JP6939412B2 - Refrigerator system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator system.

Patent Document 1 describes a system capable of providing information according to the state of change of the stored object in the refrigerator. In addition, as a system that provides information to support shopping, there is a system such as direct mail in the past.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-65630

The system, direct mail, etc. described in Patent Document 1 do not provide information to support shopping at an appropriate timing according to the lifestyle pattern of the user. For example, even if the user obtains information to support shopping when he / she is not thinking about shopping, it is highly likely that the information is ignored and not used. As described above, the conventional system has not been able to provide the user with information to support shopping at an appropriate time.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide information supporting shopping at an appropriate timing according to a user's life pattern.

In the refrigerator system according to the present invention, there are a change determination means in the refrigerator for determining a change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator, a position information acquisition means for acquiring information on the position of the user, and a change determination means in the refrigerator. A behavior estimation means that estimates the user's behavior based on at least one of the determination result and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, and a storage means that stores the information of the user's behavior in each time zone as a life pattern. And, when the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means match in the shopping preparation, the recommendation means that provides the user with information to support the shopping. And.

Further, the refrigerator system according to the present invention estimates the behavior of the user based on the determination result of the internal change determining means for determining the change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator and the determination result of the internal change determining means. The behavior estimation means, the memory means for storing the information of the user's behavior in each time zone as a life pattern, and the current user's behavior in the life pattern and the current user's behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means. It is provided with a recommendation means for providing the user with information to support the shopping when there is a match in the shopping preparation.

The refrigerator system according to the present invention provides the user with information to support shopping when the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means match in the shopping preparation. Provide a recommendation means to be provided. Therefore, the refrigerator system according to the present invention can provide information supporting shopping at an appropriate timing according to the lifestyle pattern of the user.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the refrigerator system of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1. It is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control device of the refrigerator of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the terminal apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the server apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows typically an example of the table of the life pattern stored in the storage part of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of the refrigerator state notification operation performed by the refrigerator which comprises the refrigerator system of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of the refrigerator state receiving operation performed by the server apparatus which comprises the refrigerator system of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of the recommendation operation performed by the server apparatus which comprises the refrigerator system of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the refrigerator of Embodiment 2. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control device of the refrigerator of Embodiment 2. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the server apparatus of Embodiment 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same parts or corresponding parts. In the present disclosure, duplicate description will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. It should be noted that the present disclosure may include any combination of the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of the refrigerator system of the first embodiment. The refrigerator system according to the present embodiment is a system that recommends information that supports shopping to the user at a more appropriate timing. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator system includes a refrigerator 100, a terminal device 200, and a server device 300. The refrigerator 100 and the server device 300 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The terminal device 200 and the server device 300 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The refrigerator 100 and the terminal device 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the server device 300. The refrigerator 100 and the terminal device 200 may be directly connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other without going through the server device 300.

In the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 is used to acquire the position information of the user of the refrigerator 100. The terminal device 200 corresponds to, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal carried by the user of the refrigerator 100. In the present disclosure, the user of the refrigerator 100 is also simply referred to as a "user".

The server device 300 corresponds to a computer or the like installed in the user's house. The server device 300 may be installed in a place other than the user's house. The server device 300 may be a cloud server including a plurality of servers. Further, the number of refrigerators 100 connected to the server device 300 is not limited to one, and may be plural. Similarly, the number of terminal devices 200 connected to the server device 300 is not limited to one, and may be plural.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 100 has a heat insulating box 1. The heat insulating box body 1 is composed of an outer box, an inner box, and a heat insulating material. The outer box is made of steel, for example. The inner box is made of resin, for example. The inner box is arranged inside the outer box. The heat insulating material is, for example, urethane foam or the like. The heat insulating material is filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box.

The front surface of the heat insulating box 1 is open. A storage space for storing food or other items to be stored is formed inside the heat insulating box 1. The storage space formed inside the heat insulating box 1 is divided into a plurality of storage chambers by one or a plurality of partition members. As an example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerating room 10, a switching room 20, an ice making room 30, a freezing room 40, and a vegetable room 50 as a plurality of storage rooms.

The refrigerating chamber 10 is arranged at the uppermost stage of the heat insulating box 1. The switching chamber 20 is arranged on one side below the refrigerating chamber 10 on the left and right sides. The temperature zone in the switching chamber 20 can be selectively switched to any one of a plurality of temperature zones. The ice making chamber 30 is arranged adjacent to the side of the switching chamber 20. That is, the ice making chamber 30 is arranged on the left and right other sides below the refrigerating chamber 10. The freezing chamber 40 is arranged below the switching chamber 20 and the ice making chamber 30. The vegetable compartment 50 is arranged below the freezing chamber 40. The vegetable compartment 50 is arranged at the bottom of the heat insulating box 1.

A refrigerating room door 7 for opening and closing the refrigerating room 10 is provided on the front portion of the refrigerating room 10. The refrigerator compartment door 7 is, for example, a double door. The double door type refrigerator compartment door 7 is composed of a right door 7a and a left door 7b. Further, as an example, the switching chamber 20, the ice making chamber 30, the freezing chamber 40, and the vegetable compartment 50 are each opened and closed by a drawer-type door. These pull-out doors can slide in the depth direction of the refrigerator 100. In the present disclosure, each door for opening and closing the switching chamber 20, the ice making chamber 30, the freezing chamber 40, and the vegetable compartment 50 and the refrigerating chamber door 7 are collectively referred to as a "door" of the refrigerator 100.

The number of storage chambers provided in the refrigerator 100, the arrangement of the storage chambers, the configuration of the door for opening and closing the storage chambers, and the like are not limited to the above examples. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a medicine storage section 11 for storing medicine may be provided inside the storage chamber of the refrigerator 100. The medicine storage compartment 11 is provided inside the refrigerator compartment 10 as an example. Further, the medicine storage compartment 11 may be formed in a part of a door pocket provided inside the refrigerator compartment door 7.

The refrigerator 100 includes a refrigeration cycle circuit for cooling the air supplied to each storage chamber. The refrigeration cycle circuit is composed of a compressor 2, a condenser, a squeezing device, a cooler 3, and the like. In this disclosure, the condenser and the drawing device are not shown. The compressor 2 compresses and discharges the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit. The condenser condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2. The squeezing device expands the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser. The cooler 3 cools the air supplied to each storage chamber by the refrigerant expanded by the drawing device. The compressor 2 is arranged, for example, in the lower part on the back side of the refrigerator 100.

The refrigerator 100 is formed with an air passage 5 for supplying air cooled by the refrigeration cycle circuit to each storage chamber. The air passage 5 is arranged on the back side in the refrigerator 100, for example. The cooler 3 of the refrigeration cycle circuit is installed in the air passage 5. Further, in the air passage 5, a fan 4 for sending the air cooled by the cooler 3 to each storage chamber is also installed.

When the fan 4 operates, the air cooled by the cooler 3 is sent to the freezing chamber 40, the switching chamber 20, the ice making chamber 30, and the refrigerating chamber 10 through the air passage 5. This cools each storage chamber. Further, the vegetable compartment 50 is cooled by introducing the air returned from the refrigerating chamber 10 into the vegetable compartment 50 through an air passage (not shown). The air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 50 is returned to the air passage 5 where the cooler 3 is located. The air returned into the air passage 5 is cooled again by the cooler 3 and circulates in the refrigerator 100.

Further, a damper (not shown) is provided in the middle of the passage from the air passage 5 to each storage chamber. By changing the open / closed state of each damper, the air volume of air supplied to each storage chamber can be adjusted. Further, the temperature of the air supplied to each storage chamber can be adjusted by controlling the operation of the compressor 2. In the present embodiment, the refrigeration cycle circuit including the compressor 2 and the cooler 3, the fan 4, the air passage 5, and the damper constitute a cooling means for cooling the inside of the storage chamber.

An operation panel 6 is provided on the outer surface of the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment. The operation panel 6 is provided on, for example, the left door 7b. The operation panel 6 includes an operation unit 6a, a display unit 6b, and a speaker 6c.

The operation unit 6a is composed of a switch or the like for setting the set temperature of each storage chamber and the operation mode of the refrigerator 100. The display unit 6b is composed of a liquid crystal display, an LED lamp, and the like that display various information about the refrigerator 100. The operation panel 6 may include a touch panel that also serves as an operation unit 6a and a display unit 6b. The speaker 6c is a device that gives voice notification to the user of the refrigerator 100.

Further, the refrigerator 100 includes a control device 8. The control device 8 is provided, for example, on the upper portion of the refrigerator 100 on the back side. The control device 8 is provided with a control circuit or the like for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 100. Each function of the control device 8 is realized by this control circuit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the control system of the refrigerator 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The control circuit of the control device 8 includes, for example, a processor 8a and a memory 8b. The control device 8 controls the refrigerator 100 by the processor 8a executing the program stored in the memory 8b.

The processor 8a is also referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP. The memory 8b includes, for example, non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM and EEPROM, magnetic disks, flexible disks, optical disks, compact disks, mini disks, DVDs and the like.

The control circuit of the control device 8 may be formed as dedicated hardware, for example. A part of the control circuit of the control device 8 may be formed as dedicated hardware, and the control circuit may be provided with the processor 8a and the memory 8b. The control circuit, which is partially formed as dedicated hardware, includes, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment includes a thermistor 91 and a door open / close detection switch 92. The thermistor 91 is installed in each storage chamber and detects the temperature in each storage chamber. The door open / close detection switch 92 is a switch for detecting the open / close of the door of each storage room. The door open / close detection switch 92 is, for example, a magnet type switch. The door open / close detection switch 92 is provided so as to be able to detect the open / close of the refrigerator compartment door 7. Further, the door opening / closing detection switch 92 is provided so as to be able to detect the opening / closing of each door for opening / closing the switching chamber 20, the ice making chamber 30, the freezing chamber 40, and the vegetable compartment 50. That is, the door open / close detection switch 92 is provided so as to detect the open / close of the door of the refrigerator 100.

Further, the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment includes a weight sensor 93 as shown in FIG. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the weight sensor 93 is not shown. The weight sensor 93 is provided so as to be able to detect the weight of the stored object stored in the storage chamber. The weight sensor 93 may be provided so as to be able to detect the weight of the stored object stored in each storage chamber. The weight sensor 93 may be provided so as to be able to detect the total weight of the stored objects stored in all the storage chambers. The weight sensor 93 in the present embodiment may be configured to be able to detect the weight of the stored object in the refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, a signal including information on the temperature inside each storage chamber is input from the thermistor 91 to the control device 8. Further, a signal from the operation unit 6a of the operation panel 6 is also input to the control device 8. A signal including information on the detection result of the door open / close detection switch 92 is also input to the control device 8 from the door open / close detection switch 92. Further, a signal including information on the weight of the stored object in the refrigerator 100 is also input to the control device 8 from the weight sensor 93. The control device 8 executes various processes based on the input signal.

For example, the control device 8 executes a process of controlling the operation of the compressor 2 and the fan 4 so that the inside of each storage chamber is maintained at a set temperature based on the input signal. That is, in the present embodiment, the control device 8 controls the cooling means described above to control the operation of the refrigerator 100. The control device 8 also executes a process of controlling the operation of the display unit 6b and the speaker 6c. The refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment provides various information to the user by controlling the operations of the display unit 6b and the speaker 6c.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 8 of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 200 of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server device 300 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the refrigerator system including the refrigerator 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 in addition to FIG.

As described above, the refrigerator system includes a refrigerator 100, a terminal device 200, and a server device 300. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 8 of the refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment includes an open / close determination unit 101, an internal state determination unit 102, an internal change determination unit 103, a recommendation display unit 104, a recommendation voice reproduction unit 105, and the like. The refrigerator communication unit 110 is provided. The refrigerator communication unit 110 is for bidirectionally communicating data between the refrigerator 100 and the server device 300.

The open / close determination unit 101 determines the open / closed state of the door of the refrigerator 100 based on the signal input from the door open / close detection switch 92. The door open / close detection switch 92 and the open / close determination unit 101 in the present embodiment constitute an example of the open / close determination means for determining the open / closed state of the refrigerator door.

The internal state determination unit 102 determines the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator 100 based on the signal input from the weight sensor 93. The internal change determination unit 103 determines a change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator 100.

As an example, when the open / close determination unit 101 detects the opening / closing of the door of the refrigerator 100, the internal state determination unit 102 determines the amount of stored items based on the signal input from the weight sensor 93, and determines the amount of the stored items. Memorize information. The internal change determination unit 103 determines the change in the amount of stored items from the previous opening / closing of the door of the refrigerator 100 to the current opening / closing of the door of the refrigerator 100 based on the information stored in the internal state determination unit 102. More specifically, the internal change determination unit 103 indicates that the amount of stored items has increased by a certain amount or more, the amount of stored items has decreased by a certain amount or more, or the amount of change in the amount of stored items has changed within a certain amount. Determine if there is.

As described above, the weight sensor 93, the internal state state determination unit 102, and the internal change determination unit 103 constitute an example of the internal change determination means for determining the change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator 100. .. The time when the change determination means in the refrigerator determines the change in the stored state of the stored object is not limited to the opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator 100 shown in the above example. For example, the storage change determining means may determine the change in the stored state of the stored object at predetermined fixed time intervals. In addition, the storage change determination means may continuously monitor the stored state of the stored object. The storage change determining means may be configured so that changes in the stored state of the stored object can be grasped in chronological order. In other words, the storage change determination means may be configured so as to be able to grasp the storage state of the stored object for each time zone.

Further, as described above, the weight sensor 93 may be provided so as to be able to detect the weight of the stored object stored in each storage chamber. The internal state determination unit 102 and the internal change determination unit 103 may determine the change in the storage state of the stored object stored in each storage chamber. That is, the internal change determination means may be configured so that the storage state of the stored object stored in each storage room can be grasped.

The recommendation display unit 104 controls the display unit 6b and causes the display unit 6b to display the recommendation information. The recommendation voice reproduction unit 105 controls the speaker 6c, and causes the speaker 6c to perform voice notification of the recommendation information. Recommendation information is information that supports the behavior of the user. For example, "shopping" and "cooking" correspond to the behavior of the user. As an example, the recommendation information includes information on value-for-money products, information on seasonal ingredients, information on recipes, and the like as information supporting "shopping" and "cooking". As described above, the display unit 6b, the speaker 6c, the recommendation display unit 104, and the recommendation voice reproduction unit 105 constitute means for providing recommendation information that supports the behavior of the user.

The recommendation information provided by the display unit 6b, the speaker 6c, the recommendation display unit 104, and the recommendation voice reproduction unit 105 to the user is acquired from the server device 300 by the refrigerator communication unit 110. The control device 8 may be provided with a function for the control device 8 itself to generate recommendation information.

As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 200 includes a terminal display unit 201, a position information acquisition unit 202, and a terminal communication unit 210. The terminal communication unit 210 is for bidirectionally communicating data between the terminal device 200 and the server device 300.

As described above, the terminal device 200 of the present embodiment corresponds to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user. The terminal device 200 includes a display device capable of displaying various screens. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like. The terminal display unit 201 causes the display device of the terminal device 200 to display the recommendation information. The display device of the terminal device 200 and the terminal display unit 201 constitute means for providing recommendation information that supports the behavior of the user.

The display device of the terminal device 200 and the recommendation information provided by the terminal display unit 201 to the user are acquired from the server device 300 by the terminal communication unit 210. The terminal device 200 may be provided with a function for the terminal device 200 itself to generate recommendation information.

The position information acquisition unit 202 of the terminal device 200 is for acquiring the position information of the terminal device 200. In other words, the position information acquisition unit 202 is for acquiring the position information of the user carrying the terminal device 200. The position information acquisition unit 202 acquires position information using GPS or the like. The position information acquisition unit 202 in the present embodiment is an example of the position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information of the user.

The position information acquisition unit 202 may acquire position information based on the information of the acceleration sensor provided in the terminal device 200. Further, the position information acquisition unit 202 may acquire information on the movement speed of the terminal device 200 and the user based on the information of the acceleration sensor. Various information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 202 is transmitted to the server device 300 by the terminal communication unit 210.

As shown in FIG. 7, the server device 300 includes a behavior estimation unit 301, a life pattern estimation unit 302, a storage unit 303, a behavior comparison unit 304, a recommendation information generation unit 305, and a server communication unit 310. The server communication unit 310 is for bidirectionally communicating data between the server device 300 and the refrigerator 100 and between the server device 300 and the terminal device 200, respectively.

The behavior estimation unit 301 is an example of a behavior estimation means for estimating the behavior of the user. In the present embodiment, the behavior estimation unit 301 estimates the user's behavior based on the information acquired by the server communication unit 310 from the refrigerator communication unit 110 and the terminal communication unit 210.

The behavior estimation unit 301 of the present embodiment estimates the user's behavior based on the determination results of the weight sensor 93, the internal state determination unit 102, and the internal change determination unit 103, which are examples of the internal change determination means. .. Further, the behavior estimation unit 301 of the present embodiment estimates the user's behavior based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 202, which is an example of the position information acquisition means. The behavior estimation means for estimating the user's behavior is configured to estimate the user's behavior based on at least one of the determination result of the internal change determination means and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means. It suffices if it is done.

More specifically, the behavior estimation unit 301 estimates, for example, the behavior of the user in a time zone before a certain time when the amount of stored items in the refrigerator 100 increases by a certain amount or more as "shopping". .. In addition, when the position of the user in the time zone before a certain time before the time when the amount of stored items in the refrigerator 100 increases by a certain amount or more is the set position, the behavior estimation unit 301 of the user in the time zone. Behavior may be presumed as "shopping". This set position is, for example, a place where "shopping" such as a supermarket or a convenience store is performed. In the latter case, the accuracy of the estimation result by the behavior estimation unit 301 becomes higher.

Further, the behavior estimation unit 301 estimates, for example, the behavior of the user in a time zone including a time when the amount of stored matter in the refrigerator 100 decreases by a certain amount or more as "cooking". Further, the behavior estimation unit 301 of the present embodiment is characterized in that the behavior of "shopping preparation" is estimated in addition to "shopping" and "cooking". "Shopping preparation" means an action in which the user considers the "shopping" before making the "shopping". “Preparation for shopping” corresponds to, for example, an action such as considering a menu.

The user may open and close the door of the refrigerator 100 to check the storage state of the stored items. When the storage state of the stored object is confirmed by the user, the amount of the stored object does not change. When the above action is performed by the user at a certain point in time, the behavior estimation unit 301 estimates the action of the user at that time point as "shopping preparation". More specifically, the behavior estimation unit 301
When the amount of change in the amount of stored items in the refrigerator 100 during the time when the door of the refrigerator 100 is opened is within a certain range, the behavior of the user during the time is estimated as shopping preparation.

In addition, it is assumed that the action corresponding to "shopping preparation" is performed at the above-mentioned set position where "shopping" is performed or within a certain range from the set position. Therefore, the behavior estimation unit 301 of the present embodiment estimates the behavior of the user in a time zone in which the position of the user is within a certain range from the set position as "shopping preparation". In addition, it is assumed that the action corresponding to "shopping preparation" is performed in the user's house. Therefore, the behavior estimation unit 301 of the present embodiment estimates the behavior of the time zone in which the user's position is in the user's house as "shopping preparation".

The conditions for the behavior estimation unit 301 to estimate the user's behavior as "shopping preparation" may be arbitrarily set. Further, the behavior estimation unit 301 may estimate the user's "movement" behavior based on the information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 202, for example. In addition, the behavior estimation unit 301 may estimate the behavior of the user during the time zone when the user is "moving" as "shopping preparation".

The life pattern estimation unit 302 is an example of a life pattern estimation means that executes at least one of generation and update of the user's life pattern based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation unit 301. The life pattern includes information on the behavior of the user in each time zone. The life pattern generated by the life pattern estimation unit 302 is stored in the storage unit 303 as a table. The storage unit 303 of the present embodiment is an example of a storage means for storing information on the user's behavior in each time zone as a life pattern.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a life pattern table stored in the storage unit 303 of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 shows a weekly life pattern table as an example. The life pattern table stored in the storage unit 303 may be a daily unit, a monthly unit, a seasonal unit, a year unit, or the like. The life pattern table stores information on the behavior of the user in each time zone. The behavior of the user in each time zone corresponds to, for example, "shopping", "cooking", "movement", "meal" and the like. Further, the life pattern table may store information on a plurality of life patterns. In the example shown in FIG. 8, on Saturday, information on frequently occurring life patterns and information on infrequently living patterns are stored.

As an example, the life pattern estimation unit 302 sets the most frequent behavior or the latest behavior in a specific time zone as the user's behavior in the time zone based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation unit 301 in the past fixed period. As such, perform life pattern updates. Further, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may be configured so that information on the life pattern of the user can be learned. In addition, the user may generate and update the life pattern. The life pattern may be set, for example, by the user operating the operation panel 6.

Further, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation unit 301 in the past fixed period and the life pattern table stored in the storage unit 303. "Shopping preparation" is assumed to be performed a certain time before "shopping". Therefore, the life pattern estimation unit 302 determines that the time zone before the time zone estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 that the user's behavior is "shopping" is the time zone of "shopping preparation". presume. The life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern based on the estimation result. The updated life pattern information is stored in the storage unit 303 as a new life pattern table.

The user may be able to set a certain period of time from "shopping preparation" to "shopping". For example, a user who performs "shopping preparation" immediately before "shopping" sets this fixed time to about several tens of minutes. In addition, the user who performs "shopping preparation" on the day before "shopping" sets this fixed time to about 24 hours.

In addition, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may be configured to be able to learn information about a certain period of time from "shopping preparation" to "shopping". The life pattern estimation unit 302 may estimate a certain time from "shopping preparation" to "shopping" according to the frequency of "shopping". For example, when "shopping" is performed only once a week, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may estimate a specific time zone on the day before the "shopping" is performed as a "shopping preparation" time zone. .. When "shopping" is performed only once a week, the life pattern estimation unit 302 updates the life pattern so that the time zone of "shopping preparation" is not included on the day of the week other than the day before the "shopping" is performed. You may.

Further, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern so that the time zone immediately after "cooking" becomes the time zone of "meal". The life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern so that the time zone immediately after the "meal" time zone does not become the "shopping preparation" time zone. Similarly, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern so that the time zone immediately before "cooking" does not become the time zone of "shopping preparation".

It is also assumed that "shopping preparation" is performed during the "movement" time zone immediately before "shopping". Therefore, the life pattern estimation unit 302 may update the life pattern so that the time zone of "movement" immediately before "shopping" becomes the time zone of "shopping preparation". In the example shown in FIG. 8, on Sunday, the time zone of "movement" immediately before "shopping" is the time zone of "shopping preparation".

The behavior comparison unit 304 of the server device 300 is estimated by the current user's behavior in the life pattern and the behavior estimation unit 301 based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation unit 301 and the life pattern table stored in the storage unit 303. Compare with current user behavior. Then, when the behavior of the current user in the life pattern and the behavior of the current user estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 match, the behavior estimation unit 301 causes the server communication unit 310 to transmit the recommendation information. .. The recommendation information transmitted by the server communication unit 310 is provided to the user by the display unit 6b, the speaker 6c, the recommendation display unit 104, the recommendation voice reproduction unit 105, the display device of the terminal device 200, and the terminal display unit 201. The behavior comparison unit 304, the server communication unit 310, the display unit 6b, the speaker 6c, the recommendation display unit 104, the recommendation voice reproduction unit 105, the display device of the terminal device 200, and the terminal display unit 201 in the present embodiment use the recommendation information. It constitutes an example of the recommendation means to be provided to the person.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned recommendation means is used for shopping when the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 match in "shopping preparation". Provide information to users to support. The refrigerator system of the present embodiment configured as described above can provide the user with information supporting shopping at a more appropriate timing.

The recommendation information generation unit 305 of the server device 300 is for generating or acquiring the recommendation information. As an example, the recommendation information generation unit 305 generates recommendation information based on various information acquired from an external server. The recommendation information generation unit 305 may acquire the recommendation information itself from an external server. In the present embodiment, the recommendation information generation unit 305 generates or acquires information that supports "shopping" and information that supports "cooking" as recommendation information. The recommendation information generated or acquired by the recommendation information generation unit 305 is transmitted to the refrigerator 100 and the terminal device 200 by the server communication unit 310 as described above.

The functions of the above-mentioned parts constituting the control device 8 of the refrigerator 100 may be provided in, for example, the server device 300. For example, the functions of the internal state state determination unit 102 and the internal change determination unit 103 may be provided in the server device 300. Similarly, the functions of the respective parts constituting the server device 300 may be provided in the refrigerator 100 or the terminal device 200. The refrigerator system according to the present embodiment may be composed of any one or a plurality of arbitrary combinations of the refrigerator 100, the terminal device 200, and the server device 300. The refrigerator system may consist of any hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

Next, an example of the operation of the refrigerator system configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a refrigerator state notification performed by the refrigerator 100 constituting the refrigerator system of the first embodiment. The internal status notification is an operation that is repeatedly executed at regular intervals. When the internal state notification is started (step S100), first, whether or not the door of the refrigerator 100 is opened / closed is determined by the open / close determination unit 101 (step S101).

If the door of the refrigerator 100 is not opened and closed, the process of step S101 continues. When the door of the refrigerator 100 is opened and closed, the change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator 100 is determined by the internal state change determination unit 102 and the internal change determination unit 103, which are examples of the internal change determination means (step). S102). The determination result in step S102 is transmitted to the server device 300 by the refrigerator communication unit 110 (step S103), and the internal state notification operation ends.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a reception operation performed by the server device 300 constituting the refrigerator system of the first embodiment. The reception operation is started when the server communication unit 310 receives the information transmitted by the storage status notification operation. The reception operation also starts when the server communication unit 310 receives the position information from the terminal communication unit 210. The communication between the server communication unit 310 and the terminal communication unit 210 is repeated at regular intervals.

When the reception operation starts (step S200), the behavior estimation unit 301, which is an example of the behavior estimation means, estimates the behavior of the user in the time zone in which the information is received, based on the information received by the server communication unit 310. (Step S201). As described above, the behavior estimation unit 301 determines whether the user's behavior corresponds to "shopping", "shopping preparation", "movement", or "cooking" based on the information received by the server communication unit 310. To estimate. Then, based on the estimation result in step S201, the life pattern estimation unit 302, which is an example of the life pattern estimation means, updates the life pattern (step S202). The life pattern information updated in step S202 is stored in the storage unit 303 as a life pattern table, and the reception operation ends.

Next, the recommendation operation performed by the server device 300 constituting the refrigerator system will be described. The recommendation operation is an operation of providing recommendation information to the user at an appropriate timing. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a recommendation operation performed by the server device 300 constituting the refrigerator system of the first embodiment. The recommendation operation is started, for example, at regular intervals.

When the recommendation operation starts (step S300), the behavior estimation unit 301, which is an example of the behavior estimation means, estimates the user's behavior (step S301), as in step S201 in the reception operation. In step S301, the behavior estimation unit 301 estimates the behavior of the current user. The behavior estimation unit 301 estimates the current user behavior based on the information transmitted from the refrigerator 100 and the terminal device 200.

When the current behavior of the user is estimated in step S301, the behavior comparison unit 304 determines the current user in the life pattern based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation unit 301 and the life pattern table stored in the storage unit 303. The behavior of the current user estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 is compared with the behavior of the current user (step S302). If the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 do not match, the process of step S301 is executed again. When the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 match, the behavior estimation unit 301 causes the server communication unit 310 to transmit the recommendation information (step). S303). The recommendation information transmitted by the server communication unit 310 is provided to the user by the display unit 6b, the speaker 6c, the recommendation display unit 104, the recommendation voice reproduction unit 105, the display device of the terminal device 200, and the terminal display unit 201. This ends the recommendation operation.

If the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 in the above step S302 match in "shopping preparation", information supporting shopping is transmitted in step S303. Will be done. Further, when the behavior of the current user in the life pattern and the behavior of the current user estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 match in "cooking", information supporting cooking is transmitted in step S303. .. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator system capable of providing appropriate recommendation information to the user at a more appropriate timing can be obtained by the above-mentioned recommendation operation.

The recommendation information may be provided by any one of the display unit 6b of the refrigerator 100, the speaker 6c, and the display device of the terminal device 200. The device that provides the recommendation information to the user may be selectable by the user. The destination of the recommendation information transmitted from the server device 300 may be selectable.

The refrigerator 100 may include an infrared sensor or a distance sensor instead of the weight sensor 93. The in-compartment change determining means for determining the change in the stored state of the stored object in the refrigerator 100 may be composed of an infrared sensor or a distance sensor. Since the internal change determination means is composed of the weight sensor 93, the infrared sensor, or the distance sensor, it is possible to determine the change in the stored state of the stored object by a single physical quantity. As a result, the process for determining the change in the storage state of the stored object becomes simpler.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described. The same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified and omitted. The refrigerator system of the present embodiment is composed of a refrigerator 100, a terminal device 200, and a server device 300, as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment. Further, FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 8 of the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment. The refrigerator 100 of the present embodiment includes a camera 93a instead of the weight sensor 93 of the first embodiment. Further, the control device 8 includes an imaging unit 106 instead of the internal state determination unit 102 and the internal change determination unit 103. The camera 93a takes a picture of the inside of the storage room and outputs an image of the inside of the storage room. The imaging unit 106 controls the photographing operation of the camera 93a. The camera 93a and the imaging unit 106 are examples of imaging means for imaging the inside of the refrigerator 100. The imaging means constitutes a part of the change determination means in the refrigerator. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator communication unit 110 outputs the information of the image in the refrigerator to the server device 300. Further, as an example, the camera 93a and the imaging unit 106, which are imaging means, take an image of the inside of the refrigerator when the door of the refrigerator 100 is opened and closed.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server device 300 of the second embodiment. The server device 300 of this embodiment has an image recognition unit 306. The image recognition unit 306 recognizes the state of each food item based on the information of the image in the refrigerator output from the refrigerator communication unit 110. In the present embodiment, it is possible to grasp not only the storage state of the entire stored object in the refrigerator 100 but also the change in the storage state for each food item. For example, information on changes in the storage state of each food item over a certain period in the past is stored in the storage unit 303 as a list.

The image recognition unit 306 extracts information on a specific food from the image in the refrigerator by, for example, a method using deep learning or the like. The image recognition unit 306 of the present embodiment constitutes a part of the internal change determination means.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the change in the storage state of each food is grasped by the refrigerator system. The recommendation information generation unit 305 of the server device 300 constituting the refrigerator system may generate or acquire the recommendation information based on the change in the storage state of each food. For example, the recommendation information generation unit 305 may generate or acquire recipe information according to the food stored in the refrigerator 100. According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the user with appropriate recommendation information according to the storage state of the food in the refrigerator 100.

Further, the in-compartment change determining means, which is partially composed of the imaging means, provides information and food at the time when it is determined that the food is in the refrigerator 100 within a certain period of time after it is determined that the food is not in the refrigerator 100. The food usage state and the purchase state may be determined based on the information at the time when the food is determined to be in the refrigerator 100 after a lapse of a certain period of time or more after the determination that the food is not in the refrigerator 100. The recommendation information generation unit may generate or acquire recommendation information based on the above-mentioned usage state and purchase state.

A specific example of determining the usage status and purchase status of food will be described. The image recognition unit 306, which constitutes a part of the internal change determination means, recollects the image of the food within a certain period of about several minutes from the time when the image of the food such as seasoning is no longer included in the internal image. If it is included in the internal image, it is recognized that the food has been used. The image recognition unit 306 counts and records the number of times the specific food is used based on the recognition result. In this way, the image recognition unit 306 determines the usage state of the food.

Further, when the image of the food is included in the image of the refrigerator again after a certain period of time of several hours or more has passed from the time when the image of the specific food is no longer included in the image of the refrigerator, the image recognition unit 306 indicates the food. Recognizes that it was purchased. In this way, the image recognition unit 306 determines the purchase state of the food. Further, the image recognition unit 306 calculates the number of times the food is used from the time when the specific food was last purchased to the time when the food is purchased this time, and records it as the number of purchase notifications. Then, based on the determination result of the image recognition unit 306, the recommendation information generation unit purchases the food when the actual number of times the specific food is used is several times less than the number of times the purchase notification is used, for example, once or twice less. Generate recommendation information to encourage. Recommendation information to encourage the purchase of food is provided to the user. In this example, the user can recognize that the food needs to be purchased before the food runs out.

Next, various modifications of the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described. The refrigerator system is provided with a monitoring means for notifying a user different from the user when the current user's behavior in the life pattern and the current user's behavior estimated by the behavior estimation unit 301 are different. You may. The monitoring means is composed of, for example, a terminal different from the terminal device 200. In this example, for example, when the user of the refrigerator 100 is an elderly person, a family member in a remote place of the elderly person can notice a change in the life pattern of the elderly person.

The above-mentioned monitoring means may notify, for example, when the door of the refrigerator 100 is left open for a certain period of time or longer. The monitoring means may, for example, notify when there is a bias in the change of food based on the determination result of the image recognition unit 306. In addition, when there is a bias in food changes, information to eliminate the bias in food changes may be provided to the user as recommendation information.

The refrigerator system may be provided with a notification means for notifying the user of the "cooking" time zone in the life pattern or a time zone prior to the time zone by a certain time. In this example, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting the action to be taken at the time of cooking or before the time of cooking. Specifically, for example, a voice message "I have some medicine to take before meals" may be transmitted. The notification means in this example is configured by a speaker 6c or the like. According to this example, it is possible to prevent forgetting to take the medicine.

Further, the refrigerator system may be provided with an out-of-home notification means for notifying the user a certain time before the time zone in which the user's behavior in the life pattern is "movement". The outing notification means is composed of a speaker 6c or the like. In this example, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to carry what should be carried when "moving". Specifically, for example, a voice message "There is a medicine to be carried when going out" may be notified.

Further, the refrigerator system may include a refrigerator state measuring means for measuring the state of the refrigerator 100. The state of the refrigerator 100 includes the operating time of the inverter provided in the refrigerator 100, the number of times the door of the refrigerator 100 is opened and closed, the temperature in the storage chamber of the refrigerator 100, and the like. The refrigerator state measuring means is provided in, for example, the server device 300. The recommendation information generation unit 305 may generate information to encourage inspection or replacement of the refrigerator 100 as recommendation information based on the measurement result of the refrigerator state measuring means.

1 Insulation box, 2 Compressor, 3 Cooler, 4 Fan, 5 Air passage, 6 Operation panel, 6a Operation unit, 6b Display unit, 6c Speaker, 7 Refrigerator room door, 7a Right door, 7b Left door, 8 Control Equipment, 8a processor, 8b memory, 10 refrigerating room, 11 medicine storage compartment, 20 switching room, 30 ice making room, 40 freezer room, 50 vegetable room, 91 thermista, 92 door open / close detection switch, 93 weight sensor, 93a camera, 100 Refrigerator, 101 Open / Close Judgment Unit, 102 Refrigerator Status Judgment Unit, 103 Refrigerator Change Judgment Unit, 104 Recommendation Display Unit, 105 Recommendation Audio Playback Unit, 110 Refrigerator Communication Unit, 200 Terminal Device, 201 Terminal Display Unit, 202 Position Information Acquisition Unit, 210 Terminal communication unit, 300 server device, 301 behavior estimation unit, 302 life pattern estimation unit, 303 storage unit, 304 behavior comparison unit, 305 recommendation information generation unit, 310 server communication unit

Claims (13)

A means for determining changes in the refrigerator and a means for determining changes in the storage state of the stored items in the refrigerator.
Location information acquisition means to acquire user's location information,
A behavior estimation means that estimates the user's behavior based on at least one of the determination result of the internal change determination means and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, and
A memory means that stores information on the user's behavior in each time zone as a life pattern,
A recommendation means for providing information to support shopping when the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means match in shopping preparation. When,
Refrigerator system with. A means for determining changes in the refrigerator and a means for determining changes in the storage state of the stored items in the refrigerator.
A behavior estimation means that estimates the user's behavior based on the determination result of the internal change determination means, and
A memory means that stores information on the user's behavior in each time zone as a life pattern,
A recommendation means for providing information to support shopping when the current user behavior in the life pattern and the current user behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means match in shopping preparation. When,
Refrigerator system with. Further provided with a life pattern estimation means that executes at least one of the generation and update of the life pattern based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation means.
The behavior estimation means is a certain time before the time when the amount of stored items in the refrigerator increases by a certain amount or more based on the determination result of the internal change determination means and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means. If the user's position in the time zone is the set position, the user's behavior in the time zone is estimated as shopping, and
The life pattern estimating means estimates that a time zone that is a certain amount of time before the time zone estimated by the behavior estimating means that the user's behavior is shopping is a shopping preparation time zone, and the estimation result is obtained. The refrigerator system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the generation and update of the life pattern is performed based on the above. Further provided with a life pattern estimation means that executes at least one of the generation and update of the life pattern based on the estimation result of the behavior estimation means.
Based on the determination result of the change determination means in the refrigerator, the behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the user as shopping in a time zone before a certain time when the amount of stored items in the refrigerator increases by a certain amount or more. ,
The life pattern estimating means estimates that a time zone that is a certain amount of time before the time zone estimated by the behavior estimating means that the user's behavior is shopping is a shopping preparation time zone, and the estimation result is obtained. The refrigerator system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the generation and update of the life pattern is performed based on the above. Further equipped with an open / close determination means for determining the open / closed state of the refrigerator door,
In the behavior estimation means, the amount of change in the amount of stored matter in the refrigerator during the time when the refrigerator door is opened is based on the determination result of the opening / closing determination means and the determination result of the change determination means in the refrigerator. The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which estimates the behavior of the user in the time zone as shopping preparation when it is within a certain period. The behavior estimation means has a time zone in which the user's position is within a certain range from the set position and the user's position in the user's house based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means. The refrigerator system according to claim 3, wherein the behavior of the user in at least one of the time zones is estimated as shopping preparation. The behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the user as a dish in a time zone including a time when the amount of stored matter in the refrigerator decreases by a certain amount or more, based on the determination result of the change determination means in the refrigerator.
The recommendation means provides information to the user to support cooking when the current user's behavior in the life pattern and the current user's behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means match in cooking. The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is provided. The refrigerator system according to claim 7, further comprising a notification means for notifying the user of a cooking time zone in the lifestyle pattern or a time zone prior to the time zone by a certain time. The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the refrigerator change determining means has at least one of a weight sensor, an infrared sensor, and a distance sensor. The internal change determining means has an imaging means for capturing an image in the refrigerator, and determines a change in the stored state of each food based on the image captured by the imaging means.
The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the recommendation means provides information based on a determination result of the internal change determination means. The change determination means in the refrigerator has information at the time when the food is determined to be in the refrigerator within a certain time after it is determined that the food is not in the refrigerator and a certain time after it is determined that the food is not in the refrigerator. After the above has elapsed, the usage status and purchase status of the food are determined based on the information at the time when the food is determined to be in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator system according to claim 10, wherein the recommendation means provides information based on the usage state and the purchase state. From claim 1 provided with a monitoring means for notifying a user different from the user when the current user's behavior in the life pattern and the current user's behavior estimated by the behavior estimation means are different. The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 11. The refrigerator system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising an out-of-home notification means for notifying the user a certain time before the time zone in which the user's behavior in the life pattern is movement.

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