JP2020094801A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of satisfactorily photographing food items in a storage room and easily discriminating the food items from outside.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises a control part controlling an imaging device imaging a storage room. An illumination device provided in the storage room and illuminating the interior of the storage room is used during normal use based on a door open/close detection means and also during imaging by the imaging device. Illuminance of the interior of the storage room is set lower during imaging than during normal use. The refrigerator greatly reduces the influence of reflected light from the inner surface of the storage room, images clear images, facilitates discrimination of food items in the storage room from outside and ensures user-friendliness while achieving common use of the illumination device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator including a photographing device for photographing the inside of a storage room.

Generally, many refrigerators and refrigerating systems of this type have been proposed. For example, in the refrigerator and the refrigerating system described in Patent Document 1, a small camera is provided in the storage, and the food storage situation in the storage taken by the small camera is displayed by a display terminal such as a mobile phone via the Internet line. It is configured for confirmation.

Further, Patent Document 2 also discloses a refrigerator and a refrigerating system similar to Patent Document 1, and the one described in Patent Document 1 takes a picture of the food condition in the storage with a small camera when the door of the refrigerator is closed. It is configured to do.

Further, the refrigerator and the refrigerating system described in Patent Document 3 are provided with a display terminal on the surface of the refrigerator in addition to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, and the display terminal is a fixed terminal and a refrigerator incorporated in the refrigerator surface. It consists of a display terminal such as a mobile phone that can be removed from the surface and carried around, and both terminals can display the storage status of food in the storage taken by a small camera through the Internet line on the display part, and when going out Of course, the configuration is such that when the user is at home, he/she can know the food storage status in the storage without opening the refrigerator door.

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

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator for photographing the inside of a storage room based on a photographing instruction received from the outside.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, a refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator having at least one storage chamber, which is provided on a side surface of the storage chamber, and a lighting device for illuminating the inside of the storage chamber, When a photographing device for photographing the inside of the storage room, a communication device for performing wireless communication with the outside, provided inside the door of the storage room, and the communication device receiving a photographing instruction from the outside On the basis of the determination means for determining whether the door of the storage room is closed and the determination means for determining that the door of the storage room is closed, the lighting device is turned on. In addition, the image capturing apparatus further comprises a control unit for causing the image capturing apparatus to perform image capturing. Further, the refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator having at least one storage chamber, which is provided on an upper surface of the storage chamber and illuminates an inside of the storage chamber, and an inside of a door of the storage chamber. An imaging device for photographing the inside of the storage room, a communication device for performing wireless communication with the outside, and a door of the storage room when the communication device receives a photographing instruction from the outside. Based on the determination means for determining whether or not it is closed and the determination means for determining that the door of the storage room is closed, the lighting device is turned on and then the image is captured by the imaging device. And a control means for executing. Further, the refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator having at least one storage chamber, and a lighting device provided on a side surface and an upper surface of the storage chamber for illuminating the inside of the storage chamber, and a door of the storage chamber. An imaging device provided inside for photographing the inside of the storage room, a communication device for executing wireless communication with the outside, and a communication device for the storage room when the communication device receives a photographing instruction from the outside. Based on the determination means for determining whether the door is closed and the determination means for determining that the door of the storage room is closed, the lighting device is turned on and then the imaging device is turned on. And a control means for executing the photographing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that photographs the inside of a storage room based on a photographing instruction received from the outside.

The perspective view of the refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention Schematic sectional view of the refrigerator The perspective view which shows the inside when the storage door of the same refrigerator is opened. (A) A perspective view in which the refrigerator is integrally equipped with a display terminal, and (b) A perspective view in which the refrigerator is detachably equipped with a display terminal. The mounting configuration example of the display terminal used for the same refrigerator is shown, (a) is sectional drawing when a display terminal is integrally attached, (b) is a sectional view when a display terminal is removably mounted. An example of a display visual recognition configuration of a display terminal used in the same refrigerator is shown, (a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views when a door outer panel is made of glass, and (c) is a door outer panel configured with a magic mirror. Cross-sectional view of the case Vertical sectional view showing an example of installing a camera in the refrigerator The example of attaching a camera of the said refrigerator is shown, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator door part in the state which closed the door, (b) is a front view of the door inner surface side when opening the same door (A) (b) (c) Vertical sectional view showing another example of the camera mounting example of the same refrigerator Vertical sectional view showing a camera mounting example in the case of a single door of the refrigerator The example of attaching a camera of the said refrigerator is shown, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator door part in the state which closed the door, (b) is a front view of the door inner surface side when the said door is opened. A longitudinal sectional view showing another example of mounting a camera in the case of a single door of the refrigerator Explanatory drawing which shows the imaging|photography state in the camera mounting example of FIG. Explanatory drawing showing an example of a camera attached to the same refrigerator System configuration diagram of the refrigerator system in the embodiment Block diagram showing the refrigerator configuration of the refrigerator system Block diagram showing the server configuration of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing photographing to data storage operation when the door of the refrigerator system is closed Flowchart showing photographing to data storage operation during the refrigerating room cooling operation of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing another operation example of photographing to data storage operation of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing another operation example of photographing to data storage operation of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing another operation example of photographing to data storage operation of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing another operation example of photographing to data storage operation of the refrigerator system Flowchart showing photographing to data storage operation when the door of the refrigerator system is opened Flowchart showing another operation example of photographing to data storage when the door of the refrigerator system is opened Flowchart showing another operation example of the photographing operation in FIGS. Flowchart showing a case where the server device performs data storage and combination operation in the refrigerator system Flowchart showing the case where the refrigerator side performs data storage and combination operation in the refrigerator system Flowchart showing a case where data storage and combining operations in the refrigerator system are performed on the display terminal side Flowchart showing normal image data transmission/reception in the refrigerator system Flowchart showing transmission/reception of image data when image data is stored in a display terminal in the refrigerator system Flowchart showing a case where individual images and composite images are switched and transmitted/received in the refrigerator system Flowchart showing image data transmission/reception at the time of advance transmission request in the refrigerator system Front view of a display terminal for explaining switching of transmission/reception paths in the refrigerator system The figure for demonstrating the image compositing process in the same refrigerator system.

The invention according to claim 1 is a storage room that is partitioned by a heat insulation wall and a heat insulation door to store a stored item, a lighting device that is provided in the storage room and illuminates the inside of the storage room, and a storage space of the storage room. A partition shelf for partitioning the storage compartment, a cooler for cooling the storage compartment, a heat-insulating door that covers the storage compartment, a door open/close detection unit that detects opening/closing of the heat-insulating door, and an imaging device that images the storage compartment. And a control unit for controlling the image pickup device, wherein the illumination device is used both during normal use based on the door opening/closing detection means and during image pickup by the image pickup device, and the illuminance in the storage room Is designed to be lower during imaging than during normal use, and it is possible to significantly reduce the effect of reflected light from the inside surface of the storage while using a dual lighting device It is possible to take various images, it becomes easy to distinguish the food in the storage from the outside, and it is possible to provide a refrigerator that is easy to use.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the lighting device includes side illumination provided on a side surface of the storage chamber and top illumination provided on a top surface of the storage chamber. Therefore, it is possible to improve the visibility of the inside of the refrigerator when the door is opened, and it is possible to capture a clear image with the imaging device.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the side lighting device is provided closer to the opening side of the storage chamber than the partition shelf, and extends from the front to the rear side. By irradiating the subject with light, a shadow is unlikely to occur on the subject, and a clear image can be captured by the imaging device.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the image pickup device is arranged so that direct light from the illumination device does not enter. It is possible to exclude direct light from the illumination device and reliably capture a clear image with the imaging device.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments below.

[Embodiment 1]
<1. Composition>
1-1. Configuration of refrigerator 1-1-1. Configuration of French Door Type Refrigerator First, a configuration example of a French door type refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

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

A cooling chamber 16 is provided on the back surface of the refrigerator main body 1, a cooler 17 for generating cold air, a blower fan 18 for supplying cold air to each chamber, and a damper (air volume adjusting means) for adjusting the air volume to the refrigerating room. And 22 are provided. Further, a compressor 19 is provided at the back of the main body of the refrigerator main body 1, and a condenser (not shown), a heat radiating pipe 20 for radiating heat, a capillary tube 21, and the cooler 17 are sequentially arranged. The cooling operation is performed by enclosing a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle connected in a ring shape.

Here, each of the doors 10 to 14 is filled with hard urethane foam so as to have a heat insulating property like the refrigerator main body 1, and in this refrigerator, among the doors 10 to 14, the door of the storage 5 serving as a refrigerating room. A display terminal 15 is provided on one of the front surfaces of 10. The display terminal 15 is composed of a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel and a control unit for controlling the display unit as shown in FIG. 4A, and is integrally attached to the door 10, or as shown in FIG. It is formed of a smartphone or a tablet PC and can be attached to and detached from the door 10 and may be equipped with any method.

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

5(a) and 5(b), the door 10 mainly includes an outer panel 10a facing the front side of the refrigerator, an inner panel 10b facing the inside of the refrigerator, an outer panel 10a and an inner panel. 10b and the heat insulating material 4 filled between them. The outer panel 10a is made of a metal member such as a color steel plate or a transparent member such as a glass plate, and the inner plate 10b is a synthetic resin member formed by vacuum molding. A peripheral wall of the inner plate 10b is provided with a raised wall portion 10b-1 projecting toward the inside of the refrigerator in a square shape when viewed from the inside of the refrigerator. Further, the heat insulating material 4 is made of, for example, hard urethane foam as described above.

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

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

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

7, 8(a), and 8(b) show an example of mounting the camera and the interior illumination lamp, which are the main parts of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the refrigerator with the door closed. 8A is a cross-sectional view showing a door inner surface portion in the refrigerator with the door closed, and FIG. 8B is a front view of the door inner surface portion when the door is opened.

In FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, shelf plates 30-1 to 30-4 are provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages in the storage 5 of the refrigerator. The shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4 are formed of a transparent material such as a transparent synthetic resin material or glass except for the surrounding frame.

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

33-1 to 33-3 are door pockets provided on the inner surface of the door 10 for opening and closing the opening of the storage 5, and are provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages. The door pockets 33-1 to 33-3 are also made of a transparent material.

Reference numerals 34-1 and 34-2 denote interior illumination lights, which are provided on both front opening side wall portions and front opening upper surface wall surface portions of the storage 5 in front of the front ends of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4. In addition, in order to save energy, the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided with a substrate on which a plurality of LEDs are arranged, for example, in the vertical direction and covered with a translucent cover.

Reference numerals 35-1 and 35-2 are cameras provided so as to be located on the front side of the storage 5 like the above-mentioned interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, and are constituted by, for example, CCD cameras or CMOS cameras. The type is not particularly limited, but it is preferably one that is strong against dew condensation and the like.

In this embodiment, two cameras are provided, and one of the cameras 35-1 is attached to the upper door pocket 33-1 in the vicinity of the lower surface of the upper door pocket 33-1 substantially in the center in the front-rear direction. Is attached near the top of the bottom door pocket 33-3. Here, the front-rear direction of the door pocket 33 is a direction perpendicular to the surface formed by the inner plate 10b of the door 10, and is the same direction as the front-rear direction of the storage 5 when the door 10 is closed. ..

The upper camera 35-1 is provided substantially in front of the uppermost shelf 30-1 and the lower camera 35-2 is provided in front of the third shelf 30-3 in the figure. In other words, any of the cameras is not the shelf plate 30-2 placed on the plurality of side wall protrusions 32-2 provided on the premise of height adjustment, but a shelf that is removable but does not assume height adjustment. It is provided substantially in front of the plate 30-1 and the shelf plate 30-3.

Further, as is apparent from FIG. 7, both cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are at the front positions of the front ends of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4, and are shown in FIG. 8B. In this manner, the two cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided so as to be located near the open end side end Y opposite to the pivotal support X of the door 10, that is, substantially in the center of the refrigerator 51 in the left-right direction. It is designed so that almost the entire area of the warehouse can be photographed. In the case of this French door example, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the side of the door 10 having a large area, and are set so as to be located in the approximate center of the refrigerator 51. In addition, in this example, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the door 10 side where the center pillar 36 (see FIG. 3) is not provided, and are set so as to be located at substantially the central portion of the refrigerator 51. .. As is well known, in the case of a French door, the center pillar 36 is provided on one of the side surfaces of the two doors 10, and cool air in the storage 5 leaks from a gap formed between the two doors 10. This is a member provided to prevent this.

As for the cameras 35-1 and 35-2, as shown in FIG. 9A, a camera 35-3 dedicated to the inside of the storage container is additionally installed, or as shown in FIG. -2 is provided so as to be movable up and down, or the lower camera 35-2 is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 4C, if desired according to the form of the refrigerator to be installed. Good.

Further, as is clear from FIG. 7, the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided at positions on the inner side of the storages with respect to the cameras 35-1 and 35-2, and the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided. It is provided so that the light of No. 2 does not directly enter the photographing units of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, the image capturing units of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are arranged so that the irradiation amount (maximum irradiation amount) of the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is increased. ), it is provided outside the range where the irradiation amount is 1/2 or more, in this example, the irradiation angle is 60 degrees.

Although not shown, this is provided with a light-shielding portion on the camera side of the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2, or a light source such as an LED constituting the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2. It is possible to prevent the light from the internal illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 from directly entering the image capturing section of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 by adopting a configuration such as an oblique rearward inclination. Therefore, it may be appropriately selected according to the installation conditions of the camera. This also applies to a single-door type refrigerator described below.

1-1-2. Configuration of Single Door Type Refrigerator FIGS. 10 to 13 show an example of mounting the camera and the interior illumination lamp when the door 10 is a single door. In this single-type door refrigerator, the same parts as those of the French door-type refrigerator described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. Only different parts will be described.

First, an example thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11A and 11B.

In FIGS. 10 and 11(a) and (b), in the case of this one-door refrigerator, the upper camera 35-1 is a left/right split door pocket 33- which is a typical arrangement example in the one-door door. 4, 33-5 and 33-6, and the lower camera 35-2 is provided on the inner surface of the door between the door pockets 33-7 and 33-8. .. Similar to the French door type, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are detachable but are provided at substantially front positions of the shelf plate 30-1 and the shelf plate 30-3 which are not subject to height adjustment. And as shown in FIG. 10, it is a front position from the front end of each shelf board 30-1 to 30-4, and near the central portion of the door 10, that is, as can be seen in FIGS. The refrigerator 51 is provided so as to be located at a substantially central portion in the left-right direction, and the two cameras 35-1 and 35-2 can photograph almost the entire interior of the refrigerator.

The interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided in the same manner as the French door type. That is, the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided in front of the front ends of the respective shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4 and on the front opening both side wall portions and the front opening upper surface wall surface portion of the storage. Yes, the position where the light does not directly enter the photographing units of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2, that is, the photographing units of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 irradiate the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2. It is provided outside the range where the irradiation amount is 1/2 or more of the irradiation amount in the direction (maximum irradiation amount), in this example, the irradiation angle is 60 degrees.

12(a), (b) and FIG. 13 show another example of the single door type.

In the case of this example, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided near the door open end Y on the side opposite to the pivotal support X of the door 10, as shown in FIGS. The height positions of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are the same as in the case of the one-door door described above. When the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided near the door open end Y, an image is taken when the door 10 is opened at a predetermined angle, for example, 30 degrees. As a result, the image can be taken in a wide range up to the vicinity of the opening of the storage 5 as shown by the broken line in FIG. 13, and the image is in a state in which the user occasionally opens the door slightly. The state is almost the same as when viewing the image, and when viewing the image on the display terminal 15, the image can be viewed in a natural form without any discomfort.

1-1-3. Camera Configuration FIG. 14 shows an example of a camera used for internal shooting. It is most preferable to provide the cameras at positions vertically separated from each other as described in each of the above-mentioned examples for the inside shooting, but even if the upper and lower cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are installed close to each other as shown in FIG. As a result of verification, we were able to confirm that the entire area inside could be photographed.

Therefore, in such a case, it is conceivable that the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are integrated to form the camera module 41, and such modularization enables easy installation and cost reduction. It can also be modularized by using a wider-angle lens such as a fisheye lens.

1-2. Overall Configuration of Refrigerator System Next, the entire refrigerator system using the refrigerator as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 31.

FIG. 15 shows an overall configuration of a refrigerator system 50 using the above-mentioned refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 15, the refrigerator system 50 is a system for confirming the condition of food in the refrigerator 51 by the display terminal 15 or the like.

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

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

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

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

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

As described above, the display terminal 15 is, for example, a general-purpose portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet PC (personal computer), and in the case of the present embodiment, it can be detachably attached to the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 described above. And a function (means) for connecting to the Internet 56 and a function (means) for communicating with a gateway device 54 described later.

The display terminal 15 (eg, smartphone) is configured to connect to the Internet 56 via a telephone line network (eg, 3G line network). Additionally or alternatively, for example, the display terminal 15 is configured to connect to the Internet 56 via a public wireless LAN by a Wi-Fi communication function.

By connecting to the Internet 56, for example, the display terminal 15 is a program that acquires image data of food in the refrigerator, which is the subject of the present invention, and data for performing energy-saving operation (for example, data such as the number of times the door has been opened and closed). Can be obtained from the home page of the manufacturer of the refrigerator 51 via the Internet 56. By installing the acquired program in the display terminal 15 and starting the installed program, the display terminal 15 can acquire the image data of the food in the refrigerator. That is, the display terminal 15 can generate and transmit an operation signal for acquiring the image data of the refrigerator 51 by operating the operation screen of the display 15a. Details will be described later.

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

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

The gateway device 54 is also configured to make communication connection with the display terminal 15 via the router device 55. That is, the gateway device 54 is configured so that the communication (first communication) can be executed only via the router device 55 without passing through the display terminal 15 and the Internet 56.

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

Therefore, the gateway device 54 communicates with the display terminal 15 not via the Internet 56 (that is, the first communication via only the router device 55) and communication via the internet 56 (that is, via the internet 56 and the router device 55). The second communication) is performed. The reason for configuring in this way will be described later.

The server device 57 is prepared, for example, by the manufacturer of the refrigerator 51. The server device 57 manages information necessary for access and authentication regarding the display terminal 15, the refrigerator 51, and the wireless adapter 53. For example, the server device 57 determines whether the identification information of the display terminal 15 included in the communication request signal matches the identification information of the display terminal 15 stored (registered) in association with the wireless adapter 53. Authenticate (determine). Then, when these match, the server device 57 authenticates the display terminal 15 to be accessed as a legitimate display terminal, and permits communication with the refrigerator 51 in the residence A.

In addition, the server device 57 stores the above-described image data of the food in the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator 51, data for energy saving operation, and the like. These data are transmitted to the display terminal 15 based on the data call signal from the display terminal 15. That is, the user can operate the display terminal 15 to display and confirm the food image data in the refrigerator on the display.

1-3. Refrigerator System Section Configuration FIG. 16 shows the system section configuration of the refrigerator used in the refrigeration system.

In FIG. 16, the refrigerator 51 includes an interface (I/F) 58, a controller (control unit) 59, a storage unit 60, a door opening/closing detection unit 61, interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2, a camera 35-. 1, 35-2, a fan drive circuit 62, a compressor drive circuit 63, a blower fan 18, and a compressor 19, and receives power from an AC power supply 64 such as a commercial power supply in the house A.

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

The controller (control unit) 59 controls the operation of the refrigerator. Further, the controller 59 controls the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 and the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 to photograph the food in the refrigerator, and temporarily stores the image data in the storage unit 60. And transmits to the server device 57 of the Internet 56. Further, if there is a request signal for pre-transmission of image data from the display terminal 15 via the server device 57, an instruction to perform transmission to the display terminal 15 via the server device 57 immediately after food photography. The details will be described later.

In addition to the identification symbol and the control program, the storage unit 60 rewrites and stores the image data of the food in the warehouse taken by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 and the data for the energy saving operation.

Lighting and extinction of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are controlled by the controller 59 based on a signal from the door opening/closing detection unit 61, and are turned on when the door 10 is opened, and a few seconds after the door 10 is closed. Turns off after a delay time.

The cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are controlled by the controller 59 based on the signal from the door open/close detection unit 61, and when the door 10 is closed, the food in the refrigerator is photographed. The details will be described later.

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

The compressor drive circuit 63 receives a control signal from the controller 59 and controls driving of the rotation speed and the like of the compressor 19.

The blower fan 18 operates under the control of the fan drive circuit 62 to generate an air flow for circulating the cool air.

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

1-4. Configuration of Server Device Next, a configuration example of the server device of the refrigerator system in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the configuration of the server device 57 in FIG. 15 is taken as an example.

As shown in FIG. 17, the server device 57 includes a server interface 65, a server control unit 66, and a data storage unit 67.

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

The server control unit 66 controls the overall operation of the server device 57. The server control unit 66 also performs a combination process on the image data of the food transmitted from the refrigerator 51, stores the image data in the data storage unit 67, and when the display terminal 15 sends a signal of a request for advance transmission of the image data, the data storage unit 66. The latest image data of the image data stored in 67 is transmitted to the display terminal 15 every time the image data is transmitted from the refrigerator 51, and the display terminal 15 is rewritten and updated. Of course, when a data call signal is transmitted from the display terminal 15 in the absence of a signal for requesting advance transmission of image data, the latest image data stored in the data storage unit 67 is transmitted to the display terminal 15.

The data storage unit 67 stores necessary data such as a management program and an application program for executing the refrigerator system. Further, the data storage unit 67 rewrites and stores the latest food image data transmitted from the refrigerator 51 under the control of the server control unit 66. The data storage unit 67 includes, for example, an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), and the like.

It should be noted that the server device 57 can be constructed by either a server composed of a single large computer or a cloud type server composed of a large number of computers.

<2. Operation>
Next, the operation of the refrigerator and the refrigerating system having the above configurations will be described. In the following description, the same operation will be described by adding the same step number.

2-1. Food photographing operation 2-1-1. Photographing when the door is closed FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the operation when the food in the storage is photographed when the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 is closed.

When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y in step 1), the interior illumination lights 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on (step 2), and when the door 10 is closed (Y in step 3), The illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 is reduced (step 4), the cameras 35-1, 35-2 are activated for a while, for example, after a few seconds, and the food in the interior is photographed (step 5). .. After that, the photographed image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 are turned off (step 7).

Here, when the illuminance of the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is lowered during the above-described photographing, the food can be clearly photographed, which is preferable. That is, when the food is photographed by turning on the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2, the reflected light is strongly reflected from the entire peripheral surface excluding the opening of the storage to the food because the inside of the storage is white. However, (the illuminance does not decrease and bounces off the food at a high illuminance), the food becomes whitish and it becomes difficult to take clear pictures. However, when the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is reduced as in the above example, the influence of the reflected light from the inner surface of the storage can be significantly reduced and a clear image can be captured. It will be.

2-1-2. Photographing during refrigerating room cooling operation FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an operation in a case where the food in the refrigerator is taken in and out and then the food in the storage room is photographed during cooling in the refrigerating room.
When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y in step 1), the interior lighting 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on (step 2), the door 10 is closed (Y in step 3), and the refrigerator compartment. It is determined whether or not the cooling operation state is (step 8). If the blower fan 18 is ON, the damper 22 is open, and the refrigerating compartment is in the cooling operation, the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 is reduced as in the case of closing the door (step 4). ), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated to photograph the food in the refrigerator (step 5). After that, the photographed image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 are turned off (step 7).

Thus, by taking an image during the refrigerating room cooling operation, even if dew condensation occurs due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the store, for example, on the surface of the food newly placed in the store, this dew is eliminated by the cooling operation, Disappear. Therefore, the images taken by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are preferable because they are sharp enough to read the characters written on the food packaging container.

When the door 10 is closed (Y in step 1) in the above operation, the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 are once turned off, and the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 are again turned on before photographing. -2 is turned on to reduce the illuminance, and it is possible to suppress wasteful power consumption due to the internal lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 being continuously turned on.

2-1-2-a. Photographing in conjunction with door opening/closing operation FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an operation in a case where the foodstuff in the storage is imaged in conjunction with the door opening/closing operation after the food in the refrigerator is taken in and out.

When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y in step 1), the interior illumination lights 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on (step 2), and when the door 10 is closed (Y in step 3), A predetermined time is measured after the door is closed (step 101), and when it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are energized (step 102). Then, similarly to the photographing when the door is closed, the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is reduced (step 4), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated, and the food in the refrigerator is photographed. (Step 5). After that, the power supply to the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is terminated (step 103), and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are stored. Is turned off (step 7).

As described above, by measuring the predetermined time after detecting the closing of the door and starting the photographing of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 after determining that the predetermined time has passed, the lens of the camera may become cloudy when the door is opened. Even in this case, it is possible to secure the time for removing the fogging and capture clear image data. The predetermined time depends on the ambient temperature of the refrigerator, the humidity, the opening time of the door, etc., for example, the higher the ambient temperature and humidity, the longer the predetermined time, or the longer the opening time of the door, the longer the predetermined time. The predetermined time may be changed depending on the conditions.

In addition, the timing of energizing the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is set to a predetermined time after detecting the closing of the door, but may be any timing as long as it is from detecting the opening of the door to photographing. The effect of preventing the fogging of the lens can be further enhanced by energizing the camera after detecting the opening of the door, but it can be appropriately set in balance with the power consumption.

When the predetermined time is set to be long (for example, a few minutes), the interior lighting in (step 2) is temporarily turned off, and the illuminance suitable for the shooting is set again before the predetermined shooting. You may light it up and shoot. The energization timing of the camera may be appropriately set again before a predetermined time of photographing.

Further, the end of energization of the camera (step 103) has been described before the storage of the image data (step 6), but it may be performed after the storage of the image data (step 6).

2-1-2-b. Photographing in conjunction with time FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation in the case where the foodstuffs in the storage are photographed based on a predetermined time period or a predetermined time.

It is determined whether a predetermined time has passed or a predetermined time has passed since the last photographing (step 201), and if Yes, it is determined whether the door 10 is in the closed state (step 202), and when the door 10 is in the closed state. , The cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are energized (step 102). Then, the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is turned on at a predetermined illuminance (step 203), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated, and the food in the refrigerator is photographed (step 5). ). After that, the power supply to the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is terminated (step 103), and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are stored. Is turned off (step 7).

In this way, it is determined whether a predetermined time has passed or the predetermined time has elapsed since the previous shooting, and the shooting of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is started, so that the stored food is regularly imaged. Data can be acquired. Thereby, for example, not only the presence or absence of food in the refrigerator but also the state change of the preserved food can be periodically acquired and monitored as an image.

In the present embodiment, the operation in the case where the food in the storage is photographed based on the predetermined time period or the predetermined time has been described, but the food in the storage is interlocked with the door opening/closing operation described above. It may be combined with the case where the image capturing is performed (2-1-2-a. Image capturing linked to the door opening/closing operation). For example, the food in the storage may be imaged in conjunction with the door opening/closing operation, and the food in the storage may be imaged based on a predetermined time period or a predetermined time. In addition, based on the fact that the food in the storage is photographed in conjunction with the door opening/closing operation, when the door is not opened/closed for a predetermined time, the food in the storage is photographed based on a predetermined time period or a predetermined time. You may do it.

2-1-2-c. Photographing linked with an external command FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an operation in the case where the food in the storage is photographed based on a command to photograph externally.

When there is a photographing instruction from the outside (step 301), it is determined whether the door 10 is in the closed state (step 202), and when the door 10 is in the closed state, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are energized (step). 102). Then, the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is turned on at a predetermined illuminance (step 203), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated, and the food in the refrigerator is photographed (step 5). ). After that, the power supply to the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is terminated (step 103), and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are stored. Is turned off (step 7). Then, the image data is transmitted (step 302).

In this way, by photographing the food in the storage based on the photographing instruction from the outside and transmitting the image data, it is possible to confirm the stored food in the storage in the image in real time when necessary.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the operation in the case where the food in the storage is imaged based on the external imaging instruction has been described, but the food in the storage is imaged in conjunction with the door opening/closing operation described above. (2-1-2-a. Shooting linked with door opening/closing operation), or when shooting is performed when a predetermined time has passed from the previous shooting or when a predetermined time has come (2-1-2 -B. Shooting linked with time) may be combined.

2-1-2-d. Photographing in Link with Damper FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation in the case of photographing the food in the storage in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the refrigerator damper.

When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y in step 1), the interior illumination lights 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on (step 2), and when the door 10 is closed (Y in step 3), After detecting the closing of the door, it is judged whether the damper of the refrigerating compartment is opened or closed (step 401). If it is judged that the damper of the refrigerating compartment is in the open state (Y of step 401), it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the door 10 was closed. After the judgment and the predetermined time has elapsed (Y in step 101), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are energized (step 102). Then, the illuminance of the interior illumination lamps 34-1, 34-2 is reduced (step 4), the cameras 35-1, 35-2 are activated, and the food in the interior is photographed (step 5). After that, the power supply to the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is terminated (step 103), and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are stored. Is turned off (step 7).

If the damper of the refrigerating compartment is closed in step 401 (N in step 401), the damper of the refrigerating compartment is waited until it is opened (step 402), and when the damper of the refrigerating compartment is detected to be open ( (Y in step 402), it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the opening of the damper was detected, and after the predetermined time has elapsed (Y in step 403), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are energized (step 102). After that, the same operation as above is performed.

In this way, by photographing the inside of the refrigerator with the damper in the refrigerating room open, it is possible to remove the cloudiness and dew condensation of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 due to the introduction of the cool air dehumidified by the cooler into the refrigerator. It is possible to obtain clear image data. Further, since the damper in the refrigerating compartment is set to open for a predetermined time, it is possible to reliably remove fogging and dew condensation on the cameras 35-1 and 35-2.

In the present embodiment, the operation in the case where the food in the storage is photographed in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the refrigerator damper has been described. However, from the viewpoint of introducing dehumidified cold air, the operation of the compressor 19 and the blower fan 18 is described. Time is a prerequisite.

Further, when the ambient temperature is low, the time period during which the compressor 19 is operated or the damper in the refrigerating chamber is opened is shortened. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is low, the setting of the predetermined time is shortened or changed. You may let me. In addition, a mode for forcibly operating the compressor 19 or maintaining the open state of the damper in the refrigerating room at the time of photographing may be provided.

2-1-3. Photographing when the door is opened FIG. 24 is a flow chart showing an operation in the case of a one-door door, in which the food in the storage is photographed when the door 10 is opened at a predetermined angle.

When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y in step 1), the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on (step 2), and the opening angle of the door is a predetermined angle, for example, in FIG. When the opening angle of 30 degrees is reached (Y in step 10), the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 is reduced (step 4), the cameras 35-1, 35-2 are activated, and the interior of the warehouse is activated. The food inside is photographed (step 5). After that, the photographed image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6), and when the door is closed (Y in step 11), the interior illumination lamps 34-1, 34-2 are turned off (step 7). ..

If the image is taken when the door 10 is opened by a predetermined angle as in this example, it is possible to take an image of the inside of the storage 5 in a wide range as described above, and the image becomes natural without any discomfort. Is.

When the image is taken at a predetermined angle, the image is taken at least twice during the door opening operation and the door closing operation. At this time, in the operation time from one door opening to one closing, by storing the image data captured last (during the door closing operation) in the storage unit 60, the latest storage of the latest storages where the food is taken in and out is stored. The food condition can be photographed.

Needless to say, in step 10 of detecting whether or not the opening angle of the door 10 reaches a predetermined angle, if the door 10 is closed before reaching the predetermined angle, the inside illumination lamp 34-1. , 34-2 are turned off, and the door 10 is opened again.

The above description has been made by exemplifying a typical shooting operation. However, in addition to the shooting operation, for example, shooting is performed at a fixed time or when a predetermined time has elapsed after the previous shooting, or when a shooting instruction is given from the display terminal 15. A shooting operation such as "Yes" is also conceivable.

2-1-3-a. Another Example of Imaging When Door is Opened FIG. 25 shows another example of a case of a single door, in which the food in the storage is imaged when the door 10 is opened at a predetermined angle. It is a flowchart.

When the door 10 is opened to take food in and out (Y of step 1), when the opening angle of the door becomes a predetermined angle, for example, 30 degrees or more (Y of step 10), the cameras 35-1, 35-. 2 is energized (step 102). Then, when the door 10 moves from the open state to the closing operation and the opening angle of the door 10 reaches a predetermined angle, for example, an opening angle of 30 degrees (Y in step 501), the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated, The food in the refrigerator is photographed (step 5). Then, when the door 10 is closed (N in step 502) without the opening angle of the door 10 exceeding the predetermined angle, for example, the opening angle of 30 degrees again (Y in step 503), the cameras 35-1, 35-. The energization of No. 2 is terminated (step 103), and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 (step 6).

If the opening angle of the door does not reach a predetermined angle, for example, 30 degrees or more (N in step 10), the door 10 does not exceed the predetermined opening angle, for example, 30 degrees. When is closed (Y in step 504), no image is taken (step 505) and the process returns to the standby state.

In addition, after the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are activated and the food in the refrigerator is photographed (step 5), if the opening angle of the door 10 exceeds a predetermined angle, for example, 30 degrees again (step 5). (Y of 502), it is determined that food has to be re-injected, and it is determined that re-imaging is necessary (step 506), the door 10 is moved from the open state to the closing operation again, and the opening angle of the door 10 is a predetermined angle, for example, It is determined whether the opening angle is 30 degrees (step 501). After that, the same operation as above is performed.

In this way, if the image is taken when the door 10 is opened by a predetermined angle, the inside of the storage can be taken in a wide range as already described. At this time, it is not necessary to adjust the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 to a predetermined illuminance as described in the shooting when the door is closed. The image data captured in a natural state as viewed by the user can be obtained by the illumination from the.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the door 10 is not completely closed due to re-feeding of food or the like, the operation of the open state and the closed state is repeated when the opening angle of the door 10 is a predetermined angle (for example, 30 degrees). Even in the case of opening, it is possible to acquire the image data taken immediately before the door 10 is closed, that is, the image data of the final storage state of the food.

2-1-4. Illumination at the time of photographing The food illumination at the time of photographing lowers the illuminance after lighting the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, as already described with reference to FIGS. 18, 19, and 24. Illuminate and shoot. Depending on the case, it may be considered that only the inside lighting lamps 34-1 on both sides of the storage or the inside lighting lamps 34-2 on the upper surface of the storage are turned on to reduce the illuminance and irradiate for photographing. The reason for shooting with this illuminance reduced will be described later.

Further, the following may be considered as another example of food irradiation at the time of photographing. That is, FIG. 26 is a flow chart showing a state of turning on/off the interior illumination lamps 34-1, 34-2 at the time of photographing by the cameras 35-1, 35-2. This corresponds to the operation of the broken line part.

The above-described shooting in FIGS. 18, 19, and 24 is an example of shooting by turning on the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 and then lowering the illuminance thereof. One of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 on one side is turned off, in other words, only one of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 on both sides of the storage compartment is turned on so that the food is illuminated and the food is photographed. In this case, the inside illumination lamp 34-2 on the upper surface of the storage may be turned on or off, but any one may be appropriately selected so that the illuminance inside the storage is optimal for photographing.

In FIG. 26, before starting the photographing with the cameras 35-1 and 35-2, one of the inside lighting lamps 34-1 on both sides of the storage which has been turned on, for example, the right inside lighting lamp is turned off ( In step 12), the food that is being illuminated by the left inside lighting is photographed (step 13) and stored (step 14). After that, the right inside lighting is turned on (step 15), then the left inside lighting is turned off (step 16), and the food under irradiation with the right inside lighting is photographed (step 17). ). The image data is stored (step 18), and the right compartment illumination lamp is turned off (step 19). The image data stored by irradiating food from one side in this way is combined and stored as one image.

The reasons why the inside illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are turned on one by one as described above to photograph the food and combine them into one are as follows. That is, as described above, the illuminance of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is reduced during image capturing, but if the illuminance decrease is too large, the image becomes dark and lacks clarity. Therefore, there is a limit to the decrease in illuminance. Therefore, although the illuminance is maintained to some extent, the effect of the reflected light may remain even if the illuminance is small when the internal volume of the storage is small. However, as described in this example, when the left and right sides of the interior lighting lamp 34-1 are turned on to photograph food, the effect of reflected light can be reduced and the interior lighting lamp 34-1 is turned on. The surface on the side where you live can be photographed with appropriate brightness. Therefore, it is preferable to perform a combining process for combining the left and right images of the food taken with this appropriate brightness, because the entire image becomes clear.

The storage unit 60 includes a storage unit 60 that stores an image captured by the image capturing apparatus and a correction unit that corrects the image. The storage unit 60 stores the image corrected by the correction unit when a plurality of images are combined. The image may be stored, and in the case of a single image, the imaged image may be stored without using the correction unit. This eliminates the need to perform complicated arithmetic processing on all images, and allows quick confirmation when a user wants to see a single image before correction, according to the user's request, and is easy to use according to the application. A high refrigerator can be provided.

2-2. Saving and Combining Images Next, the saving and combining of the image data taken by the above-described operations will be described.

2-2-1 Storage and Combining in Server FIG. 27 shows a case where the server device 57 stores and combines image data, and when the inside of the refrigerator is photographed by the operations shown in FIGS. 18 to 24 including FIG. The refrigerator 51 is connected to the Internet 56 from the wireless adapter 53 via the gateway device 54 and the router device 55 (step 20), and the individual image data photographed and stored by each camera is stored in the server device 57 connected to the internet 56. It is transmitted (step 21). The image data transmitted via the Internet 56 is subjected to a combining process (step 22) of combining individual image data by the server control unit 66 of the server device 57. The combined image data is stored in the data storage unit 67 of the server device 57 (step 23).

By synthesizing images and storing and storing the images in the server device 57 as in this example, the load on the controller 59 and the storage unit 60 on the refrigerator side can be reduced, and an Internet-compatible refrigerator can be provided at low cost. can do.

2-2-2 Storage and Compositing on Refrigerator Side FIG. 28 shows a case where image data is stored and composited on the refrigerator side, and when the inside of the refrigerator is photographed by the operations shown in FIGS. 18 to 24 including FIG. The controller (control unit) 59 of the refrigerator 51 takes out individual image data from each camera stored in the storage unit 60, combines them, and combines them (step 24). The combined image data is stored (step 25), the refrigerator 51 is connected from the wireless adapter 53 to the internet 56 via the gateway device 54 and the router device 55 (step 20), and the stored image data is connected to the internet 56. It is transmitted to the server device 57 (step 21). The composite image data transmitted via the Internet 56 is stored in the data storage unit 67 of the server device 57 (step 23).

In this example, the load on the controller 59 and the storage unit 60 on the refrigerator side becomes large, but the image data can be transmitted and received to and from the display terminal 15 without going through the data storage unit 67 of the server device 57, and the system operation cost can be reduced. can do.

2-2-3. 29. Saving and Combining on Display Terminal Side FIG. 29 shows a case where image data is saved and combined on the display terminal 15 side. When the inside of the refrigerator is photographed by the operations shown in FIGS. Connects to the Internet 56 from the wireless adapter 53 via the gateway device 54 and the router device 55 (step 20), and transmits the image data to the display terminal 15 instead of the server (step 26). The image data transmitted via the Internet 56 is subjected to a combining process (step 27) of combining the image data by the display terminal 15. The combined image data is stored in the data storage unit of the display terminal 15 (step 28).

In the case of this example as well, although the load on the display terminal 15 is increased, the load on the controller 59 and the storage unit 60 on the refrigerator side can be reduced, and an Internet-compatible refrigerator can be provided at low cost.

In the above, the transmission and the combining operation of the image data have been described by exemplifying a typical one, but the storage and the combining location do not necessarily have to be performed at the same location, for example, the server device 57, and for example, the refrigerator 51. The image data may be combined with each other, and the image data may be stored in the server device 57, etc., and may be arbitrarily set according to the system.

2-3. Normal transmission/reception of image data 2-3-1. Transmission/Reception of Image Data Stored in Server or Refrigerator FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing transmission/reception between the server device 57 or the refrigerator 51 and the display terminal 15, showing transmission/reception of image data stored in the server device 57 or the refrigerator 51. is there.

First, the user presses a server connection button (not shown) displayed on the display of the display terminal 15 at a shop, for example, and requests reading of the image data stored in the data storage unit 67 of the server device 57 ( Step 31). It is detected whether the image data is taken in from the server device 57 (step 32), and if the image data is not transferred, the display terminal 15 connects to the Internet 56 (step 33). The image data stored in the data storage unit 67 of the server device 57 or the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator is taken out (step 34), and the image data is sent to the display terminal 15 such as a smartphone as a data calling source via the Internet 56. Is transferred (step 35). It is detected whether the image data is taken in from the server device 57 (step 32), and when the image data is taken in, the image data is output to the display of the display terminal 15 (step 36).
After that, it is detected whether or not the enlargement button (not shown) displayed on the display of the display terminal 15 is pressed (step 37), and when it is detected that the enlargement button is pressed, the inside of the storage stored in the storage is displayed. Image data that is 1.1 times or more enlarged by digital conversion is created. The enlarged and converted image data is output to the display of the display terminal 15 (step 36).

After that, it is detected whether a ten-key button (not shown) displayed on the display is pressed (step 38), and when it is detected that the ten-key button is pressed, the enlarged image data in the storage displayed on the display is displayed. Image data of a portion designated by the ten-key button is output and output to the display (step 36). Further, it is detected whether the ten-key button is pressed (step 38). If not detected, end.

The enlargement button and the ten-key button for displaying image data at a predetermined location may be of a type in which the surface of the display is slid with a finger, and the usability is improved by adopting such a configuration.

As described above, according to this refrigerator system, it is possible to check the contents of the refrigerator 51 at a glance at the shopping destination, prevent forgetting to buy, and eliminate the waste of purchasing extra ingredients. .. In addition, in a home where both workers work, it is possible to check the inside of the storage 5 of the refrigerator 51 just before returning home and purchase foodstuffs and the like on the way home, which saves time for the user.

In addition, by enlarging the display or displaying a predetermined portion, even a display terminal 15 that has been downsized like the display terminal 15 is enlarged to display an image, so that foods that are difficult to confirm on the small display terminal 15 can be surely obtained. You can see.

2-3-2. Transmission/Reception of Image Data Saved in Display Terminal FIG. 31 shows a case where image data has already been stored in the display terminal 15. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 29, the image data is transmitted to and saved in the display terminal 15, and when a read request for this image data is made (step 31), the image data is loaded from the storage unit of the display terminal 15. The image data is output to the display of the display terminal 15 (step 36). The subsequent enlarging display operation and local display are as described with reference to FIG.

2-3-3. Image data switching reception The images captured by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are the captured images of the respective cameras 35-1 and 35-2 (upper half or lower half in the storage) and the respective captured images. An example in which a combined image (an image obtained by combining the inside of the storage from the top to the bottom) is stored is stored, and these images can be switched and transmitted/received to be displayed on the display terminal 15.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the operation in such a case.

First, the user presses an individual image/composite image call-in button (not shown) displayed on the display of the display terminal 15 (step 41) to call either an individual image or a composite image (step 42). ). After that, the image data of either the individual image or the composite image is fetched by the flow shown in FIG. 30 or 31 and displayed on the display of the display terminal 15.

If the image displayed on the display terminal 15 can be switched to either an individual image or a composite image as in this example, normally the composite image is called and displayed to check the food situation in the storage at a glance. However, when food is difficult to distinguish due to being in the corner of the storage or the like, it is possible to surely distinguish by displaying by switching to the individual image, and the usability is improved.

2-4. Transmission and reception at the time of requesting advance transmission of image data, etc. FIG.

First, the user operates the display terminal 15 to perform a request operation for the advance request signal (step 51). The server device 57 or the refrigerator 51 receives this request signal (step 52), reads the image data (individual image data or composite image data, the same applies hereinafter) stored in the data storage unit 67 or the storage unit 60, and transmits it (step). 53). The display terminal 15 detects whether the image data from the server device 57 or the refrigerator 51 is taken in (step 54), and if the image data is not transmitted, the display terminal 15 connects to the internet 56 (step 55). The server devices 57 take out the image data stored in the refrigerator 51 (step 56), and transmit the image data to the display terminal 15 via the Internet 56 (step 57). It is detected whether the image data is taken in from the server device 57 (step 54), and if the image data is detected, the process stands by until the image data is called (N in step 58). If the image data is called (Y in step 58), the image data is output to the display of the display terminal 15 (step 59).

As a result, even when the image data is requested by the display terminal 15, even when the access to the server device 57 is concentrated and the image data transmission from the server device 57 is delayed, the image data is requested in real time at the same time as the image data request. You can check the image by displaying on the display. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation of waiting for the image data to be displayed at the shopping destination, and it is possible to shorten the shopping time.

Further, if there is a request for advance transmission of an image from the display terminal 15, the server device 57 is set to transmit the image data transmitted each time the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 is closed to the display terminal 15, and the display terminal 15 If the user who has the image data is set to leave it when the image data is transmitted, the user can know this every time the door is opened and closed. Therefore, for example, when the number of times of opening and closing the door is large and the power consumption is likely to be large, the user can call home and talk to the child or the like to refrain from using the refrigerator 51. The convenience is also improved.

2-5. Switching of Transmission/Reception Path of Image Data and the Like FIG. 34 shows a display display when the communication system path of the display terminal 15 is selected. The flow of image data transmission/reception is as described above, but the communication route is changed to speed up the acquisition of image data.

Specifically, the user can select whether the display terminal 15 is directly connected to the gateway device 54 via the router device 55 or the server device 57 via the Internet 56.

In FIG. 34, reference numerals 70 and 71 denote communication path selection buttons displayed on the display of the display terminal 15. Reference numeral 70 denotes “direct” selection for directly connecting the display terminal 15 to the refrigerator 51 via the router device 55 and the gateway device 54. Buttons 71 are “server” selection buttons connected to the server device 57 or the refrigerator 51 via the Internet 56. Reference numerals 72 and 73 are data selection buttons of data to be called, 72 is image data of food, and 73 is a button of energy-saving related data such as the number of times of opening and closing the door. 74 is a send button.

When the “direct” selection button 70 is selected, the display terminal 15 is set to “direct” communication. When the user touches the send button 74 while the “direct” communication is set, the image data request signal of the display terminal 15 is directly transmitted from the display terminal 15 to the gateway device (relay device) 54 via the router device 55. Sent. The gateway device 54 transmits the received data request signal to the wireless adapter 53 of the refrigerator 51. Upon receiving the image data request signal, the wireless adapter 53 sends it to the controller 59 of the refrigerator 51. Upon receiving the image data request signal, the controller 59 of the refrigerator 51 reads the image data stored in the storage unit 60 and transmits the image data to the display terminal 15 via the wireless adapter 53 and the router device 55.

Therefore, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 15, when the user is located in the residence A, in a broad sense, when the display terminal 15 is in a position where it can directly communicate with the router device 55, the display terminal 15 is The image data can be directly acquired from the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 by communicating with the gateway device 54 via the.

As a result, if the transmission response of the image data to the user's operation on the display terminal 15 is delayed due to the congestion of the line due to the concentration of access to the Internet 56, the user can display the display terminal 15 by " By switching to “direct” communication, it is possible to acquire image data without congestion of the Internet 56 line. Therefore, the user can confirm the food condition in the storage 5 by displaying an image on the display of the display terminal 15 in real time without waiting time.

On the other hand, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 15, when the user is located outside the residence A, in a broad sense, when the display terminal 15 is in a position where it cannot directly communicate with the router device 55, the user selects the “server” selection button. By touching 71, the display terminal 15 communicates with the server device 57 via the Internet 56 and reads the image data of the refrigerator 51. That is, if the user is outside the residence A and touches the “server” selection button 71 to set “server” communication, the user can obtain image data of the refrigerator by the display terminal 15 even in a remote place, and You can know the storage status of.

As described above, in the refrigerator system according to this embodiment, the user can select either “direct” communication or “server” communication, and when the user is in the residence A, “direct” communication is performed. By selecting communication, you can view images in a comfortable state without being affected by the congestion of the Internet line.

Although the refrigerator and the refrigerator system of the present invention have been described above by exemplifying the specific configuration, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the gateway device 54 is interposed in the communication path between the display terminal 15, the wireless adapter 53 of the refrigerator 51, and the Internet 56. However, the gateway device 54 is not always necessary, and the router device 55 is used. It may be configured to directly communicate with the display terminal 15 and the wireless adapter 53 of the refrigerator 51 and the Internet 56 via the, and by doing so, the system configuration can be simplified.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the user is outside the residence A, the image data is acquired from the server device 57, but the Internet 56, the router device 55, the gateway device, the gateway device, and the internet 56 are displayed from the display terminal 15 without the intervention of the server device 57. The image data stored in the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 may be directly fetched from the refrigerator 51 by communicating with the refrigerator 54. In this case and in the case of performing "direct" communication, it is preferable that the storage unit 60 of the refrigerator 51 performs the image combining process and transmits the image data after the combining process.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a case where the “direct” selection button 70 and the “server” selection button 71 are displayed on the display of the display terminal 15 and the user selects “direct” communication or “server” communication is illustrated. However, this may be configured so that the display terminal 15 has a function of automatically switching to “direct” communication when the radio wave of the router device 55 is caught so that “direct” communication is automatically selected. Can be improved.

<3. Effect>
As described above, the refrigerator and the refrigerator system according to the embodiment of the present invention have various operational effects as described above with a specific configuration. However, in the installation configuration of the camera and the interior illumination lamp, which is the gist of the present invention, According to this, it is possible to provide an inexpensive refrigerator and a refrigerating system that can photograph the food in the storage satisfactorily and can easily distinguish the food.

That is, in the refrigerator of this embodiment, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 photograph the food in the storage 5 from the front side of the storage 5, but at this time, the interior lighting lamps 13-0 and 34-2 are also stored. 5 is provided on the front side and the food in the storage 5 is irradiated from the same front side as the photographing directions of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2. Therefore, the captured image is a clear image without the darkness and the difficulty of seeing as in the case where the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided on the back wall of the storage 5. In addition, it is not necessary to request the server device 57 to perform image processing for brightening and clearing a captured image.

Further, since the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 and the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 are provided so as to be located in front of the front ends of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4, The image in the storage 5 taken by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 is the same as the state in which the user actually opens the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 and actually sees it. Therefore, when the user displays the image data on the display terminal 15, the user can check the food condition in the storage 5 without any discomfort. Moreover, since the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 illuminate the food on the shelves 30-1 to 30-4 from the front end of the shelves 30-1 to 30-4, they are mounted on the front end portions of the shelves 30-1 to 30-4. The food placed on it can be captured brightly and clearly.

Further, since the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided so as to be located on the inner surface of the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 and substantially in the center of the left and right of the storage 5, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are different from each other. The photographed image can be made closer to the state in which the user actually opens the door 10 of the refrigerator 51 to actually see it. In addition, it is possible to take a large distance between the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 and the food on the shelf to photograph a wide range in the storage 5, and display the storage status of a wider range of food. It becomes possible to confirm at 15. Furthermore, the uppermost inner part of the storage 5, which is relatively difficult to be photographed when the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided on the inner surface of the door, is provided with a compressor 19 in this example so that the uppermost inner part is projected forward. Since this is also the case, it is possible to reliably shoot this portion, and the compressor 19 is provided on the upper part of the main body to improve the storage volume of the lower part of the main body, while also making it possible to shoot with the cameras 35-1 and 35-2. be able to.

Further, since the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are provided so as to be located substantially in the center of the door pockets 33-1 and 33-2 in the front-rear direction on the inner surface of the door, not only the food in the storage 5 but also the door pockets. It is possible to take a picture of a part of the food stored in the boxes 33-1, 33-2, such as a milk pack. Since the user has stored it by himself, it is possible to recognize what it is even if only a part of it is shown. Therefore, it is possible to photograph almost all foods in the storage.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, if the camera 14-3 dedicated to the storage container is provided, the food in the storage container 31 can be clearly photographed. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the camera 35-2 can be moved up and down, and as shown in FIG. 9C, the food can be stored in the storage container 31 with two cameras. You can shoot efficiently with a small number of cameras.

On the other hand, the interior lighting lamps 34-1, 34-2 are provided at positions on the inner side of the cameras 35-1, 35-2, as is clear from FIGS. Since the light of 34-2 is provided so as not to directly enter the photographing units of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2, the light of the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is reflected by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2. It is possible to prevent the images of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 from getting worse after entering, and always obtain good images. This is because a light-shielding portion is provided on the camera side of the interior lighting lamps 35-1 and 35-2, or a light source such as an LED that constitutes the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is inclined obliquely backward. The same effect can be obtained by adopting a configuration such as arrangement.

In addition, the internal illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 have an illuminance in the storage of 150 lux to 200 lux, and when the illuminance is kept as it is, the food becomes whitish as described in the section of the image capturing operation of FIG. It is difficult to see and distinguish. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration is such that the illuminance is reduced and the image is taken. As a result, even a CCD camera or a CMOS camera enables clear shooting with appropriate brightness. The illuminance of the interior illumination lamps 34-1 and 34-2 is controlled by the server control unit 66 so that the illuminance is lower than the normal illuminance only when the door 10 is closed or the door 10 is opened and the image is taken. However, by performing such control, it is possible to maintain clear illuminance while maintaining the same illuminance as usual and keeping the illuminance as usual during normal photography. The decrease in the illuminance may be caused by, for example, turning off one or both of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2, or turning off a part of the interior lighting lamps 34-1 and 34-2. There are various possibilities such as reducing the illuminance of the lamps 34-1 and 34-2, and they may be appropriately selected.

The images in the storage 5 taken by the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are transmitted to the server device 57 by transmitting the images of the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 to the server device 57 or the refrigerator 51, or Although the combining process is performed in the display terminal 15 and the images are combined, in this embodiment, the image combining process is facilitated.

That is, the cameras 35-1 and 35-2 include the door inner surface portions corresponding to the front ends of the shelf boards 30-1 to 30-4, in this example, the upper shelf board 30-1 and the third shelf board 30-. Since it is provided on the inner surface of the door corresponding to the front end of 3, the respective cameras 35-1 and 35-2 are photographed mainly on the shelf boards 30-1 and 30-3 where the line Z in FIG. Will be taken as.

Therefore, the image data in the storage 5 taken by the two cameras 35-1 and 35-2 can be combined at the shelf board 30-2 that is the boundary line Z. That is, as shown in the "photographed raw image" in FIG. 35, the shelf plate 30-2 is commonly shown in the upper and lower images, and the curvature of the "photographed raw image" is corrected to indicate "after the curvature correction process". After the "image", the common shelf plate 30-2 transferred to the upper and lower images is matched to form a photographed image of the entire storage. As a result, it is no longer necessary to perform the extremely difficult correction process of aligning and combining each food item placed on the shelf during the image combining process, and the image combining process is easy. Become. Therefore, the processing program for image combination can be simplified, and the server unit 57 for image combination processing, the refrigerator 51, or the control unit of the display terminal 15 needs to have a large capacity. It is possible to contribute to speeding up of processing speed.

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

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide an inexpensive refrigerator and a refrigeration system that can easily photograph food in a storage and easily identify the food, and of course, not only a household refrigerator but also a refrigerator of a chain store such as a convenience store ( The present invention also includes a freezer), the convenience store headquarters can check the food situation in the refrigerator of each convenience store to automatically deliver the food, or the refrigerator installed in each facility such as a factory or a laboratory. It can also be applied for commercial purposes, such as checking foods and goods in the materials department and automatically delivering them.

1 Refrigerator body 2 Outer box 3 Inner box 4 Insulation 5 Storage (refrigerator)
6 Switching Room 7 Ice Making Room 8 Freezing Room 9 Vegetable Room 10 Door 10a Outer Panel 10a-1 Glass Plate 10a-2 Magic Mirror 10b Inner Plate 10b-1, 10b-2 Raised Walls 11-14 Drawer Door 15 Display Terminal 15a display 16 cooling chamber 17 cooler 18 blower fan 19 compressor 20 radiating pipe 21 capillary tube 22 damper 23 storage frame 24 terminal holder 25 touch panel 26 gap 27 frame 28 recess 29, 29a smoke sheet 30-1 to 30-4 Shelf board 31 Storage container 32-1 to 32-4 Side wall convex portion 33-1 to 33-8 Door pocket 34-1, 34-2 Interior lighting 35-1, 35-2, 35-3 Camera 36 Center pillar 41 camera module 50 refrigerator system 51 refrigerator 53 wireless adapter (communication device)
53a "Connect" button 54 Gateway device (relay device)
55 Router Device 56 Internet 57 Server Device 58 Interface (I/F)
59 Controller (control unit)
60 storage unit 61 door open/close detection unit 62 fan drive circuit 63 compressor drive circuit 64 AC power supply 65 server interface 66 server control unit 67 data storage unit 70 "direct" selection button 71 "server" selection button 72 image data selection button 73 energy saving Related data selection button 74 Send button A Home

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of satisfactorily photographing food in a storage .

In order to solve the above conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator having at least one storage, a door for opening and closing the storage, and a photographing device for photographing the inside of the storage, Based on the opening of the door, based on the first control means for turning on the lighting device provided in the storage compartment, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was closed, A second control unit that causes the image capturing device to perform image capturing, and the illuminance of the illumination device when the image capturing device performs image capture is lower than the illuminance of the illumination device when the door is open. There is a period during which the lighting device is turned off before the predetermined time elapses after the door is closed .

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the refrigerator which can image favorably the foodstuff in a storage can be provided.

Claims (12)

A refrigerator having at least one storage compartment,
A lighting device that is provided on a side surface of the storage compartment and illuminates the inside of the storage compartment,
An image pickup device provided inside the door of the storage room, for shooting the inside of the storage room,
A communication device that performs wireless communication with the outside,
When the communication device receives a photographing instruction from the outside, a determination unit that determines whether the door of the storage room is closed,
And a control means for causing the photographing device to perform photographing after turning on the lighting device based on the determination made by the determination means that the door of the storage room is closed. refrigerator. A refrigerator having at least one storage compartment,
A lighting device provided on the upper surface of the storage room, which illuminates the inside of the storage room,
An image pickup device provided inside the door of the storage room, for shooting the inside of the storage room,
A communication device that performs wireless communication with the outside,
When the communication device receives a photographing instruction from the outside, a determination unit that determines whether the door of the storage room is closed,
And a control means for causing the photographing device to perform photographing after turning on the lighting device based on the determination made by the determination means that the door of the storage room is closed. refrigerator. A refrigerator having at least one storage compartment,
A lighting device provided on a side surface and an upper surface of the storage chamber, for illuminating the inside of the storage chamber,
An image pickup device provided inside the door of the storage room, for shooting the inside of the storage room,
A communication device that performs wireless communication with the outside,
When the communication device receives a photographing instruction from the outside, a determination unit that determines whether the door of the storage room is closed,
And a control means for causing the photographing device to perform photographing after turning on the lighting device based on the determination made by the determination means that the door of the storage room is closed. refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the communication device transmits an image captured by the image capturing device to the outside. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means turns off the lighting device based on the completion of the photographing by the photographing device. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the communication device transmits an image captured by the imaging device to the outside based on the lighting device being turned off. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device is turned on even when a door of the storage room is opened. The control means causes the photographing device to execute photographing after starting the energization of the photographing device based on the judgment by the judging means that the door of the storage chamber is closed. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the control unit terminates energization to the photographing device based on completion of photographing by the photographing device. When the determination unit determines that the door of the storage room is not closed, the control unit waits until the door of the storage room is closed, and then turns on the lighting device, and the photographing is performed. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the refrigerator causes the device to perform photographing. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage room is a refrigerating room. The door of the storage room is a double door that is composed of a first door and a second door.
The center pillar is provided in the said 1st door, and the said imaging device is provided in the inside of the said 2nd door, The refrigerator of Claim 11 characterized by the above-mentioned.