JP2015135206A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator which outputs an easily visible image of the inside of the refrigerator by a camera.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes imaging units 35-1, 35-2 for imaging the inside of a storage chamber. The imaging unit is configured by: a camera unit 37 used for imaging the inside of the storage chamber; a control board 38 for controlling the camera unit; a camera connection unit for connecting the camera unit and the control board; and a storage case 39 for storing the camera unit, the control board and the camera connection unit. The control board 38 has a white balance control unit for controlling white balance based on a predetermined control value, and the control value is set within a range of ±500K from inside-refrigerator lighting color temperature. Thereby, color influence on stored foods can be suppressed, so that a stable image can be provided in which variation for each imaging time is reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator suitable for a refrigerator system in which foodstuffs in a storage can be imaged and the storage status can be confirmed with a display terminal or the like.

  In general, many refrigerators of this type have been proposed. For example, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a small camera in the storage, and the state of food storage in the storage captured by the small camera can be confirmed by a display terminal such as a mobile phone via the Internet line. It is configured.

  Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator similar to that of Patent Document 1, and the one described in Patent Document 2 captures the state of food in the storage with a small camera when the refrigerator door is closed. It is configured.

  Furthermore, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 3 is provided with a display terminal on the surface of the refrigerator in addition to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, and the display terminal is detached from the fixed terminal and the refrigerator surface incorporated on the refrigerator surface. Mobile phone and other display terminals that can be carried around, and both terminals can display on the display section the food storage status in the storage room captured by a small camera via the Internet line. Sometimes it is configured so that the food storage status in the storage can be known without opening the refrigerator door.

JP 2002-236798 A JP 2007-46833 A JP 2002-81818 A

  As described above, many refrigerators of this type, that is, refrigerators that image foods in the storage so that the storage status can be confirmed with a display terminal or the like have been proposed, but none have been put into practical use.

  Accordingly, the inventors have been studying the practical use of the refrigerator as described above, and have verified the practical use. As a result, this type of refrigerator has found several problems that must be solved in order to put it into practical use.

  For example, in the imaging control using a small camera, the color of the image in the warehouse varies greatly depending on the food storage status, and the image that gives the user a sense of incongruity when checking the food storage status on the display terminal. In other words, it is a big problem to reduce variation in color for each imaging. In other words, when imaging is performed in a closed space in the refrigerator, the camera and the stored food are close to each other, and the food around the camera occupies a large proportion of the imaging area and is easily affected by the color of the food. Was also found to be caused.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that provides a stable image that reduces variations for each imaging, regardless of food storage conditions.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention illuminates a refrigerator body, a storage room formed in the refrigerator body, a heat insulating door for opening and closing the storage room, a shelf plate provided in the storage room, and the storage room. An illumination device and an imaging unit that images the inside of the storage room, and the imaging unit includes a camera unit used for imaging in the storage room, and an external connection unit that controls the camera unit and connects to the outside. A control board; a camera connection part that connects the camera part and the control board; and a storage case that houses the camera part, the control board part, and the camera connection part. A white balance control unit that controls white balance based on the control value, and the white balance control unit sets the control value within a range of ± 500K from the interior illumination color temperature. It is those set in.

  As a result, even in a storage situation where the distance between the camera unit in the refrigerator and the food is very close, the color influence of the stored food can be suppressed, so that a stable image can be provided that reduces variations in each imaging.

  Since the present invention can suppress the color effect of stored foods, it can provide a stable image that reduces variations for each imaging regardless of food storage conditions.

The perspective view of the refrigerator in embodiment of this invention Schematic sectional view of the refrigerator The perspective view which shows the inside when the storage chamber door of the refrigerator is opened (A) The perspective view which equipped the same refrigerator with the display terminal integrally, (b) The perspective view which equipped the refrigerator with the display terminal detachably An example of the configuration of a display terminal used in the refrigerator is shown. (A) is a cross-sectional view when the display terminal is integrally attached, and (b) is a cross-sectional view when the display terminal is detachably attached. The example of the display visual recognition structure of the display terminal used for the refrigerator is shown, (a) (b) is a schematic sectional view when the cover panel of the door is made of glass, and (c) is configured by the magic mirror of the cover panel of the door. Schematic cross section when Vertical sectional view showing an example of mounting the imaging unit of the refrigerator An example of attaching the imaging unit of the refrigerator is shown, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator door portion with the door closed, and (b) is a front view of the inner surface of the door when the door is opened. Plane schematic explanatory drawing which shows the imaging unit attachment part of the refrigerator in the embodiment Explanatory drawing of the imaging unit attached to the refrigerator in the embodiment The block diagram which shows the imaging control of the imaging unit in the embodiment System configuration diagram of refrigerator system in the same embodiment Block diagram showing the refrigerator configuration of the refrigerator system Block diagram showing the server configuration of the refrigerator system Block diagram showing the recipe extraction configuration of the refrigerator system Flow chart showing imaging to data storage operation of the refrigerator system Flow chart of image display in the refrigerator in the refrigerator system The figure for demonstrating the image composition process in the refrigerator system

  Hereinafter, specific and detailed embodiments of the present invention will be described. First, the main points of the embodiments of the present invention will be described.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention illuminates a refrigerator body, a storage room formed in the refrigerator body, a heat insulating door for opening and closing the storage room, a shelf plate provided in the storage room, and the storage room. An illumination device and an imaging unit that images the inside of the storage room, and the imaging unit includes a camera unit used for imaging in the storage room, and an external connection unit that controls the camera unit and connects to the outside. A control board; a camera connection part that connects the camera part and the control board; and a storage case that houses the camera part, the control board part, and the camera connection part. A white balance control unit that controls white balance based on the control value, and the white balance control unit sets the control value within a range of ± 500K from the interior illumination color temperature. It is those set in.

  As a result, the color effect of the stored food can be suppressed even when the distance between the camera unit in the refrigerator and the food is extremely close, so that the stable image that reduces variation for each imaging regardless of the food storage status Can provide.

  In addition, since the control board has an exposure adjustment unit that automatically adjusts the exposure according to the illuminance in the refrigerator, this reduces variation in the brightness of the image in the cabinet due to the storage status of the food. There is no sense of incongruity when checking the storage status from the inside image.

  Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
<1. Configuration>
1-1. Configuration of Refrigerator First, a configuration example in the case of a French door type refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS.

  1 to 3, the refrigerator body 1 includes a metal (for example, iron plate) outer box 2 that opens forward, an inner box 3 made of hard resin (for example, ABS), the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. It is made of a heat insulating material 4 such as hard foam urethane filled with foam. The refrigerator main body 1 has a plurality of compartments formed therein. This storage room is located from the upper part of the refrigerator body 1 to the refrigerator compartment 5, the switching chamber 6 located below the refrigerator compartment 5, the ice making chamber 7 juxtaposed to the switching chamber 6, the switching compartment 6, and the ice making chamber 7 below. A freezer compartment 8 and a vegetable compartment 9 located below the freezer compartment 8. The front face of the refrigerator compartment 5 is closed freely by a double door 10 and the front parts of the switching compartment 6, ice making compartment 7, freezer compartment 8, and vegetable compartment 9 are drawer type doors 11, 12, 13 , 14 (hereinafter referred to as a pull-out door) can be freely opened and closed.

  There is a cooling chamber 16 on the back of the refrigerator main body 1, a cooler 17 that generates cool air, a blower fan 18 that supplies the cool air to each chamber, and a damper (air volume adjusting means) for adjusting the air volume to the refrigerator compartment. 22 are provided. In addition, a compressor 19 is provided at the back of the main body top of the refrigerator body 1, and a condenser (not shown), a heat radiating pipe 20, a capillary tube 21, and the cooler 17 described above are sequentially provided. A refrigerant is enclosed in a refrigeration cycle connected in a ring shape, and a cooling operation is performed.

  Here, each said door 10-14 is filled with hard foaming urethane similarly to the refrigerator main body 1, and has heat insulation, In this refrigerator, the storage room 5 used as a refrigerator compartment among the said doors 10-14. A display terminal 15 as a display means is provided on one front surface of the door 10. The display terminal 15 is formed of a smartphone, tablet PC, or the like that can communicate with the Internet, which will be described later, and integrally includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel and a control unit that controls the display unit, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the door 10 can be attached to or detached from the door 10 so that the door 10 can be attached and detached.

  5 (a) and 5 (b) show examples of the configuration of mounting the display terminal 15 on the door 10, FIG. 5 (a) shows a case where the display terminal 15 is integrally attached, and FIG. The case where it is detachably mounted is shown.

  5 (a) and 5 (b), the door 10 mainly includes an outer cover panel 10a facing the front side of the refrigerator, an inner plate 10b facing the refrigerator interior, an outer cover panel 10a and an inner plate. It is comprised with the heat insulating material 4 with which it filled between 10b. The jacket panel 10a is made of a metal member such as a color steel plate or a transparent member such as a glass plate, and the inner plate 10b is a synthetic resin member formed by vacuum forming. A raised wall portion 10b-1 protruding inward in a square shape when viewed from the inner side is provided in a peripheral portion of the inner plate 10b. Further, as already described, for example, hard foamed urethane is used for the heat insulating material 4.

  Further, in the door 10 of FIG. 5A in which the display terminal 15 is integrated, a resin storage frame body 23 is provided on the front side of the door 10 so as to cover the heat insulating material 4 continuously with the jacket panel 10a. (If the jacket panel 10a is a glass plate, it is integrally bonded to the glass plate). The display terminal 15 is fixed to the storage frame body 23 via the terminal holding body 24. A touch panel 25 is provided on the front side of the display terminal 15. A gap 26 is provided between the display terminal 15 and the touch panel 25 so that the touch panel 25 does not malfunction due to noise from the display terminal 15. The display terminal 15 and the touch panel 25 are fixed by attaching a frame body 27 covering the outer periphery of the display terminal 15 and the touch panel 25 to the surface of the door 10. Thus, since the heat insulating material 4 does not touch the display terminal 15 directly by providing the storage frame 23, when the heat insulating material 4 is foamed, the display terminal 15 is exposed to a high temperature or deformed. It is possible to prevent problems such as On the other hand, in the door 10 of FIG. 5B in which the display terminal 15 is detachable, a recess 28 is formed by providing the storage frame 23 on the front surface of the door 10, and the display terminal 15 is attached to and detached from the recess 28. It is comprised so that it may do.

  6A, 6B, and 6C show an example of a display see-through configuration of the door 10 and the display terminal 15, and FIGS. 6A and 6B show that the outer cover panel 10a of the door 10 is a glass plate. In the case of 10a-1, FIG.3 (c) shows the case where the jacket panel 10a of the door 10 is comprised by the magic mirror 10a-2.

  In FIG. 6A, a smoke sheet 29 in which only a portion facing the display terminal 15 is transparent is provided between the display terminal 15 embedded in the door 10 and the glass plate 10a-1, and the display terminal 15 is Even when turned off and looks blackish, the glass sheet 10a-1 other than the display terminal 15 also looks blackish by the smoke sheet 29 and the boundary with the display terminal 15 does not stand out, and the appearance can be maintained well. Further, in FIG. 6B, a transparent liquid crystal display unit is used as the display unit of the display terminal 15 and an entirely black smoke sheet 29a is laid along the back surface of the transparent liquid crystal display unit. Can be made good. Further, in FIG. 6C, the glass plate 10a-1 in FIGS. 6A and 6B is a magic mirror 10a-2, and the smoke sheet 29 is not required. be able to. In any case, an example in which the display terminal 15 is integrally attached to the door 10 is shown. Instead of the smoke sheet 29, the glass plate 10a-1 may be painted so that it looks blackish.

  FIGS. 7, 8 (a) and 8 (b) show an example of mounting of a camera for interior imaging and interior lighting, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator with the door closed, FIG. a) is a cross-sectional view showing the inner surface of the door in the refrigerator with the door closed, and FIG. 8B is a front view of the inner surface of the door when the door is opened.

  7, 8 (a), and 8 (b), the storage chamber 5 of the refrigerator is provided with shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 in a plurality of upper and lower stages. The shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4 are made of a transparent material such as a transparent synthetic resin material or glass except for the surrounding frame.

  Reference numeral 31 denotes a storage container provided so as to be freely drawn out below the lowermost shelf plate 30-4. Although the lowermost shelf plate 30-4 is fixed because it constitutes the upper surface of the storage container 31, the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-3 are respectively protruding side walls provided on both side walls of the storage chamber 5. It is placed on the parts 32-1 to 32-4 and is detachable. In particular, among the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-3 excluding the bottom shelf plate 30-4, the central shelf plate 30-2 is provided with a plurality of corresponding side wall protrusions 32-2 at different heights. The shelf height can be adjusted.

  33-1 to 33-3 are door storage shelves provided on the inner surface of the door 10 that opens and closes the opening of the storage chamber 5, and are provided in a plurality of stages. The door storage shelves 33-1 to 33-3 are also formed of a permeable material.

  34-1 and 34-2 are interior lighting lamps provided on the front opening both side walls and the front opening upper wall surface of the storage chamber 5 in front of the front ends of the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4. . In addition, the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided with a substrate having a plurality of LEDs arranged in the vertical direction, for example, for the purpose of energy saving and covered with a translucent cover.

  Reference numerals 35-1 and 35-2 denote imaging units provided so as to be located on the front side of the storage room 5 in the same manner as the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, and images the inside of the storage room.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 include a camera unit 37 used for imaging in the storage room, a control board 38 connected to the camera unit 37, and the camera unit 37. And a control case 38 which accommodates the control board 38 in an internal space.

  The camera unit 37 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera, a CMOS camera, or the like, and the type thereof is not particularly limited, but is preferably resistant to dew condensation.

  The control board 38 controls the camera unit 37, is connected to the camera unit 37 by a strip-shaped lead wire 38a, and has an external connection unit 38b connected to an external refrigerator control unit. The external connection unit 38b is constituted by a USB connection port, for example.

  The storage case 39 is constituted by a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case main body 39a and a case lid 39b, and the case lid 39b is mounted on the camera unit 37 and the control board 38 accommodated in the case main body 39a. It is. The camera portion 37 is exposed to the outside through the first opening 40a provided in the case lid 39b, and the external connection portion 38b is exposed to the outside from the second opening 40b provided on the case body 39a side. .

  Further, as apparent from FIG. 10, the control board 38 is arranged so that the belt-like lead wire 38 a is folded back so as to face the camera unit 37 back to back and perpendicular to the optical axis thereof. Is miniaturized.

In this embodiment, two imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 configured as described above are provided in the storage chamber, each of which is a door of the door 10 as shown in FIG. 8B and FIG. It arrange | positions in the space 10c newly established in the door open end side Y beside the storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2. That is, the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 are newly provided with a space 10 c on the door open end Y by slightly shortening the width dimension. And the upper and lower vertically long convex portions 41 are integrally formed on the lateral ends of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 in this space so as to protrude from the inner surface of the door, and the door storage shelves 33-1, Imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are arranged on the opposite side to 33-2. In addition, the said convex part 41 becomes the heat insulation structure of the form into which the heat insulating material 4 of the door 10 entered, and is also a support part which supports the horizontal end of the said door storage shelves 33-1, 33-2.

  The two imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are arranged so as to form a predetermined space T between the inner wall surface of the door 10 as shown in FIG. 9, and the camera unit 37 faces the inside of the storage room. It is attached to. In this embodiment, an opening 42 for connection with a lead wire (not shown) of the refrigerator control unit is provided on the inner wall surface of the door on the back side of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, and the back side of the opening 42. A reinforcing plate 43 made of a metal plate or the like is disposed on the plate, and the strength of this portion is reinforced. The reinforcing plate 43 is press-fixed to the back side of the inner wall surface of the door with a heat insulating material 4 filled in the door 10.

  In addition, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are configured such that the storage chamber side surfaces of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 near the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are inclined 33a or the door storage shelves. It is provided in the portion closer to the storage room within the front and rear dimensions of 35-1 and 35-2 so that the imaging range of the camera unit 37 covers the entire width of the storage room. In this embodiment, the storage chamber side surfaces of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 closer to the imaging unit are inclined 33a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the above-described imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided at the front positions facing the shelf plates in the storage chamber. That is, the upper camera 35-1 is provided at a position substantially in front of the uppermost shelf 30-1, and the lower camera 35-2 is provided at a position in front of the third shelf 30-3 in the drawing. In this embodiment, each camera is not the shelf 30-2 placed on the plurality of side wall projections 32-2 provided on the premise of height adjustment, but is detachable but height. It is provided at a substantially forward position of the shelf board 30-1 and the shelf board 30-3 that are not premised on adjustment.

  In the case of this French door, both of the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the door 10 side having a large area, and are set so as to be positioned at a substantially central portion of the refrigerator 51. In this example, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the door 10 side where the center pillar 36 (see FIG. 3) is not provided, and are set so as to be positioned at the approximate center of the refrigerator 51. is there. As is well known, the center pillar 36 is provided on one side surface of the two doors 10 in the case of a French door, and the cool air in the storage chamber 5 is generated from a gap generated between the two doors 10. This is a member provided to prevent leakage.

  Further, as is apparent from FIG. 7, the interior lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided at positions on the far side of the storage room from the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2. It is provided so that the light of 34-2 does not directly enter the imaging units of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2.

  In addition, although this is not illustrated, a light-shielding part is provided on the camera side of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, or a light source such as an LED constituting the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is provided. By adopting a configuration such as being inclined obliquely rearward, the light from the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 may be prevented from directly entering the imaging units of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2. It may be selected appropriately according to the installation conditions of the camera.

  When the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided in the refrigerator to perform imaging, the arrangement configuration of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 and the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 as described above. In addition, the specifications of the camera unit 37 and the imaging control of the control board 38 are important.

The camera unit 37 in the present embodiment is equipped with a wide-angle lens, and can image food on the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 over a wide range. That is, when imaging is performed in a closed space in the refrigerator, it is possible to prevent the camera unit 37 and the food on the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 from being close to each other and limiting the imaging range. The number of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be minimized, and the configuration can be simplified. The angle of view of the wide-angle lens is preferably about 120 ° to 150 °.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram relating to imaging control of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2.

  The control board 38 includes a focus control unit 70 that controls the focus at a predetermined distance, a white balance control unit 71 that controls the white balance to a predetermined control value, and an exposure that automatically adjusts the exposure according to the illuminance in the refrigerator. A control unit 72 is provided.

  The focus control unit 70 in the present embodiment fixes the focus at a constant distance. When imaging is performed with the refrigerator door closed, the distance between the camera unit 37 and the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 is always constant, and it is desirable to fix the focus to 10 cm to 50 cm. Thereby, imaging control can be simplified without performing complicated control at the time of imaging.

  Further, the white balance control unit 71 of the present invention sets the control value within a range of ± 500K from the interior illumination color temperature. Here, the white balance is a function for accurately projecting white to white under a light source including various colors. For example, when the ambient temperature is 3000K and the control value is set to 7000K and an image is taken, the image becomes yellowish. On the other hand, if the color value of the surrounding environment is 7000K and the control value is set to 3000K and the image is taken, the image becomes bluish. That is, it is desirable to set the control value of the white balance control unit 71 to a value closer to the color temperature of the surrounding environment.

  However, when imaging is performed in a closed space in the refrigerator, the camera unit 37 and the food on the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 are close to each other, and the food around the camera unit 37 occupies the imaging area. The ratio is large and easily affected by the color of food.

  For example, when the interior illumination color temperature is 7000K and yellow bananas are arranged around the camera unit 37, the hue in the imaging region is high in yellow, and the light color of the surrounding environment is strong in yellow. That is, if the color temperature of the light is low, there is a possibility of erroneous detection, and the white balance may operate so as to correct yellow to white. As a result, the color of other storage items is also affected, and the overall color is bluish.

  Therefore, by setting the control value of the white balance control unit to a range of minus 500K or more from the interior illumination color temperature, the possibility of false detection that the color temperature of the ambient light is low is reduced, and the periphery of the camera unit 37 Regardless of the color of the stored food, it can be suppressed that the image becomes bluish, and the user does not feel uncomfortable when checking the storage status from the image in the cabinet.

  Also, for example, when the interior illumination color temperature is 7000K and the packaged item in the blue package is arranged around the camera unit 37, the light color of the surrounding environment is strong blue, that is, the light color temperature is high. There is a possibility of false detection, and other storage items are finished in a yellowish color.

  Therefore, by setting the control value of the white balance control unit 71 within the range of + 500K or less from the interior illumination color temperature, the possibility of erroneous detection that the color temperature of the ambient light is high is reduced, and the camera unit 37 Regardless of the color of the stored food in the vicinity, it can be suppressed that the image becomes yellowish, and there is no sense of incongruity when checking the storage status from the image in the cabinet.

Thereby, the white balance control part 71 can provide the image in the cabinet close to the image that the user actually sees when the user opens and closes the door by setting the control value within a range of ± 500 K from the color temperature inside the cabinet. As a result, the user does not feel uncomfortable when checking the storage status from the image inside the cabinet, and the color effect of the stored food can be suppressed, reducing the variation in color for each image regardless of the storage status of the food. Stable image can be provided.

  The white balance control unit 71 may have an auto white balance function that determines the color temperature of light in the surrounding environment and automatically sets a control value within the color temperature range. This makes it possible to correct individual variations in the color temperature of light emitted from the lighting device, changes in the color temperature due to deterioration over time, and the like, thereby providing a more stable image.

  The control board 38 has an exposure control unit 72 that automatically adjusts the exposure according to the illuminance in the refrigerator. Here, the exposure indicates the amount of light incident on the camera unit 37.

  Thus, by controlling the amount of light incident on the camera unit 37 in accordance with the illuminance in the refrigerator, it is possible to keep the brightness of the in-chamber image at every photographing uniform.

  The brightness in the storage room varies greatly depending on the storage capacity. For example, when the storage capacity in the storage space is small, the light emitted from the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is reflected on the inner wall with high reflectivity. When the amount of storage is large, many foods have low reflectivity, so as the amount of storage increases, By repeating the reflection, the light attenuates and the interior tends to become dark.

  In other words, the exposure control unit 72 adjusts the exposure of the camera unit 37 according to the illuminance in the refrigerator, thereby reducing variations in the brightness of the image in the cabinet due to food storage conditions, so that the user opens and closes the door. An image in the cabinet that is close to the video that is actually seen is sometimes provided, and the user does not feel uncomfortable when checking the storage status from the image in the cabinet.

  Moreover, since the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 have a possibility of individual variation in brightness and deterioration over time, it is possible to prevent the brightness of the interior image from being different depending on the refrigerator, and to be stable. Can provide images.

  In addition, using the fact that the brightness of the storage changes with the storage amount, the storage status in the storage is predicted from the exposure of the camera unit 37, and the cooling amount of the storage space is determined according to the storage status prediction result. Cooling control such as changing may be performed.

1-2. Next, an overall image of a refrigerator system constructed using a refrigerator as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14.

  FIG. 12 shows an overall configuration of a refrigerator system 50 using the above-described refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 12, this refrigerator system 50 is a system for confirming the state of ingredients in the refrigerator 51 by the display terminal 15 or the like.

  The refrigerator system 50 includes a refrigerator 51 and a display terminal 15, and further includes a wireless adapter (communication device) 53, a gateway device (relay device) 54, a router device 55, a public communication network 56 such as the Internet, and a server device 57. including.

  The refrigerator 51 is arrange | positioned in a user's residence A, for example, is arrange | positioned in the kitchen room in the residence A.

The wireless adapter (communication device) 53 is configured to be electrically connected to a control unit (described later) of the refrigerator 51 and communicate with the router device 55 via a gateway device (relay device) 54. The wireless adapter 53 receives the signal transmitted from the router device 55 and outputs the received signal to the control unit of the refrigerator 51. Based on this signal, the refrigerator 51 is configured to perform a corresponding operation.

  The wireless adapter 53 also acquires identification information (for example, a serial number and model number) of the refrigerator 51, image data in a warehouse to be described later, and the like from the storage unit of the refrigerator 51, and a router via the gateway device (relay device) 54. It is configured to transmit to the device 55. The wireless adapter 53 may be provided integrally with the refrigerator 51 or may be configured to be detachable.

  The wireless adapter 53 includes a “connect” button 53a. The “connect” button 53a is used to newly connect to the gateway device (relay device) 54. When the “connect” button 53 a is operated by the user, the wireless adapter 53 is configured to acquire identification information (for example, a manufacturing number or a model number) of the refrigerator 51 from the storage unit of the refrigerator 51.

  As described above, the display terminal 15 is a general-purpose portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet PC (personal computer). In the present embodiment, the display terminal 15 is detachable from the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 described above. It has a function (means) for connecting to a public communication network 56 such as the Internet and a function (means) for communicating with a gateway device 54 described later.

  The display terminal 15 (for example, a smartphone) is configured to be connected to a public communication network 56 such as the Internet via a telephone line network (for example, a 3G line network). In addition or alternatively, for example, the display terminal 15 is configured to be connected to a public communication network 56 such as the Internet via a public wireless LAN by a Wi-Fi communication function.

  By connecting to a public communication network 56 such as the Internet, for example, the display terminal 15 can display image data of foodstuffs in the refrigerator and data for energy saving operation (for example, data such as the number of times the door is opened and closed). ) Can be acquired from the website of the manufacturer of the refrigerator 51 via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet. By installing the acquired program on the display terminal 15 and starting the installed program, the display terminal 15 can acquire image data and the like of ingredients in the refrigerator. That is, the display terminal 15 can generate and transmit an operation signal for acquiring the image data of the refrigerator 51 by operating the operation screen of the display 15a. Details will be described later.

  The display terminal 15 is also connected to the router device 55 by general-purpose communication not via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet, such as Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, and infrared communication, and the router device 55 is connected to the display terminal 15. Via the gateway device 54. A device for that purpose (for example, a Wi-Fi antenna or the like) is incorporated in the display terminal 15.

  The gateway device (relay device) 54 is a device that relays communication between the wireless adapter 53 and the display terminal 15. For example, the gateway device (relay device) 54 and a specific low power wireless special small frequency band (924.0 to 928.0MHz). ) Is used for communication. The communication frequency band between the gateway device 54 and the wireless adapter 53 is preferably a low frequency band that reaches a long distance, and is installed in the residence A of the user where the refrigerator 51 is installed together with the router device 55.

The gateway device 54 is also configured to be in communication connection with the display terminal 15 via the router device 55. That is, the gateway device 54 is configured such that communication (first communication) can be executed only through the router device 55 without going through the display terminal 15 and the public communication network 56 such as the Internet.

  The gateway device 54 is further configured to be connectable to a public communication network 56 such as the Internet via the router device 55. As a result, the gateway device 54 can communicate with the display terminal 15 (second communication) via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet and the router device 55 and can also communicate with the server device 57.

  Therefore, the gateway device 54 communicates with the display terminal 15 via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet and the communication not via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet (that is, the first communication via only the router device 55). (That is, the second communication via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet and the router device 55). The reason for this configuration will be described later.

  The server device 57 is prepared by a manufacturer of the refrigerator 51, for example. The server device 57 manages information necessary for access and authentication regarding the display terminal 15, the refrigerator 51, and the wireless adapter 53. For example, the server device 57 determines whether or not the identification information of the display terminal 15 included in the communication request signal matches the identification information of the display terminal 15 stored (registered) in association with the wireless adapter 53. Authenticate (distinguish). And when these correspond, the display terminal 15 to access is authenticated as a regular display terminal, and communication with the refrigerator 51 in the residence A is permitted.

  In addition, the server device 57 stores the image data of the ingredients in the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator 51, data for energy saving operation, and the like. These data are transmitted to the display terminal 15 based on a data call signal from the display terminal 15. In other words, the user can confirm the food image data in the refrigerator by operating the display terminal 15 on the display.

1-3. System part configuration of refrigerator FIG. 13 shows a system part configuration of a refrigerator used in the refrigeration system.

  In FIG. 13, the refrigerator 51 includes an interface (I / F) 58, a control calculation unit 59, a storage unit 60, a door opening / closing detection unit 61, interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, and an imaging unit 35-1. , 35-2, a fan drive circuit 62, a compressor drive circuit 63, a blower fan 18, and a compressor 19, for example, receive power from an AC power supply 64 such as a commercial power supply in the house A.

  The interface (I / F) 58 exchanges data and the like between the wireless adapter 53 and the control calculation unit 59 of the refrigerator 51.

  The control calculation unit 59 controls the operation of the refrigerator. The control calculation unit 59 controls the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 and the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 to image the food in the refrigerator, and the image data is stored in the storage unit 60. Once stored, the data is transmitted to a server device 57 of a public communication network 56 such as the Internet. Further, if there is a request signal for advance transmission of image data or the like from the display terminal 15 via the server device 57, the display terminal 15 is instructed to be transmitted to the display terminal 15 via the server device 57 immediately after the food is imaged. Details thereof will be described later.

In addition to the identification symbol and the control program, the storage unit 60 rewrites and stores the image data of the foodstuffs in the cabinet captured by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 and the data for energy saving operation for a certain period together with the time information.

  The interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are controlled to be turned on / off by the control calculation unit 59 based on a signal from the door opening / closing detection unit 61, and are turned on when the door 10 is opened, and the door 10 is closed. Turns off after a delay of several seconds.

  The imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are controlled by the control calculation unit 59 based on a signal from the door opening / closing detection unit 61, and images the food in the refrigerator when the door 10 is closed. Details thereof will be described later.

  The fan drive circuit 62 receives the control signal from the control calculation unit 59 and controls the rotation of the blower fan 18.

  The compressor drive circuit 63 receives a control signal from the control calculation unit 59 and controls driving of the compressor 19 such as the rotational speed.

  The blower fan 18 operates according to the control of the fan drive circuit 62 and generates an air flow for circulating the cool air.

  The compressor 19 compresses a refrigerant (not shown) circulating in the refrigerator 51 according to the control of the compressor drive circuit 63.

1-4. Configuration of Server Device Next, a configuration example of the server device of the refrigerator system in Embodiment 1 will be described using FIG. Here, the configuration of the server device 57 in FIG. 9 is taken as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the server device 57 includes a server interface 65, a server control unit 66, and a data storage unit 67.

  The server interface 65 is a communication unit that exchanges data and the like between the display terminal 15 and the router device 55 and the server device 57 via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet under the control of the server control unit 66.

  The server control unit 66 controls the overall operation of the server device 57. The server control unit 66 also combines the image data of the ingredients transmitted from the refrigerator 51 and stores them together with the time information in the data storage unit 67, and when there is a signal for requesting prior transmission of image data from the display terminal 15, The latest image data of the image data stored in the data storage unit 67 is transmitted to the display terminal 15 each time the image data is transmitted from the refrigerator 51, and rewritten by storing the display terminal 15 together with time information for a certain period. Update. Of course, when a data call signal is transmitted from the display terminal 15 in the absence of a signal for requesting prior transmission of image data, the latest image data stored in the data storage unit 67 is transmitted to the display terminal 15.

  The data storage unit 67 stores necessary data such as a management program and an application program for executing the refrigerator system. Furthermore, the data storage unit 67 rewrites and stores the latest data of the food image data transmitted from the refrigerator 51 by adding time information in accordance with the control of the server control unit 66. The data storage unit 67 is configured by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like.

The server device 57 can be constructed by either a server composed of a single large computer or a cloud server composed of a large number of computers.

<2. Operation>
Next, operations of the refrigerator and the refrigeration system having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following descriptions, the same operations are described with the same step numbers added.

  The imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 provided in the storage room of the refrigerator take an image of the storage room. This imaging is performed when the door is opened or closed to put in or out the food, or the user operates the display terminal 15. This is performed when imaging is instructed.

  The operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the user opens the door 10 for taking in and out the food (step 1-Y), the door opening / closing detection unit 61 detects this and the interior lamps 34-1 and 34-2 in the storage room are turned on. (Step 2), the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 image the inside of the storage room (Step 4). The image data is transmitted to the server device 57 via the wireless adapter (communication device) 53, the gateway device (relay device) 54, the router device 55, and the public communication network 56 such as the Internet (step 5). It is stored in the storage unit 67 (step 6). Then, when there is a request for pre-transmission of image data so that an image can be confirmed quickly even if the public communication network 56 such as the Internet is congested from the display terminal 15 (step 7-Y), it is stored in the server device 57. The processed image data is transmitted to the display terminal 15 (step 8), and the image data is stored in the display terminal 15 (step 9).

  On the other hand, when the user does not open and close the door for putting in and out the food, but the user operates the display terminal 15 to check the food storage status in the storage room from the shop where the food is purchased, etc., an imaging instruction is transmitted (step 10-Y), the interior lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are driven via the public communication network 56 such as the Internet, the router device 55, the gateway device (relay device) 54, and the wireless adapter (communication device) 53. While the light is turned on (step 11), the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are operated to image the storage chamber (step 4). Thereafter, the same operation as after imaging when the door is opened and closed is performed.

  Further, the image data transmitted as described above is reproduced and confirmed on the display terminal 15.

  FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of normal image display in a warehouse. The user arbitrarily sets the display period or date / time of the in-store image to be displayed from the display terminal 15 and performs an image acquisition operation on the display terminal 15. For example, a prior transmission request is made from the display terminal 15 and an in-store image is acquired within a specified period. The flow of image data acquisition is as shown in FIG. The internal image is stored in the display terminal 15 (step 12), and the display terminal 15 confirms the presence or absence of image data within a specified period from the stored image (step 13), and the image data is time-sequentially stored. Is output to the display unit of the display terminal 15 (step 14). When the user presses the playback button, the image data read in time series on the display unit of the display terminal 15 is automatically switched (step 15), and is continuously displayed by displaying. As for the timing of image switching, image switching is performed after the display time has elapsed or when there is an image feed operation by the user (step 16-Y). The image feed operation by the user can be viewed while skipping the image by the time width by pressing the feed button displayed on the display terminal 15 or using a seek bar. This makes it possible to search for images in the warehouse by specifying the date and time, and to continuously browse images in the time series, greatly reducing the time required for image search, and by using a seek bar, It becomes possible to find the target image effectively.

  FIG. 17 shows a flowchart in the case of detecting the change in the internal image and continuously reproducing the internal image. The image data is stored in the display terminal 15 and output to the display unit (step 21), and the user traces the displayed image in the cabinet with his / her finger to specify the food material or the region in the cabinet (step 22). By doing this, the specific area between the image displayed last time and the image currently displayed is compared (step 23), and if there is an image feed operation by the user (step 16-Y), the image is switched ( Step 15) When the change is detected, the automatic reproduction is stopped (Step 24). As a result, users can easily know changes in the specific area in the warehouse or the presence or absence of food by performing automatic playback without checking image data one by one, making inventory management easy. Can do. Furthermore, by designating a specific area, the amount of image change detection processing can be reduced, and a constant processing speed can be maintained. Note that it is preferable to compare the specific area between the previous display image and the current display image and detect the change by the control calculation unit 59 of the refrigerator or the server control unit 66 of the server device 57.

  As described above, the refrigerator and the refrigerator system can confirm the state of food storage in the storage room. Next, the effects associated with the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 and the mounting configuration, which are the main points of the present invention. Will be described.

  First, since the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 described in this embodiment store the camera unit 37, the control board 38, and the camera connection unit 38c in the internal space of the storage case 39, the camera unit 37 and the control unit 35c. The substrate 38 is positioned inside the storage case 39 so that heat generated by the substrate 38 is retained in the storage case space. Therefore, the degree of influence of the heat generated by the camera unit 37 and the control board 38 on the food stored in the vicinity thereof is extremely small. In addition, since the storage case 39 storing the camera unit 37 and the control board 38 is shaped so that the entire outer surface thereof is cooled by the air in the storage room, the temperature of the storage case 39 itself can be kept low. It is possible to prevent the food stored in the storage room from being affected by the heat from the camera unit 37 and the like because the operation of maintaining the temperature of the storage room low can be added. By providing -2, it is possible to wipe out the concern that the food will deteriorate due to the heat generated by it.

  In addition, since the camera unit 37 and the control board 38 are protected by the storage case 39, the camera unit 37 and the control board 38 and the like themselves are damaged even if a stored item such as canned beer hits them. Can be prevented, and can be made highly durable.

  Particularly in this embodiment, a space 10c is newly provided on the side of the door open end Y next to the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2, and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are installed in the space 10c. The imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are protected by the protrusions of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 and the projection 41, and the risk of damage and the like can be extremely reduced. .

  Moreover, the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 installed in the space 10c are connected to the belt-like lead wire 38a connected to the camera unit 37, that is, the camera connection unit 38c and the external connection unit 38b connected to the refrigerator control unit. Are arranged to be opposite to each other on the control board 38, ie, the control board 38, so that the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be made compact in a vertically long shape. Accordingly, the space 10c for storing the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be reduced in size accordingly, and the large space 10c is not required for installing the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2. There is no waste.

Further, since the control board 38 is arranged so as to be folded back to the optical axis of the camera unit 37 by folding the belt-like lead wire 38a, further compactification of the imaging units 35-1, 35-2 can be promoted, In addition, compact storage, strong protection, and wasteful storage space are possible. In addition, the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 disposed in the storage chamber have the camera unit 37 facing the inside of the cabinet, so that the control board 38 orthogonal thereto is opposed to the inner wall surface of the door 10, and the door It becomes easy to be cooled by the cold radiation from the inner wall surface, and the reliability is improved.

  Further, since the storage case 39 is disposed so as to have a predetermined space between the back surface thereof and the inner wall surface of the door 10, the storage case 39 is cooled more strongly by the cooling from the cold air existing in the space T. As a result, the reliability is further improved.

  The storage chamber includes a plurality of storage spaces partitioned by shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4, and the camera unit 37 of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 includes the shelf plates 30-1 and 30-2. It is set as the structure arrange | positioned in the position which opposes. As a result, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are positioned across the storage space above and below the shelf board, and are cooled by cold air from at least one of the upper and lower storage spaces, for example, stored in one of the upper and lower storage spaces. Even if an object is clogged, it is cooled by the cold air from the other storage space, so that good cooling can always be secured and the reliability is further improved.

  In addition, in the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 in the present embodiment, a space 10c is newly provided on the door open end Y side next to the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2, and the imaging unit 35 is provided in the space 10c. -1, 35-2 are installed, and at that time, a convex portion is formed between the storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 on the inner wall of the door 10 and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2. Since 41 is provided, it is possible to prevent the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 from being damaged or tilted. That is, the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 even if an impact or vibration occurs when the weight storage items are stored in the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2. The convex portion 41 is positioned between the two and the convex portion 41 is received and the influence on the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 is reduced as much as possible. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 from being damaged or tilted.

  Moreover, since the influence of the impact and vibration at the time of the said heavy load storage can be reduced, the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 can be installed on the inner surface of the heat insulating door as they are, and the door storage shelf 33-1. , 33-2 can be abolished and the amount of storage in the door 10 can be reduced.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use refrigerator while ensuring both door storage capacity and installation, damage, and tilt prevention of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2.

  In addition, in this embodiment, a space 10c is newly provided on the door open end Y side next to the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2, and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are installed in the space 10c. Therefore, the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 are hit by canned beer and the like that are often stored in the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 by the protrusions of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2. Therefore, the risk of damage and the like can be further reduced.

  Further, since the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are separate members, the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 are heavy. The impact and vibration generated when the stored item is stored are not directly transmitted to the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, and the influence of the impact and vibration on the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be greatly reduced. It is possible to more reliably prevent the units 35-1 and 35-2 from being damaged or tilted.

Further, since the protrusion 41 provided on the inner wall surface of the door is filled with the heat insulating material 4, the strength is improved, and the influence of the impact and vibration described above can be further reduced, and at the same time, the heat insulating performance is improved. Therefore, the thermal influence on the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be reduced, and the reliability of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be increased.

  Further, since the reinforcing plate member 43 is provided on the back side of the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2, the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 are fixed on the back side by the reinforcing plate member 43, and the door storage shelf. The impact and vibration from the side are strongly suppressed, and the reliability and the reliability of the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be reliably prevented by reliably preventing damage or inclination.

  Further, the reinforcing plate 43 is pressed against the inner wall surface of the door by the heat insulating material 4, and the reinforcing plate 43 is also fixed by this, so that the impact and vibration on the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are more powerful. In addition, the reliability of the imaging unit can be improved.

  In addition, since the refrigerator and refrigerator system which were illustrated by the said embodiment of this invention also have the following advantages, it describes.

  That is, in the refrigerator of this embodiment, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 image foods in the storage room 5 from the front side of the storage room 5, but at this time, the interior lighting lamps 13-0 and 34- 2 is also provided on the front side of the storage chamber 5, and the food in the storage chamber 5 is irradiated from the same front side as the imaging direction by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2. Therefore, the captured image is not as dark or difficult to see as when the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided on the back wall of the storage chamber 5, and becomes a clear image. Further, it is not necessary to request the server device 57 to perform image processing that brightens and sharpens the captured image.

  Further, the imaging units 35-1, 35-2 and the interior illumination lamps 34-1, 34-2 are provided so as to be located in front of the front ends of the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4. The images in the storage room 5 captured by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are the same as the state in which the user actually opens the door 10 of the refrigerator 51. Therefore, when the user displays the image data on the display terminal 15, the state of the ingredients in the storage room 5 can be confirmed without any sense of incongruity. Moreover, since the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 illuminate food on the shelf board from the front end front of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4, they are mounted on the front edge parts of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4. The placed food can also be brightly and clearly imaged.

  The imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the inner surface of the door 10 of the refrigerator 51, and the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided on both side walls of the opening edge of the storage chamber 5. First, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are positioned in the substantially right and left central portions of the storage chamber 5. Therefore, the image captured by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be made closer to the state in which the user opens the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 and actually sees the image. In addition, it is possible to image a wide range in the storage room 5 by taking a large distance between the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 and the food on the shelf, and to store a wider range of food storage conditions. This can be confirmed on the display terminal 15.

  Moreover, since the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided so as to be positioned at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2 on the inner surface of the door, A part of the food stored in the door storage shelves 33-1 and 33-2, such as a milk pack, can also be imaged. Since the user has stored it by himself, the user can recognize what it is even if only a part of it is shown. Therefore, it is possible to image almost all the ingredients in the storage room.

On the other hand, the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided at positions farther from the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, and the light from the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is directly captured by the imaging unit. Since it is provided so as not to enter the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, the light from the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 enters the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, and the imaging unit 35- It is possible to prevent the image of 1,35-2 from being deteriorated, and a good image can always be obtained. This is because a light shielding part is provided on the camera side of the interior lighting lamps 35-1 and 35-2, or light sources such as LEDs constituting the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are inclined obliquely rearwardly. The same effect can be obtained by adopting a configuration such as.

  The images in the storage room 5 captured by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are transmitted to the server device 57 from the respective imaging units 35-1 and 35-2, and the server device 57 or the refrigerator. 51, or the combination processing is performed within the display terminal 15. In this embodiment, the image combining processing is facilitated.

  That is, the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 include door inner surfaces corresponding to the front ends of the shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4, in this example, the upper shelf plate 30-1 and the third shelf plate 30. -3 is provided on the inner surface of the door corresponding to the front end of the -3, the image pickup of each of the image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 is the shelf boards 30-1 and 30 so that the line Z in FIG. -3 is the center of the image.

  Therefore, the image data in the storage chamber 5 captured by the two imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 can be combined at the second shelf plate 30-2 serving as the boundary line Z. That is, as shown in the “captured raw image” in FIG. 18, the upper and lower images each have a common shelf 30-2. If the common shelf board 30-2 moved to the upper and lower images is matched after the “image”, the captured image of the entire storage room is obtained. As a result, it is not necessary to perform extremely difficult correction processing for aligning and combining the ingredients placed on the shelves at the time of the image combining process, and the image combining process is easy. Become. Therefore, the processing program for image combining can be simplified, and the capacity of the control unit of the server device 57, the refrigerator 51, or the display terminal 15 for image combining processing is also required to be large. This can contribute to speeding up of processing speed.

  Further, since the two imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided at positions substantially in front of the shelf plate 30-1 and the shelf plate 30-3 that cannot be adjusted in height, the shelf plate 30 that can be adjusted in height. Even when the height of -2 is changed, the image combining process can be easily performed by adjusting the range to be combined according to the height of the shelf 30-2 during the image combining process.

  As mentioned above, although the refrigerator and refrigerator system which concern on this invention have been demonstrated using the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. That is, the embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. That is, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

  For example, although the refrigerator illustrated the French door type refrigerator, the refrigerator may be a single door type, and the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 have been described only in the case where they are provided in the refrigerator compartment. It is also possible to provide a room and a freezer room so that the food stored and stored in each room can be photographed and transmitted, whereby the storage status of each room can be known.

Moreover, although the case where two image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided in one storage room is illustrated, the present invention is not limited to this, and when a plurality of image pickup units 35-1 and 35-2 are provided as in this embodiment, each image pickup unit What is necessary is just to synthesize | combine the picked-up image imaged by 35-1, 35-2 with the server apparatus 57, and to make it display on the display terminal 15, etc., and provided in separate storage rooms, such as a vegetable room and a refrigerator room, respectively. In this case, if each image can be selected and displayed, the display of the food storage status can be easily understood.

  Furthermore, although the example in which the imaging in the storage room by the imaging units 35-1 and 35-2 is performed with the door closed is illustrated, this may be performed with the door opened at a certain angle. is there.

  In the above embodiment, the gateway device 54 is exemplified in the communication path between the display terminal 15, the wireless adapter 53 of the refrigerator 51, and the public communication network 56 such as the Internet. Is not necessarily required, and may be configured to communicate directly with the display terminal 15, the wireless adapter 53 of the refrigerator 51, and the public communication network 56 such as the Internet via the router device 55. The configuration can be simplified.

  In the above embodiment, the image data is acquired from the server device 57 when the user is outside the residence A. However, the public communication network 56 such as the Internet and the router are connected from the display terminal 15 without using the server device 57. You may comprise so that it may communicate with the apparatus 55 and the gateway apparatus 54, and the image data memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 60 of the refrigerator 51 may be directly taken in from the refrigerator 51. FIG. In this case and when direct communication is performed, it is preferable to perform image combining processing in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 and transmit the image data after the combining processing.

  The present invention sets the control value of the white balance control unit within the range of ± 500K from the interior lighting color temperature, thereby suppressing the color effect of the stored food, and the variation for each imaging regardless of the food storage status. Since it is possible to provide a reduced and stable image, it is effective when applied to various refrigerators including a home refrigerator.

1 Refrigerator body 4 Heat insulation material 5 Refrigerated room (storage room)
6 switching room 7 ice making room 8 freezing room 9 vegetable room 10 door T space 11-14 drawer type door (door)
15 Display terminal (display means)
16 Cooling chamber 17 Cooler 18 Blower fan 19 Compressor 20 Heat radiation pipe 21 Capillary tube 22 Damper 30-1 to 30-4 Shelf plate 31 Storage container 32-1 to 32-4 Side wall convex part 33-1 to 33-8 Door storage Shelf 33a Inclined 34-1 and 34-2 Interior lighting lamps 35-1 and 35-2 Imaging unit 37 Camera unit 38 Control board 38a Strip lead wire 38b External connection unit 38c Camera connection unit 39 Storage case 39a Case body 39b Case lid Body 40a, 40b Opening 41 Projection 42 Opening 43 Reinforcing plate material 50 Refrigerator system 51 Refrigerator 53 Wireless adapter (communication device)
53a "Connect" button 54 Gateway device (relay device)
55 router device 56 public communication network such as the Internet 57 server device 59 control operation unit 60 storage unit 61 door opening / closing detection unit 62 fan drive circuit 63 compressor drive circuit 64 AC power supply 65 server interface 66 server control unit 67 data storage unit T space 70 Focus control unit 71 White balance control unit 72 Exposure control unit

Claims (2)

A refrigerator main body, a storage chamber formed in the refrigerator main body, a heat insulating door that opens and closes the storage chamber, a shelf plate provided in the storage chamber, a lighting device that illuminates the storage chamber, and an image of the storage chamber An imaging unit, the imaging unit having a camera unit used for imaging in the storage room, a control board having an external connection unit for controlling the camera unit and connecting to the outside, the camera unit, and the control A camera connection unit that connects a substrate, a camera unit, a control substrate unit, and a storage case that stores the camera connection unit. The control substrate controls white balance based on a predetermined control value. A refrigeration comprising a white balance control unit, wherein the white balance control unit sets the control value within a range of ± 500K from the interior illumination color temperature. . The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control board unit includes an exposure adjustment unit that automatically adjusts the exposure according to the illuminance in the refrigerator.

Images