JP2019143953A - Refrigerator control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide technique enabling excess energy consumption in a refrigerator to be suppressed by controlling the operation of the refrigerator on the basis of information on schedule of a user.SOLUTION: A refrigerator control system comprises a refrigerator, a server, a scheduler, and a terminal device. The server can communicate with the refrigerator, and control the operation of the refrigerator. The scheduler is stored in the server and stores scheduler information showing contents of a behavior of a user. The terminal device can access the scheduler and can transmit the scheduler information to the scheduler. The server controls the operation of the refrigerator on the basis of the scheduler information of the user stored in the schedular.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a refrigerator control system.

  There is known a refrigerator control system that allows a user to output necessary information to a refrigerator. For example, the user transmits schedule information to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator stores the schedule information. And a refrigerator outputs the said schedule information, when user operation (For example, door opening / closing operation and button operation) is received.

JP 2007-132551 A

  In the conventional technology, the refrigerator simply outputs the stored schedule information as it is, and the schedule information has not been effectively used. This specification provides the technique which controls the driving | running operation | movement of a refrigerator based on a user's schedule information, and can suppress the excess energy consumption in a refrigerator.

  The refrigerator control system disclosed in this specification includes a refrigerator, a server, a scheduler, and a terminal device. The server can communicate with the refrigerator and controls the operation of the refrigerator. The scheduler is stored in the server and stores user schedule information. The terminal device can access the scheduler. The terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler. The server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user stored in the scheduler.

  In said refrigerator control system, the schedule information of the user received from a terminal device is stored in a scheduler. And a server controls the driving | running operation | movement of a refrigerator based on the said user's schedule information. For example, when the user is absent, the use frequency of the refrigerator is reduced as compared with the case where the user is at home. For this reason, a server makes a refrigerator perform different driving | operation operation | movement with the case where a user is absent and the case where the user is at home based on a user's schedule information. For example, when the user is absent, the server controls the operation of the refrigerator so that the power consumption in the refrigerator is low. As described above, according to the refrigerator control system described above, since the operation operation of the refrigerator suitable for the user's situation is performed by executing the control of the operation operation based on the schedule information, the extra energy consumption in the refrigerator Can be suppressed.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the refrigerator control system. The figure which shows an example of table T1 displayed on the display part 114 of the terminal device 100. FIG. The figure which shows the flowchart of a driving schedule information generation process. The figure which shows the flowchart of a change monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of a defrost operation process. The figure which shows the flowchart of a home monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of a warehouse monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of the modification of the monitoring process in a warehouse. The figure which shows the flowchart of the other modification of the chamber monitoring process.

  With reference to drawings, the refrigerator control system 10 of an Example is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator control system 10 includes a refrigerator 20, a cloud server 50 (hereinafter simply referred to as “server 50”), and terminal devices 100, 200, 300, and 400. The refrigerator 20, the server 50, and the terminal devices 100 to 400 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the communication network 110. The communication network 110 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the Internet, a wired LAN, a wireless LAN, or a combination thereof.

  The main body of the refrigerator 20 is provided with a refrigeration room, a vegetable room, an ice making room, a freezing room, and the like, which are storages for storing food. That is, the refrigerator 20 is a household refrigerator. The opening of the refrigerator compartment is configured to be opened and closed by a so-called double door. Openings of the vegetable room, ice making room, and freezer room are each configured to be opened and closed by a drawer-type door.

  The refrigerator 20 includes an operation unit 22, a display unit 24, a control unit 26, an open / close sensor 28, an information reading device 30, and a temperature sensor 32.

  The operation unit 22 includes a plurality of buttons for executing each function of the refrigerator 20. When the button is operated by the user, the operation unit 22 transmits a signal according to the operated button to the control unit 26. The display unit 24 includes a liquid crystal panel. The display part 24 is controlled by the control part 26, and displays the information regarding the function and operation | movement of a refrigerator. The operation unit 22 may be configured integrally with the display unit 24 as a so-called touch panel.

  The open / close sensor 28 is provided in each door of the refrigerator 20. The open / close sensor 28 detects that the user has touched the door of the refrigerator 20. That is, the open / close sensor 28 can detect that a person is present in front of the refrigerator 20. The open / close sensor 28 is configured by, for example, an electrostatic sensor.

  The information reading device 30 is provided in the vicinity of the opening of the refrigerator compartment, and reads information related to food stored in the refrigerator 20. In this embodiment, the information reading device 30 is a tag reader that reads information stored in an IC tag by wireless communication, and an IC tag is attached to food stored in the refrigerator 20. The IC tag is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and the IC tag stores identification information for identifying food, expiration date information indicating the expiration date or expiration date of the food, and the like. Information (identification information, time limit information, etc.) read by the information reading device 30 is transmitted to the control unit 26. The information reading device 30 may also be provided in the vicinity of the opening of the vegetable room or the freezer room.

  The temperature sensor 32 is provided in the inside of the refrigerator compartment, and detects the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 is transmitted to the control unit 26. The temperature sensor 32 may also be provided inside the vegetable room and the freezer room.

  The control unit 26 includes a CPU 26a and a memory 26b. The control unit 26 is controllably connected to the units 22, 24, 28, and 30 by wiring not shown. The CPU 26a is a processor that controls processing of the units 22, 24, 30, and 32 in accordance with a program (not shown) stored in the memory 26b. The memory 26b is composed of RAM, ROM, and the like.

  The refrigerator 20 is configured to store food in a refrigerator (a refrigerator compartment or the like) and execute operation operations including a normal mode, a strong cooling mode, a power saving mode, a defrosting mode, and the like. The operation to be performed by the refrigerator 20 is controlled by a server 50 described later. The normal mode is a basic mode when the refrigerator 20 is operated. The strong cooling mode is a mode in which operation is performed so that the temperature in the refrigerator 20 is maintained at a lower temperature than in the normal mode. The power saving mode is a mode that operates with lower power consumption than the normal mode. The defrost mode is a mode for removing frost attached to the cooler of the refrigerator 20.

  The terminal device 100 is, for example, a portable mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a PDA, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a portable music playback device, and a portable motion playback device. The terminal device 100 includes an operation unit 112, a display unit 114, and a control unit 116.

  The operation unit 112 includes a plurality of keys. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 100 by operating the operation unit 112. The display unit 114 is a display for displaying various information (for example, driving schedule information described later). The display unit 114 also functions as a so-called touch panel.

  The control unit 116 includes a CPU 116a and a memory 116b. The control unit 116 is controllably connected to the units 112 and 114 by wiring not shown. The CPU 116a executes various processes according to the programs 120 and 122 stored in the memory 116b. The OS program 120 is a program for controlling various basic operations of the terminal device 100. The refrigerator application 122 is an application provided by the vendor of the refrigerator 20, and is installed in the terminal device 100 from a server on the communication network, for example. The refrigerator application 122 executes communication of target data (for example, schedule information and driving schedule information described later) between the terminal device 100 and the server 50, or displays the target data on the display unit 114 of the terminal device 100. It is an application to do.

  Each of the terminal devices 200 to 400 has the same configuration as the terminal device 100. Below, for convenience of explanation, each user of each terminal unit 100-400 is explained as each family of one family. Specifically, as shown in a region R1 in FIG. 2, the user of the terminal device 100 is “father”, the user of the terminal device 200 is “mother”, the user of the terminal device 300 is “son”, and the user of the terminal device 400 Is described as a “daughter”.

  A server 50 shown in FIG. 1 is a server installed on a communication network, and may be a server provided by a vendor of the refrigerator 20 or a server provided by a vendor different from the refrigerator 20. Good. The server 50 can communicate with the refrigerator 20 via the communication network 110 and controls the operation of the refrigerator 20. The server 50 includes a CPU 52 and a memory 54. The CPU 52 executes various processes according to the program stored in the memory 54. The memory 54 stores a scheduler 60. The scheduler 60 is a program that manages schedule information for a plurality of users. In the present embodiment, the scheduler 60 stores schedule information transmitted from each user of each terminal device 100 to 400.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a table T1 in which schedule information is stored. The schedule information is information indicating a schedule of each user of each terminal device 100 to 400 as shown in a region R2 in FIG. The schedule information includes at-home information indicating whether or not the user is at home (for example, information indicated in the region R3) and shopping information indicating that the user is planning to procure food (for example, information indicated in the region R11). ), Cooking information (for example, information shown in the region R4) indicating that the user is planning to prepare a meal, and the like. Each of the schedules transmitted from the terminal devices 100 to 400 has an attribute of “absent” indicating that the user is not at home, or “at home” indicating a state where the user is at home. For example, “attendance” shown in the region R3 of FIG. 2 indicates that the father is in the office and has an attribute of “absence”. Similarly, “going out”, “school attendance”, and “shopping” have the attributes of “absence”. On the other hand, “cooking” shown in the region R4 of FIG. 2 indicates that the mother is preparing the meal and has the attribute “at home”. In the schedule information shown in the region R2 of FIG. 2, the time zone in which no schedule is registered has the attribute “at home”.

  The server 50 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an external service information acquisition unit 62. The external service information acquisition unit 62 acquires external service information. In this embodiment, the external service information is meteorological information indicating the weather for a predetermined period. The weather information, for example, indicates weather such as “sunny”, “cloudy”, “rainy”, etc., as shown in a region R9 in FIG.

  The server 50 generates driving schedule information for controlling the driving operation of the refrigerator 20 based on the schedule information and external service information of each user stored in the scheduler 60. In addition, the server 50 transmits the generated operation schedule information to the terminal device 100. The generation of the driving schedule information will be described in detail below.

  Next, various processes executed by the server 50 will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the operation schedule information generation process for the server 50 to generate the operation schedule information of the refrigerator 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation schedule information generation process is started at a predetermined time such as 21:00 every day, for example.

  In S <b> 10, the server 50 acquires schedule information of each user from the scheduler 60. Specifically, schedule information of father, mother, son, and daughter is acquired. The acquired schedule information is stored in the table T1 as shown in the region R3 in FIG.

  In S20, the server 50 extracts a time zone in which all the users have the attribute of “absent”. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the mother attribute changes from “absent” to “home” from the time when the mother and daughter attributes change from “at home” to “absent” (ie, 8:00). The time (that is, 13:00) to be extracted is extracted as a time zone in which all users have the attribute of “absence”. That is, as shown by dot hatching in FIG. 2, the common area A1 having the attribute “absent” is extracted for all members.

  In S30, the server 50 sets the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 in the time period (8:00 to 13:00) extracted in S20 to the power saving mode (see region R5 in FIG. 2). This is because it can be determined that the opening / closing frequency of the door of the refrigerator 20 during the time period is low because all the persons have the attribute “absent” as the common schedule information during the time period. In the table T1, the operation schedule of “defrosting” (see region R6) is registered from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock in the time zone (from 8 o'clock to 13 o'clock) extracted in S20, and from 12 o'clock to 13 o'clock At that time, the “strong cooling” operation schedule (see region R7) is registered, which will be described later.

  In S40, the server 50 determines whether shopping information exists in the acquired schedule information. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, shopping information (area R11) is registered in the mother schedule information from 11:00 to 13:00. Therefore, in S40, the server 50 determines that shopping information exists (YES in S40), and proceeds to S50. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no shopping information (NO in S40), the server 50 proceeds to S60.

  In S50, the server 50 extracts a time zone (11:00 to 13:00) in which shopping information exists, and sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the time zone. More specifically, the operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the strong cooling mode from a time before a predetermined end time of shopping information (that is, 13:00). In this embodiment, the predetermined time is 1 hour. Therefore, the server 50 strongly cools the operation of the refrigerator 20 from 12:00, which is one hour before the scheduled end time of shopping information, to 13:00, which is the scheduled end time of shopping information, as shown in a region R7 in FIG. Set to mode. This is because when the food is procured and returned home, the door is opened and closed frequently to store the procured food in the refrigerator 20, and it can be determined that the temperature in the cabinet is likely to rise. In FIG. 2, in the time zone from 12:00 to 13:00, the power saving mode is set in S30. In such a case, the server 50 sets the strong cooling mode with priority over the power saving mode as the operation of the refrigerator 20.

  In S60, the server 50 determines whether cooking information exists in the acquired schedule information. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, cooking information (region R4) is registered in the schedule information of the mother from 18:00 to 20:00. Therefore, in S60, the server 50 determines that cooking information exists (YES in S60), and proceeds to S70. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no cooking information (NO in S60), the server 50 proceeds to S80.

  In S70, the server 50 extracts a time zone (18:00 to 20:00) in which cooking information exists, and sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 in the time zone to the strong cooling mode as shown in a region R10 of FIG. To do. This is because it is possible to determine that the frequency of opening and closing of the door is increased in order to take out food to be cooked from the refrigerator 20 during the time period, and the temperature in the cabinet is likely to rise.

  In S80, the server 50 extracts the return time of each user. Specifically, the time when the attribute of each user changes from “absent” to “at home” is acquired. That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, 18:00, 13:00, 16:00, and 15:00 are extracted as the return times of the father, mother, son, and daughter, respectively.

  In S90, the server 50 sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the time zone extracted in S80. More specifically, the operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the strong cooling mode from the time before a predetermined time before the return time of each user to the return time. In this embodiment, the predetermined time is 30 minutes. Therefore, as shown in region R8 of FIG. 2, the server 50 sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode 30 minutes before the return time of each user. For example, the server 50 sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from 17:30, 30 minutes before the father's return time of 18:00.

  In S <b> 100, the server 50 acquires external service information by the external service information acquisition unit 62. In this embodiment, the external service information is weather information. The acquired weather information is stored in the table T1 as shown in a region R9 in FIG.

  In S110, the server 50 sets the defrosting mode as the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 in the time zone (from 8:00 to 13:00) extracted in S20. Specifically, the server 50 sets the refrigerator 20 to perform the operation operation in the defrosting mode at any timing in the time period. For example, since the internal temperature of the refrigerator 20 rises after defrosting, the server 50 determines that the temperature of the internal temperature of the refrigerator 20 returns to the predetermined temperature (decreases again to the predetermined temperature). It is set so that the defrosting mode is started at the time of changing to “absence” (ie, 8:00). Moreover, the server 50 performs operation | movement of a defrost mode so that the evaporation efficiency of defrost water may be made high, when the time slot | zone which set the defrost mode is a specific weather condition based on the acquired weather information. Set. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the weather in the time zone (8 o'clock to 9 o'clock) in which the defrosting mode is executed is “rain”, the humidity is increased, and thus the defrosting is performed. Evaporation efficiency of defrost water generated by operation in the mode is reduced. Therefore, in such a case, the server 50 sets a high operating rate of a compressor (not shown) that compresses the refrigerant for cooling the inside of the refrigerator 20 or a fan (not shown) that blows air into the refrigerator 20. The rotation speed of the refrigerator 20 is set high, and the operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled so that the evaporating efficiency of the defrost water is increased. In FIG. 2, the power saving mode is set in S30 for the time zone from 8:00 to 9:00. In such a case, as a driving operation of the refrigerator 20, the server 50 sets the defrost mode with priority over the power saving mode.

  In S <b> 120, the server 50 generates operation schedule information for the refrigerator 20. That is, the server 50 generates driving schedule information (that is, the table T1) that integrates the driving operations set in S30, S50, S70, S90, and S110 described above. The server 50 sets the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the normal mode except for the time period in which the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled to the power saving mode, the strong cooling mode, or the like.

  In S <b> 130, the server 50 transmits the generated operation schedule information to each of the terminal devices 100 to 400. Each terminal device 100-400 will display the image for alert | reporting the produced | generated driving schedule information to a user on a display part, if driving schedule information is received from the server 50. FIG. For example, the table T1 is displayed on the display unit of each of the terminal devices 100 to 400. The server 50 will complete | finish a driving schedule information generation process, if the process of S130 is performed.

  The server 50 controls the driving operation of the refrigerator 20 along the driving schedule information generated by the above driving schedule information generation process. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the server 50 determines that all the users are “absent” based on the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60 (that is, “going to work”, “going out” as the schedule information for all users). The operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled to the defrosting mode from the timing (that is, “going to school” or “shopping” is stored) (that is, 8 o'clock) (see regions R6 and S110). When the defrosting mode ends, it is determined that all the users are still “absent” based on the schedule information. Therefore, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode (regions R5, S30). reference). Thereafter, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the shopping information (see the areas R7 and S50). That is, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from one hour before the scheduled end time of the shopping information (that is, 12:00). Thereafter, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the return time of each user (see regions R8 and S90). That is, the server 50 switches the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from 30 minutes before each user's return time (that is, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30, 17:30). Control. Moreover, the server 50 will control the driving | running operation | movement of the refrigerator 20 to strong cooling mode, when the time when cooking information is registered comes (that is, 18:00 comes) (refer area | region R10, S50). When the timing at which the cooking information ends (that is, 20:00) has arrived, the server 50 releases the control in the strong cooling mode. Note that the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 in the normal mode except for the time period in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled in each mode described above (for example, from 6:00 to 7:00, from 16:00 to 17:30). To control.

  Next, the change monitoring process will be described with reference to FIG. The change monitoring process is a process that is started after the server 50 generates the driving schedule information. That is, the change monitoring process is triggered by the execution of the process of S120 in FIG. The driving schedule information is received by each of the terminal devices 100 to 400, but the following description will be given focusing on only the terminal device 100 that has received the driving schedule information.

  In S200, the server 50 determines whether a change in schedule information has been received. Specifically, when the user of the terminal device 100 inputs an operation for changing the input schedule information to the operation unit 112, the changed schedule information is transmitted to the server 50. If the server 50 receives the change of the schedule information (YES in S200), the server 50 proceeds to S210. On the other hand, the server 50 repeats S200, when the change of schedule information is not received (it is NO at S200).

  In S210, the server 50 updates the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60 to the schedule information received (that is, changed by the user). For example, when the server 50 receives that the schedule information of “attendance” stored in the table T1 of FIG. 2 has been changed by the user from 7:00 to 17:00, the “50 Update schedule information.

  In S220, the server 50 changes the driving schedule information based on the changed schedule information. For example, in the example in which the schedule information of “attendance” mentioned in S210 is changed, the driving operation in the strong cooling mode set from 17:30 to 18:00 is changed from 16:30 to 17:00. When the server 50 ends the process of S220, the server 50 returns to S200 and repeats the change monitoring process. Moreover, after changing the operation schedule information, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 along the changed operation schedule information.

  Next, the defrosting operation process will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the operation operation in the defrosting mode will be described. The inside of the refrigerator 20 is cooled by a not-shown cooler (for example, an evaporator) provided in the refrigerator 20. When the temperature in the refrigerator 20 rises due to opening and closing of the door or the like, frost may adhere to the cooler due to a temperature difference between the refrigerator 20 and the cooler. In such a case, the defrost mode is a mode for removing frost attached to the cooler, and the cooler in a frosted state is heated by a defroster (not shown) (for example, a heater). Is defrosted. The defrosting operation process is started when the operation schedule information in which the defrosting mode is set is generated in S120 of FIG.

  In S300, the server 50 determines whether or not the start time of the defrost mode has arrived. In this embodiment, as shown in a region R6 in FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the start time of 8 o'clock has arrived. When it is determined that the start time of the defrost mode has arrived (YES in S300), the process proceeds to S310, and when it is determined that the start time has not arrived (NO in S300), S300 is repeated and the start is started. Wait for the arrival of time.

  In S <b> 310, the server 50 transmits information indicating that the operation operation in the defrosting mode is started to the refrigerator 20. When the refrigerator 20 receives the information transmitted by the server 50, the refrigerator 20 starts the operation in the defrost mode.

  In S <b> 320, the server 50 transmits start information to the terminal device 100. The start information is information indicating that the operation of the defrosting mode of the refrigerator 20 has started. When the terminal device 100 receives the start information from the server 50, the terminal device 100 displays an image for notifying the user that the operation of the defrost mode has been started on the display unit 114.

  In S330, the server 50 determines whether or not the operation operation in the defrost mode has been completed. Specifically, when the operation of the defrost mode is finished, the refrigerator 20 transmits information indicating that the operation of the defrost mode is finished to the server 50. Therefore, the server 50 determines whether or not the information has been received. If it is determined that the defrosting mode has been completed (YES in S330), the process proceeds to S340. If it is determined that the defrosting mode has not been completed (NO in S330), S330 is repeated.

  In S340, the server 50 transmits end information to the terminal device 100. The end information is information indicating that the operation of the defrosting mode of the refrigerator 20 has ended. When the terminal device 100 receives the end information from the server 50, the terminal device 100 displays an image for notifying the user that the driving operation in the defrosting mode has ended on the display unit 114.

  In S350, the server 50 determines whether or not the internal temperature of the refrigerator 20 has returned to a predetermined temperature. As described above, since the frosted cooler is defrosted by being heated by the defroster, the temperature in the refrigerator 20 is increased immediately after the defrosting. Therefore, in S350, the server 50 determines whether or not the temperature in the refrigerator 20 has decreased from the increased temperature to a predetermined temperature. Specifically, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 returns to a predetermined temperature, the refrigerator 20 transmits information indicating that the internal temperature has returned to the predetermined temperature to the server 50. The server 50 can detect that the internal temperature of the refrigerator 20 has returned to the predetermined temperature by receiving the information. If it is determined that the internal temperature has returned below the predetermined temperature (YES in S350), the process proceeds to S360, and if it is determined that the internal temperature has not returned below the predetermined temperature (NO in S350), Repeat S360.

  In S <b> 360, the server 50 transmits return information to the terminal device 100. The return information is information indicating that the temperature in the refrigerator 20 has returned to a predetermined temperature. When receiving the return information from the server 50, the terminal device 100 displays an image for notifying the user that the temperature in the refrigerator 20 has returned to the predetermined temperature on the display unit 114. The server 50 will complete | finish a defrost operation process, if the process of S360 is performed.

  Next, the home monitoring process will be described with reference to FIG. The at-home monitoring process is a process executed during a period in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled to the power saving mode. That is, the home monitoring process is executed during a period in which the attributes of all the users based on the stored schedule information are “absent”.

  In S400, the server 50 determines whether or not the operation of the refrigerator 20 is executing the power saving mode. If it is determined that the power saving mode is being executed (YES in S400), the process proceeds to S410, and if it is determined that the power saving mode is not being executed (that is, the driving operation in the power saving mode has ended) (in S400). NO) ends the home monitoring process.

  In S410, the server 50 determines whether the opening / closing of the door is detected. Specifically, when the open / close sensor 28 detects that any user has touched the door of the refrigerator 20, the refrigerator 20 displays information indicating that a person is present in front of the refrigerator 20. Send to. The server 50 can detect that any user is at home by receiving the information. If opening / closing of the door is detected (YES in S410), the process proceeds to S420, and if opening / closing of the door is not detected (NO in S410), the process returns to S400.

  In S420, the server 50 changes the operation of the refrigerator 20 from the power saving mode to the normal mode. This is because the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode because all the users are “absent” in the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60. This is because it is determined that the frequency of opening and closing the door is high due to the “at home” state. When executing the process of S420, the server 50 ends the home monitoring process.

  Next, the internal monitoring process will be described with reference to FIG. The in-chamber monitoring process is a process of notifying the user by monitoring food in and out of the refrigerator 20, the expiration date of the food stored in the refrigerator 20, and the like.

  In S <b> 500, the server 50 determines whether food has been received in the refrigerator 20. Specifically, the refrigerator 20 transmits the read information to the server 50 when the information reading device 30 reads the IC tag attached to the food to be stored. The server 50 can detect that food has been received in the refrigerator 20 in response to receiving the information. If it is determined that there is a received food (YES in S500), the process proceeds to S510. If it is determined that there is no food received (NO in S500), the process proceeds to S520.

  In S <b> 510, the server 50 stores the information received from the refrigerator 20 in the memory 54. The information received from the refrigerator 20 includes identification information and time limit information stored in the IC tag. For this reason, the server 50 stores the identification information and the time limit information in the memory 54 in association with each other.

  In S <b> 520, the server 50 determines whether or not food has been delivered from the refrigerator 20. Specifically, the refrigerator 20 transmits the read information to the server 50 when the information reading device 30 reads an IC tag attached to the food to be delivered. The server 50 can detect that food has been delivered from the refrigerator 20 in response to receiving the information. If it is determined that there is a delivered food (YES in S520), the process proceeds to S530, and if it is determined that there is no delivered food (NO in S520), the process proceeds to S540.

  In S <b> 530, the server 50 deletes information that matches the information received from the refrigerator 20 from the identification information and the time limit information stored in the memory 54. When food is received, the identification information and the time limit information are associated with each other and stored in the memory 54 as described in S510. Therefore, the identification information and time limit information received by the server 50 when the food stored in the refrigerator 20 is delivered coincides with any of the identification information and time limit information in the memory 54. Therefore, the server 50 deletes information that matches the information received from the refrigerator 20 from the memory 54.

  In S540, the server 50 determines whether or not a predetermined time has arrived. Although the predetermined time is not particularly limited, for example, it is 10 o'clock every day. If it is determined that the predetermined time has arrived (YES in S540), the process proceeds to S550, and if it is determined that the predetermined time has not arrived (NO in S550), the process returns to S500.

  In S550, the server 50 transmits the food information to the terminal device 100. Specifically, based on the identification information stored in the memory 54, information indicating what kind of food is currently stored in the refrigerator 20 is transmitted to the terminal device 100. For example, when the food indicated by the identification information stored in the memory 54 is “pork”, “potato”, or “carrot”, the server 50 stores “pork”, “potato”, “carrot” in the refrigerator 20. "Is stored in the terminal device 100. When executing the process of S550, the server 50 returns to S500 and repeats the in-compartment monitoring process. Note that information indicating the expiration date may also be transmitted based on the time limit information associated with the identification information.

(effect)
In the refrigerator control system 10 described above, the schedule information of each user received from each terminal device 100 to 400 is stored in the scheduler 60. And the server 50 produces | generates driving schedule information based on the said schedule information (S120). Moreover, the server 50 controls the driving | running operation | movement of the refrigerator 20 along the produced | generated driving schedule information. Specifically, the server 50 controls the power saving mode, which is low power consumption, during a time period in which all users have the “absent” attribute (S30), and the timing when the user's shopping ends or the user returns home. At the timing, the timing when the user cooks, etc., the strong cooling mode is maintained to maintain the temperature in the refrigerator 20 at a low temperature (S50, S70, S90). For this reason, the driving | running operation | movement suitable for a user's action can be performed by the refrigerator 20, and the extra energy consumption in the refrigerator 20 can be suppressed. For example, since the refrigerator 20 is not used during the time when all the users are absent, the energy consumption can be suppressed by using the power saving mode during the time. In addition, at the timing when the user's shopping is completed, when the user returns home, when the user cooks, etc., the door of the refrigerator 20 is frequently opened and closed, and the temperature in the refrigerator is expected to decrease. Use strong cooling mode. Therefore, energy consumption can be suppressed by using the strong cooling mode only at the timing when strong cooling is required.

  Further, when the user has changed the input schedule information (YES in S200), the server 50 changes (regenerates) the operation schedule information of the refrigerator 20 based on the changed schedule information (S220). Thus, even if it is a case where a change arises in a user's action, an appropriate driving operation can be made to perform in refrigerator 20.

  Further, when the server 50 confirms that the user is at home by the open / close sensor 28 while controlling the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode based on the schedule information (YES in S410), the server 50 cancels the power saving mode. Then, control is performed to execute the driving operation in the normal mode (S420). As described above, even in a situation where the user neglects to change the schedule information, the refrigerator 20 can execute an appropriate driving operation.

  In addition, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the defrosting mode during a time period in which all the users have the “absence” attribute (S110). For this reason, even if the temperature in the refrigerator 20 rises by performing defrosting, it is suppressed that a user's convenience is impaired.

  Moreover, the server 50 receives the start information indicating the start of the defrost mode, the end information indicating the end of the defrost mode, and the return information indicating the return of the temperature in the refrigerator 20 after the defrost, as the terminal devices 100 to 400. (S320, S340, S360). For this reason, each user can grasp | ascertain the operating condition in the defrost mode of the refrigerator 20 exactly.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  In the embodiment described above, an example in which the number of users of the refrigerator 20 is a plurality of people (four family members in one family) has been described. However, there may be one user.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the time zone in which all the users are “absent” is extracted in S20. However, not all of the users may be “absent”, and a time period in which a predetermined number of users (for example, three people) are “absent” may be extracted.

  Moreover, in the Example mentioned above, in S90, the server 50 set the driving | running operation | movement of the refrigerator 20 to strong cooling mode based on the return time of each user. At this time, you may change the part maintained at low temperature according to the user who goes home. For example, the refrigeration room may be controlled in the strong cooling mode in accordance with the time when the father, son, and daughter return home, and the vegetable room may be controlled in the strong cooling mode in accordance with the time when the mother returns home. Thus, by selectively controlling the inside of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode, the convenience of each user can be improved and the power consumption of the refrigerator 20 can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the external service information acquired in S100 is weather information. However, power outage information indicating a power outage plan may be acquired as external service information. In this case, the server 50 may control the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from a predetermined time before the start of the power failure (for example, 2 hours before) based on the power failure information. In such a configuration, since the inside of the refrigerator 20 can be cooled before a power failure occurs, an increase in the temperature of the food stored in the refrigerator 20 can be suppressed. Note that both weather information and power outage information may be acquired as external service information.

  Moreover, in the Example mentioned above, the receipt / entry of the foodstuff to / from the refrigerator 20 was managed when the information reader 30 read an IC tag (S500-S530). However, food entry / exit may be managed, for example, by reading a two-dimensional code, may be managed by an imaging camera, or may be managed by a user's manual input.

  In the above-described embodiment, the server 50 transmits the food information to the terminal device 100 when the predetermined time arrives in S540. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when it is determined that the predetermined time has arrived (YES in S540), the server 50 determines in S600 that the food that has arrived a predetermined period before the time limit based on the time limit information. It may be determined whether or not it exists. If a positive determination is made (S600), consumption promotion information may be transmitted to the terminal device 100 in S610. The consumption promotion information is information that prompts the user to consume the food identified by the identification information. For example, when the expiration date indicated by the deadline information associated with “pork” stored in the refrigerator 20 is two days later (YES in S600), information that prompts the user to consume “pork” is displayed on the terminal device. 100 may be transmitted (S610). In such a configuration, since it is possible to notify the user that there is a food with an expiration date close to it, expiration of the expiration date of the food stored in the refrigerator 20 can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when it is determined that the predetermined time has arrived (YES in S540), the server 50 may acquire recipe information in S650. Recipe information is information indicating a cooking method for a plurality of dishes and necessary ingredients. In S660, a dish menu may be selected from the recipe information. For example, when it is determined that “pork”, “potato”, and “carrot” are stored in the refrigerator 20 based on the identification information stored in the memory 54, the server 50 determines that “meat potato” ”Or“ Curry ”may be selected. In S <b> 670, the server 50 may transmit the cooking promotion information and the shortage information to the terminal device 100. The cooking promotion information is information that prompts the user to cook a cooking menu corresponding to “pork”, “potato”, and “carrot” (that is, “meat potato”, “curry”). The shortage information is information indicating foods that are insufficient for cooking the cooking menu. Specifically, for example, the server 50 transmits information that prompts the user to cook the cooking menu “meat potato” selected based on the identification information, and “onion” is insufficient to cook “meat potato”. Information indicating that this is being performed may be transmitted to the terminal device 100. In such a configuration, a method for consuming food stored in the refrigerator 20 can be proposed.

  In the above-described embodiment, schedule information is transmitted from each terminal device 100 to 400 to the scheduler 60. However, the schedule information may be input to the operation unit 22 of the refrigerator 20. Then, the refrigerator 20 may transmit the input schedule information to the server 50. Further, when an operation for changing the schedule information is input to the operation unit 112 of the terminal device 100, the changed schedule information is transmitted to the server 50 (S200). However, you may comprise so that operation which changes schedule information can be input into the operation part 22 of the refrigerator 20. FIG. In such a configuration, even a user who does not have a terminal device can input or change schedule information.

  Moreover, in the Example mentioned above, the server 50 transmitted the produced | generated driving schedule information to each terminal device 100-400 (S130). However, the server 50 may transmit the operation schedule information to the refrigerator 20. Further, the server 50 may transmit schedule information stored in the scheduler 60 to the refrigerator 20. Then, the refrigerator 20 may display the operation schedule information and schedule information received from the server 50 on the display unit 24. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately notify the driving schedule information and the schedule information of each user even to users who do not have high information literacy.

  The refrigerator 20 may have a generator (not shown) that generates functional components such as a sterilizing component and a deodorizing component. The generator may be provided in a refrigerator room, a vegetable room, or the like. Examples of the functional component include charged fine particle water charged by applying a high voltage, active species such as ions, OH (hydroxy) radicals, and ozone. These components may be used independently and may be used in combination of 2 or more type. The generator can spray, for example, mist containing the functional component. The mist can be generated, for example, by utilizing an electrostatic atomization phenomenon or by applying ultrasonic vibration energy to the stored water.

  As an example in which the generator generates mist, when the electrostatic atomization phenomenon is used, the generator can include a discharge electrode, a counter electrode, and a high-voltage power source. The positive electrode of the high voltage power supply is connected to the counter electrode, and the negative electrode of the high voltage power supply is connected to the discharge electrode. For example, the high voltage power supply can apply a voltage of 6 kV between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode. The discharge electrode and the counter electrode are made of a conductive material such as metal, for example. The discharge electrode has a needle shape having a pointed portion at the tip. The counter electrode is provided to face the pointed portion of the discharge electrode and is formed in an annular shape. The counter electrode may have a plurality of protrusions from the annular shape to the inner circumferential direction. The counter electrode may be formed in an elliptical ring shape or a polygonal ring shape. Further, the shape of the counter electrode is not limited to an annular shape, and may be a plate shape or a spherical shape.

  An operation in which the generator generates mist will be described. First, moisture in the air is condensed by cooling the discharge electrode, and the condensed water is held in the discharge electrode. The retained water is supplied to the pointed portion. In this state, when a negative voltage is applied to the discharge electrode by the high-voltage power supply, charges concentrate on the pointed portion, and energy exceeding the surface tension is supplied to the moisture supplied to the pointed portion. As a result, the water supplied to the pointed portion of the discharge electrode undergoes Rayleigh splitting due to the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, and mist (that is, charged charged fine particle water) is released. The particle diameter of the discharged charged fine particle water is, for example, 3 to 50 nm. The particle size peak is, for example, 20 nm. The discharged charged fine particle water contains active species such as OH radicals when a high voltage is applied, and the active species function as a sterilization deodorizing component.

Also, generating generates the charged water particles apparatus is not limited to those utilizing the electrostatic atomizing phenomenon, for example, O ^{2- (H ₂} is H ^{+ (H} 2 _{O) m} and the negative ions are positive ions O) _n (m and n are natural numbers, respectively) may be generated in the air, or by generating an insulation breakdown by corona discharge or the like and emitting light blue to the moisture in the air. It may react to generate clustered charged fine particle water.

  Further, the generator may generate ozone simultaneously with the charged fine particle water or alternately. Ozone can be generated by causing air breakdown by the above-described corona discharge or the like. A small amount of ozone can also be generated by the electrostatic atomization phenomenon described above. Ozone has a high sterilization and deodorization ability and functions suitably as a sterilization and deodorization component.

  The charged fine particle water containing active species may be irradiated with visible light (400 nm to 500 nm) in the blue region. In such a configuration, the lifetime of the active species can be extended.

  Active species such as OH radicals may be generated by irradiating the photocatalyst with visible light or ultraviolet light having a relatively short wavelength. Specifically, for example, when using silver oxide containing silver zirconium phosphate as a photocatalyst, it is possible to irradiate light having a wavelength region of about 400 nm to 580 nm, and when using titanium oxide, about The active species may be generated by using each light source of a light emitting diode capable of irradiating light having a wavelength of 380 nm.

  In the generator using the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, the amount of the functional component generated can be adjusted by adjusting the ON time of the high voltage power supply. That is, when the on-time of the high voltage power source is lengthened, the amount of functional components generated increases. The server 50 may generate the functional component by turning on the high voltage power supply of the generator at a predetermined timing of the generated operation schedule information. In addition, the server 50 may increase the rotational speed of the fan in the refrigerator 20 to spray the generated functional components over a wide area in the cabinet, thereby enhancing the sterilization and deodorizing effect.

  Subsequently, the control of the operation of the generator by the server 50 will be described. For example, the server 50 operates the generator so that the generator operates in the time zone in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the power saving mode in S30 (that is, the time zone in which all users have the attribute of “absent”). May be controlled. With such a configuration, it is possible to ensure the sanitary aspect of the food stored in the refrigerator 20 even during the driving operation in the power saving mode that operates with lower power consumption than usual.

  Further, for example, the server 50 controls the operation of the generator so that the generator operates after the time zone in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the strong cooling mode in S50 (that is, the time zone in which shopping information exists). May be. The user who procured food stores the food procured after returning home in the refrigerator 20. Thereby, the open / close sensor 28 detects that the door has been opened / closed. Therefore, specifically, the server 50 is configured so that the generation device is activated at the timing when the opening / closing sensor 28 detects that the user has touched the door of the refrigerator 20 after the end of the time period in which the shopping information exists. The driving operation may be controlled. In such a configuration, food stored in the store from the outside (that is, the procured food) can be sterilized, and hygiene can be ensured.

  Further, for example, the server 50 controls the operation of the generator so that the generator operates in the time zone in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the strong cooling mode in S70 (that is, the time zone in which cooking information exists). May be. The user may store the food taken out of the refrigerator 20 for cooking in the refrigerator 20 again. Therefore, in such a structure, even if the food once taken out of the warehouse is stored again in the warehouse, the food can be sterilized, and hygiene can be ensured.

  Further, for example, the server 50 controls the operation of the generator so that the generator operates when it is determined to be YES in S600 (that is, when it is determined that there is a food whose expiration date or expiry date is approaching). May be. With such a configuration, it is possible to sterilize a food that has reached its expiration date or expiry date, and improve the hygiene of the food.

  Thus, the server 50 may control the refrigerator 20 so as to appropriately execute the operation of the generator in accordance with the operation of the refrigerator 20. In addition, when it is desired to enhance the sterilization and deodorizing effect of a specific part (for example, a vegetable room) in the refrigerator 20, while operating the generator of the specific part, the other part (for example, a refrigerator room) The provided generator may be operated to rotate the fan so that a functional component spreads from the other part to the specific part via a duct connecting the specific part and the other part. Moreover, you may increase the functional component sprayed on the said specific part by enlarging the opening degree of the damper arrange | positioned in a duct.

  The display mode of the drawings is an example, and other display modes may be used. The terminal devices 100 to 400 may not be portable portable terminals but may be stationary PCs or the like.

  These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

10: refrigerator control system, 20: refrigerator, 22: operation unit, 24: display unit, 26: control unit, 28: open / close sensor, 30: information reading device, 32: temperature sensor, 50: cloud server, 52: CPU, 54: Memory, 60: Scheduler, 62: External service information acquisition unit, 100: Terminal device, 110: Communication network, 112: Operation unit, 114: Display unit, 116: Control unit, 120: OS program, 122: Refrigerator application

Claims (19)

A refrigerator control system,
A refrigerator,
A server capable of communicating with the refrigerator and controlling the operation of the refrigerator;
A scheduler that is stored in the server and stores schedule information indicating the content of user actions;
A terminal device accessible to the scheduler;
With
The terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler;
The server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user stored in the scheduler.
Refrigerator control system. The scheduler stores schedule information of a plurality of users,
The refrigerator control system according to claim 1, wherein the server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the plurality of users. The refrigerator is
A first acquisition unit for acquiring food information about the food stored in the refrigerator;
A first transmitter for transmitting the acquired food information to the server;
With
The refrigerator control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server transmits operation schedule information indicating the content of the operation operation of the refrigerator and / or the food information received from the refrigerator to the terminal device. The refrigerator includes an operation unit that receives a first user operation for inputting the schedule information,
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the refrigerator transmits the schedule information input by the first user operation to the server. The operation unit can accept an input of a second user operation to change the schedule information transmitted to the scheduler,
When the refrigerator receives an input of the second user operation, the refrigerator transmits the changed schedule information to the scheduler,
The refrigerator control system according to claim 4, wherein the server updates the schedule information. The terminal device
An input of a third user operation to change the schedule information transmitted to the scheduler can be accepted,
When the input of the third user operation is accepted, the changed schedule information is transmitted to the scheduler,
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the server updates the schedule information. The refrigerator includes a display unit,
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the refrigerator displays the schedule information received from the server and / or operation schedule information indicating the content of the operation of the refrigerator on the display unit. . The schedule information includes at-home information indicating whether or not the user is at home,
The server controls the operation of the refrigerator to a power-saving mode with low power consumption during a time period when it is determined that a predetermined number or more are absent based on the at-home information. The refrigerator control system in any one of. The refrigerator has a main body and a door that closes an opening that opens to the front surface of the main body.
When the opening / closing of the door is detected while the driving operation is controlled to the power saving mode, the refrigerator changes the driving operation from the power saving mode to a normal mode that consumes more power than the power saving mode. The refrigerator control system according to claim 8 to be changed.   The refrigerator according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the server controls the operation of the refrigerator to a defrosting mode during a time period when it is determined that a predetermined number or more are absent based on the home information. Control system.   The server includes start information indicating that the defrost mode has started, end information indicating that the defrost mode has ended, and the temperature in the refrigerator after the defrost mode is ended. The refrigerator control system according to claim 10, wherein return information indicating that the operation has been returned to is transmitted to the terminal device. The schedule information includes at-home information indicating whether or not the user is at home,
Based on the at-home information, the server performs the operation of the refrigerator in the refrigerator in response to the arrival of a predetermined time from the time when the user changes from being absent to being at home. The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control is performed in a strong cooling mode in which the temperature is maintained at a low temperature. The schedule information includes shopping information indicating that the user plans to procure food,
When the shopping information is included in the schedule information, the server lowers the temperature of the refrigerator in response to a predetermined time before the scheduled end time of the shopping information. The refrigerator control system in any one of Claims 1-12 controlled to the strong cooling mode maintained at temperature. The schedule information includes cooking information indicating that the user is planning to prepare a meal,
When the cooking information is included in the schedule information, the server lowers the temperature of the refrigerator in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the scheduled start time of the cooking information. The refrigerator control system in any one of Claims 1-13 controlled to the strong cooling mode maintained at temperature.   The refrigerator control system according to claim 1, wherein the server is capable of acquiring external service information and controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information and the external service information. The external service information includes weather information,
When the server determines that the specific weather condition is based on the weather information during the time period during which the operation operation of the refrigerator is controlled to the defrost mode, the server removes the removal caused by the operation in the defrost mode. The refrigerator control system according to claim 15, wherein the operation of the refrigerator is controlled to increase the efficiency of frost water evaporation. The external service information includes power outage information indicating a power outage plan,
The server controls the operation of the refrigerator to a strong cooling mode that maintains the temperature in the refrigerator at a low temperature in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the power failure based on the power failure information. Item 16. The refrigerator control system according to Item 15. The refrigerator is
A second acquisition unit for acquiring identification information for identifying the food stored in the refrigerator and time limit information indicating a time limit for consumption of the food;
A second transmitter that transmits the acquired identification information and time limit information to the server;
With
The server transmits, to the terminal device, consumption promotion information that prompts the user to consume the food identified by the identification information when a predetermined period has arrived from the deadline based on the deadline information. The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 17. The server further includes a third acquisition unit that acquires recipe information regarding cooking of a plurality of dishes,
The server
Based on the recipe information, the cooking promotion information for prompting the user to cook the cooking menu corresponding to the identification information is transmitted to the terminal device,
19. The refrigerator control system according to claim 18, wherein when there is a food that is insufficient for cooking the cooking menu, the shortage information indicating that the food is insufficient is transmitted to the terminal device.

Images