JP2020020569A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator which can capture images of an interior of the refrigerator and enables a user to check the interior easily.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a refrigerator body; a storage room provided at an interior of the refrigerator body; a door which opens or closes the storage room; and a camera device 300 which is attached to the door and captures images of the interior of the storage room. The camera device 300 has: a housing; and a control board 304 which is provided within the housing along an inner plate of the door and controls the camera device 300.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a system for managing foodstuffs by recognizing foodstuffs by imaging the inside of a refrigerator (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-226748 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can easily check the inside of a refrigerator by imaging the inside of the refrigerator.

  The refrigerator according to the embodiment, the refrigerator is a refrigerator body, a storage room provided in the refrigerator body, a door that opens and closes the storage room, a camera device attached to the door to image the storage room, Is provided. The camera device has a housing, and a control board provided in the housing along the inner plate of the door to control the camera device.

The figure which shows the outline of a structure of the household appliance network system which employs the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment typically. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a mounting mode of the imaging camera according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the state in the refrigerator of the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the flow of the imaging process by the refrigerator of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image captured by the imaging camera according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a change in the dew condensation state of the imaging camera according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an imaging sequence by the imaging camera according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows the flow of the terminal side processing by the communication terminal of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an image display mode in a communication terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an image display mode in the communication terminal according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows typically the aspect which attached the camera apparatus to the door pocket for refrigerators of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the aspect which attached the refrigerator door pocket of 2nd Embodiment to the refrigerator. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an appearance of a camera device according to a second embodiment. The figure which shows typically the external appearance and internal component arrangement | positioning of the camera apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the aspect which attached the camera device of 2nd Embodiment to the door pocket for refrigerators. The figure which shows typically the position which attaches the holder for refrigerators of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the holder for refrigerators of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the aspect which attached the holder for refrigerators of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a camera device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a detection mode of a detection unit of the camera device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imaging timing of the camera device according to the second embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the image in the warehouse imaged by the camera device of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the outline of a structure of the household appliance network system of 2nd Embodiment. Side view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 1) Front view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 1) Plan view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 1) Longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration example in a concave portion according to the third embodiment. Cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration inside a concave portion according to the third embodiment (part 1) Plan view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 2) Plan view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 3) Cross-sectional view showing a configuration example in a concave portion according to the third embodiment (part 2) Cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration inside a concave portion according to the third embodiment (part 3) Cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration inside a concave portion according to the third embodiment (part 4) Plan view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 4) Front view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 2) The figure which shows the example of a structure of the door of the refrigerator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. Plan view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 5) FIG. 1 shows an example of arrangement of an imaging camera and an illumination LED according to a third embodiment (part 1). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of an imaging camera and illumination LEDs according to a third embodiment (part 2). Side view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 2) Side view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 3) Side view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 4) Transverse sectional view showing an example of a configuration inside a concave portion according to the third embodiment (part 5) Front view showing an example of a configuration inside a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 3) Front view showing a configuration example of a storage room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment (part 4) Front view (part 5) which shows the structural example in the storage room of the refrigerator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the mounting aspect of the imaging camera of other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the refrigerator of other embodiments. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image display mode in a communication terminal according to another embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the attachment part of other embodiment. The figure which shows the refrigerator of 4th Embodiment typically. The figure which shows typically the structure of the camera unit of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a lens unit according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an attachment mode of a specific example 1 of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an attachment mode of a specific example 2 of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an attachment state of a specific example 3 of the fourth embodiment. The figure which shows typically the imaging result and display mode of 4th Embodiment The figure which shows typically the rotation aspect of the vertical partition of the example 4 of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an attachment mode of a specific example 4 of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an attachment mode of a specific example 4 of the fourth embodiment. The figure which shows typically the attachment aspect of the specific example 5 of 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the camera unit of the example 6 of 4th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a refrigerator, a camera device, a door pocket for a refrigerator, a communication terminal, a home appliance network system, and an image display program in a refrigerator will be described according to a plurality of embodiments. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to substantially common parts in each embodiment, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(1st Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a home appliance network system 100 employing the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 is communicably connected to an external communication line 102 via a router 101. The router 101 is a so-called wireless access point, and is communicably connected to the refrigerator 1 by a wireless communication method. The refrigerator 1 exchanges various information with a communication terminal 103 and a server 104 (both corresponding to external devices) connected to a communication line 102. In the home appliance network system 100 according to the present embodiment, as will be described later, image information of the inside of the refrigerator 1 is stored in the server 104, and the communication terminal 103 acquires an image of the refrigerator from the server 104. It has a configuration. Here, the image information is information (data) indicating an image in the refrigerator, and compresses image data (still image, moving image) and image data in a well-known format such as a bitmap format, a JPEG format, or an MPEG format. And any data that can be transmitted via communication means and can finally confirm the state of the interior of the warehouse, such as data converted by image processing such as encryption or image processing as in the second embodiment. The data may be in a format. In the present embodiment, the communication terminal 103 is assumed to be a so-called smart phone (high-performance mobile phone), a tablet personal computer, a television connected to the home appliance network system 100, or the like, which can be carried outside the house 105.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment 3, a vegetable compartment 4, an ice making compartment 5, an upper freezing compartment 6, and a lower freezing compartment 7, which are storages for storing ingredients in order from the top of the main body 2. Is provided. The refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 and the ice making compartment 5 and the upper freezing compartment 6 are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall (not shown). The refrigerating compartment 3 is opened and closed by a so-called double-opening left door 3a and a right door 3b. The vegetable compartment 4, the ice making compartment 5, the upper freezing compartment 6 and the lower freezing compartment 7 have drawer-type doors 4a, 5a and 6a. And the door 7a.
Each door is provided with a sensor for detecting its open / closed state (see FIG. 4. However, in FIG. 4, only the left door sensor 34 for the left door 3 a and the right door sensor 35 for the right door 3 b are shown. Shown). The configuration of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the arrangement order of the storages may be different or, for example, the upper freezing compartment 6 may be a switching compartment capable of switching between refrigeration and freezing.

  The left door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided with a door pocket 8a, a door pocket 9a and a door pocket 10a in order from the top, and the right door 3b is provided with a door pocket 8b, door pocket 9b and door pocket 10b in order from the top. Is provided. In the refrigerating compartment 3, a plurality of shelves 11 made of a transparent material such as glass are provided, and at the bottom, a specific purpose compartment such as an egg compartment or a chilled compartment is provided. 12 are arranged. A ceiling light 13 is provided above the refrigerator compartment 3 as lighting means. Note that a side light 36 (see FIG. 4) provided on the side surface is also provided in the refrigerator compartment 3. Among them, the ceiling light 13 is provided to illuminate a specific position in the refrigerator, such as an upper portion in the refrigerator, and the side light 36 is provided at a central portion or a lower portion in the refrigerator.

  The left door 3a and the right door 3b of the refrigerating compartment 3 have a front surface covered with a glass plate 3b1 formed of an insulating glass material, and the inside thereof is filled with urethane as a heat insulating material as a filler. As is well known, an inner plate 14 and a vertical plate 15 made of non-metallic resin are provided on the inner side. That is, the front sides of the left door 3a and the right door 3b are formed of the glass plate 3b1, which is a nonmetallic material that transmits radio waves. The above-mentioned door pockets 8 to 10 are provided on the inner plate 14. A recess 16 is formed in the vertical plate 15 in the vicinity of the center in the up-down direction and the open end side of the right door 3b in the left-right direction (specifically, in the vicinity of the position where an imaging camera 18 described later is provided). ing. The recess 16 is provided so as not to block the visual field of the imaging camera 18 as described later. The left door 3a is provided with a pivotable vertical partition 17 for filling a gap with the right door 3b. The front door of the vegetable compartment 4 and the like are also covered with a glass plate, like the right door 3b, and the inside is filled with urethane as a heat insulating material.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an imaging camera 18 and an imaging light 19 are provided on the inner plate 14 (door having no vertical partition) of the right door 3b. That is, in the present embodiment, the inner plate 14 corresponds to the attached portion. The imaging camera 18 has an imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS, and captures an image of the interior from the door side. The imaging camera 18 includes a wide-angle lens having a viewing angle of about 120 degrees. The imaging camera 18 is provided at a position adjacent to the middle door pocket 9b and closer to the left door 3a than the door pocket 9b. That is, the imaging camera 18 is provided near the vertical center of the refrigerator compartment 3 and near the horizontal center of the refrigerator compartment 3. For this reason, in a state where the right door 3b is closed, the imaging camera 18 has a field of view of almost the entire area of the refrigerator compartment 3 and at least one of the door pockets 8 to 10 as shown in FIG. The section can be imaged. In the case of a general Web camera as a comparative example, the viewing angle is approximately 55 degrees.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the door pocket 9b adjacent to the imaging camera 18 is formed obliquely on the imaging camera 18 side. That is, a cutout portion 9b1 is formed in the door pocket 9b whose storage portion is generally formed in a square (rectangular) shape in order to secure a field of view of the imaging camera 18 employing a wide-angle lens. . Note that FIG. 3 and the like schematically show the imaging camera 18, which differs from the actual size and shape of the imaging camera 18. Note that the imaging camera 18 has a structure attached to the refrigerator 1 in the present embodiment, but is detachable from the refrigerator 1 as in a second embodiment described later (for example, as an optional device after purchasing the refrigerator 1). Mounting).

The imaging light 19 is provided, for example, on the upper side of the imaging camera 18. In other words, the imaging light 19 is arranged so that its irradiation direction is the same as the field of view of the imaging camera 18, and a position where irradiated light does not directly enter the imaging camera 18 (a position outside the facing position). In other words, it is arranged at a position where backlight is unlikely to occur for the imaging camera 18 or at a position where backlight does not occur. The imaging camera 18 forms an imaging unit described in the claims, and the imaging light 19 forms an illumination unit described in the claims.
The refrigerator 1 is controlled by the main control unit 30 as shown in FIG. The main control unit 30 is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 30a, a ROM 30b, a RAM 30c, and the like, and controls the entire refrigerator 1 by executing a computer program stored in, for example, the ROM 30b.

  The main control unit 30 includes a refrigeration cooling mechanism 31 and a refrigeration cooling mechanism 32 which are configured by a well-known refrigeration cycle and the like, an operation panel 33 for inputting a setting operation and the like for the refrigerator 1, a left door sensor 34, a right door sensor 35. , Ceiling lights 13 and side lights. The refrigerator 1 is also provided with a not-shown internal sensor and the like for detecting the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the lower freezer compartment 7 and the like.

  The operation panel 33 has a display 33a, switches 33b, and an outside sensor 33c. The display 33a displays various information such as the operation state of the refrigerator 1 and the like. The switches 33b are used to input a user's setting operation for the refrigerator 1 or the like. The switches 33b also include an outside switch for switching the operation state of the refrigerator 1 when the user goes out. For example, “power saving”, “outing”, and the like are set in the outside switch, and when any one of the switches is selected, the mode is shifted to the corresponding power saving mode. That is, since the refrigerator 1 is not used when the user goes out, the refrigerator 1 shifts to the power saving mode to reduce power consumption.

For example, when “power saving” is selected, the refrigerator 1 controls the inside temperature of the refrigerator within a range that does not affect the food storage environment and controls the operating state of the dew condensation prevention heater, so that the refrigerator 1 operates normally. The mode shifts to a mode in which power consumption is reduced by about 10%. Alternatively, when “outing” is selected, the refrigerator 1 shifts to a power saving mode in which the number of times of automatic ice making is reduced and power consumption is reduced as compared with a normal time. More specifically, the refrigerator 1 reduces the power consumption by about 20% compared to the normal operation by setting the number of times of automatic ice making to, for example, once every eight hours.
In the present embodiment, the switches for “power saving” and “outing” provided in the refrigerator 1 are also used as the outing switch, but a dedicated switch for setting to go out may be provided. .

The outside-of-compartment sensor 33c is formed by a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, and acquires an environment outside the outside of the warehouse. The outside-of-compartment sensor 33c constitutes an outside-of-compartment environment acquisition unit described in the claims.
The main control unit 30 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the environment inside the refrigerator acquired by the sensor inside the refrigerator and the environment outside the refrigerator acquired by the sensor 33c outside the refrigerator, and based on the setting from the operation panel 33. Control the operating state. Further, the main control unit 30 acquires the open / closed state of the door from the left door sensor 34 and the right door sensor 35. The main control unit 30 is communicably connected to the control unit 50, and transmits the open / closed state of the door to the control unit 50, and receives a lighting instruction of the ceiling light 13 and the side light 36 from the control unit 50. can do.
The control unit 50 is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 50a, a ROM 50b, a RAM 50c, and a real-time clock (hereinafter, referred to as an RTC 50d) for acquiring time. The control unit 50 is connected to the imaging camera 18, the imaging light 19, the lens heater 51, and the communication unit 52.

  By executing a computer program stored in, for example, the ROM 50b, the control unit 50 controls the timing at which the imaging camera 18 takes an image of the inside of the warehouse and the imaging environment for imaging the inside of the warehouse with the imaging camera 18. . Specifically, while controlling the timing of imaging based on the opening / closing state of the door received from the main control unit 30, the lighting environment of the ceiling light 13 and the imaging light 19, etc., which are light sources necessary for imaging, Control the state. The control unit 50 constitutes the control means described in the claims.

Here, the imaging timing will be described.
When taking an image of the inside of the refrigerator, it is necessary to drive the imaging camera 18 and turn on the imaging light 19 and the like. That is, in order to image the inside of the refrigerator, it is necessary to consume power. Therefore, unnecessary power is consumed if the camera is always in a state where the image can be captured. Therefore, in the refrigerator 1, the timing of imaging the inside of the refrigerator is controlled, and the imaging environment (that is, the lighting of the imaging light 19 and the like) is controlled only when necessary in accordance with the timing, thereby reducing power consumption. We are trying to reduce it.

For example, conditions such as the following imaging conditions 1 to 5 are set in advance as the timing for imaging the inside of the refrigerator, and the control unit 50 determines that when any of the imaging conditions is satisfied, the timing for imaging the inside of the refrigerator is reached. judge.
Imaging condition 1: timing when any door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is once opened and then closed. In other words, the timing at which the storage condition of the ingredients in the refrigerator may have changed.
Imaging condition 2: Timing at which any door of refrigerator compartment 3 is opened. That is, the timing at which the storage condition of the food in the refrigerator may change.
Imaging condition 3: Timing at which a command is received from an external device such as a communication terminal.
Imaging condition 4: When the outing switch is operated. The image may be taken at the timing when the outside switch is operated, or may be taken at the timing when a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the outside switch was operated. Further, which timing should be adopted may be set in advance.

Imaging condition 5: timing after a once-opened door is closed and a predetermined period has elapsed (in the present embodiment, it is assumed that it is required until dew condensation on the wide-angle lens of the imaging camera 18 is removed) The timing at which the delayed imaging time has elapsed is adopted). That is, the timing at which dew condensation on the wide-angle lens is removed. The delay imaging time may be set in advance to a fixed value, or may be set each time based on the humidity and temperature outside the warehouse acquired by the outside sensor 33c.
Imaging condition 6: timing after the door that has been once opened is closed and condensation of the wide-angle lens of the imaging camera 18 is removed by the lens heater 51. That is, the timing at which dew condensation on the wide-angle lens is removed.

As the imaging condition, any one of the above-described conditions may be employed, or a plurality of conditions may be employed in combination as long as the conditions do not conflict with each other. In the present embodiment, judgment condition 1, judgment condition 3, judgment condition 4, and judgment condition 5 are adopted.
The communication unit 52 communicates with the router 101 by a wireless communication method such as a so-called wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Specifically, the communication unit 52 uploads the captured image of the inside of the refrigerator to the server 104 via the router 101 and the communication line 102. Note that the communication unit 52 may be a wired communication system.

  The lens heater 51 removes dew condensation on the lens surface as shown in FIG. 8 described later by heating the wide-angle lens of the imaging camera 18 (corresponding to a removing unit). The lens heater 51 may be constituted by a heat-generating member which generates heat by energization of a heating wire or the like, or may be constituted by heat generated by a microcomputer constituting the control unit 50 or a heat transfer member transmitting the heat. In this case, the microcomputer may be returned from the power saving mode in order to utilize the heat generated by the microcomputer. Further, a fan or the like may be employed as the removing means. Specifically, it is sufficient to drive the fan to blow cool air to the lens surface, and to take an image after a lapse of a predetermined time in which condensation is expected to be removed. In any case, any configuration may be used as long as condensation on the lens surface can be removed.

By accessing the server 104, the communication terminal 103 acquires and displays an image in the warehouse stored in the server 104. That is, in the present embodiment, the communication terminal 103 does not directly obtain an image from the refrigerator 1 but obtains an image temporarily stored in the server 104.
The server 104 is configured by a so-called computer system, and stores a plurality of uploaded images in chronological order. In addition, the server 104 associates the communication terminal with the refrigerator 1 and provides the image of the refrigerator 1 to the communication terminal that acquires the image.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. The process described below is a process performed by the main control unit 30 and the control unit 50 in cooperation with each other. However, for simplification of the description, the description will be made mainly on the refrigerator 1.
In the refrigerator compartment 3 of the refrigerator 1, various foods are stored as shown in FIG. The refrigerator 1 is executing the imaging process shown in FIG. 6 and determines whether or not the imaging conditions for imaging the inside of the refrigerator with the imaging camera 18 are satisfied (A1). If it is determined that either of the conditions is satisfied (A1: YES), that is, if it is determined that the image capturing timing has come, the light (image capturing light 19) is turned on (A2), and the inside of the refrigerator is imaged (A3). Thus, an image of the inside of the refrigerator as shown in FIG. 7 is captured.

  In FIG. 7, since the inside of the refrigerator is imaged by the wide-angle lens as described above, almost the entire inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is imaged. That is, various foods placed on the respective shelf boards 11 and various foods stored in the door pockets are imaged so as to be visible. Further, since the shelf 11 is formed of a transparent material, for example, the food S1 placed on the uppermost shelf 11 is also imaged so as to be visible through the shelf 11.

In addition, since the image is captured by turning on the image capturing light 19, the food is not captured by the backlight, and the food material is captured so as to be visible. Although not shown, when the interior of the refrigerator is imaged with the ceiling light 13 turned on as a comparative example, the light from the ceiling light 13 is backlit and is placed on the foodstuff S1 or the second-stage shelf board 11. The foodstuff being picked up is imaged in a state where it is difficult to visually recognize it. That is, the refrigerator 1 is provided with an imaging environment for imaging the inside of the refrigerator so that the interior of the refrigerator can be visually recognized by turning on the imaging light 19 which is not backlighted with respect to the imaging camera 18.
Then, the refrigerator 1 transmits the captured image information to the server 104 (A4). At this time, the imaging time is also transmitted to the server 104 at the same time. As a result, the server 104 stores (accumulates) a plurality of images in the refrigerator in chronological order.

  By the way, when the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened, the imaging camera 18 provided on the inner plate 14 of the right door 3b is exposed to the environment outside the warehouse together with the wide-angle lens. This is the same not only when the right door 3b is opened but also when the left door 3a is opened. For this reason, immediately after the door is closed, depending on the environment outside the refrigerator, there is a possibility that the lens surface condenses and fogs as shown in FIG. 8A. 8 schematically shows the dew condensation on the lens surface by hatching, FIG. 8 (a) shows a dew condensation state (immediately after the door is closed), and FIG. 8 (b) shows the dew condensation gradually. 8C has been removed (a state where a certain time has elapsed after closing the door), and FIG. 8C shows a state where the condensation has been removed (a state where the delayed imaging time has elapsed).

  As described above, if the inside of the refrigerator is imaged immediately after the door is closed, there is a possibility that the visibility may be difficult due to dew condensation. Therefore, the refrigerator 1 adopts the above-described determination condition 5, and further takes an image of the inside of the refrigerator at the timing when the delay imaging time has elapsed after the door that has been opened is closed. That is, when the determination condition 5 is satisfied (A1: YES), the light is turned on (A2), an image of the inside of the refrigerator is taken (A3), and information of the taken image is transmitted to the server 104 (A4).

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, if the door is closed, opened at time t1, and closed at time t2, an image is first captured at time t2, and the delayed imaging time elapses thereafter. At time t3, an image is captured again. In this case, after the door is closed and imaged at time t4, if the door is opened again at time t5 before the elapse of the delayed imaging time, the image is captured once at time t6 when the door is closed and the delayed imaging time elapses The image is taken again at the time t7. This makes it possible to capture an image in which the dew condensation of the wide-angle lens has been removed, that is, an image in which the inside of the refrigerator can be viewed.

  When the image information is transmitted to the server 104, the control unit 50 enters a standby state. In this standby state, the control unit 50 may be shifted to a power saving mode such as a so-called sleep mode (for example, stopping the ice making operation), or the power supply to the control unit 50 including the imaging camera 18 and the like is cut off. The power consumption may be reduced to zero. Then, for example, when the door sensor detects that the door has been opened, the main control unit 30 may output a command to shift to the normal mode to the control unit 50 or start energization. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the total power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

  The image stored in the server 104 can be displayed on the communication terminal 103. When an application for acquiring an image is activated, the communication terminal 103 executes a terminal-side process (corresponding to an in-compartment image display program) shown in FIG. ) Is obtained (B1). As a result, an image in the refrigerator as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the screen of the communication terminal 103 together with the imaging time. Note that the communication terminal 103 is provided with a touch panel corresponding to a screen.

  On this screen, a button M1 for acquiring the current image, a button M2 for ending the application, a button M3 for displaying an image earlier than the currently displayed image, and an image newer than the currently displayed image are displayed. Is provided. In addition, the communication terminal can also enlarge and display a desired area, and display the area R shown in FIG. 11 as shown in FIG. 12 so that, for example, how many eggs remain. Can be grasped by the user.

Further, when the user performs a touch operation on button M1, that is, when an operation for acquiring the latest image is input (B2: YES), communication terminal 103 uses refrigerator 1 to image refrigerator interior. A command is transmitted (B3), an image is acquired from the server 104 (B4), and the acquired image is displayed (B5). After step B3, on the refrigerator 1 side, since the imaging condition 3 is satisfied in FIG. 6, the inside of the refrigerator is imaged, and image information of the imaged is transmitted to the server 104.
As described above, in the home appliance network system 100, the refrigerator 1 transmits image information obtained by imaging the inside of the refrigerator to the server 104, the server 104 stores the image, and the communication terminal 103 acquires and displays the image from the server 104. This makes it possible to check the inside of the storage at a remote place such as when going out.

According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
The refrigerator 1 includes an imaging camera 18 for imaging the inside of a storage such as the refrigerator compartment 3 for storing food, and a communication unit 52 for transmitting image information of the inside of the storage taken by the imaging camera 18 to an external device. Since it is provided, an image in the warehouse can be acquired by an external device such as the communication terminal 103, for example. This makes it possible to easily check the inside of the refrigerator at a remote place such as when going out.

In this case, in the present embodiment, since the image in the refrigerator is temporarily stored in the server 104, there is no need to provide a storage unit for storing the image on the refrigerator 1 side, and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed. . Note that the refrigerator 1 may be provided with a storage unit, and the refrigerator 1 may store images.
After transmitting the image information to the server 104, the control unit 50 enters a standby state. In other words, the power consumption of the control unit 50 (including the imaging camera 18 and the like) is reduced or zero, except during imaging. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the total power consumption of the refrigerator 1.

  The control unit 50 controls the timing at which the imaging camera 18 takes an image of the interior of the refrigerator, and controls an imaging environment such as lighting of a light for imaging the interior of the refrigerator in accordance with the timing. A light source is required to image the inside of the refrigerator, and unnecessary power is consumed if the image can always be captured, but only when imaging is performed in time with the image of the refrigerator. By controlling the imaging environment so that the imaging light 19 and the like are turned on, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced. It should be noted that a night vision camera (for example, an infrared camera) or the like capable of capturing an image even when there is no light source may be employed to capture an image without turning on the light. Further, the light may be constantly turned on.

  The refrigerator 1 captures an image of the inside of the refrigerator by the imaging camera 18 at a timing after the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is closed. If an image is taken even when the storage state of the refrigerator has not changed, not only an unnecessary image is accumulated, but also an increase in power consumption is caused. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator images the inside of the refrigerator at a timing after the door is once opened and the door is closed. Thus, in a state where the storage state of the food in the refrigerator may change (the door is once opened), the inside of the refrigerator is imaged in a state where the storage state is determined (a state after the door is closed). Accordingly, it is possible to suppress unnecessary imaging and suppress an increase in power consumption.

  Further, the refrigerator 1 takes an image of the inside of the refrigerator after the door is closed and at the timing when the delay imaging time required until the dew condensation on the wide-angle lens of the imaging camera 18 is removed. For example, when the temperature is high or the humidity is high as in summer, the imaging camera whose door is opened and exposed to the environment outside the refrigerator is closed when the door is closed because the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 is low. Condensation may form on the surface. Therefore, by taking an image of the inside of the refrigerator again at the timing when the delayed imaging time, which is assumed to remove the condensation, has passed, a clear image without fogging on the lens surface can be taken. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably grasp the state inside the refrigerator.

  In this case, the delayed imaging time may be set based on the environment outside the warehouse such as the temperature and the humidity acquired by the exterior sensor 33c. As a result, it is assumed that dew condensation does not occur (or is small) when the temperature or humidity is low, so that the delay imaging time can be shortened and power consumption can be reduced. Specifically, for example, in a configuration in which the control unit 50 waits until the delay imaging time elapses, the power consumption can be reduced by shortening the standby time.

  When removing dew condensation on the wide-angle lens of the imaging camera 18, a removing unit such as the lens heater 51 may be used. In this case, the refrigerator 1 takes an image of the inside of the refrigerator at a timing after the dew condensation on the lens surface is removed by the lens heater 51. By using this lens heater 51, the delay imaging time can be further shortened, so that power consumption can be reduced. In this case, if the lens heater 51 is formed of a heat transfer member that transmits the self-heating of the control unit 50, dew condensation on the lens surface can be removed without consuming extra power. Also, when a fan is used as the removing unit, the power consumption can be reduced by shortening the delay imaging time.

  The refrigerator 1 takes an image of the inside of the refrigerator at a timing when, for example, a command for imaging the inside of the refrigerator is received from the communication terminal 103. For example, while the user is out, the storage situation may change due to, for example, the family taking out food from the refrigerator 1 while the user is away, but by capturing an image at that time according to a user's instruction, The state of the refrigerator 1 at the latest, that is, at the present time, can be grasped.

  Since the refrigerator 1 captures an image of the inside of the refrigerator when the outside switch is operated, it is possible to cope with a situation where the user wants to check the inside of the refrigerator 1 after going out. In this case, for example, when the user who lives alone goes out, the storage state of the refrigerator 1 is considered not to change from the time when the user goes out, so the image taken when the outside switch is operated is updated to the latest image in the refrigerator. Can be treated as

Although not adopted in the embodiment, it is possible to acquire an image of the latest in-compartment by taking an image at a timing when there is a possibility that the storage state of the ingredients in the compartment may change by adopting the imaging condition 2. Can be. In this case, while the field of view of the imaging camera 18 may be blurred while the right door 3b is open, for example, by capturing an image at the moment when the right door 3b is opened, the blur can be reduced, and the door can be reduced. When is opened, the interior lighting is turned on, so that the illuminance can be secured.
When imaging the inside of the refrigerator with the imaging camera 18, the refrigerator 1 turns on an imaging light 19 for illuminating the refrigerator to control (maintain) the imaging environment. Thus, the light source can be secured even when the door is closed, and the inside of the refrigerator can be imaged so as to be visible.

  The refrigerator 1 is provided with an imaging light 19 for illuminating a specific position (in this case, particularly, an imaging position) among a plurality of illumination means provided in the refrigerator such as the ceiling light 13, the imaging light 19, and the side light 36. Lights up. When taking an image with the imaging camera 18, depending on the positional relationship with the illuminating means provided in the refrigerator, there is a possibility that the illumination directly enters the field of view and becomes backlight, but instead of turning on all of the illuminating means, for example, By turning on the illumination means for illuminating a specific position such as a position where the image is not backlit at the time of imaging as with the imaging light 19, it is possible to capture an image more clearly. Specifically, for example, when an illumination unit is provided on the back side facing the imaging camera 18, at least the illumination unit that becomes the most backlight is turned off, and another illumination unit (such as the ceiling light 13) is used. And so on.

Since the imaging light 19 is provided outside the position facing the imaging camera 18 and in the same direction as the field of view of the imaging camera 18, the light from the imaging light 19 does not become backlight, and The situation can be grasped in detail.
When imaging the interior of the refrigerator, a certain distance is required to secure the field of view of the imaging camera 18, but since the imaging camera 18 is provided on the door of the refrigerator compartment 3, the imaging camera 18 and the shelf board 11 Thus, the distance from the foodstuffs stored in the container can be ensured, and the field of view can be enlarged.

Since the imaging camera 18 is provided on the inner plate 14 of the right door 3b, it is possible to image the inside of the refrigerator even when the door is closed.
In this case, the imaging camera 18 is provided near the vertical center of the refrigerator compartment 3 and near the horizontal center of the refrigerator compartment 3 and employs a wide-angle lens. Almost the entire area of the refrigerator can be captured as an image from the vicinity of the central portion of the refrigerator (that is, an image in a state similar to a state where the user is usually looking inside the refrigerator 1). At this time, since the shelf 11 is formed of a transparent material, for example, foods placed on the uppermost shelf 11 can be imaged so as to be visible through the shelf 11.

  Since the door pocket 9b adjacent to the imaging camera 18 is formed such that a portion on the imaging camera 18 side is formed in a direction avoiding the imaging camera 18, it is necessary to secure a lateral view of the imaging camera 18 employing a wide-angle lens. Can be. Further, since the imaging camera 18 is provided at a position adjacent to the door pocket 9b, the vertical view is not obstructed by the door pocket 9b.

Since the imaging camera 18 is arranged at a position where at least a part of the door pockets 8 to 10 can be imaged, foods stored in the door pockets 8 to 10 can also be imaged and stored in the refrigerator. You can grasp the foodstuffs in more detail. Note that the door pocket 9b of the present embodiment provided adjacent to the imaging camera 18 may be out of the field of view (imaging may not be possible). Further, the imaging camera 18 may be provided between the door pockets. The same effect can be obtained for such an installation position of the imaging camera 18 even when a detachable camera device described in a second embodiment described later is used.
The communication terminal 103 has a display unit for displaying images, and acquires the image of the inside of the refrigerator taken by the refrigerator 1 from the server 104 and displays the image on the display unit. Can be grasped.

  According to the home appliance network system 100, the communication terminal 103 includes the communication line 102 by the refrigerator 1 described above, the communication terminal 103 described above, and the server 104 having a storage unit that stores an image of the inside of the refrigerator taken by the refrigerator 1. Is connected to the server 104 via the server 104, and an image of the inside of the warehouse stored in the server 104 is acquired and displayed, so that the state of the inside of the warehouse can be grasped from a remote place such as a place to go. In this case, since the image is stored in the server 104, there is no need to provide a large-capacity storage unit on the refrigerator 1 side, so that an increase in the cost of the refrigerator 1 can be prevented. Further, since the communication terminal 103 acquires the image from the server 104, it is not necessary to keep the control unit 50 of the refrigerator 1 on standby so that communication is possible, and it is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption of the refrigerator 1 side.

  Further, an image acquisition process (steps B1 and B4 in FIG. 10) for acquiring image information in the storage room imaged by the imaging camera 18 and a display process (step in FIG. 10) for displaying the image information acquired in the image acquisition process B5) and an image processing program (steps B2 and B3) for outputting an instruction to image the inside of the warehouse and causing the imaging camera imaging means to image the inside of the warehouse (steps B2 and B3). By executing, the inside of a warehouse can be checked from a remote place or the like.

(2nd Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the configuration of the refrigerator is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and the like.
As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, a door pocket 200 (corresponding to a refrigerator door pocket) according to the present embodiment has a storage unit 201 for storing articles and a holding device for holding the camera device 300. And a unit 202. That is, the door pocket 200 has the functions of the refrigerator door pocket and the refrigerator holder described in the claims. In addition, it can be said that the holding unit 202 corresponds to an attached portion for attaching the imaging unit. When attention is paid to the storage unit 201, it can be said that the door pocket 200 is provided adjacent to the camera device 300 (that is, the imaging unit) held by the holding unit 202.

The storage part 201 is formed such that the wall part 203 on the holding part 202 side is inclined in a direction away from the holding part 202. That is, when the camera device 300 is held (attached) by the holding unit 202, the door pocket 200 is formed in a shape along the outer edge of the field of view so as not to obstruct the field of view of the camera device 300.
In the present embodiment, the holding unit 202 is formed in a substantially box shape with an open upper side (the upper side in FIG. 3A), and the camera device 300 is put in and out (attached / detached) from the upper open side. . Further, the wall portion 204 on the front side (that is, the side toward the interior) of the holding portion 202 holds the lens 301 and the imaging lamp 302 while holding the camera device 300 (see FIG. 15 and the like. Camera side lighting means, lighting means) Is formed at a position corresponding to (), which prevents obstruction of the field of view of the camera device 300 and reflection of illumination.

Further, the holding unit 202 is provided with a magnet 206. The magnet 206 is arranged such that the side facing the back side of the camera device 300 is either an N pole or an S pole. The polarity of the magnet 206 will be described in detail in the configuration of the camera device 300 described later.
This door pocket 200 is attached to the inner plate 14 of the right door 3b as shown in FIG. For this reason, in a state where the right door 3b is closed, the camera device 300 is arranged such that the field of view faces the inside of the refrigerator (the refrigerator compartment 3). At this time, in the camera device 300 held by the holding unit 202, the center of the lens 301 is located at a position where the left-right center line CL1 of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vertical center line CL2 of the refrigerator compartment 3 intersect. Correspondingly held. That is, the camera device 300 in this state is arranged so as to have a field of view centered on the central part of the refrigerator compartment 3. Specifically, in the case of the door pocket 200, based on the mounting position of the door pocket 200 and the shape of the camera device 300, the shape is such that the bottom of the holding unit 202 is located slightly lower than the bottom of the storage unit 201. By doing so, the shape is such that the center position is optimal.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the camera device 300 is provided so that the lens 301 and the imaging lamp 302 are exposed on the surface of a housing 303 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The surfaces of the lens 301 and the imaging lamp 302 may be covered with a cover or the like instead of being directly exposed. Also, in the present embodiment, the lens 301 employs a wide-angle lens.
Hereinafter, the side on which the lens 301 and the imaging lamp 302 are provided (the right side in the case of FIG. 16) will be described as the front of the camera device 300, and the opposite side will be described as the back. Also, as shown in FIG. 13, the direction in which the lens 301 and the imaging lamp 302 are arranged in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as a vertical direction, and as shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as a horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in the camera device 300, a control board 304, a battery 305, a communication module 306, and a detection unit 307 are accommodated in a housing 303. The control board 304 includes an image pickup unit 308 (see FIG. 21) having a lens 301 and an image pickup device (not shown), two image pickup lamps 302 in the present embodiment, and a control unit 309 (see FIG. 21) for controlling them. Etc. are provided. The image sensor is a known image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS, and has a rectangular shape. In the case of the present embodiment, the image sensors are arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the image sensors is the vertical direction (that is, the vertical direction of the housing). For this reason, when imaging the refrigerator compartment 3 which is generally formed in a vertically long shape, the image pickup device can be arranged in the vertically long direction by placing the camera device 300 vertically. On the other hand, when capturing an image of the vegetable room 4 formed horizontally as described later, the camera device 300 can be placed horizontally to arrange the image sensor in a horizontally long direction. In this embodiment, an LED is employed as the imaging lamp 302. Although not shown, the camera device 300 is also provided with a power switch.

  The battery 305 is configured by a lithium battery, and supplies power to the control unit 309, the communication module 306, the detection unit 307, and the like. The battery 305 is disposed on the lowermost side of the housing 303 and occupies substantially the entire area in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the drawing) of the housing. By arranging the battery 205 having a relatively large weight among the members housed in the housing 303 in such a manner, the balance when the camera device 300 is installed is secured to some extent. In addition, since the center of gravity is located at the lower part of the camera device 300 (in the case of vertical installation), when the camera device 300 is arranged in the door pocket 200 of the right door 3b, the camera device 300 is subjected to centrifugal force or vibration when opening and closing the door. Is prevented from jumping out of the door pocket 200 and the like. In addition, by using a lithium battery, excellent discharge characteristics are exhibited even in a relatively low temperature place such as in the refrigerator 1.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 25, in the home appliance network system 500 of the present embodiment, another communication device 501 different from the communication module 306 of the camera device 300 is provided on the refrigerator 1 side, and the communication device 501 The refrigerator 1 receives an imaging command from an external device. Note that the communication device 501 is attached to the refrigerator 1, and the camera device 300 is disposed in the refrigerator compartment 3. The communication device 501 constitutes a warehouse communication unit for receiving a command for imaging the inside of the warehouse (hereinafter, also referred to as an imaging command) from an external device. In the present embodiment, the communication device 501 is formed as an adapter for wireless communication, and is detachable from the refrigerator 1. For this reason, the user who purchased the refrigerator 1 can also install the refrigerator 1 as an option after the purchase. As shown in FIG. 21, the communication device 501 can communicate with the main control unit 30 of the refrigerator 1 by a wireless communication method or a wired communication method. Then, when the refrigerator 1 receives an imaging command, the refrigerator 1 notifies the camera device 300 of an imaging instruction (see FIG. 23. In this embodiment, a light blinking signal).

  The communication module 306 of the camera device 300 is configured to be able to communicate with the router 101, and transmits image information to the communication terminal 103 and the server 104. The communication module 306 functions as a camera-side communication unit for transmitting image information in the warehouse captured by the camera device 300 to an external device such as the communication terminal 103 or the server 104 (see FIG. 1). The communication module 306 is provided along the wall on the rear side (outermost edge side) of the housing 303 of the camera device 300. In other words, the communication module 306 has an internal arrangement in which no other component or the like exists between the built-in antenna (not shown) and the housing 303, so that transmission and reception of radio waves by the antenna is obstructed (communication obstruction occurs). Occurrence) is suppressed. Further, the communication module 306 is arranged vertically with respect to the battery 305 so that the antenna and the battery 305 do not face each other.

  Since the front surface of the right door 3b of the refrigerator 1 is formed of a glass material as described above, the radio wave for wireless communication emitted from the camera device 300 disposed in the refrigerator uses a metal plate or the like. It is easier to penetrate the door compared to. Further, since the camera device 300 is disposed on the holding portion 202 of the door pocket 200 (that is, on the open end side of the right door 3b), particularly in the case of the double door opening as in the present embodiment, the gap between each door is provided. Can send radio waves out of the refrigerator. Further, by arranging it on the holding portion 202, even when the front surface of the door is made of a metal material, for example, radio waves from the camera device 300 can easily go out of the refrigerator. Also, since the inside of the door is filled with urethane, there is little possibility of blocking the radio waves.

  Incidentally, in the refrigerator 1, a vacuum heat insulating material may be used as a heat insulating material instead of urethane or together with urethane. This vacuum heat insulating material is formed, for example, by wrapping a core material such as glass fiber with a film obtained by laminating (laminating) a metal foil member (for example, aluminum foil) and a synthetic resin film member. It is formed into a thin plate and becomes a heat insulating material. Although this vacuum heat insulating material is used as an internal member of a housing or a door of the refrigerator 1, for example, when the camera device 300 is arranged in the door pocket 200, the vacuum heat insulating material is provided so as to avoid a position corresponding to the holding portion 202. This makes it easier to emit radio waves.

  In this case, for the right door 3b, a vacuum heat insulating material is arranged so as to avoid the projection surface of the camera device 300 (particularly, the site of the communication module 306), and the camera device 300 such as the left door 3a and the door 7a of the lower freezing room 7 is provided. By disposing a vacuum heat insulating material on the entire surface of the door where no refrigerator is arranged, it is possible to easily emit radio waves without lowering the heat insulation of the refrigerator 1. It is also conceivable to reinforce the above-mentioned glass plate 3b1 or to provide a metal member for attaching the camera device 300 to the door with a magnet as shown in FIG. 29 to be described later. By arranging the arrangement in the same manner as in the case, it is possible to easily emit radio waves.

  As described above, the structure for facilitating the emission of radio waves from the inside of the refrigerator is such that a communication module 306 is provided in the camera device 300, the camera device 300 is arranged in the refrigerator 1, and the captured image information is stored. This is particularly significant in a configuration in which image data is directly transmitted from the camera device 300 to an external device (that is, a configuration in which the camera device 300 transmits image information without passing through the communication device 501 of the refrigerator 1).

Here, the polarity of the magnet 206 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 17, the magnet 206 is provided in the holding unit 202 at the back surface of the camera device 300, that is, at a position corresponding to the detection unit 307. Therefore, when the camera device 300 is held, the detection unit 307 faces the magnet 206 and approaches the magnet 206. In this case, the magnet 206 is arranged such that the side facing the camera device 300 is an N pole. Therefore, the detecting unit 307 detects the strength of the magnetic field from the N pole.

  The reason why the polarity of the magnet 206 is set to such an arrangement is to consider that the camera device 300 is installed in, for example, the vegetable room 4 or the like other than the refrigerator room 3. As shown in FIG. 18, the vegetable room 4 has a structure in which a rail member 4b is attached to a door 4a, and a vegetable room box 4c is attached to the rail member 4b. In order to image such a vegetable room 4 with the camera device 300, the present embodiment employs a refrigerator holder 400 shown in FIG. The refrigerator holder 400 includes a holding portion 401 for holding the camera device 300, and a locking portion 402 for attaching the holding portion 401 to the vegetable compartment box 4c. The holding section 401 is formed in a shape capable of holding the camera device 300 in a horizontal position, and the front wall 403 on the front side is formed at a height that does not block the field of view of the lens 301.

  A magnet 405 is provided on the rear wall 404 of the holding unit 401 at a position on the back side of the camera device 300. The magnet 405 is arranged such that the camera device 300 side is an S pole. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 20, when the refrigerator holder 400 is attached to the vegetable compartment 4 and the camera device 300 is held by the holding portion 401, the camera device 300 is held in a horizontal position and the detection portion Reference numeral 307 faces the magnet 405 as in FIG. Then, the detection unit 307 detects the strength of the magnetic field from the south pole.

  Thus, the magnet 206 and the magnet 405 are arranged such that the polarities on the side facing the camera device 300 are opposite to each other. For this reason, the detection unit 307 of the camera device 300 detects different magnetic field strengths when installed in the refrigerator compartment 3 and when installed in the vegetable compartment 4. In other words, the camera device 300 can detect in which storage room the camera device 300 is installed. Further, the camera device 300 can identify whether the installed refrigerator 1 is an operation target of itself by detecting magnetism. That is, the magnet 206 and the magnet 405 also function as the detected means described in the claims.

Next, an electrical configuration and the like of the camera device 300 will be described.
As illustrated in FIG. 21, the camera device 300 includes a control unit 309. The control unit 309 includes a microcomputer having a CPU 309a, a ROM 309b, a RAM 309c, an RTC 309d, and the like, and functions as a camera-side control unit that controls the entire camera device 300. Specifically, the control unit 309 controls the imaging timing of the imaging unit 308 having the lens 301 and the imaging element, controls the lighting environment for imaging by the imaging lamp 302 (lighting control), and controls the image information by the communication module 306. , Control for receiving a command to be described later, and the like, and control for judging and identifying the installation state by the detection unit 307. In the present embodiment, the control unit 309 also performs image processing for correcting a captured image and the like.

  First, the control of the determination and identification of the installation state by the detection unit 307 will be described. The detection unit 307 includes a temperature sensor 310, a magnetic sensor 311, an acceleration sensor 312, and an illuminance sensor 313. The control unit 309 detects an external temperature by the temperature sensor 310 to determine an installation location of which camera device 300 is installed in the storage. Hereinafter, specific determination will be described.

  The temperature sensor 310 detects the temperature of the place where the camera device 300 is installed. The output of the temperature sensor 310 increases in proportion to the temperature, as shown in FIG. Since the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the temperature of the lower freezer compartment 7 generally differ by about ten and several degrees Celsius, a reference temperature is set as a reference, and if the reference temperature is higher than the reference temperature, the refrigerator compartment is set. 3 is determined to be installed in the lower freezing room 7 if the temperature is lower than the reference temperature. In this case, if it is determined that the camera is installed in the lower freezer compartment 7, there is a concern that a failure or the like may occur. Therefore, the image pickup lamp 302 may be turned on, or a sound output unit such as a buzzer may be provided and installed by sound. The user is notified that the place is unexpected, or the fact is transmitted to the refrigerator 1 via the communication module 306, and the user is notified on the operation panel 33 of the refrigerator 1 or the like. As described above, the camera device 300 determines the installation location based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 310.

The magnetic sensor 311 detects the magnetic field from the magnet 206 and the magnet 405 as described above. As shown in FIG. 22B, the output of the magnetic sensor 311 is switched between the positive side (in the case of N pole) and the negative side (in the case of S pole) depending on whether the magnetic field is from the N pole or the S pole. , The installation location can be determined based on the sign. That is, when the output of the magnetic sensor 311 is on the positive side (not 0), in the present embodiment, as described above, the magnetic sensor 311 is installed at a position facing the magnet 206 provided in the door pocket 200 of the refrigerator compartment 3. That is, it can be detected that the camera device 300 has been installed in the refrigerator compartment 3.
If there is a temperature difference between the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, it may be determined whether the refrigerator compartment 3 or the vegetable compartment 4 is installed based on the output of the temperature sensor 310. . In any case, based on the output of the temperature sensor 310, it can be detected that the camera device 300 has been installed in the storage room.

  On the other hand, when the output of the magnetic sensor 311 is on the negative side (not 0), it means that the magnetic sensor 311 is installed at a position facing the magnet 405, that is, the camera device 300 is installed in the vegetable room 4. Can be detected. In addition, in consideration of the case where the camera device 300 is installed on the shelf board 11 or the like (see FIG. 24B), in the present embodiment, when the camera device 300 exceeds the positive reference value, it is determined that the refrigerator compartment 3 is set. , When it is below the negative reference value, it is determined to be the vegetable room 4. Then, in the case of an output near zero, it is determined that the shelf 11 or the like is not provided with a magnet. In addition, in combination with the above-described temperature sensor 310, the fact that the vehicle is in the storage room may be added to the determination condition.

  The acceleration sensor 312 detects an acceleration (gravitational acceleration) applied to the camera device 300. The acceleration sensor 312 is a so-called three-axis sensor, and detects accelerations in three directions in the X, Y, and Z directions (see FIGS. 15 and 16). For this reason, as shown in FIG. 22 (C), the output is different when the device is placed vertically, vertically (upside down), horizontally, and horizontally (upside down). Changes. Thereby, the direction in which the camera device 300 is installed can be detected. The detected orientation of the camera device 300 is used in image processing described later. In addition, you may use for determination of an installation location.

Next, the imaging timing will be described. Note that the flow of imaging is substantially the same as that in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, and therefore will be described with reference to FIG.
The camera device 300 determines either when a predetermined time has elapsed or when a command from an external device has been received. That is, it is determined whether the imaging condition is satisfied (A1). In this case, the camera device 300 performs time measurement by the RTC 309d, thereby determining whether a predetermined period has elapsed and determining whether a command has been received based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 313.

  The illuminance sensor 313 included in the detection unit 307 detects the illuminance at the place where the camera device 300 is installed. In the case of the present embodiment, when the illuminance reaches the level at which the interior lighting is turned on, the illuminance sensor 313 notifies the control unit 309 of that fact. Further, upon receiving a command to capture an image from an external device, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment in which the camera device 300 is installed blinks interior lighting such as the ceiling light 13 in a predetermined blinking pattern. Note that, for example, in the case of the communication terminal 103, the imaging instruction is performed in the same manner as steps B2 to B4 of the terminal-side processing in FIG. 10 of the first embodiment.

  This blinking pattern is set in advance to notify the camera device 300 detachable from the refrigerator 1 of the imaging timing. That is, the refrigerator 1 notifies the camera device 300 of the imaging instruction by blinking the interior light. This means that, as described above, it is possible to determine whether or not the refrigerator 1 is an operation target (that is, whether or not the refrigerator is a refrigerator capable of turning on and off the interior lighting), or that the camera device 300 is an operation target. This is realized by providing a configuration for identification. That is, the fact that the interior lighting can be turned on / off indicates that the refrigerator 1 is an operation target of the camera device 300.

  As shown in a period T1 in FIG. 23, the camera device 300 is normally in a power saving state such as a so-called sleep mode, while the illuminance sensor is operating. Upon receiving a command from an external device, the refrigerator 1 blinks the interior lighting in a predetermined blinking pattern as described above. At this time, since the interior lighting is turned on, the illuminance sensor 313 notifies the control unit 309 (for example, input of an interrupt signal), and the control unit 309 enters an operation state. That is, when the interior lighting blinks in a predetermined blinking pattern, it is determined that the imaging condition is satisfied. The blinking pattern can be arbitrarily set, for example, a cycle of turning on and off and the number of repetitions.

When it is determined that the imaging conditions are satisfied (A1: YES), the camera device 300 turns on the imaging lamp 302 (A2), captures an image of the inside of the refrigerator (A3), and transmits the image information to the server 104 or the like (A4). ).
By the way, in the refrigerator 1, the interior lighting may be turned on other than when receiving the instruction. For example, when the door is opened by the user as in the period T2 in FIG. 23, the interior lighting is turned on in a mode other than the blinking pattern (in this case, continuous lighting). In this case, the camera device 300 temporarily enters an operating state since the interior lighting is turned on, but enters a standby state again because the predetermined blinking pattern is not satisfied, that is, the imaging condition is not satisfied.

Further, the camera apparatus 300 determines that the imaging condition is satisfied when a predetermined period elapses, such as when a preset imaging interval setting period has elapsed since the previous imaging (period T1), as in a period T3 in FIG. After the determination (A1: YES), the operation state is set, the image pickup lamp 302 is turned on (A2), an image of the interior of the refrigerator at that time is taken (A3), and image information is transmitted (A4).
As described above, the camera device 300 captures an image of the inside of the refrigerator based on whether a predetermined period has elapsed and whether there has been a command (user's intention) from an external device. Then, as shown in FIGS. 24A to 24C, the user can check the inside of the refrigerator according to the place where the camera device 300 is installed. Note that a plurality of camera devices 300 may be provided, such as providing the camera devices 300 in both the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4.

By the way, in the case of the present embodiment, the camera device 300 not only captures the inside of the storage but also performs image processing such as image conversion.
The camera device 300 can be placed vertically or horizontally as described above. In this case, the image is rotated by 90 degrees (or 270 degrees). Therefore, the camera device 300 performs image conversion before transmitting the image to the server 104. As a result, as shown in FIG. 24A and FIG. 24B or FIG. 24C, even when the camera device 300 has a different orientation, an image in which the vertical direction is unified, that is, the user An image in the same state as when directly checking the refrigerator 1 can be displayed on the communication terminal 103.

  Further, since the lens 301 is a wide-angle lens, the captured image is an image in which the vicinity of the center is distorted as shown in FIG. 7 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the camera device 300 performs image processing to correct the distortion, specifically, performs image processing to match the ratio between the vicinity of the center and the upper and lower ends, thereby obtaining the image shown in FIG. As shown in ()), an image with less distortion can be displayed. The image and the orientation of the camera device 300 may be transmitted together as image information, and the server 104 or the communication terminal 103 may perform image processing. By performing the image processing on the external device side, the power consumption of the camera device 300 can be reduced. This is significant for the camera device 300 having no external power supply unit as in the present embodiment.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained in addition to (or instead of) the effects obtained in the first embodiment.
There is a user who wants to check the inside of the refrigerator 1 in a remote place such as a place where he / she is away, but an imaging unit 308 (imaging unit) for imaging the inside of the refrigerator and image information of the inside of the refrigerator taken by the imaging unit 308. Is provided in the refrigerator 1 and the communication module 306 (communication means) for transmitting the data to the external device such as the server 104, so that the communication terminal 103 can obtain an image of the inside of the refrigerator at a place where the user is outside and check the inside of the refrigerator. can do.

When capturing an image in the refrigerator, if the image capturing is repeated indiscriminately, the power consumption increases, which may cause the battery to run out, or the server 104 may store many unnecessary (identical images). The control unit 309 of the device 300 can reduce such a risk by controlling the timing of imaging the inside of the refrigerator.
Specifically, as in the embodiment, when a predetermined period has elapsed, for example, a family or the like may perform an action such as taking out food from the refrigerator 1, so that the timing when the predetermined period has elapsed, that is, storage is performed. By imaging the inside of the refrigerator at a timing when the situation may have changed, it is possible to prevent unnecessary repeated imaging.

  In addition, the latest storage state can be grasped by imaging the inside of the refrigerator at the timing when a command from the user is received. In this case, if imaging is not performed at the timing when the above-described predetermined period has elapsed, in other words, if imaging is performed only when the user's intention is displayed, unnecessary imaging is not performed, so that consumption is further reduced. Electric power can be reduced. Although described in the embodiment, an image when the storage status changes may be obtained by combining with the imaging conditions of the first embodiment.

Although it is expected that some users do not need to check the inside of the refrigerator 1, the camera device 300 includes an imaging unit 308 for imaging the inside of the refrigerator and the inside of the refrigerator imaged by the imaging unit 308. A communication module 306 for transmitting image information to an external device such as the server 104 is provided, and the camera module 300 is detachable from the refrigerator 1. it can. Also, a user who considers unnecessary at the time of purchase but wants to check after purchase can also check the inside of the refrigerator by adding the camera device 300.
In this case, since the communication device 501 is also configured to be detachable, similarly to the case of the camera device 300, a user who does not need to check the inside of the refrigerator can reduce power consumption by removing it, and can add it later. It can respond to the user who wants to.

Although a light source is required to capture an image, the camera device 300 is provided with an imaging lamp 302 (camera-side illumination means) for illuminating the interior of the refrigerator, so that the interior of the refrigerator can be imaged by the camera device 300 alone. . In addition, it is needless to say that the interior lighting may be turned on in cooperation with the refrigerator 1.
When the camera device 300 is installed, there is a possibility that the image of the interior of the refrigerator may not be taken satisfactorily due to obstruction of the field of view depending on the installation position. Therefore, by providing an attached portion (in the embodiment, the holding portion 202 of the door pocket 200, the holding portion 401 of the refrigerator holder 400, and the like) for attaching the camera device 300 to the refrigerator 1, for example, the entire area of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided. The camera device 300 can be installed at a place where an image can be taken.

If it is not possible to blink the interior lighting of the camera device 300 as described above, an imaging command from an external device may not be able to be executed. However, a magnet 206 or a magnet 405 is provided to detect the magnetism. 307, that is, by providing a detected unit for detecting that the refrigerator 1 is an operation target that can be imaged by the camera device 300 (imaging is permitted). Such a fear can be reduced.
In this case, the communication module 306 may communicate with the refrigerator 1 side, that is, the communication module 306 may be used as a detecting unit (in this case, the communication device 501 is a detected unit). In addition, the communication module 306 may be used as an identification unit for identifying whether the camera device 300 is designed for the refrigerator 1 (for example, an image that can be captured by blinking the interior lighting). Good.

In the case of the embodiment, the camera device 300 is driven by the battery 305 (that is, when the camera device 300 is installed in the refrigerator 1, there is no external power supply). It is desirable to reduce consumption. Therefore, by making the communication module 306 communicate with the communication device 501, power consumption by wireless communication can be reduced as compared with the case where the communication module 306 performs wireless communication with an external device.
In addition, when receiving a command from an external device, the communication unit must always operate and wait for the command. However, the communication module 501 receives the command as in the embodiment, so that the communication module 306 can receive the command. Need not be constantly operated, and the period until the battery runs out can be extended. In this case, if the communication device 501 is configured to be able to supply power from the refrigerator 1 by a wired method such as a USB, unnecessary power supply is not performed when the communication device 501 is not provided, and when the communication device 501 is provided. Can be operated, for example, all the time.

When the camera device 300 is detachable, the use of wireless communication can improve convenience, but when a command is received by the communication device 501 as described above, the command is transmitted to the camera device 300 by some method. Need to communicate. Therefore, by providing the camera device 300 with the illuminance sensor 313 and instructing the camera device 300 to indirectly transmit the image capturing command by blinking the interior lighting, the camera device 300 adopting wireless communication is provided with an image capturing timing. Can be notified. In this case, since the camera device 300 only needs to keep the illuminance sensor 313 in the operating state, power consumption can be reduced as compared with the case where the communication module 306 is operated.
Further, since the front surface of the right door 3b provided with the camera device 300 is formed of a non-metallic material, the camera device 300 and the communication module 306 are arranged in the refrigerator compartment 3 sealed by the right door 3b. Even so, it is possible to easily make the radio waves out of the refrigerator. The same applies when the camera device 300 is arranged in the vegetable room 4.

  For example, considering that the refrigerator compartment 3 generally has a vertically long shape and the vegetable compartment 4 generally has a horizontally long shape, when a plurality of storage rooms are present, the camera device 300 is set according to the storage room. It is desirable to switch the field of view. In addition, if the image is in the horizontal direction, the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it is desirable that the image when the user looks at the refrigerator 1, that is, the image in which the vertical direction of the refrigerator is unified. Therefore, by providing the above-described magnet 206 and the magnet 405, and by arranging the magnets on the side facing the camera device 300 to have different polarities, any position (in this case, the mounting set in advance by the manufacturer or the like). It is possible to determine the direction of the camera device 300 at that position by grasping whether the camera device 300 is installed in the position (corresponding to the holding unit 202 or the holding unit 401). In addition, the holding unit 202 and the holding unit 401 are formed in advance in the refrigerator room 3 so that the storage unit 202 and the vegetable room are set vertically and horizontally in the present embodiment, so that the orientation according to the storage room is set. , The camera device 300 is installed. Thus, the field of view can be appropriately secured according to the storage room, and it is possible to determine which direction should be rotated when performing image processing.

In this case, the direction of the camera device 300 can be determined from the direction of the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 312, and the installation location can be determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 310.
If the camera device 300 is erroneously installed in, for example, a freezing room, there is a possibility of causing a malfunction or the like. However, by detecting the temperature with the temperature sensor 310, or by making the notification possible as in the embodiment. In addition, it is possible to reduce the risk of causing malfunctions and the like.

  In order to image the inside of the refrigerator with the camera device 300, it is desirable to secure a certain distance from the front of the refrigerator and to secure a visual field. The position is limited by the door. Therefore, it is conceivable to attach the door to the inner plate 14 of the door in order to secure a small distance, but in this case, the door pocket may be in view. Therefore, in the door pocket 200 of the embodiment, the wall portion 203 is formed in a shape that avoids the holding portion 202 (attached portion), so that the field of view of the camera device 300 is not obstructed.

In addition, as described above, there is a place that is advantageous for imaging the inside of the refrigerator, and it is desirable to notify the user of the place. Therefore, by providing a holding portion 202 (attached portion for attachment) that holds the camera device 300 like the door pocket 200, the installation location can be clearly specified. Further, in the state where the camera device 300 is held by the holding unit 202, the holding unit 202 is formed such that the field of view of the camera device 300 is located at the center of the refrigerator compartment, so that almost the entire area in the refrigerator can be imaged. Since the center position is defined by being installed in the holding unit 202, in the image processing for correcting the image distortion, the center position at the time of correction matches the center position of the image, and the center position is determined. Since it is only necessary to perform distortion correction uniformly at the center, the calculation load of image processing can be reduced.
Further, since the door pocket 200 is provided with the magnet 206 to be detected by the magnetic sensor 311, the installation location can be identified by the camera device 300 as described above.

In the case of the refrigerator 1, the vegetable room 4 and the like are also provided, but the vegetable room 4 is not provided with a so-called door pocket and is formed in a box shape. There is a risk of being covered with vegetables and the like. Thus, like the refrigerator holder 400, the camera device 300 can be installed in the vegetable room 4 using the refrigerator holder 400 having the holding portion 401 that holds the camera device 300. In this case, since the holding portion 401 is provided with the locking portion 402 for locking the edge of the vegetable compartment box 4c or the like, it can be installed on the upper side of the vegetable compartment 4 and on the door 4a side, and is covered with vegetables and the like. It is possible to image the vegetable room without the need. Further, since it is locked by the locking portion 402, it can be easily removed when unnecessary.
Further, since the magnet 405 is also provided in the refrigerator holder 400, the camera device 300 can determine its own installation location as described above.
Further, the effects achieved by the home appliance network system 500 and the in-compartment image display program are common to the first embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is an embodiment based on a configuration in which a concave portion is provided in a refrigerator, and an imaging camera is provided in the concave portion as an example of an imaging unit. That is, the present embodiment is an embodiment in which a concave portion such as a dent 600 described later is developed in detail. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the imaging unit is provided on the inner surface of the door, which is an example of the side surface in the refrigerator, is illustrated. The configuration in which is provided is exemplified.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, for example, a vertically long recess 702 which is depressed outside the refrigerator and extends vertically is provided in the storage 701 of the refrigerator 700. In this case, the concave portions 702 are provided on both left and right side surfaces in the storage 701. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 28, the recess 702 is provided in the storage 701 at a position where the recess 702 does not interfere with the door 703 when the door 703 is closed. Therefore, when the door 703 is closed, the recess 702 is not blocked by the heat insulating wall 704 of the door 703, the door pocket 705, or the like.

  The recess 702 houses an imaging camera 706 as an example of an imaging unit and an illumination LED 707 as an example of an illumination unit. The illumination LED 707 is provided to illuminate the inside of the storage 701 when the imaging camera 706 takes an image of the inside of the storage 701. In this case, the illumination LED 707 is provided as a separate element from the interior lamp 708 for illuminating the interior of the storage 701.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 29, a base 709 is provided inside the recess 702. The base 709 is basically a lighting base on which the lighting LED 707 is mounted. In the present embodiment, an imaging camera 706 is attached to the lighting base 709. That is, the lighting board 709 also has a function as an imaging board. Therefore, the imaging camera 706 and the illumination LED 707 are mounted on the same base 709. In addition, as shown in FIG. 30, for example, the imaging camera 706 may be provided in the recess 702 so as to be located inside the refrigerator rather than the illumination LED 707. Although not shown, the imaging camera 706 may be provided in the recess 702 so as to be located outside the storage than the illumination LED 707.

In the recess 702, a plurality of imaging cameras 706 and a plurality of illumination LEDs 707 are provided. In the recess 702, one imaging camera 706 is sandwiched between two illumination LEDs 707 located above and below it. One illumination LED 707 is sandwiched between two imaging cameras 706 located above and below it.
Further, a protective cover 710 made of, for example, resin and having a function as a “cover” for closing the concave portion 702 is detachably attached to the concave portion 702. Irregularities are formed in a portion of the protective cover 710 facing the illumination LED 707. Due to the unevenness, light emitted from the illumination LED 707 is scattered and supplied into the storage. In addition, no unevenness is formed in a portion of the protective cover 710 facing the imaging camera 706. Therefore, the imaging camera 706 can clearly image the inside of the warehouse without being disturbed by the unevenness of the protective cover 710.

Also, as shown in FIG. 26, for example, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a different height from the shelf 711 provided in the storage 701. Further, the illumination LED 707 may be provided at a different height from the shelf 711. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 31, a gloss T is applied to a front portion (front end portion) of the shelf 711. In FIG. 31, the gloss T is shaded. The gloss T is realized, for example, by attaching a member having gloss or applying a gloss paint. In this case, the irradiation direction D1 of the illumination LED 707 is not directed to the front of the shelf 711, and therefore, a configuration is realized in which light emitted from the illumination LED 707 is hardly reflected by the gloss T.
In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 26, the imaging camera 706 is provided between a door pocket 705 provided on a door and a shelf 711. Further, the imaging camera 706 is located on the front side of the shelf 711 provided in the storage. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 32, the imaging camera 706 may be arranged so as to be directed toward the shelf 711.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 33, for example, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a position where the side wall of the concave portion 702, in this case, particularly, the front side wall and the rear side wall do not enter the field of view R of the imaging camera 706. Further, as shown in FIG. 34, for example, the imaging camera 706 may be provided with its installation angle appropriately adjusted within a range not directed to the side wall of the concave portion 702, in this case, particularly, to the front side wall and the rear side wall. Further, the recess 702 may be provided so that the outside of the storage serving as the bottom is narrow and the inside of the storage serving as the opening has a wide shape. In this case, the side wall of the recess 702 gradually widens toward the inside of the storage. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the side wall of the concave portion 702 hardly enters the visual field R of the imaging camera 706.

Further, as shown in FIG. 35, for example, the imaging camera 706 may be provided so as to be directed in the same direction as the irradiation direction D1 of the illumination LED 707.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 36, for example, the viewing angle α of the imaging camera 706 and the irradiation angle β of the illumination LED 707 may be different from each other. Further, the viewing angle α of the imaging camera 706 may be set to an angle smaller than the irradiation angle β of the illumination LED 707. Thus, the entire field of view R of the imaging camera 706 can be illuminated by the illumination LED 707.

Further, when the illumination LED 707 inside the concave portion 702 serving as the storage portion is obliquely directed to the bottom surface (outside surface of the warehouse) of the concave portion 702 or the side wall surface of the inner box constituting the storage room, It is preferable that the pointing direction does not hit the front or rear side wall. By doing so, it is possible to suppress that light is reflected on the side wall and the reflected light is incident on the imaging camera 706, that is, it is possible to prevent the light from being backlit.
Further, it is preferable that the directional angles of the imaging camera 706 and the illumination LED 707 be different. This makes it difficult for light to enter the imaging camera 706 even if reflected light is generated. In this case, it is more effective that the angle of inclination of the imaging camera 706 is smaller than the angle of inclination of the illumination LED 707. For example, the LED 707 for illumination may be located further in the interior of the refrigerator, and the imaging camera 706 may be arranged so as to be directed more toward the front (door side) of the refrigerator than the LED 707 for illumination.

When the directional angles of the imaging camera 706 and the illumination LED 707 are different, the imaging camera 706 and the illumination LED 707 do not have to be arranged on the same substrate. It may be arranged on a substrate.
Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 37, when the refrigerator 700 captures an image of the inside of the storage 701 by the imaging camera 706 provided on one side surface (for example, the left side surface in FIG. 37) of the storage 701, The illumination LED 707 provided on the surface facing the imaging camera 706 (in this case, the right side surface in FIG. 37) may be set to be turned off. In this case, the directional direction D2 of the imaging camera 706 provided on one side surface (imaging axis serving as the imaging center) and the irradiation direction D1 of the illumination LED 707 provided on the other side surface (optical axis serving as the irradiation center, irradiation axis) ) Should not be opposed to each other. This makes it possible to realize a configuration in which light from the illumination LED 707 provided on the other side does not easily enter the lens of the imaging camera 706 provided on one side, that is, a configuration that is unlikely to be backlit.

  In addition, when taking an image of the inside of the storage 701 with the imaging camera 706 provided on one side surface (for example, the left side surface in FIG. 37) of the storage 701, the refrigerator 700 is placed on the same surface as the imaging camera 706. The lighting LED 707 provided may be set to be turned on. Accordingly, when the inside of the storage 701 is imaged by the imaging camera 706 provided on one side surface, the interior of the storage is illuminated without backlight by the illumination LED 707 provided on the same surface as the imaging camera 706. be able to.

  Further, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a position where the door pocket 705 provided on the inner surface of the door 703 can be imaged. That is, for example, the imaging camera 706 is provided above the door pocket 705 at a different height from the door pocket 705, and the angle at which the door pocket 705 can be imaged obliquely from top to bottom. It is good to have it. Thereby, the imaging camera 706 can image the door pocket 705 from obliquely above. In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 38, a cutout portion 704a may be provided in a heat insulating wall portion 704 extending from the door 703 into the storage. According to this configuration, the imaging camera 706 can capture an image of the door pocket 705 through the cutout portion 704a without being covered by the heat insulating wall portion 704.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 39, when the door 703 on the side opposite to the side on which the imaging camera 706 is provided is open, the imaging camera 706 may be attached to the door pocket 705 provided on the door 703. It is good to provide in the position which can image.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 40, in the recess 702, the installation position of the imaging camera 706 and the installation position of the illumination LED 707 may be arranged in a row along the vertical direction. Also. For example, as shown in FIG. 41, the installation position of the imaging camera 706 and the installation position of the illumination LED 707 may be shifted laterally in the concave portion 702.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 42, a drawable container 720 is provided in the refrigerator, and the imaging camera 706 faces the side surface of the container 720 in a state where the container 720 is pulled out (indicated by a broken line in the drawing). It is good also as a structure provided in a position. In this case, a dedicated imaging camera 706 and an illumination LED 707 for photographing the container 720 may be provided. In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 43, a plurality of containers 721 and 722 that can be pulled out may be provided in a refrigerator, and the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a position where any of these containers 721 and 722 can be imaged. In this case, a dedicated imaging camera 706 and an illumination LED 707 for photographing each of the containers 721 and 722 may be provided. Note that the number of containers is not limited to two, and three or more containers may be provided in the refrigerator. In this case, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a position where all containers can be imaged.

For example, as shown in FIG. 44, the imaging camera 706 may be provided behind the front end of the shelf 711 provided in the storage. In this case, naturally, the imaging camera 706 is provided behind the door pocket 705 provided on the door. In this case, the plurality of imaging cameras 706 may be provided between two vertically arranged shelves 711 and 711. In this case, the imaging camera 706 located above the shelf 711 functions as an upper dedicated imaging camera (an example of an upper dedicated imaging unit) capable of imaging the upper side of the shelf 711, and the imaging camera located below the shelf 711. Reference numeral 706 functions as a lower-only imaging camera (an example of a lower-only imaging unit) that can image the lower side of the shelf 711.
Further, at least one shelf 711 provided above the container 720 may be made of, for example, a transparent resin and provided as a transparent transparent shelf. According to this configuration, at least one imaging camera 706 located above the transparent shelf can capture an image of the inside of the container 720 via the transparent shelf.

  Further, a light amount detection base for mounting a light amount detection sensor for detecting the light amount in the refrigerator may be provided inside the concave portion 702, and the imaging camera 706 may be mounted on the light amount detection base. . In addition, by using the light amount detection sensor as an illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance in the refrigerator, the light amount detection base can be regarded as an illuminance detection substrate. In this case, the imaging camera 706 may be configured to be mounted on the illuminance detection base. Note that this type of substrate is in a card shape or a plate shape. The substrates of this type are mounted in the concave portion 702 by holding both ends thereof in, for example, a slit-shaped mounted portion provided in the concave portion 702.

  The protective cover 710 that covers the storage room side of the recess 702 may be provided with an imaging hole and a light receiving hole for the imaging camera 706 and a light receiving unit (not shown), respectively. In this case, the wall portion of the imaging hole may be formed obliquely so as not to cover the visual field. The light receiving hole may be provided with a converging lens, a transparent cover, or a camera lens, and the imaging hole may be provided with a transparent cover covering the camera device. These lenses and covers are placed on the surface of the protective cover 710 so that dirt such as oil and vegetable residue from human hands does not adhere, and from the surface of the protective cover 710 so as not to be exposed on the surface of the inner box constituting the storage room. May be arranged on the side of the recess 702 on the back side. In addition, when water is condensed on the lens or cover due to moisture, the condensed water (water droplets) easily flows, and each hole is inclined downward so that it can be discharged into the storage room, or a narrow groove is provided so that the water can be discharged by capillary action. It may be.

Further, the imaging camera 706 is provided at a position different from the light receiving unit and at a position such as a door or a side surface where the amount of light emitted from the irradiation unit is suppressed. In such a position, the incidence of light emitted from the irradiation unit to the imaging camera 706 is suppressed, so that the possibility of backlight may be reduced.
Further, an imaging illumination unit for illumination at the time of imaging and an irradiation unit for irradiation at the time of imaging may be provided, and the irradiation unit may be configured to make the amount of light and color different from that of the imaging illumination unit. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the light receiving unit from erroneously detecting when the imaging illumination unit is turned on.

  In this case, the irradiation means having different colors may not be turned on when the image is taken by the imaging camera 706. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the image from being captured in an unnatural state where the image becomes blue. The first light-emitting means (irradiating means) such as a blue LED different from white light has a wavelength of about 400 nm, and is irradiated with a blue light to a catalyst provided on a filter, a wall, or the like to be excited to deodorize and emit light. Visible light catalyst device to remove bacteria, corona discharge device to emit ions, radicals (active species) and ozone by emitting pale blue by air insulation breakdown, OH by applying high voltage using counter electrode and liquid as discharge electrodes Display of air breakdown device such as electrostatic atomizer which emits bluish white water by generating charged fine particle water containing radicals, and display of operation unit such as press type which is provided in storage room and user controls refrigerator And display means such as an LED of green, red, orange or the like. The first light emitting means emits light under a predetermined condition stored in a program in advance, and when taking an image, disabling control of emitting light under a set condition (that is, giving priority to image taking by a camera, By preventing light emission even when the setting condition is satisfied when capturing an image with a camera), unnecessary light does not enter the image, and a clear (clear) image can be captured. This press-type operation unit (operating unit in the refrigerator) may include a tact switch in the recess 702 and an operation button on the protective cover 710.

  Further, a configuration including a visible light catalyst device, a corona discharge device, an electrostatic atomizing device, and the like may be adopted. Visible light catalyst device, corona discharge device, electrostatic atomization device, etc. can be set to be driven at predetermined time intervals or set to control to drive in conjunction with opening and closing of the damper. The light emission of the display means based on ON / OFF of the operation can be controlled. In addition, white or another color LED, which is a second light emitting means for illuminating a drawer-type chilled room provided on the bottom of the refrigerator compartment, is located at a position different from the left and right upper and lower walls and doors, and is located in the center of the space. Therefore, it is easy to be reflected in the images of the cameras arranged on the left, right, up, and down, and there is a possibility of backlight. Therefore, similarly, it is preferable to perform control such as invalidating or turning off the image capturing timing of the camera, temporarily stopping the lighting during the image capturing, and turning on the light after the image capturing is completed.

  The visible light catalyst may be applied to the surface of a transparent cover that covers the imaging camera 706 in the imaging hole, the lens of the camera device, or the protective cover 710 that covers the recess 702 to function as a hydrophilizing unit. When the camera lens or the transparent cover is exposed to the storage room, it is fogged by dew condensation or the like, and there is a problem that a captured image is blurred. By irradiating a photocatalyst by providing a visible light generating means capable of exciting light inside or outside the concave portion 702, the surface of a lens, a cover, or the like is activated with moisture in the air to generate OH radicals (hydrophilicity). Means) to render it hydrophilic. In this case, even if the lens or cover forms dew, the water easily binds to the surface, so the surface easily becomes a thin film of water, and it becomes difficult for water droplets to be formed to prevent irregular reflection of light. Can be difficult. Therefore, a hydrophilic means is generated on the lens or the transparent cover located in the imaging direction of the camera device, and the image captured by the camera can be clearly captured without blurring by contact. This photocatalyst is capable of removing bacteria in the air and deodorizing by oxidizing and decomposing odor components (organic substances, etc.) in the air when irradiated with light of a specific wavelength. It is a catalyst that can be activated and activates (ionizes or radicalizes) components in the air, based on which it can also remove bacteria and deodorize. Silver oxide or titanium oxide can be used as the photocatalyst. Silver oxide (including silver zirconium phosphate) has a wavelength of light of about 400 nm to 580 nm in the visible blue region. It is preferable to use a light source of a light emitting diode capable of irradiating 380 nm.

  In the electrostatic atomizer, the tip of the discharge electrode is pointed, a voltage of about -6 kV is applied between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode, and a metal member is used for the discharge electrode. By cooling, condensed water of water in the air is obtained, and the condensed water is electrostatically atomized to obtain charged fine particle water having a particle size of nanometer size (particle size distribution is 3 to 50 nm). As a result, pale light is emitted at the tip of the discharge electrode, and the emission is turned on / off while applying a voltage, and is intermittently repeated at predetermined intervals (for example, every 5 seconds). The driving of the electrostatic nullification device may be controlled so as to be repeatedly turned ON / OFF at predetermined intervals. Further, the electrostatic atomizing device may be housed in a cover having an outlet so that the discharge light is hardly reflected, and the electrostatic atomizing device is arranged on a ceiling in a duct-shaped cover and an imaging camera. By arranging the 706 on doors or left and right side walls that are not opposed to each other other than the ceiling, there is an effect that discharge light is hardly reflected. The same effect can be obtained by disposing the imaging camera 706 in a storage room different from the storage room in which the electrostatic atomizing device is disposed. In addition, when mist is generated, the storage chamber becomes mist-like and becomes difficult to be reflected by mist when picked up with a camera.However, the mist does not become mist-like by using nanometer-sized fine particle water. A clear image can be captured. In addition, the use of nanometer-sized charged fine particle water (including OH radicals) has an effect of preventing dew condensation and fogging even when contacting the lens and cover of the camera device.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 45, the imaging camera 706 is unitized with a battery 730 and the like to form an imaging unit 731, and this imaging unit 731 is configured to be detachable from, for example, an attached portion provided in the recess 702. May be. In this case, the imaging unit 731 is connected to a power supply system of the refrigerator 700 via a power supply connector 732 provided in the concave portion 702. Although not shown, a power supply connector may be provided in the door pocket 705 or the like, and the imaging unit 731 may be provided in the door pocket 705 so as to be detachable. Further, by providing a mounting portion such as the holding portion 202 illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 or the holding portion 401 of the refrigerator holder 400 illustrated in FIG. 19 in the concave portion 702, for example, the imaging unit 731 can be easily formed. Can be installed. The power supply connector may be constituted by a movable linear connector, for example, a USB terminal. Alternatively, a so-called male terminal may be inserted into a so-called female terminal provided on the camera so as to be detachable as an attached portion. Note that a so-called male terminal provided on the camera may be inserted into a so-called female terminal. Further, the power supply unit may be configured by a movable linear unit, or may be configured by a fixed and immovable unit.

For example, as shown in FIG. 46, air supply ports 740 are provided on both left and right sides of the inner surface of the refrigerator, and the wind supplied from these air supply ports 740 flows along the surface of the protective cover 710 (the surface inside the refrigerator). It may be configured to flow. As described above, the wind flows along the surface of the protective cover 710, so that dew condensation on the protective cover 710 can be prevented.
Further, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a cool air duct located at the center is provided with a blowout opening that opens left and right, and cool air flows from the blowout outlet toward the protective cover 710.
For example, as shown in FIG. 47, at least one of the shelves provided in the refrigerator may be provided as a movable shelf 750 that can move up and down in the refrigerator. In this case, a moving mechanism 751 for moving the movable shelf 750 in the vertical direction is provided below the left and right ends of the movable shelf 750. The moving mechanism 751 is configured to move an internal wire by operating, for example, an operation knob (not shown), and move the movable shelf 750 up and down with the movement of the wire. An opaque portion 750a that covers and conceals the moving mechanism 751 from above is provided at least at both left and right ends of the movable shelf 750. The opaque portion 750a can be realized by, for example, attaching an opaque member or applying an opaque paint.

In this case, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at a position where the movable shelf 750 can be imaged, regardless of the position where the movable shelf 750 is moved from the upper limit height to the lower limit height. That is, the imaging camera 706 may be provided at least at a position higher than the upper limit height of the movable shelf 750, and the imaging direction may be set to a direction obliquely from top to bottom.
Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 48, the imaging camera 706 may be provided on the top surface in the storage above the movable shelf 750. According to this configuration, even when the movable shelf 750 is moved to any position from the upper limit height to the lower limit height, an image of the movable shelf 750 can be captured by the imaging camera 706 from above. Further, it is also possible to image the contents of the lower shelf through a transparent portion (transparent portion) other than the opaque portion 750a.
Note that any of the configurations exemplified in the present embodiment can be applied to a storage provided in a refrigerator, for example, a refrigerator room, a freezer room, a vegetable room, a chilled room, and the like.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the same reference numerals are given to portions common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, as for the imaging timing, those exemplified in the above embodiments may be appropriately adopted.
As shown in FIG. 53, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a camera unit 1000 as an imaging unit. The refrigerator 1 is connected to a home appliance network system 100 (see FIG. 1), as in the first embodiment. In this case, the refrigerator 1 may be connected to the home appliance network system 100 by a wireless communication method as in the first embodiment, or may be connected to the home appliance network system 100 by a wired communication method. In the present embodiment, power line communication (PLC: Power Line Communication) that performs communication using a power line that supplies power to the refrigerator 1 is adopted as a wired communication method. Hereinafter, the mounting position of the camera unit 1000 will be described with some specific examples.

<Specific example 1>
The camera unit 1000 of the specific example 1 is provided on a door of the refrigerator 1. The camera unit 1000 is provided, for example, at a position where the center of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be imaged. Specifically, the camera unit 1000 includes a right door 3b that opens and closes the refrigerator compartment 3 (storage) to be imaged. The refrigerator compartment 3 is provided so as to correspond to a substantially central position in the vertical and horizontal directions. As shown in FIGS. 54A and 54B, the camera unit 1000 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and is a space surrounded by a camera case 1001 (corresponding to a protective case) and a bottom plate 1002. The camera module 1003 (corresponding to an imaging module) is accommodated in the camera.

  Further, the camera unit 1000 is provided with a connection cable 1004 for connecting to the refrigerator 1 side and a flange 1005 for fixing the camera unit 1000. The connection cable 1004 is used for power supply from the refrigerator 1 side, transmission of an imaging instruction to the camera unit 1000, and acquisition of image data of an image. The camera unit 1000 is attached to the inside of the door 3b by a flange portion 1005. Therefore, in the case of the specific example 1 and the specific examples 2 to 4 described later, the connection cable 1004 is wired inside the door 3b, and is connected to the main control unit 30 (see FIG. 4) of the refrigerator 1 via the hinge portion of the door. It is connected.

  As shown in FIG. 55, a camera module 1003 includes a substrate 1012 on which an image sensor 1010 such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor and circuit components 1011 constituting peripheral circuits thereof are mounted, and a lens attached to the substrate 1012. And a unit 1013. The image sensor 1010 of the present embodiment is formed in a rectangular shape, and its longitudinal direction matches the longitudinal direction of the camera unit 1000 (the vertical direction in FIG. 54). The substrate 1012 is provided with a lens holder 1014 at a position corresponding to the imaging element 1010, and the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder 1014 is a female screw. On the other hand, the lens unit 1013 has an external thread at the end on the substrate 1012 side, and is attached in a state where the distance to the image sensor 1010 is adjusted by being screwed into the lens holder 1014.

  The lens unit 1013 includes a plurality of lenses, for example, three lenses 1015 in the present embodiment, and each lens 1015 is held in a main body formed of, for example, a resin material. The camera unit 1000 has a viewing angle of about 120 degrees secured by these three lenses 1015, and can capture a wide angle image of the inside of the refrigerator. Further, the lens unit 1013 is provided with an infrared cut filter 1016, and limits the light detected by the image sensor 1010 to a range of substantially visible light. For this reason, when taking a color image of the inside of the storage, the camera unit 1000 can take an image with a clear color. Note that the number of lenses 1015 and the like are merely examples, and may be appropriately selected according to a required viewing angle.

  Further, in the camera unit 1000, as shown in FIG. 53B, the inside of the camera case 1001 is potted together with the camera module 1003 by a potting material 1017 such as urethane resin or epoxy resin. As shown in FIG. 55, an O-ring 1018 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the lens unit 1013, and the O-ring 1018 seals the gap between the lens unit 1013 and the inner surface of the camera case 1001. . In FIG. 55, the illustration of the potting material 1017 is omitted.

  Therefore, water and moisture are prevented from entering the camera case 1001 from the front side of the lens unit 1013. Also, the bottom plate 1002 side of the camera case 1001 is in a sealed state including a portion where the connection cable 1004 penetrates. That is, the camera unit 1000 has a waterproof structure or a drip-proof structure as a whole, and the internal camera module 1003 is protected from dew condensation and the like.

  This camera unit 1000 is attached to the inner plate 14 of the right door 3b, as shown in FIG. Further, the camera unit 1000 is attached such that the field of view when the door 3b is closed is inside the refrigerator. Therefore, when the right door 3b is closed, the camera unit 1000 can take an image of the refrigerator compartment 3 from the front and from substantially the center in the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, the camera unit 1000 can image the inside of the refrigerator with the same field of view as when the user uses the refrigerator 1. At this time, the notch 9b1 is provided in the door pocket 9b arranged adjacent to the camera unit 1000 as in the first embodiment, so that the field of view of the camera unit 1000 is not largely obstructed. ing.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 56B, the camera unit 1000 is attached vertically so that the longitudinal direction is up and down. For this reason, the image sensor 1010 in the camera unit 1000 also has its longitudinal direction oriented vertically. Thereby, it is possible to vertically image the refrigerator compartment 3 which is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having different sizes in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and is a vertically long space. That is, it is possible to image the inside of the refrigerator while effectively utilizing the imaging range of the imaging element 1010 arranged vertically.

<Specific example 2>
In the case of the specific example 2, as shown in FIG. 57, the camera unit 1000 is attached to a concave portion 1020 provided on the inner plate 14 side of the right door 3b. In addition, also in the specific example 2, the camera unit 1000 is mounted vertically. The concave portion 1020 is formed in a size that can accommodate the entire camera unit 1000, and the camera unit 1000 accommodated in the concave portion 1020 does not protrude from the inner plate 14 to the inside of the refrigerator. . For this reason, when a plastic bottle or the like is put in or taken out of the lowermost door pocket 10b (see FIG. 53) of the right door 3b, contact with the camera unit 1000 is prevented.

In addition, since the entire camera unit 1000 is housed in the concave portion 1020, the possibility that the user touches the hand is reduced, and the possibility that the lens 1015 is soiled can be reduced.
Further, the position of the camera unit 1000 is shifted to the outside of the refrigerator, that is, to the front side of the refrigerator 1 as compared with the specific example 1 described above. For this reason, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be imaged with a larger visual field.
In this case, a transparent cover member such as acrylic may be provided on the opening side of the concave portion 1020, for example, at a position flush with the inner plate 14. This can prevent dirt from adhering to the lens 1015 and the like, and accumulation of dust and the like in the concave portion 1020.

<Specific example 3>
In the case of the specific example 3, the camera unit 1000 is arranged in the inner plate 14 of the right door 3b as shown in FIG. In addition, also in the specific example 3, the camera unit 1000 is mounted vertically. In this case, only the lens surface of the camera unit 1000 is exposed to the refrigerator compartment 3. For this reason, as in the specific example 2, it is possible to prevent the camera unit 1000 from being in the way when a plastic bottle or the like is put in or taken out of the door pocket 10b.
By attaching the camera unit 1000 as in these specific examples 1 to 3, the inside of the refrigerator is imaged from the front side of the refrigerator 1 as in the viewpoint when the user uses the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. By displaying an image captured by the communication terminal 103 or the like via the home appliance network system 100, the inside of the storage can be checked from a remote place.

<Specific example 4>
In the case of the specific example 4, the camera unit 1000 is attached to the vertical partition 17 (see FIG. 53) provided on the left door 3a. This vertical partition is provided at the end of the left door 3a on the side opposite to the hinge 3d as shown in FIGS. 60 (A) and 60 (B). The direction changes between the state where the door 3a is open as shown in FIG. 60 and the state where the door 3a is closed as shown in FIG. 60 (B). This vertical partition is located substantially at the center in the left-right direction of the double door (so-called French door), that is, substantially at the center of the refrigerator compartment 3. Then, in a state where the left door 3a and the right door 3b are closed, as shown in FIG. 61A, the inside and outside of the refrigerator are sealed by the gasket 1030.

  As shown in FIGS. 61 (A) and (B), the camera unit 1000 is vertically attached to the attachment plate 1032 inside the vertical partition 17 filled with the heat insulating material 1031. The camera unit 1000 is disposed substantially at the center of the vertical partition 17 in the vertical direction. For this reason, also in the specific example 4, the camera unit 1000 can image the inside of the refrigerator from substantially the center of the refrigerator compartment 3 in the vertical and horizontal directions. Then, since the vertical partition 17 rotates as described above, in a state where the left door 3a is opened, as shown in FIG. 60A, the camera unit 1000 is parallel to the left door 3a. And it is the side opposite to the open side. This prevents the user from touching the lens surface of the camera unit 1000 when the left door 3a is opened.

When the left door 3a is closed, the camera unit 1000 faces the inside of the refrigerator as shown in FIG. 60 (B). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 62, the inside of the refrigerator is imaged from the front side and almost in the vicinity of the center. can do. In this case, if the door pocket 9a blocks the visual field of the camera unit 1000, a cutout similar to the door pocket 9b may be provided in the door pocket 9a.
In the case of the specific example 4 as well, similarly to the specific examples 1 to 3 described above, the inside of the refrigerator can be imaged as shown in FIG.

<Specific Example 5>
In the case of the specific example 5, as shown in FIG. 63, the camera unit 1000 is attached to a concave portion 1040 provided on the side wall 3c of the refrigerator compartment 3. In the case of the specific example 5, the camera unit 1000 is attached to each of the left and right side walls 3c. Note that the camera unit 1000 may be attached to only one of the side walls 3c.

  The recess 1040 is provided on the front side, that is, on the door side, of the side wall 3c, and a mounting surface 1041 for mounting the camera unit 1000 is formed in a shape inclined with respect to the side wall 3c. In the case of the specific example 5, the concave portion 1040 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a sectional view. Thus, when the camera unit 1000 is mounted, the field of view thereof is directed substantially toward the center of the refrigerator compartment 3.

Then, in Example 5, since the inside of the refrigerator is imaged from two directions on the left and right, one camera unit 1000 can image a portion blocked by food or the like from the other camera unit 1000. Thus, the entire interior of the warehouse can be imaged without being disturbed by foods and the like, and the interior of the warehouse can be confirmed in more detail. In addition, by synthesizing images captured from two directions to generate a three-dimensional image, the interior of the refrigerator can be displayed three-dimensionally.
Further, since the camera unit 1000 is attached to the side wall 3c, it is possible to wire the connection cable 1004 using the side wall 3c in the wired camera unit 1000, for example, provided on the back side of the refrigerator 1. Wiring processing can be easily performed up to the main control unit 30 (see FIG. 4).

<Example 6>
In the specific example 6, as shown in FIG. 64A, the camera unit 1000 is provided with an LED light 1050 as lighting means. The camera unit 1000 is covered on the front side with a protective cover 1051 in which at least a position corresponding to the LED light 1050 is transparent. In the camera unit 1000, the inside of the camera case 1001 is potted with a potting material 1017, similarly to the camera units 1000 of the specific examples 1 to 5.

  In this embodiment, the camera unit 1000 is arranged such that the protective cover 1051 provided on the front surface thereof and the mounting surface 1060 are flush with each other. That is, the camera unit 100 is stored in the storage unit. The mounting surface 1060 corresponds to, for example, the door inner plate 14, the vertical partition 17, the side wall 3c, and the like. In this state, the forefront of the lens unit 1013 is located forward of the mounting surface 1060.

  As shown in FIG. 64B, the LED light 1050 is disposed in the camera case 1001 at a position different from the image pickup device 1010 (see FIG. 55) in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the LED light 1050 is arranged ahead of the image sensor 1010. In the case of the present embodiment, the image pickup device 1010 is mounted on the substrate 1012, and the LED light 1050 is executed on the LED substrate 1052 disposed in front of the image pickup device 1010, so that the positions are different.

The LED light 1050 is disposed at a position near the front of the camera unit 1000, and prevents light emitted from the LED light 1050 from directly entering the lens unit 1013 and the image sensor 1010 in the camera case 1001. Have been. The LED light 1050 is surrounded by an opening wall 1053 that expands forward, and is located behind the front surface of the lens unit 1013. Since the front surface of the lens unit 1013 is located forward of the mounting surface 1060, even if light is reflected on the protective cover 1051 protecting the front surface of the LED, the light is directly transmitted to the lens unit 1013. No incident light.
By mounting the camera unit 1000 having such a configuration at the positions exemplified in the specific examples 1 to 5, the interior of the warehouse can be imaged by turning on the LED light 1050 without turning on the interior lighting 13 and the like.

  Note that the camera unit 1000 may be arranged such that the protective cover 1051 is located inside (rearward) of the mounting surface 1060. In this case, the lens unit 1013 may be arranged so that the frontmost surface is flush with the mounting surface 1060, or may be arranged so as to be located inside the mounting surface 1060. Further, the position of the lens unit 1013 in the camera unit 1000 may be adjusted so that the frontmost surface of the lens unit 1013 is flush with the protective cover 1051. That is, the tip of the main body of the lens unit 1013 may be flush with the protective cover 1051. With such an arrangement, when the camera unit 1000 is attached to, for example, the side wall 3c of the refrigerator compartment 3 or the inner plate 14 of the door, the camera unit 1000 does not protrude to the inside of the refrigerator and obstructs taking in and out of food. Can be prevented. In that case, an opening having the same size as the camera case 1001 may be provided on the mounting surface 1060, or a round hole opening corresponding to the lens unit 1013 and the LED light 1050 may be provided. Further, the camera case 1001 may be made to protrude from the mounting surface 1060 so that when water drops or the like drop on the mounting surface 1060 due to dew condensation, the water does not flow to the lens surface.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-described embodiment, but can be modified or expanded as follows. Further, some or all of the following modified examples and extended examples can be arbitrarily combined.
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the imaging camera is provided on the right door 3b is illustrated. However, as shown in FIG. 49, the imaging camera 18 may be provided on the vertical partition 17 provided on the left door 3a. Since the vertical partition 17 rotates in accordance with the open / close state of the left door 3a, the imaging camera 18 is turned to the inside of the warehouse when the left door 3a is closed as shown in FIG. Can be captured. On the other hand, when the left door 3a is open as shown in FIG. 49 (b), the imaging camera 18 faces the inner plate side, so that the user does not touch the imaging camera 18 and the lens surface is prevented from being stained. be able to.

Then, a concave storage portion may be provided in the vertical partition, and the camera may be stored in the storage portion. In this case, the vertical partition may be formed in a long rectangular shape, and may have a heat insulating portion and a heater inside. Further, it is preferable that a recess is provided in the vertical partition from the inside to the outside of the storage, and the camera is accommodated in the depression. In this case, the camera is arranged so as to face the inside of the storage.
In the first embodiment, a configuration in which one imaging camera 18 and one imaging light 19 are provided has been exemplified. However, as illustrated in FIG. 50, a plurality of imaging units (upper imaging camera 60, lower imaging camera 62, door imaging camera 64) are provided. Alternatively, a plurality of illumination means (upper imaging light 61, lower imaging light 63) may be provided. In this case, the upper imaging camera 60 may image the upper side of the interior of the warehouse, and the lower imaging camera 62 may image the lower side of the interior of the warehouse. That is, a plurality of imaging means for imaging a specific position in the refrigerator may be provided. In this case, by synthesizing the respective images, for example, a single in-compartment image as shown in FIG. 7 can be generated.

Further, since it is only necessary to be able to image a specific position such as an upper side or a lower side in the warehouse, it is possible to image the entire area in the warehouse without employing a wide-angle lens. In addition, since the field of view of the upper imaging camera 60 and the lower imaging camera 62 can be smaller than when a single imaging camera 18 captures images at a wide angle, in other words, the notch 9b1 is formed in the door pocket 9b as in the first embodiment. Since the possibility of obstructing the field of view is reduced without providing the storage space, it is also possible to image the inside of the warehouse while maintaining the storage amount of the door pocket.
In addition, an appropriate illumination means according to the position to be imaged, such as turning on the upper imaging light 61 when imaging with the upper imaging camera 60 and turning on the lower imaging light 63 when imaging with the lower imaging camera 62, etc. By turning on the light, the imaging environment may be controlled. Note that an imaging unit may be provided not only on the upper side and the lower side but also for each shelf board 11, for example.

Also, for example, the illuminance of the ceiling light 13 is controlled so that the illuminance of the ceiling light 13 is low when the upper side of the interior is imaged, and the illuminance of the ceiling light 13 is set to a normal state when the lower side of the interior is imaged. May be combined to generate one in-compartment image. That is, the imaging light 19 and the like do not always need to be dedicated to imaging.
In the first embodiment, the imaging environment is controlled by turning on the imaging light 19. However, the imaging environment is controlled such that the backlight against the imaging camera 18 is weakened by, for example, lowering the illuminance of the ceiling light 13 or the side light 36. You may.

  In addition, the door imaging camera 64 captures an image of the door pocket side, generates a combined image showing the state of opening the door of the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. It may be. In this case, a door imaging camera 64 may be provided in the refrigerator to take an image of the door pocket side, or a door imaging camera 64 may be provided on each of the inner plates 14 of the door, and other images may be taken at a timing after the door is opened. , The door pockets of the doors may be imaged, images may be captured at the timing after the doors are closed, and a plurality of images may be combined to generate one in-compartment image.

In each embodiment, the configuration in which the captured image is stored in the server 104 has been exemplified, but the configuration in which the captured image is directly transmitted to the communication terminal 103 may be adopted.
In each embodiment, the captured image is transmitted to the server 104 as it is. However, an image in which the distortion of the image caused by using the wide-angle lens is corrected may be transmitted to the server 104. In this case, the server 104 may correct the image distortion.

  In each embodiment, an example has been described in which the inside of the refrigerator is imaged at a timing at which a command for capturing the inside of the refrigerator is received from the communication terminal 103, but the image after the delay imaging time has elapsed is captured as the latest image. Then, even if the command is received, the inside of the refrigerator may not be imaged. That is, since the image after the delay imaging time has elapsed is the latest image after the door of the refrigerator 1 has been closed, the state where the image after the delay imaging time has elapsed is captured after the imaging time. Can be said to be in a state in which the door is not opened (a state in which the storage state has not changed). Therefore, if the image after the elapse of the delayed imaging time is the latest image, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented by not imaging. In this case, when the communication terminal 103 acquires an image from the server 104, it may be configured to notify that the image is the latest image.

  In the first embodiment, the control unit 50 is provided separately from the main control unit 30, but the main control unit 30 may be configured to control the imaging camera 18 and the like. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. In this case, if the configuration is such that the captured image is transmitted to the server 104 as it is as in the embodiment, a load-intensive process such as image processing is not required, so that the main control unit 30 alone can cope with it.

  In the first embodiment, the communication unit is provided on the imaging camera 18 side. However, as in the second embodiment, the communication unit is provided on the refrigerator 1 side, and the imaging camera 18 communicates with the communication unit on the refrigerator 1 side. It is good also as a structure which performs. In this case, the communication unit provided on the refrigerator 1 side may be configured to be provided in the main control unit 30 of the refrigerator 1, but is detachable (optional) as in the communication device 501 shown in FIG. 25 of the second embodiment. It may be.

In the first embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 3 is exemplified as the storage, but another storage such as the vegetable compartment 4 may be imaged as in the second embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the imaging camera 18 is provided in the refrigerator 1 in advance has been described, but the imaging camera 18 may be configured to be detachable from the refrigerator 1. Specifically, a configuration is possible in which a user who has purchased the refrigerator 1 can attach the imaging camera 18 after the purchase. That is, like the camera device 300 of the second embodiment, the imaging camera 18 may be a detachable camera unit.

In this case, the imaging camera 18 and the imaging light 19 may be housed integrally in a unit case, and may be detachable from the refrigerator 1. Further, the control unit 50 and the communication unit 52 may be provided integrally with the camera device, or the lens heater 51 may be provided integrally. Alternatively, the control unit 50 and the communication unit 52 may be provided in the refrigerator 1 in advance, and another communication unit for communicating with the control unit 50, the communication unit 52, and the like may be provided on the camera device side. That is, the camera device may have any configuration as long as it has at least the imaging camera 18.
The aforementioned hydrophilic means may be applied to the surface of the lens 301 or a cover for protecting the lens.
The camera device and the refrigerator 1 may be connected by a wired method or a wireless method. In this case, the power supply to the camera device may be a wireless power supply system.

  When the camera device is configured to be detachable, a mounting portion is provided on the door pockets 8 to 10, the inner plate 14, the vertical partition 17, the shelf plate, or the like of the refrigerator 1, and a mounting portion for mounting on the mounting portion is provided. By being provided in the camera device, it can be made detachable. Specifically, a configuration may be employed in which the mounting portion and the mounting portion are engaged with each other, or a configuration in which a clip is provided on the camera device and a door pocket having a different thickness is sandwiched (that is, the imaging unit is mounted at an arbitrary position). Possible configuration).

  In the case of adopting the wireless system, as shown in FIG. 52, for example, a recess 600 is provided on the inner plate 14 of the door of the refrigerator 1 as a mark indicating a position at which the camera device 300 is to be mounted. A mounting magnet 601 may be provided. For example, since the door such as the right door 3b has a structure in which a metal iron plate 602 is provided inside, the camera device 300 can be attached by magnetic force. The recess 600 may be provided with an attachment structure other than magnetic force (for example, a holding structure or an engagement structure). Further, a detection magnet 603 such as the magnet 206 of the second embodiment may be provided. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which a magnet is provided on the door side and a metal part is provided on the camera device 300 side.

Also, if the camera device can be mounted at any position, a mark indicating the mounting position is provided at a position where the inside of the refrigerator can be properly imaged, such as a part where the field of view is less likely to be blocked by a shelf board or a door pocket. You may. Note that even if the position where the camera device is to be attached is specified in advance, a mark may be provided so that the user does not get lost when attaching the camera device.
A dedicated portion for storing the camera device may be formed in the door pocket, and the camera device may be stored in that portion.
A detection unit such as an IC chip for detecting the presence or absence of a camera device may be provided at a specific place in the refrigerator 1 to allow the operation of the communication unit 52 according to the presence or absence of the camera device. In this case, the specific place includes at least the inside of the refrigerator 1. Note that a configuration in which the camera device is attached may be input from the operation panel 33.

  Further, the refrigerator 1 may be provided with an identification unit for identifying the camera device, and the operation of the camera device (including the operation of the communication unit 52 and the like) may be permitted only when the camera device is recognized as a specific camera device. Thus, only a reliable camera device (for example, a genuine manufacturer or a camera device whose operation has been confirmed) can be operated. Further, as in the second embodiment, the existing interior lighting can be used as a means for notifying of the imaging timing, so that additional components and the like become unnecessary, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, it is preferable to provide a detection unit for detecting whether or not the refrigerator 1 is an operation target on the camera device side, and to provide a detection unit for the detection unit to detect on the refrigerator 1 side. These detecting means and detected means may be configured by a physical method such as, for example, matching the shape of the connector, or may be configured by a method of exchanging identification information.
Further, for example, by communicating with the camera device 300, it may be configured to identify whether the camera device 300 is for the refrigerator 1 or not. In this case, the communication device 501 of the refrigerator 1 functions as identification means, and the communication module 306 functions as identification means for identifying the camera device 300 for the refrigerator 1 to the refrigerator 1. Become.

  Further, the identification means and the identification means may be used also as the detection means and the detection means described above. That is, for example, if the camera device 300 can be stored in the holding unit 202, the camera device 300 can also be identified as being for the refrigerator 1. In this case, the camera device 300 detects the polarity of the magnet 206 provided in the holding unit 202 and notifies the refrigerator 1 of the result, thereby determining whether the camera device 300 is housed in the holding unit 202. Alternatively, it is possible to make the refrigerator 1 blink the interior light and return a certain response from the camera device 300 to the blinking, and the like, so that identification can be performed.

  Further, a pocket attaching portion for attaching a door pocket may be provided on the inner plate 14 of the refrigerator 1, and the door pocket 9b (similarly, the door pocket 200 of the second embodiment) may be detachable. In other words, when the camera device is detachable, a user who does not use the camera device can attach a wide door pocket such as the door pocket 8 to increase the storage capacity, and a user who uses the camera device has a small width. However, by attaching the door pocket 9b (or the door pocket 200), it is possible to image the inside of the storage without obstructing the field of view of the camera device.

  Also, a wide (that is, substantially equal to the width of the right door 3b) door pocket (or a cutout portion 9b1 of the door pocket 9b) that covers the portion where the imaging camera 18 is attached to the pocket attachment portion in FIG. Door pocket) can be attached, and when the camera device is not used, the attachment portion of the camera device is covered by the door pocket, thereby preventing the user from accidentally touching the attachment portion. .

  The control of the imaging timing by the control unit 309 of the second embodiment determines the imaging conditions 1 to 4 and the like as in the first embodiment by communicating with the refrigerator 1 and acquiring the open / closed state of the door. It is good also as a structure which performs. In this case, both the timing detection by the illuminance sensor 313 and the imaging conditions 1 to 4 may be adopted, or any one of them may be adopted. Specifically, in the second embodiment, no image is taken when the user opens the door. However, the time when the interior lighting is continuously turned on is determined to be the time when the door is opened, and then the interior lighting is determined. It is possible to determine the imaging condition 1 by determining that the light is turned off when the door is closed and taking an image when the interior lighting is turned off. Further, if the configuration is such that the open / closed state of the door is acquired by communication from the main control unit 30 of the refrigerator 1 using the communication module 306, the imaging conditions 1 to 4 can be adopted.

The camera device 300 of the second embodiment may be provided with a removing unit for removing condensation.
The predetermined period of the second embodiment may be set to a period (or at least a longer period) during which condensation is removed based on temperature and humidity. Of course, a fixed period such as 2 hours may be set.
The camera device 300 according to the second embodiment may be configured without the imaging lamp 302. For example, since the refrigerator room 3 is provided with the ceiling light 13 and the like, an image may be taken using the interior lighting of the refrigerator. In this case, it is conceivable to transmit a lighting command to the refrigerator 1 via the communication module. Further, a configuration may be employed in which the imaging lamp 302 and the interior lighting are used at the time of imaging.

In each embodiment, an example in which the inside of the refrigerator is imaged is shown. However, for example, a specific space 12 such as an egg room or a chilled room which is closed or covered with a lid or a drawer structure is provided in a closed space provided in the refrigerator. It is also possible to form a window using a transparent member in a part of the structure of a low-pressure storage room or the like which is in a closed state, and to image the inside of the closed space from the window.
Wired or wireless power may be supplied to the camera device 300 from the refrigerator 1 side. This eliminates running out of batteries and the like, and can improve convenience. In this case, since the refrigerator 1 is basically always supplied with power, even if a power supply circuit or the like for supplying power to the camera device 300 is provided, it is considered that no abnormality occurs in the operation of the refrigerator 1. In this case, unnecessary power supply can be prevented from being performed by adopting a configuration that can be attached to and detached from the refrigerator 1 like the camera device 300.

In the second embodiment, the magnets are arranged such that the polarities of the two holding units facing the camera device 300 are different from each other. However, the magnets are arranged so that the relative positional relationship with respect to the detection unit 307 changes. You may. In this case, the output of the magnetic sensor increases when it is close to the magnet, and the output decreases when the distance from the magnet is small (however, the sign of the magnetic field does not change). it can.
The temperature sensor 310, the magnetic sensor 311, the acceleration sensor 312, and the illuminance sensor 313 may be provided as necessary, and not all sensors need be provided. For example, if the configuration is such that the magnetic sensor 311 detects the direction of the camera, the acceleration sensor 312 is not necessarily required.

  In order to check the inside of the refrigerator at a remote place, for example, when going out, for example, a communication terminal, which is an external device to which image information in the refrigerator is transmitted, is detachably attached to the refrigerator body. This also includes the fact that the inside of the refrigerator can be checked from the outside of the refrigerator with an image on the display of the communication terminal without opening the refrigerator door with the communication terminal attached. Further, a display unit may be attached to a refrigerator door or the like so as to be non-detachably, so that the inside of the refrigerator can be confirmed by an image on the display unit.

The following issues can be extracted from the present specification.
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a system for managing foodstuffs by recognizing foodstuffs by imaging the inside of a refrigerator (for example, see Patent Document 1).
However, there is a user who wants to check the inside of the refrigerator at a remote place such as a place to go.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a camera device that can easily check the inside of a refrigerator in a remote place.

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

  In the drawing, 1 is a refrigerator, 3 is a refrigerator (storage room), 3a is a left door (door), 3b is a right door (door), 4 is a vegetable room (storage room), 4a to 7a are doors, 5 is an ice making room ( Storage 6), upper freezer compartment (reservoir), 7 lower compartment (reservoir), 8-10 door pockets, 9b1 notch, 13 ceiling light (illumination means), 14 inner plate (mounted) , 17 is a vertical partition, 18 is an imaging camera (imaging means), 19 is an imaging light (illuminating means), 30 is a control section (control means), 33b is switches (outgoing switches), and 33c is an external sensor ( Environment acquisition means), 36 is a side light (illumination means), 50 is a control unit (control means), 51 is a lens heater (removal means), 52 is a communication unit (communication means), and 60 is an upper imaging camera (imaging means). Means), 61 is an upper imaging light (illuminating means), 62 is a lower imaging light Camera (imaging means), 63 is a lower imaging light (illuminating means), 64 is a door imaging camera (imaging means), 100 is a home appliance network system, 102 is a communication line, 103 is a communication terminal (external device), 104 is a server (External device), 200 is a door pocket (door pocket for refrigerator, holder for refrigerator), 202 is a holding part (attached part), 206 is a magnet (detection means), 300 is a camera device (imaging means), 302 Denotes an imaging lamp (illuminating means, camera-side illuminating means), 306 denotes a communication module (communication means, camera-side communicating means, identification means), 307 denotes a detecting unit (detecting unit), 308 denotes an imaging unit (imaging unit), 310 Is a temperature sensor, 311 is a magnetic sensor, 312 is an acceleration sensor, 313 is an illuminance sensor, 400 is a refrigerator holder, 401 is a holder, and 405 is a magnet 500 is a home appliance network system, 501 is a communication device (communication means, storage side communication means, identification means), 700 is a refrigerator, 702 is a recess, 704 is a wall, 704a is a cutout, and 705 is a door pocket. , 706 is an imaging camera (imaging means), 707 is an illumination LED (illuminating means), 709 is a base, 710 is a protective cover (lid), 711 is a shelf, 720 is a container, 750 is a movable shelf, 750a is an opaque part, 751 is a moving mechanism unit, 1000 is a camera unit (imaging means), 1001 is a camera case (protection case), 1003 is a camera module (imaging module), 1010 is an image sensor, 1011 is a circuit component, 1012 is a substrate, 1013 is a lens Unit 1017 is a potting material, 1018 is an O-ring, and 1050 is an LED light (illuminating means).

Claims (2)

The refrigerator body,
A storage room provided in the refrigerator body,
A door for opening and closing the storage room;
A camera device attached to the door to image the storage room,
The camera device,
A housing,
A control board that is provided in the housing along the inner plate of the door and controls the camera device.
refrigerator. The camera device,
Having a lens provided so as to be exposed from the housing and facing outward with respect to the control board,
The refrigerator according to claim 1.

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