closing is increased The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein control data for increasing the frequency is output to the control unit. The refrigerator according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising an abnormality detection unit of the refrigerator, wherein when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality, the control unit does not change the set temperature even when control data is received from the portable terminal.