JP2023024036A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can improve convenience.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a refrigerator body, a notification unit and a control unit. The notification unit provides a notification relating to settings or a state of the refrigerator body with a sound. The control unit controls whether to provide a notification with a nonverbal sound from the notification unit or provide a notification with a language from the notification unit in accordance with a situation even when it is the same notification content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to refrigerators.

Refrigerators are known that have an audio output unit capable of outputting sound effects and music. By the way, refrigerators are expected to further improve convenience.

JP-A-2002-071259 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-071210 JP 2018-044742 A

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of improving convenience.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment has a refrigerator main body, a notification unit, and a control unit. The notification unit uses sound to notify the setting or state of the refrigerator main body. The control unit controls, depending on the situation, whether the notification is performed by the notification unit using a non-verbal sound or the notification is performed using a language even if the content of the notification is the same.

The figure which shows an example of a structure of the refrigerator system of embodiment. The front view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 2 taken along line F3-F3; The figure which shows an example of the connection between three board|substrates in embodiment. The block diagram which shows a part of system configuration|structure of the refrigerator of embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation panel part of embodiment. The figure which shows the specific example of the alerting|reporting mode information of embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the content of the external device detection history information of embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing processing common to first to thirteenth specific examples performed by the control unit of the embodiment;

Hereinafter, refrigerators according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to components having the same or similar functions. Duplicate descriptions of these configurations may be omitted. "Based on XX" means "based at least on XX" and may include based on other elements in addition to XX. "XX or YY" is not limited to either one of XX and YY, but may include both XX and YY. This is also the case when there are three or more selective elements. "XX" and "YY" are arbitrary elements (eg, arbitrary information).

To "specify" is to define second information such as a value that can take multiple pieces of information such as a value using the first information such as a value. For example, "identifying" means calculating second information such as a value from first information such as a value, referring to a table to obtain second information such as a value corresponding to the first information such as a value retrieving second information such as a value by using the first information such as a value as an inquiry (processing request); extracting a second information such as a value from among a plurality of candidates based on the first information such as a value; Selecting two pieces of information, estimating or predicting second information, such as a value, from first information, such as a value.

Also, to "acquire" means to newly obtain information such as a value. For example, "to get" means to receive information such as a value, accept input of information such as a value, read information such as a value from a table, obtain information such as a value from information such as another value, etc. Including calculating.

<Embodiment>
(Configuration of refrigerator system)
First, the refrigerator system 1 including the refrigerator 100 of embodiment is demonstrated.
Drawing 1 is a figure showing an example of composition of refrigerator system 1 of an embodiment. Refrigerator system 1 includes, for example, refrigerator 100 , server 200 , and terminal device 300 . The network NW described later is the Internet, cellular network, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public lines or dedicated lines. and the like.

Refrigerator 100 is placed in user U's residence. Refrigerator 100 is connected to network NW via, for example, a wireless router R located at the residence of user U, and can communicate with server 200 via network NW. Thereby, refrigerator 100 can communicate with user U's terminal device 300 via server 200 . In the embodiment, the refrigerator 100 can directly communicate with the terminal device 300 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The details of the configuration of refrigerator 100 will be described later.

Server 200 provides services related to settings and operations of refrigerator 100 . The server 200 is composed of, for example, one or more server devices (for example, cloud servers) connected to the network NW. Server 200 can communicate with refrigerator 100 and terminal device 300 via network NW. Note that the server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer at the residence of the user U, a home router (for example, a wireless router R), or the like.

The terminal device 300 is a terminal device that the user U uses. Examples of the terminal device 300 include a mobile terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a mobile terminal device, and may be a personal computer, a television receiver, a radio receiver, a music player, other various audio equipment, home appliances, and the like. The terminal device 300 is a device capable of reproducing music, moving images, and the like. The terminal device 300 can output sound data such as music and moving images reproduced by the terminal device 300 to the outside by short-range wireless communication conforming to standards such as Bluetooth. Terminal device 300 is an example of an “external device”. In the present application, "sound data" refers to sounds different from non-verbal sounds (for example, buzzer sounds (including sounds imitating sound effects produced by a buzzer)). Examples of "sound data" include music, audio from radio broadcasts, audio from television broadcasts, audio from various videos (including videos distributed from video distribution sites), audio from audio content such as audiobooks, Audio The audio of SNS (Social Networking Service), etc. are mentioned. However, "sound data" is not limited to the above example, as long as it is data related to sounds different from non-verbal sounds that can be transferred via communication (for example, buzzer sounds (including sounds imitating sound effects produced by buzzers)). .

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 300 includes a display device 301 including a display screen capable of displaying various information, and an input receiving section 302 capable of receiving input (including voice input) from the user U. . Examples of the display device 301 include a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. Examples of the input reception unit 302 include a contact screen having a touch sensor function superimposed on the display screen of the display device 301, and a microphone that picks up the user's U voice. An application program P for changing settings, operating, and managing the refrigerator 100 is installed in the terminal device 300, and the functions described below are supported.

(Refrigerator configuration)
Next, the configuration of refrigerator 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the refrigerator 100 of the embodiment. Refrigerator 100 includes refrigerator main body MB including the basic configuration of the refrigerator. The refrigerator main body MB includes, for example, a housing 10, a plurality of doors 31, a plurality of door opening/closing detection units 33, a proximity detection unit 34, and an operation panel unit 35.

The housing 10 has an upper wall 11, a lower wall 12, left and right side walls 13 and 14, and a rear wall 15 (see FIG. 3), and is shaped like a box with an open front. The housing 10 includes, for example, an inner box that forms the inner surface of the housing 10, an outer box that forms the outer surface of the housing 10, and foam insulation material provided between the inner and outer boxes. , with thermal insulation. Inside the housing 10, a plurality of partitions 16 and 17 (see FIG. 3) are provided to partition the inside of the housing 10 like a plurality of storage chambers 21, which will be described later.

The housing 10 has a plurality of storage chambers 21 . The multiple storage compartments 21 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 21A, a chilled compartment 21AA, a vegetable compartment 21B, an ice making compartment 21C, a small freezer compartment 21D, and a main freezer compartment 21E. In the embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 21A is arranged at the top, the vegetable compartment 21B is arranged below the refrigerator compartment 21A, the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 21B, and the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 21B. Main freezer compartment 21E is arranged under freezer compartment 21D. The chilled compartment 21AA is provided inside the refrigerating compartment 21A and is at least partially partitioned from other regions of the refrigerating compartment 21A by a shelf, a lid, or the like.

Openings of the plurality of storage chambers 21 are closed by a plurality of doors 31 so as to be openable and closable. The plurality of doors 31 includes left and right refrigerator compartment doors 31Aa and 31Ab that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 21A, a vegetable compartment door 31B that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 21B, an ice making compartment door 31C that closes the opening of the ice making compartment 21C, and a small freezer compartment 21D. A small freezer compartment door 31D that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 21E and a main freezer compartment door 31E that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 21E. The door open/close detector 33 is provided at a position corresponding to each door 31 and detects opening/closing of each door 31 .

The proximity detector 34 is provided on the housing 10 or the door 31 . Examples of the proximity detection unit 34 include a capacitance type detection unit. The proximity detection unit 34 detects the existence of the user U approaching within a predetermined range with respect to the proximity detection unit 34 .

The operation panel section 35 is provided on the housing 10 or the door 31 . The operation panel unit 35 includes a plurality of operation units 35a (for example, a plurality of operation buttons) for receiving operations of the user U instructing to change settings and operations related to the storage chambers 21, and setting contents related to the storage chambers 21 and executing operations. A plurality of notification units 35b for notifying the user U of the control mode and the like by sound are provided. That is, the plurality of notification units 35b use sound to notify the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB. The plurality of notification units 35b is an example of a notification unit.

Examples of settings include settings for enabling or disabling the function of automatically opening the door when a predetermined position in the refrigerator 100 is touched (for example, "ON (enabled)", "OFF (disabled)", etc.), 21 cooling capacity setting (for example, "strong setting", "medium setting", "weak setting", etc.), making ice in a specific storage chamber 21 (single ice making that makes ice in a shorter time than ice making in the normal setting, etc.) (e.g., "on (enable)", "off (disable)", etc.), a setting to enable or disable the thawing function in a particular storage compartment 21 (e.g., "on (enabled)", "off (disabled)", etc.), a setting to enable or disable a chill function called ice crystal chill, which covers the food with a film of ice in a particular storage room 21 ( For example, "on (enabled)", "off (disabled)", etc.), and a setting to enable or disable automatic power saving that saves power according to the judgment of the refrigerator 100 (for example, "on (enabled)", "off (disabled)", etc.). ”, etc.), and settings of the refrigerator main body MB such as settings related to communication connection.

Examples of the state include a state in which the control being executed in the refrigerator main body MB is changed (including a state in which the control is terminated) in accordance with the satisfaction of predetermined conditions regarding temperature, time, etc., a specific storage A state of the refrigerator main body MB, such as a state in which ice making in the chamber 21 is completed and the ice making function is changed from enabled to disabled, can be mentioned. Examples of states include a state in which an error detected by the refrigerator main body MB such as "door open error", "water tank error", "communication error", and "interface error" has occurred; A state called an eco mode, which is a power consumption operation, is included. A “door open error” is an error indicating that the door 31 remains open for a certain period of time (for example, one minute) or longer, and is detected by the door open/close detector 33 . "Water tank error" is an error indicating that the amount of water in the water tank for ice making is below a predetermined level, and is detected by a water level sensor provided near the water tank, for example. "Communication error" is an error indicating that an abnormality has occurred in communication by the communication unit. A “communication error” is, for example, an error indicating that an abnormality has occurred in communication between the refrigerator 100 and the terminal device 300 , and is detected based on the communication state of the first communication unit 81 . The "communication error" is, for example, an error indicating that an abnormality has occurred in communication between the refrigerator 100 and an external device via the router R, and is detected based on the communication state of the second communication unit 82. be done. "Interface error" is an error indicating that an interface such as the operation panel unit 35, the display device 36, or the input reception unit 37 has failed. detected.

Examples of each of the plurality of notification units 35b include a light emitting unit realized by an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 92 (see FIGS. 4 and 6), a speaker 83 to be described later, and a buzzer 84 to be described later. In addition, the plurality of notification units 35b include a speaker 83, which will be described later, and a buzzer 84, which will be described later. The operation panel section 35 and the buzzer 84 are connected to an operation substrate 93 (see FIG. 4) for operation. As a result, an operation performed on the operation panel section 35 is immediately (that is, with a short delay) transmitted to the buzzer 84 via the operation board 93 . Also, the operation board 93 and the control board 85 are connected by wire.

Note that the door 31 may be provided with a display device 36 and an input reception section 37 instead of or in addition to the operation panel section 35 . Examples of the display device 36 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display. An example of the input reception unit 37 is a contact screen having a touch sensor function provided over the display screen of the display device 36 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line F3-F3. The refrigerator main body MB includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 41, a plurality of containers 42, a first duct part 51, a second duct part 52, and a cooling part M.

A plurality of shelves 41 are arranged in the refrigerator compartment 21A. The plurality of shelves 41 are arranged vertically at intervals. A plurality of containers 42 are divided into chilled compartment 21AA, vegetable compartment 21B, ice making compartment 21C, small freezer compartment 21D, and main freezer compartment 21E.

The first duct component 51 is provided along the rear wall 15 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The first duct component 51 extends, for example, from behind the lower end of the vegetable compartment 21B to behind the upper end of the refrigerator compartment 21A. Between the first duct part 51 and the rear wall 15 of the housing 10, a first duct space D1 is formed as a passage through which cool air (air) flows. The first duct component 51 includes a plurality of refrigerating compartment cold air outlets 51a, chilled compartment cool air outlets 51b, and cool air return outlets 51c. A plurality of refrigerating compartment cold air outlets 51a are opened to the refrigerating compartment 21A. The chilled chamber cold air outlet 51b opens into the chilled chamber 21AA. The cool air return port 51c opens to the vegetable compartment 21B.

The second duct component 52 is provided along the rear wall 15 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The second duct component 52 extends, for example, from behind the main freezer compartment 21E to behind the upper ends of the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D. Between the second duct part 52 and the rear wall 15 of the housing 10, a second duct space D2 is formed as a passage through which cold air (air) flows. The second duct component 52 comprises a cool air outlet 52a and a cool air return 52b. The cool air outlet 52a opens to the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D. The cool air return port 52b opens to the main freezer compartment 21E.

The cooling unit M includes, for example, a refrigeration cooler 61, a refrigeration blower 62, a freezing cooler 63, a freezing blower 64, a compressor 65, and a refrigeration cycle device (not shown).

The refrigerating cooler 61 is arranged in the first duct space D1. The refrigerating cooler 61 is supplied with the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 65 and cools the cold air flowing through the first duct space D1. The cooling fan 62 is arranged, for example, in the first duct space D1. When the refrigeration blower 62 is driven, the air in the first duct space D1 flows upward in the first duct space D1 and is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 61 . The cool air cooled by the refrigerating cooler 61 is blown out to the refrigerating compartment 21A through the plurality of refrigerating compartment cool air outlets 51a, and is blown out to the chilled compartment 21AA through the chilled compartment cool air outlets 51b. The cool air blown out to the refrigerating compartment 21A and the chilled compartment 21AA flows through the refrigerating compartment 21A and the chilled compartment 21AA, respectively, and then returns to the first duct space D1 through the cool air return port 51c via, for example, the vegetable compartment 21B. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment 21A, the chilled compartment 21AA, and the vegetable compartment 21B are cooled.

The freezing cooler 63 is arranged in the second duct space D2. The refrigerating cooler 63 is supplied with the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 65 and cools the cold air flowing through the second duct space D2. The cooling fan 64 is arranged, for example, in the second duct space D2. When the freezing blower 64 is driven, the air in the second duct space D2 flows upward in the second duct space D2 and is cooled by the freezing cooler 63 . The cold air cooled by the cooler 63 for freezing flows into the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D from the cold air outlet 52a. The cool air that has flowed into the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D flows through the ice making compartment 21C and the small freezer compartment 21D, respectively, and then passes through the main freezer compartment 21E and returns to the second duct space D2 through the cool air return port 52b. Thereby, ice making compartment 21C, small freezer compartment 21D, and main freezer compartment 21E are cooled.

Compressor 65 is provided, for example, in a machine room at the bottom of refrigerator 100 . Compressor 65 compresses the refrigerant gas used to cool each storage chamber 21 . The refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 65 is sent to the refrigerating cooler 61 and the freezing cooler 63 via a condenser included in the refrigerating cycle device.

As shown in FIG. 2 , refrigerator 100 includes speaker 83 , buzzer 84 , control board 85 , and communication section 86 in addition to refrigerator main body MB. The communication section 86 includes a first communication section 81 and a second communication section 82 .

The first communication unit 81 is a short-range communication module capable of communicating with the terminal device 300 located inside the user U's residence. In the present application, "close range" means the inside of user U's residence. The first communication unit 81 can directly communicate with the user U's terminal device 300 . The first communication unit 81 is, for example, a wireless communication module complying with standards such as Bluetooth. That is, the first communication unit 81 is a wireless communication module capable of communicating with an external device. However, first communication unit 81 is not limited to a wireless communication module, and may be capable of communicating with terminal device 300 via a cable connecting refrigerator 100 and terminal device 300 (that is, using a wire). .

The first communication unit 81 can receive sound data such as music and moving images from the terminal device 300 while the first communication unit 81 and the terminal device 300 are communicably connected.

The second communication unit 82 is a long-distance communication module capable of communicating with a device located outside the residence of the user U via a wireless router R, for example. In other words, the second communication section 82 is provided separately from the first communication section 81 and can communicate with external devices. Examples of the external device include the terminal device 300 and the like. In this application, "long distance" means outside the user U's residence. The second communication unit 82 can communicate with, for example, via the wireless router R and the network NW. An example of the second communication unit 82 is a wireless communication module for wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). However, second communication unit 82 is not limited to a wireless communication module, and may be connected to network NW via a cable connected to refrigerator 100 .

The speaker 83 can output a notification regarding the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB by sound (for example, voice) according to the control by the control unit 91, which will be described later. That is, the speaker 83 is provided separately from the buzzer 84 and can output sound. Speaker 83 is an example of a second notification unit. Note that the notification by sound is not limited to voice, and may be a buzzer sound or the like. Therefore, "voice" in the following description can be read as "sound (including non-verbal sounds described later)". The details of the notification regarding the refrigerator main body MB will be described later. In the embodiment, the speaker 83 produces sound ( hereinafter, may be referred to as "externally-derived sound") can be output. For example, the speaker 83 functions as an external speaker of the terminal device 300, and responds to the reproduction of music, videos, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "sound source content") on the terminal device 300. It is possible to output the sound of those music and videos. In other words, refrigerator 100 can allow terminal device 300 to use speaker 83 (provide speaker 83 to terminal device 300). In this case, the user U operates the terminal device 300 to operate (play, stop, etc.) the external sound. In the embodiment, the first communication section 81 and the speaker 83 are integrally provided as one speaker unit SU. Alternatively, the first communication section 81 and the speaker 83 may be provided separately. Examples of standards for communication performed by the first communication unit 81 include Bluetooth. When the standard of communication performed by the first communication unit 81 is Bluetooth, the speaker 83 is a Bluetooth speaker.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of connections between three substrates in the embodiment. The first communication unit 81 is provided on the first communication unit control board 94 (see FIG. 4), and the first communication unit control board 94 and the control board 85 are connected by wire (for example, communication by UART). It may be connected. The speaker 83 may be connected to the first communication section control board 94 by wire and controlled by the control section 91 . In addition, the control board 85 has a wireless function (for example, Bluetooth communication) capable of communicating with the first communication section 81, and the first communication section 81 and the control board 85 provided in the first communication section control board 94 are It may be connected wirelessly. The speaker 83 may be connected to the first communication section control board 94 by wire and controlled by the control section 91 . The communication between the control board 85 and the control board 94 for the first communication section may be performed directly, or may be performed via an external device (for example, an external server, etc.). may The speaker 83 outputs sound based on sound data acquired from the outside. That is, the speaker 83 has relatively good sound quality among the speakers existing in the world. Therefore, the notification about the refrigerator main body MB output from the speaker 83 is a voice that is easy for the user U to hear.

The buzzer 84 is a device that outputs an operation sound (sound effect) indicating that the user U has performed an operation, or that the state of the refrigerator main body MB has been changed without being caused by the user U's operation. be. For example, when the operation portion 35a of the operation panel portion 35 is pressed by the user U, the buzzer 84 emits an operation sound indicating that the operation portion 35a has been pressed (for example, when the operation portion 35a Buzzer sound that sounds while pressed) is output. That is, the buzzer 84 can output non-verbal sounds. Buzzer 84 is an example of a first notification unit.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing part of the system configuration of the refrigerator 100 of the embodiment. The control board 85 includes a control circuit section having a microcomputer, a timer, and the like, and a power circuit section having power supply components. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as the control board 85, a control section 91, a first storage section 95, and a second storage section 96 are shown. 5, the description of the LED 92, the operation board 93, and the control board 94 for the first communication unit shown in FIG. 4 is omitted.

The control unit 91 controls, depending on the situation, whether the notification unit 35b uses non-verbal sounds or the language for the same notification content. An example of a language in which notification is given by the notification unit 35b is voice.

For example, the control unit 91 notifies in a notification mode according to each situation for each operation or each content indicated by the notification mode information S1. Examples of the situation include the situation of the refrigerator main body MB (for example, settings and status of the refrigerator main body MB), the situation due to different time zones (for example, daytime/nighttime), and the different status of the notification unit 35b ( For example, it may be in use or not). A specific example of the notification mode information S1 will be described later.

Further, the control unit 91 is in a state where the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) can execute notification by voice via the first communication unit 81, and when the second communication unit 82 becomes available. , causing the second notification unit to perform voice notification that the second communication unit is ready for use.

Further, the control unit 91 is in a state where the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) is outputting sound based on the sound data acquired from the outside of the refrigerator main body MB via the first communication unit 81. When the second communication unit 82 becomes usable, the output of the voice notification indicating that the second communication unit 82 becomes usable is suppressed from the second notification unit.

In addition, the control unit 91 causes the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) to output the notification regarding the communication connection from the second notification unit, and suppresses the output of the notification from the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84). .

Further, when the setting of the refrigerator main body MB is changed according to the setting information from the outside, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a voice notification indicating the content of the change in the setting. The setting information from the outside includes setting information generated when the user U operates. This operation by the user U is an example of an operation from the outside.

Further, when an operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a non-verbal sound notification indicating that the operation has been detected.

In addition, when the operation of the first mode on the operation part 35a is detected, the control part 91 causes the notification part 35b to output a notification by a nonverbal sound indicating that the operation of the first mode is detected, and the operation is performed. When a second mode of operation on the part 35a more complicated than the first mode is detected, the notification part 35b outputs a voice notification indicating that the second mode of operation has been detected. Examples of the complicated operation of the second mode are operations different from single touch such as pressing once on the operation unit 35a, and include long press and repeated hits. and other operations.

Further, when the control unit 91 makes a predetermined notification regarding the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output the first notification using a non-verbal sound, and then outputs the first notification as a notification supplementing the first notification. The second notification by voice is output from the unit 35b.

Further, when the first notification is continuously output for a certain period of time or more, the control unit 91 outputs the first notification and then suppresses the output of the second notification corresponding to the first notification.

In addition, when an operation for changing information related to the setting of the refrigerator main body MB or the state of the refrigerator main body MB is detected, the control unit 91 detects the setting of the refrigerator main body MB or the state of the refrigerator main body MB corresponding to the operation. If there is a change in the information related to , but it is invalid or does not exist, the notification unit 35b outputs a non-verbal sound notification and suppresses the output of the voice notification.

In addition, the control unit 91 selects a power saving state in which the cooling intensity is suppressed, an operation prohibited state in which no operation is accepted, or an automatic opening of the door 31 according to the action of the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB. When the refrigerator main body MB is set to the disabled state, the notification unit 35b outputs the corresponding power saving state, the operation prohibited state, or the state in which the automatic opening of the door 31 is disabled. .

Further, when the refrigerator main body MB is set in a state in which automatic opening of the door 31 according to the action of the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB is enabled, the control unit 91 determines that the door 31 is opened. Before the door is opened or while the door 31 is open, the notification part 35b outputs a non-verbal sound notification indicating that the door 31 is to be opened.

Further, when the user U approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output an audio notification.

The control unit 91 is implemented by executing a program by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) included in the microcomputer. However, part or all of the control unit 91 is realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). , or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware.

Examples of each of the first storage unit 95 and the second storage unit 96 include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drove), or a storage unit realized by a combination of a plurality of these. In the embodiment, the first storage unit 95 and the second storage unit 96 are described separately for convenience of explanation, but the first storage unit 95 and the second storage unit 96 may be provided integrally. The first storage unit 95 stores, for example, notification mode information S1 and external device detection history information S2.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation panel section 35 of the embodiment. The operation panel section 35 includes a plurality of operation sections 35a. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit 35a is an operation unit for setting the cooling capacity in the refrigerator compartment, which is one of the storage compartments 21, and for setting the cooling capacity in the freezer compartment, which is one of the storage compartments 21. This is for enabling or disabling a chilling function called ice crystal chilling, which covers food ingredients with an ice film in a specific storage room 21, and enabling or disabling the thawing function in a specific storage room 21. an operation unit for setting the cooling capacity of the defrosting function in a specific storage chamber 21; an operation unit for performing pairing in wireless communication by Bluetooth; is shown. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of LEDs 92 are shown as light emitting units that indicate the setting contents of each setting. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a notification unit 35b is shown that indicates whether or not the engine is in the eco mode in which the cooling state is stable and the power consumption is low.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of the notification mode information S1 of the embodiment. In the notification mode information S1, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of situations and a notification mode corresponding to each of the plurality of situations are registered in association with each of a plurality of operations or contents. The notification mode includes information indicating the mode of notification given by the first notification section (for example, buzzer 84) and information indicating the mode of notification given by the second notification section (for example, speaker 83). there is Examples of information indicating the mode of notification given by the first notification unit include non-verbal sounds determined by a combination of the pitch of sound, the magnitude of sound, the length of output of sound, the number of times of output of sound, and the like. Information indicating the type and the like are included. Note that each of the loudness of sound, the length of outputting sound, and the number of times of outputting sound can include zero. That is, the control unit 91 may prevent the first notification unit from outputting non-verbal sounds. In addition, examples of the information indicating the mode of notification given by the second notification unit include information indicating the type of sound determined by a combination of the pitch of the voice, the magnitude of the voice, the content of the notification indicated by the language, and the like. be done. Note that each of the volume of the voice and the content of the notification indicated by the language may contain zero. That is, the control unit 91 may prevent the second notification unit from outputting sound.

In the example of the notification mode information S1 shown in FIG. 7, the status is associated with the setting and status of the refrigerator main body MB, but as described above, the status is limited to the status of the refrigerator main body MB. Instead, it may include a situation due to a different time zone (for example, daytime or nighttime), a situation due to a different state of the notification unit 35b (for example, whether it is in use or not), and the like. The control unit 91 controls the notification unit 35b to change the notification mode according to the notification mode information S1. The details of the control performed by the control unit 91 to change the notification mode will be described later.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the external device detection history information S2 of the embodiment. The external device detection history information S<b>2 is information indicating the detection history of the terminal device 300 of the user U in which the setting change, operation, and state confirmation of the refrigerator 100 have been performed. Such detection is performed when the terminal device 300 of the user U connects to the refrigerator 100 by wireless communication or wired communication in order to perform the setting change, operation, or state confirmation of the refrigerator 100 . It is detected by the refrigerator 100, and the detection result is registered as the detection history in the external device detection history information S2. The terminal devices 300 included in the external device detection history information S2 are, for example, the father's terminal device 300 (external device A), the mother's terminal device 300 (external device B), and the child's terminal device 300 (external device C). , a plurality of terminal devices 300 may correspond.

(Details of control to change the notification mode by the control unit)
Next, the details of control by the control unit 91 to change the notification mode will be described. In the embodiment, the control unit 91 controls whether the notification unit 35b notifies by non-verbal sound or verbally, depending on the situation, even if the notification content is the same. First to thirteenth specific examples of control by the control unit 91 for different notification modes are shown below.

(Processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples)
FIG. 9 describes processing common to the first to thirteenth specific examples performed by the control unit of the embodiment. In the description of the processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples, for the convenience of describing the specific processing using the notification mode information S1 shown in FIG. are described as being the settings and states of However, as described above, the situation is the situation of the refrigerator main body MB (the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB) instead of or in addition to the situation due to the different time zones (for example, daytime or nighttime). (for example, whether it is in use or not). Therefore, in the first to thirteenth specific examples described later, the situation is not limited to the settings and states of the refrigerator main body MB.

When the user U operates to change the settings of the refrigerator main body MB, or when the state of the refrigerator main body MB is changed without being caused by the operation by the user U, the control unit 91 performs the operation or the change. A later state is acquired (step S1). The control unit 91 reads out the notification mode information S1 stored in the first storage unit 95 (step S2). Also, the control unit 91 acquires the situation. For example, when acquiring the state of the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 may acquire the detection result from each detection unit provided in the refrigerator main body MB. Examples of the detection result detected by each detection unit include the detection result indicating whether the door is open or closed detected by the door open/close detection unit 33, or the refrigerator 100 detection result detected by the proximity detection unit 34. A detection result indicating whether or not the user U is near the . That is, the control unit 91 may acquire the setting stored in the storage unit and the detection result detected by each detection unit as the status (step S3).

After acquiring the status, the control unit 91 identifies an operation that matches the acquired operation or a content that matches the acquired content in the read notification mode information S1 (step S4). The control unit 91 identifies a situation that matches the acquired situation from among a plurality of situations associated with the operation or content specified in the notification mode information S1 (step S5). For example, it is assumed that the control unit 91 acquires status 1 as the status. Further, it is assumed that the control unit 91 specifies operation 1 as an operation that matches the acquired operation or content that matches the acquired content in the read notification mode information S1. Also, it is assumed that the notification mode information S1 is the notification mode information shown in FIG. In this case, the control unit 91 identifies situation 1 from among a plurality of situations associated with operation 1 identified in the notification mode information S1.

Then, the control unit 91 controls the notification mode associated with the specified situation 1 in the notification mode information S1, that is, the first notification part (for example, the buzzer 84) to notify in a mode according to the notification a1, Control is performed so that the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) is notified in a manner according to the notification b1 (step S6). Note that the notification a1 includes information indicating the type of non-verbal sound (for example, buzzer sound) that is determined by a combination of the pitch of the sound and the magnitude of the sound. The notification b1 also includes information indicating the type of voice determined by a combination of the pitch of the voice, the magnitude of the voice, the content of the report indicated by the language, and the like.

This control by the control unit 91 makes it possible to output a non-verbal sound from the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84), and to output voice from the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83). can be output. That is, when performing notification corresponding to the same operation or notification corresponding to the same content (that is, when the same notification content is notified), for each operation and each content, the first notification unit and the second notification unit By presetting the notification mode of the notification unit, the control unit 91 can perform notification from the notification unit using a nonverbal sound or using a language, depending on the situation, even if the content of the notification is the same. It is possible to control whether or not to notify.

(First specific example)
In the first specific example, the control unit 91 notifies the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB from the notifying unit 35b by non-verbal sound or notifies by language, depending on the situation, even if the content of the notification is the same. Controls whether or not to notify the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB from the unit 35b. This is to use non-verbal sounds and words differently according to the state (an example of the situation) of the refrigerator main body MB, even if the notification is made in response to the same operation by the user U. That is, depending on the situation, not only notification by non-verbal sound but also notification by voice instead of or in addition to it makes it easier for the user U to understand the content of the notification compared to notification by non-verbal sound. It aims at the effect of

For example, when the user U's operation on the operation unit 35a is a setting change that can be accepted, the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) is set in advance to output a non-verbal sound "beep". , when the user U's operation on the operation unit 35a is a setting change that cannot be accepted, the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) outputs a voice such as "operation not accepted". The mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. As an example of unacceptable setting change, the setting of the cooling capacity in each storage room 21 is set to "strong setting" (the setting with the highest cooling capacity), and even if the cooling capacity is further increased, the cooling Situations in which it is not possible to improve one's ability, etc. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, the control unit 91 causes the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) to simply give a non-verbal "beep" when the user U's operation on the operation unit 35a is a setting change that can be accepted. A sound is output, and if the user U's operation on the operation unit 35a is a setting change that cannot be accepted, the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) is caused to output, for example, a voice saying "operation is not accepted". be able to.

Further, the notification may be made in response to the same operation by the user U, or may be made by selectively using non-verbal sound and language (for example, voice) according to the time zone (an example of the situation). For example, when the user U operates the operation unit 35a during the daytime, the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) outputs, for example, a voice message such as "The setting has been changed (or the operation has been accepted)." is set in advance, and when the user U operates the operation unit 35a at night, the first notification unit (e.g., buzzer 84) simply outputs a non-verbal sound "beep" The mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, when the user U operates the operation unit 35a during the day, the control unit 91 causes the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) to notify the operation of the user U, for example, , "The setting has been changed (or the operation has been accepted)." It is possible to simply output the non-verbal sound of "beep".

Further, the notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sound and language depending on the time zone (an example of the situation). For example, when the one-shot ice making is completed during the daytime, the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) is set in advance to output a voice such as "the one-shot ice making is completed". When the ice making is completed at night, the notification mode information S1 is set in advance so that the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) simply outputs a non-verbal sound of "beep". In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing described above, the control unit 91 causes the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) to output a voice such as, for example, "Ice making is complete." If the instant ice making is completed at night, the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) can simply output a non-verbal sound of "beep".

Further, the notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or the non-verbal sound and the language may be selectively used according to the use state of the speaker 83 . For example, if the speaker 83 is not in use when the ice making is complete, the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) is set in advance to output a voice such as "Ice making is complete." However, if the speaker 83 is in use (for example, music is being played) when the ice making is completed, the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) simply outputs a non-verbal sound "beep". It is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". If the speaker 83 is not in use when the quick ice making is completed, the control unit 91 outputs, for example, "the quick ice making is complete" to the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83). to output a voice, and if the speaker 83 is in use (for example, music is being played back) when the ice making is completed, the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) simply outputs a non-verbal sound of "beep". be able to.

(Second specific example)
In the second specific example, the control unit 91 is in a state in which the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) can perform voice notification via the first communication unit 81, and the second communication unit 82 is available. When the second communication unit is ready for use, the second notification unit is caused to perform a voice notification that the second communication unit is ready for use. This is because the terminal device 300 of the user U communicates with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications, so as to enable voice output. If the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of another wireless communication, becomes communicable during this time, the second notification unit notifies that the communication has become possible by voice. . In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or the non-verbal sound and the language may be selectively used according to the use state of the speaker 83 . For example, the terminal device 300 of the user U performs voice output communication with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications. If the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of another wireless communication, becomes communicable during this time, the fact that the communication has become possible is indicated by, for example, "the second wireless communication has been connected." The notification mode to be notified by voice from the second notification unit is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing, the control unit 91 performs another wireless communication communication while performing communication capable of outputting sound with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81 When the target second communication unit 82 becomes communicable, the second annunciation unit notifies that the communication becomes possible by voice, for example, "Second wireless communication is connected". can be done. Thereby, the user U can immediately recognize that the second wireless communication has been connected.

Further, for example, if it is set in advance to switch from the first communication unit 81 to the communication via the second communication unit 82 when the second communication unit 82 becomes communicable, the terminal device of the user U While the 300 is performing voice output communication with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications, another When the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of wireless communication, becomes communicable, the switching of communication is indicated by, for example, "the first wireless communication connection has been disconnected and the second wireless communication connection has been established". The notification mode to be notified by voice from the second notification unit is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, the control unit 91 presets switching from the first communication unit 81 to communication via the second communication unit 82 when the second communication unit 82 becomes communicable. In this case, the terminal device 300 of the user U performs voice output communication with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications. If the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of another wireless communication, becomes communicable while the other wireless communication is being performed, the switching of the communication is indicated by, for example, "disconnecting the first wireless communication connection and disconnecting the second wireless communication A connection has been established." can be notified by voice from the second notification unit. Thereby, the user U can immediately recognize that the second wireless communication has been connected.

Further, for example, if it is set in advance to select the first communication unit 81 or the second communication unit 82 when the second communication unit 82 becomes communicable, the terminal device 300 of the user U , while performing communication capable of outputting sound with the second notification unit (for example, speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications, another wireless communication When the second communication unit 82, which is the target of communication, becomes communicable, for example, "the second wireless communication connection cannot be made because the first wireless communication connection is in progress" or "the first wireless communication connection is in progress. Do you want to disconnect the first wireless communication connection and establish the second wireless communication connection?” is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, if the control unit 91 has set in advance to select the first communication unit 81 or the second communication unit 82 when the second communication unit 82 becomes communicable, The terminal device 300 of the user U is performing voice output communication with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications. In the meantime, if the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of another wireless communication, becomes communicable, for example, "Since the first wireless communication connection is in progress, the second wireless communication connection cannot be made" or " The first wireless communication connection is in progress.Do you want to disconnect the first wireless communication connection and establish the second wireless communication connection?" Thereby, the user U can select the wireless communication of the connection destination.

(Third specific example)
In the third specific example, the control unit 91 outputs sound based on the sound data acquired from the outside of the refrigerator main body MB by the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81. state, and when the second communication unit 82 becomes available, output from the second notification unit of a voice notification indicating that the second communication unit 82 has become available is suppressed. This is because the terminal device 300 of the user U transmits sound based on sound data from the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications. When the second communication unit 82, which is another communication target of wireless communication, becomes communicable while the output communication is being performed, the second notification unit notifies that the communication becomes possible by voice. It is a restraint to do. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or the non-verbal sound and the language may be selectively used according to the use state of the speaker 83 . For example, the terminal device 300 of the user U outputs sound based on sound data from the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, which is one of the communication targets of the two wireless communications. When the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of another wireless communication, becomes communicable during the communication to be performed, the second notification unit notifies that the communication becomes possible by voice. A notification mode for suppressing this is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing, the control unit 91 performs communication for outputting sound based on the sound data from the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, while another When the second communication unit 82, which is the communication target of wireless communication, has become communicable, it is possible to prevent the second notification unit from announcing that the communication has become possible by voice. Thereby, the user U can continue to enjoy the music without being disturbed by the music reproduction.

(Fourth specific example)
In a fourth specific example, the control unit 91 causes the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) to output a notification regarding the communication connection from the second notification unit, and the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) to output the notification. to suppress the output of Examples of notification regarding communication connection include "communication connection setting completed", "communication connection established", and "communication connection disconnected". This is because the user U is waiting for the terminal device 300 to become communicable with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, so the user U is conscious of the first communication unit. Notifications other than communication with the second notification unit via 81 are suppressed. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

Even if the notification is related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, non-verbal sound and language are selectively used according to the connection state with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81. can be anything. For example, after the terminal device 300 of the user U starts communication connection with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, the communication connection is completed, and the communication connection is established from the second notification unit. is set in advance in the notification mode information S1 to suppress the notification from another communication until the notification is completed. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing, the control unit 91 completes the communication connection after the terminal device 300 starts communication connection with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) via the first communication unit 81, 2, it is possible to suppress notification from another communication until the notification that the communication connection is completed is completed from the notification unit. As a result, the user U does not receive notifications other than those related to the communication of interest, ie, useless notifications. It should be noted that the operation sound generated when the operation unit 35a is operated is not a notification related to communication connection, so it is not subject to suppression of notification.

(Fifth specific example)
In the fifth specific example, when the setting of the refrigerator main body MB is changed according to the setting information from the outside, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a voice notification indicating the content of the setting change. An example of an operation from the outside includes an operation using voice recognition. An example of the setting information from the outside includes the setting information of the refrigerator main body MB that is transmitted to the refrigerator 100 so that the setting of the refrigerator main body MB is changed by an external device. This allows the user U to understand the contents of the notification by notifying the user U of the contents of the setting change by voice that is easier to understand than the notification by non-verbal sound. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sound and language according to external setting information. For example, when the setting of the refrigerator main body MB is changed according to the setting information from the outside, the notification mode information S1 preliminarily sets the notification mode in which the notification unit 35b outputs a voice notification indicating the content of the change in the setting. do. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the process described above, when the setting of the refrigerator main body MB is changed according to the setting information from the outside, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a voice notification indicating the content of the change in the setting. can be done.

(Sixth specific example)
In the sixth specific example, when an operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a nonverbal sound notification indicating that the operation has been detected. This allows the user U to intuitively understand the contents of the notification when receiving the notification by non-verbal sound compared to the notification by voice. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the contents of the notification. For example, when an operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, the control unit 91 presets in the notification mode information S1 a notification mode in which the first notification unit notifies the operation by a non-verbal sound. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing described above, the control unit 91 can notify the operation from the first notification unit using a nonverbal sound when an operation on the operation unit 35a is detected. Thereby, the user U can intuitively understand the notification about the operation compared to the notification by voice.

(Seventh specific example)
In the seventh specific example, when the operation of the first mode on the operation part 35a is detected, the control part 91 notifies the notifying part 35b with a nonverbal sound indicating that the operation of the first mode is detected. , and when a second mode operation more complicated than the first mode operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, a voice notification indicating that the second mode operation has been detected is output from the notification unit 35b. This is when the user U performs a special operation on the operation unit 35a (a long press or repeated presses that are different from a single touch such as a single press, or an operation such as a slide or swipe on a contact screen). By receiving the notification by voice, it is possible to know that the operation has been accepted more clearly and reliably than the notification by non-verbal sound. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the contents of the notification. For example, when a special operation such as a long press or repeated hits different from a single touch on the operation unit 35a, or a slide or swipe in the case of a contact screen is detected, the control unit 91 outputs the operation from the second notification unit by voice. is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, the control unit 91 detects a special operation such as a long press or repeated hits that is different from a single touch on the operation unit 35a, or a slide or swipe in the case of a contact screen. can notify the operation from the second notification unit by voice. As a result, the user U can know the notification of the special operation in an easy-to-understand and reliable manner as compared with the notification by the non-verbal sound.

(Eighth specific example)
In the eighth specific example, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output a first notification using a non-verbal sound when performing a predetermined notification regarding the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, and then outputs the first notification. As a supplemental notification, the notification unit 35b is caused to output the second notification by voice. This is to help the user U to understand the contents of the notification after receiving the notification by the nonverbal sound, by obtaining the supplementary information of the notification by the voice that is easier to understand than the nonverbal sound. is. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sound and language depending on the communication connection state. For example, the terminal device 300 of the user U can communicate with the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) via the second communication unit 82, and can communicate with the second notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) via the first communication unit 81. For example, when communication with the speaker 83) becomes possible, the first notification unit notifies by non-verbal sound, and then the notification mode in which the second notification unit supplements the notification by voice is added to the notification mode information S1. preset in. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing, the control unit 91 enables the terminal device 300 of the user U to communicate with the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) via the second communication unit 82, and the first communication When communication with the second notification unit (for example, the speaker 83) becomes possible via the unit 81, the first notification unit notifies with a nonverbal sound, and then the second notification unit notifies with voice. can be supplemented. Note that the notification by the first notification unit is not an operation sound, but a notification for notifying that there is a notification. An example of a supplementary notification is reading out the content of the setting change (for example, "Ice making is completed"). If the notification is suddenly started by voice, the user U may be surprised. You can receive easy-to-understand information.

(Ninth specific example)
In the ninth specific example, when the first notification is output continuously for a certain period of time or more, the control unit 91 outputs the first notification, and then suppresses the output of the second notification corresponding to the first notification. . This helps the user U to understand the contents of the notification when the user U receives the notification by the non-verbal sound for a certain period of time. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sound and language depending on the communication connection state. For example, when the terminal device 300 of the user U receives a non-verbal sound from the first notification unit (e.g., buzzer 84) for more than a certain period of time via the second communication unit 82, further notification is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, the control unit 91 causes the terminal device 300 of the user U to notify the first notification unit (for example, the buzzer 84) via the second communication unit 82 by nonverbal sound for a predetermined time or longer. is received, further notifications can be suppressed.

(Tenth specific example)
In the tenth specific example, the control unit 91 detects an operation for changing information related to the setting of the refrigerator main body MB or the state of the refrigerator main body MB. If there is a change in the information related to the state of the refrigerator main body MB but it is invalid or does not exist, the notification unit 35b outputs a non-verbal sound notification and suppresses the output of the voice notification. When the operation unit 35a is invalidated by the user U, the invalidation operation is notified by a non-verbal sound so that the user can intuitively understand. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation). An example of the invalid operation is an operation in which the setting has already reached a limit value (that is, an upper limit value or a lower limit value) and the setting does not change any more. Further, in the operation of the operation unit 35a for changing the setting of the cooling intensity, if the operation to increase the cooling intensity from weak to medium to strong is continued, there is an operation that repeats the transition from medium to weak to medium to strong. In the operation, when turning from rising to falling and when turning from falling to rising, some Some operations are invalid. Such operations are examples of invalid operations. In other words, the invalid operation means that an operation for changing information related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB is detected, but there is a change of information related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB corresponding to the operation. is invalid or non-existent. Therefore, when the operation by the user U is an invalid operation, even if the operation by the user U is detected, the information related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB is not changed.

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the contents of the notification. For example, when an invalid operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, the notification mode in which the control unit 91 notifies the invalid operation from the first notification unit using a nonverbal sound corresponds to the invalid operation detected in the notification mode information S1. It is set in advance for the notification mode associated with the situation. For example, in the notification mode information S1, if the non-verbal sound "beep" is set as the notification mode associated with the situation indicating that the operation is valid, the operation is disabled in the notification mode information S1. A non-verbal sound of “beep-beep” is set as a notification mode associated with a situation indicating an invalid operation. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the above processing, when an invalid operation on the operation unit 35a is detected, the control unit 91 outputs a non-verbal sound different from the non-verbal sound when the operation is valid from the first notification unit An invalid operation can be notified. As a result, the user U can intuitively understand the notification of the operation due to the difference in non-verbal notification modes.

(Eleventh specific example)
In the eleventh specific example, the control unit 91 controls the power saving state in which the cooling intensity is suppressed, the operation prohibited state in which no operation is accepted, or the door opening according to the action of the user U who approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB. When the refrigerator main body MB is set to disable the automatic opening setting of the door 31, the corresponding power saving state, the operation prohibited state, or the automatic opening setting of the door 31 is disabled. Output the notification by. This is because when the user U sets the refrigerator main body MB to the power saving state, the operation prohibited state, or the state in which the automatic opening setting is disabled, the content of the notification, which is difficult to distinguish with non-verbal sounds, is voiced. By notifying by, it helps to understand the content of the notification. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the contents of the notification. For example, a power saving state in which the cooling intensity is suppressed, an operation prohibited state in which no operation is accepted, or a state in which automatic opening of the door 31 according to the action of the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB is disabled. When the refrigerator main body MB is set to , the notification mode in which the notification unit 35b outputs the corresponding power saving state, the operation prohibited state, or the state in which the setting of the automatic opening of the door 31 is invalid is output by sound. It is set in advance in the mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing described above, the control unit 91 may use non-verbal sounds and language properly according to the contents of notification. For example, the control unit 91 can switch between a power saving state in which the cooling intensity is suppressed, an operation prohibited state in which no operation is accepted, or automatic opening of the door 31 according to the action of the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB. When the refrigerator main body MB is set to the disabled state, the notification unit 35b outputs the corresponding power saving state, the operation prohibited state, or the state in which the automatic opening of the door 31 is disabled. be able to. As a result, the user U can easily know the operation content, which is difficult to know with non-verbal sounds, by voice.

(Twelfth specific example)
In the twelfth specific example, the control unit 91 sets the refrigerator main body MB to a state in which automatic opening of the door 31 according to the action of the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB is enabled. In this case, before the door 31 is opened or while the door 31 is open, the notification unit 35b outputs a non-verbal sound notification indicating that the door 31 is to be opened. Examples of actions by the user U who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB include touching a predetermined position to open the door 31 set to be automatically opened by the user U, and using voice recognition technology. Examples include utterance such as "open" for opening the door 31 . This is because the user U performs the automatic opening operation by himself/herself. Therefore, it is possible to determine the contents of the notification in a short time by using non-verbal sounds. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the content of the notification. For example, when the setting of the automatic opening of the door 31 is enabled in the refrigerator body MB, the notification mode in which the notification by the corresponding nonverbal sound is output from the notification unit 35b is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. do. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing described above, the control unit 91 may use non-verbal sounds and language properly according to the contents of notification. For example, when the setting of the automatic opening of the door 31 is enabled in the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 can cause the notification unit 35b to output a corresponding non-verbal sound notification. As a result, the user U can intuitively know the content of the operation from the non-verbal sound.

(Thirteenth specific example)
In the thirteenth specific example, when the user U approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 causes the notification unit 35b to output an audio notification. The detection that the user U has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB may be performed using, for example, a human detection unit using techniques such as infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, and image analysis. This helps the user U to understand the content of the notification by notifying the content of the notification by voice when the user U approaches the refrigerator main body MB. In other words, even for the notification related to the setting and state of the refrigerator main body MB, the non-verbal sound and the language are selectively used according to the communication state (an example of the situation).

The notification may be related to the setting or state of the refrigerator main body MB, or may use non-verbal sounds and language depending on the content of the notification. For example, when the user U approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB, the notification mode of outputting a voice notification from the notification unit 35b is set in advance in the notification mode information S1. In this way, the notification mode is set in advance in the notification mode information S1, and the control unit 91 uses the notification mode information S1 to describe in the above-mentioned "processing performed by the control unit common to the first to thirteenth specific examples". By performing the processing described above, the control unit 91 may use non-verbal sounds and language properly according to the contents of notification. For example, when the user U approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body MB, the control unit 91 can cause the notification unit 35b to output an audio notification. As a result, the user U can know the details of the operation more accurately from the voice than from the details of the notification made by non-verbal sounds. Examples of operation contents by voice include notification contents such as "Hello", "Add water to the ice making tank", and "Eco mode operation is in progress". It should be noted that the notification of "Eco mode operation is in progress" is intended to inform that if the door 31 is unnecessarily opened, cold air will escape and the electricity bill will increase.

(advantage)
A refrigerator according to an embodiment has a refrigerator main body, a notification unit, and a control unit. The notification unit notifies the setting or state of the refrigerator main body. The control unit controls, depending on the situation, whether the notification is performed by the notification unit using a non-verbal sound or the notification is performed using a language even if the content of the notification is the same.
Thereby, the refrigerator of embodiment can provide the refrigerator which can aim at the improvement of convenience.

According to at least one embodiment described above, in the refrigerator, even if the content of the notification is the same as that of the refrigerator main body and the notification unit that notifies the setting or state of the refrigerator main body, the non-verbal and a control unit for controlling whether the notification is performed by the notification unit by sound or by language. According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve convenience.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the buzzer 84 is an example of the second notification unit. However, the second notification unit may be anything other than the buzzer 84 as long as it outputs non-verbal sounds.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Refrigerator, MB... Refrigerator main body, 81... 1st communication part (communication part), 82... 2nd communication part, 83... Speaker, 84... Buzzer, 91... Control part, 200... Server, 300... Terminal device (external Device).

Claims (15)

refrigerator body,
a notification unit that uses sound to notify the setting or state of the refrigerator main body;
A control unit that controls whether to notify from the notification unit by non-verbal sound or by language depending on the situation even if the notification content is the same;
refrigerator. The notification unit is
a first notification unit capable of outputting the non-verbal sound;
a second notification unit provided separately from the first notification unit and capable of outputting the language;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising: Further equipped with a communication unit that can communicate with external devices,
The second notification unit is capable of outputting sound based on the sound data acquired from the external device via the communication unit, and notifies the setting or state of the refrigerator main body in accordance with the control by the control unit. can be output by language,
The refrigerator according to claim 2. The communication unit
a first communication unit capable of communicating with an external device;
a second communication unit provided separately from the first communication unit and capable of communicating with an external device;
with
The control unit
When the second notification unit is in a state capable of executing notification in the language via the first communication unit, and the second communication unit becomes usable, the second communication unit becomes usable. causing the second notification unit to perform notification in the language indicating that the
The refrigerator according to claim 3. The control unit
A state in which the second notification unit is outputting sound based on the sound data acquired from the outside of the refrigerator body via the first communication unit, and the second communication unit is in a usable state. In this case, suppressing the output from the second notification unit of the notification in the language indicating that the second communication unit is ready for use,
The refrigerator according to claim 4. The control unit
Outputting a notification regarding the communication connection of the second notification unit from the second notification unit, and suppressing output of the notification from the first notification unit;
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2 to 5. When the setting of the refrigerator main body is changed according to the setting information from the outside, the control unit causes the notification unit to output a notification in a language indicating the changed content of the setting.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The refrigerator main body has an operation unit that receives an operation from the outside,
When an operation on the operation unit is detected, the control unit causes the notification unit to output a non-verbal sound notification indicating that the operation has been detected.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The refrigerator main body has an operation unit that receives an operation from the outside,
The control unit
When the operation of the first mode on the operation unit is detected, causing the notification unit to output a non-verbal sound notification indicating that the operation of the first mode has been detected,
When an operation of a second mode that is more complicated than the first mode on the operation unit is detected, the notification unit outputs a notification in a language indicating that the operation of the second mode has been detected,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The control unit
When a predetermined notification regarding the setting or state of the main body of the refrigerator is to be performed, after the first notification by nonverbal sound is output from the notification unit, the first notification by language is output from the notification unit as a notification supplementing the first notification. 2 to output notification,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The control unit
When the first notification is output continuously for a certain period of time or more, suppressing the output of the second notification corresponding to the first notification after outputting the first notification,
The refrigerator according to claim 10. The control unit
If an operation to change information related to said setting or said state is detected, but a change of information related to said setting or said state corresponding to that operation exists but is invalid or does not exist, said outputting the notification by the non-verbal sound from the notification unit and suppressing the output of the notification by the language;
Refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The control unit
A power saving state in which cooling intensity is suppressed, an operation prohibition state in which no operation is accepted, or a state in which automatic opening of the door according to the action of a user who approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator body is disabled. is set, causing the notification unit to output a notification in the corresponding language indicating the power saving state, the operation prohibition state, or the state in which the automatic opening of the door is disabled;
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 12. The control unit
When the refrigerator main body is set in a state in which automatic opening of the door according to the action of the user who has approached within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body is enabled, the door is open or the door is open. During the process, the notification unit outputs a notification by the non-verbal sound indicating that the door is to be opened;
Refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13. The control unit
outputting a notification in the language from the notification unit when the user approaches within a predetermined range from the refrigerator main body;
Refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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