JP6998235B2 - Refrigerator control system - Google Patents

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to refrigerator control systems.

A refrigerator control system is known that outputs information necessary for a user to a refrigerator. For example, the user sends the schedule information to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator stores the schedule information. Then, when the refrigerator receives a user operation (for example, a door opening / closing operation or a button operation), the refrigerator outputs the schedule information.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-132551

In the conventional technique, the refrigerator only outputs the stored schedule information as it is, and the schedule information is not effectively utilized. The present specification provides a technique capable of controlling the operation operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user and suppressing the extra energy consumption in the refrigerator.

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

In the above-mentioned refrigerator control system, the schedule information of the user received from the terminal device is stored in the scheduler. Then, the server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user. For example, when the user is absent, the frequency of using the refrigerator is reduced as compared with the case where the user is at home. Therefore, the server causes the refrigerator to perform different driving operations depending on whether the user is absent or the user is at home, based on the user's schedule information. For example, the server controls the operation of the refrigerator so that the power consumption in the refrigerator is low when the user is absent. As described above, according to the above-mentioned refrigerator control system, by executing the control of the operation operation based on the schedule information, the operation operation of the refrigerator suitable for the user's situation is executed, so that the extra energy consumption in the refrigerator is consumed. Can be suppressed.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the refrigerator control system 10. The figure which shows an example of the table T1 displayed on the display part 114 of a terminal apparatus 100. The figure which shows the flowchart of the operation schedule information generation processing. The figure which shows the flowchart of the change monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of the defrosting operation process. The figure which shows the flowchart of the home monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of the internal monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of the modification of the in-house monitoring process. The figure which shows the flowchart of another modification of the warehouse monitoring process.

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

The main body of the refrigerator 20 is provided with a refrigerating room, a vegetable room, an ice making room, a freezing room, and the like, which are storages for storing food. That is, the refrigerator 20 is a household refrigerator. The opening of the refrigerator compartment is configured to be opened and closed by a so-called double door. The openings of the vegetable compartment, the ice-making chamber and the freezing chamber are configured to be opened and closed by pull-out doors.

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

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

The open / close sensor 28 is provided on each of the doors of the refrigerator 20. The open / close sensor 28 detects that the user has touched the door of the refrigerator 20. That is, the open / close sensor 28 can detect that a human being is present in front of the refrigerator 20. The open / close sensor 28 is composed of, for example, an electrostatic sensor or the like.

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

The temperature sensor 32 is provided inside the refrigerating chamber and detects the temperature inside the refrigerating chamber. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 is transmitted to the control unit 26. The temperature sensor 32 may also be provided inside the vegetable compartment or the freezing chamber.

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

The refrigerator 20 is configured to store food in a refrigerator (refrigerator room or the like) and execute an operation operation including a normal mode, a strong cooling mode, a power saving mode, a defrosting mode, and the like. The operation operation to be performed by the refrigerator 20 is controlled by the server 50 described later. The normal mode is a basic mode when the refrigerator 20 is operated. The strong cooling mode is a mode in which the refrigerator 20 is operated so as to maintain the temperature inside the refrigerator 20 at a lower temperature than the normal mode. The power saving mode is a mode for operating with lower power consumption than the normal mode. The defrosting mode is a mode for removing frost adhering to the cooler of the refrigerator 20.

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

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

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

Each terminal device 200 to 400 has the same configuration as the terminal device 100. In the following, for convenience of explanation, each user of each terminal device 100 to 400 will be described as a family of one household. Specifically, as shown in the area R1 of FIG. 2, the user of the terminal device 100 is the "father", the user of the terminal device 200 is the "mother", the user of the terminal device 300 is the "son", and the user of the terminal device 400. Is described as a "daughter".

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

FIG. 2 shows an example of the table T1 in which the schedule information is stored. As shown in the area R2 of FIG. 2, the schedule information is information indicating the schedule of each user of each terminal device 100 to 400. The schedule information includes home information indicating whether or not the user is at home (for example, information shown in the area R3) and shopping information indicating that the user plans to procure food (for example, information shown in the area R11). ), Cooking information (eg, information shown in region R4) indicating that the user plans to prepare a meal, and the like. Each of the schedules transmitted from the terminal devices 100 to 400 has an attribute of "absence" indicating that the user is not at home or "at home" indicating that the user is at home. For example, "commuting" shown in the area R3 of FIG. 2 indicates that the father is in the state of commuting to the company, and has the attribute of "absence". Similarly, "going out", "going to school", and "shopping" also have the attribute of "absence". On the other hand, "cooking" shown in the area R4 of FIG. 2 indicates that the mother is preparing a meal, and has the attribute of "at home". In the schedule information shown in the area R2 of FIG. 2, the time zone in which the schedule is not registered has the attribute of "at home".

Further, the server 50 shown in FIG. 1 includes an external service information acquisition unit 62. The external service information acquisition unit 62 acquires external service information. In this embodiment, the external service information is weather information indicating the weather for a predetermined period. The weather information indicates, for example, the weather such as “sunny”, “cloudy”, and “rain” as shown in the region R9 of FIG. 2, and is stored in the scheduler 60.

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

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

In S10, the server 50 acquires the schedule information of each user from the scheduler 60. Specifically, the schedule information of the father, mother, son, and daughter is acquired. The acquired schedule information is stored in the table T1 as shown in the area R3 and the like in FIG.

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

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

In S40, the server 50 determines whether or not the shopping information exists in the acquired schedule information. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, shopping information (region R11) is registered in the mother's schedule information from 11:00 to 13:00. Therefore, in S40, the server 50 determines that the shopping information exists (YES in S40), and proceeds to S50. On the other hand, when it is determined that the shopping information does not exist (NO in S40), the server 50 proceeds to S60.

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

In S60, the server 50 determines whether or not the cooking information exists in the acquired schedule information. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, cooking information (region R4) is registered in the mother's schedule information from 18:00 to 20:00. Therefore, in S60, the server 50 determines that cooking information exists (YES in S60), and proceeds to S70. On the other hand, when it is determined that the cooking information does not exist (NO in S60), the server 50 proceeds to S80.

In S70, the server 50 extracts the time zone (18:00 to 20:00) in which the cooking information exists, and sets the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 in the time zone to the strong cooling mode as shown in the area R10 of FIG. do. This is because it can be determined that the frequency of opening and closing the door increases in order to take out the food to be cooked from the refrigerator 20 during the time period, and the temperature inside the refrigerator tends to rise.

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

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

In S100, the server 50 acquires the external service information by the external service information acquisition unit 62. In this embodiment, the external service information is meteorological information. The acquired meteorological information is stored in the table T1 as shown in the area R9 of FIG.

In S110, the server 50 sets the defrosting mode as the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 in the time zone (8:00 to 13:00) extracted in S20. Specifically, the server 50 is set to cause the refrigerator 20 to execute the operation operation in the defrosting mode at any timing of the time zone. For example, after defrosting, the temperature inside the refrigerator 20 rises, so that the server 50 has all " Set the defrost mode to start at the time when it changes to "absent" (that is, 8 o'clock). Further, the server 50 operates the defrosting mode so as to increase the evaporation efficiency of the defrosting water when the time zone in which the defrosting mode is set is a specific weather condition based on the acquired weather information. Set. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the weather in the time zone (8:00 to 9:00) when the defrosting mode is executed is "rain", the humidity becomes high, so that the defrosting occurs. Evaporation efficiency of defrosted water generated by operation in mode is reduced. Therefore, in such a case, the server 50 sets a high operating rate of a compressor (not shown) that compresses the refrigerant for cooling the inside of the refrigerator 20, or a fan (not shown) that blows air into the refrigerator 20. The operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled so that the evaporation efficiency of the defrosted water is high by setting the number of rotations of the refrigerator 20 to be high. In FIG. 2, the power saving mode is set in S30 during the time zone from 8:00 to 9:00. In such a case, the server 50 sets the defrosting mode in preference to the power saving mode as the operating operation of the refrigerator 20.

In S120, the server 50 generates the operation schedule information of the refrigerator 20. That is, the server 50 generates operation schedule information (that is, table T1) that integrates the operation operations set in the above-mentioned S30, S50, S70, S90, and S110. The server 50 sets the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the normal mode except for the time zone in which the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled to the power saving mode, the strong cooling mode, or the like.

In S130, the server 50 transmits the generated operation schedule information to the terminal devices 100 to 400. When the terminal devices 100 to 400 receive the operation schedule information from the server 50, each terminal device 100 to 400 displays an image for notifying the user of the generated operation schedule information on the display unit. For example, the table T1 is displayed on the display unit of each terminal device 100 to 400. When the server 50 executes the process of S130, the server 50 ends the operation schedule information generation process.

The server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 according to the operation schedule information generated by the above operation schedule information generation process. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in the server 50, all the users are "absent" (that is, "go to work" and "go out" as the schedule information of all the users, based on the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60. , "School attendance" or "shopping" is stored), and the operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled to the defrosting mode from the timing (that is, 8 o'clock) (see regions R6 and S110). Then, when the defrosting mode ends, it is determined that all the users are still "absent" based on the schedule information, so that the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode (areas R5 and S30). reference). After that, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the shopping information (see regions R7 and S50). That is, the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from one hour before the scheduled end time of the shopping information (that is, 12:00). After that, the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the return time of each user (see regions R8 and S90). That is, the server 50 sets the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode from 30 minutes before the return time of each user (that is, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30, 17:30). Control. Further, when the time when the cooking information is registered arrives (that is, 18:00 arrives), the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode (see regions R10 and S50). When the timing at which the cooking information ends (that is, 20:00) arrives, the server 50 releases the control in the strong cooling mode. The server 50 operates the refrigerator 20 in the normal mode except during the time period in which the operation of the refrigerator 20 is controlled in each of the above modes (for example, 6:00 to 7:00, 16:00 to 17:30, etc.). To control.

Next, the change monitoring process will be described with reference to FIG. The change monitoring process is a process started after the server 50 generates operation schedule information. That is, the change monitoring process is started with the execution of the process of S120 in FIG. 3 as a trigger. The operation schedule information is received by each of the terminal devices 100 to 400, but in the following, only the terminal device 100 that has received the operation schedule information will be described.

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

In S210, the server 50 updates the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60 with the received (that is, changed by the user) schedule information. For example, when the server 50 receives that the schedule information of "commuting" stored in the table T1 of FIG. 2 is changed by the user from 7:00 to 17:00, the server 50 "commutes" in the time zone in the table T1. Update the schedule information of.

In S220, the server 50 changes the operation schedule information based on the changed schedule information. For example, in the example in which the schedule information of "going to work" mentioned in S210 is changed, the operation operation in the strong cooling mode set from 17:30 to 18:00 is changed from 16:30 to 17:00. When the server 50 finishes the process of S220, it returns to S200 and repeats the change monitoring process. Further, after the operation schedule information is changed, the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 according to the changed operation schedule information.

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

In S300, the server 50 determines whether or not the start time of the defrosting mode has arrived. In this embodiment, as shown in the area R6 of FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the start time of 8 o'clock has arrived. If it is determined that the start time of the defrosting mode has arrived (YES in S300), the process proceeds to S310, and if it is determined that the start time has not arrived (NO in S300), S300 is repeated and the start is performed. Wait for the time to come.

In S310, the server 50 transmits information indicating that the operation of the defrosting mode is started to the refrigerator 20. When the refrigerator 20 receives the information transmitted by the server 50, the refrigerator 20 starts the operation operation in the defrosting mode.

In S320, the server 50 transmits the start information to the terminal device 100. The start information is information indicating that the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 in the defrosting mode has started. When the terminal device 100 receives the start information from the server 50, the terminal device 100 displays an image on the display unit 114 for notifying the user that the operation operation in the defrosting mode has started.

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

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

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

In S360, the server 50 transmits the return information to the terminal device 100. The return information is information indicating that the temperature in the refrigerator 20 has returned to a predetermined temperature. When the terminal device 100 receives the return information from the server 50, the terminal device 100 displays an image on the display unit 114 for notifying the user that the temperature in the refrigerator 20 has returned to the predetermined temperature. When the server 50 executes the process of S360, the server 50 ends the defrosting operation process.

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

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

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

In S420, the server 50 changes the operating operation of the refrigerator 20 from the power saving mode to the normal mode. This is because all the users were "absent" in the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60, so the server 50 controlled the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode, but in reality, one of the users This is because it is judged that the frequency of opening and closing the door is high because the state is "at home". When the server 50 executes the process of S420, the home monitoring process ends.

Next, the inside monitoring process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The in-fridge monitoring process is a process of monitoring the loading and unloading of food into the refrigerator 20 and the expiration date of the food stored in the refrigerator 20 to notify the user.

In S500, the server 50 determines whether or not the food has been stored in the refrigerator 20. Specifically, when the refrigerator 20 reads the IC tag attached to the food to be stored by the information reading device 30, the read information is transmitted to the server 50. The server 50 can detect that the food has been stored in the refrigerator 20 in response to receiving the information. If it is determined that there is food in stock (YES in S500), the process proceeds to S510, and if it is determined that there is no food in stock (NO in S500), the process proceeds to S520.

In S510, the server 50 stores the information received from the refrigerator 20 in the memory 54. The information received from the refrigerator 20 includes identification information and deadline information stored in the IC tag. Therefore, the server 50 stores the identification information and the expiration date information in the memory 54 in association with each other.

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

In S530, the server 50 deletes the information corresponding to the information received from the refrigerator 20 from the identification information and the expiration date information stored in the memory 54. When the food is received, the identification information and the expiration date information are associated with each other and stored in the memory 54 as described in S510 described above. Therefore, the identification information and the expiration date information received by the server 50 when the food stored in the refrigerator 20 is delivered coincides with any of the identification information and the expiration date information in the memory 54. Therefore, the server 50 deletes the information matching the information received from the refrigerator 20 from the memory 54.

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

In S550, the server 50 transmits food information to the terminal device 100. Specifically, based on the identification information stored in the memory 54, information indicating what kind of food is currently stored in the refrigerator 20 is transmitted to the terminal device 100. For example, when the food indicated by the identification information stored in the memory 54 is "pork", "potato", or "carrot", the server 50 puts "pork", "potato", or "carrot" in the refrigerator 20. Information indicating that "is stored" is transmitted to the terminal device 100. When the server 50 executes the process of S550, it returns to S500 and repeats the in-house monitoring process. In addition, based on the expiration date information associated with the identification information, information indicating the expiration date may also be transmitted.

(effect)
In the refrigerator control system 10 described above, the schedule information of each user received from the terminal devices 100 to 400 is stored in the scheduler 60. Then, the server 50 generates operation schedule information based on the schedule information (S120). Further, the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 according to the generated operation schedule information. Specifically, the server 50 controls the power saving mode, which is low power consumption, during the time when all the users have the attribute of "absent" (S30), and the timing when the user's shopping ends and the user returns home. At the timing, the timing for the user to cook, and the like, the temperature inside the refrigerator 20 is controlled to a strong cooling mode for maintaining a low temperature (S50, S70, S90). Therefore, it is possible to cause the refrigerator 20 to perform an operation operation suitable for the user's behavior, and it is possible to suppress extra energy consumption in the refrigerator 20. For example, since the refrigerator 20 is not used during the time when all the users are absent, energy consumption can be suppressed by using the power saving mode during that time. Further, at the timing when the user's shopping ends, the timing when the user returns home, the timing when the user cooks, etc., it is expected that the door of the refrigerator 20 will be frequently opened and closed and the temperature inside the refrigerator will drop. Use the strong cooling mode. Therefore, energy consumption can be suppressed by using the strong cooling mode only at the timing when strong cooling is required.

Further, when the user changes the input schedule information (YES in S200), the server 50 changes (regenerates) the operation schedule information of the refrigerator 20 based on the changed schedule information (S220). In this way, even when the behavior of the user is changed, the refrigerator 20 can execute an appropriate driving operation.

Further, when the open / close sensor 28 confirms that the user is at home while the server 50 controls the operation of the refrigerator 20 to the power saving mode based on the schedule information (YES in S410), the server 50 cancels the power saving mode. Then, it is controlled to execute the operation operation in the normal mode (S420). In this way, even in a situation where the user neglects to change the schedule information, the refrigerator 20 can be made to perform an appropriate operation.

Further, the server 50 controls the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the defrosting mode during the time zone in which all the users have the attribute of "absent" (S110). Therefore, even if the temperature inside the refrigerator 20 rises due to the defrosting, it is possible to prevent the user's convenience from being impaired.

Further, the server 50 provides start information indicating the start of the defrosting mode, end information indicating the end of the defrosting mode, and return information indicating the return of the temperature in the refrigerator 20 after defrosting to each terminal device 100 to 400. (S320, S340, S360). Therefore, each user can accurately grasp the operating status of the refrigerator 20 in the defrosting mode.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

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

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

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in S90, the server 50 sets the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode based on the return time of each user. At this time, the portion that maintains the low temperature may be changed according to the user returning home. For example, the refrigerating room may be controlled to the strong cooling mode according to the time when the father, son, and daughter return home, and the vegetable room may be controlled to the strong cooling mode according to the time when the mother returns home. By selectively controlling the inside of the refrigerator 20 to the strong cooling mode in this way, the convenience of each user can be improved and the power consumption of the refrigerator 20 can be reduced.

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

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the loading and unloading of food into and from the refrigerator 20 is controlled by the information reading device 30 reading the IC tag (S500 to S530). However, the loading and unloading of food may be controlled by reading a two-dimensional code, for example, by an image pickup camera, or by manual input by a user.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in S540, the server 50 transmits food information to the terminal device 100 when a predetermined time arrives. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the server 50 determines that the predetermined time has arrived (YES in S540), in S600, the food that has arrived before the predetermined period from the deadline based on the deadline information You may decide whether or not it exists. Then, if a positive determination is made (S600), the consumption promotion information may be transmitted to the terminal device 100 in S610. The consumption promotion information is information that encourages the user to consume the food identified by the identification information. For example, when the expiration date indicated by the expiration date information associated with the "pork" stored in the refrigerator 20 is two days later (YES in S600), the terminal device provides information prompting the user to consume the "pork". It may be transmitted to 100 (S610). With such a configuration, it is possible to notify the user that there is a food whose expiration date is approaching, so that it is possible to suppress the expiration date of the food stored in the refrigerator 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when it is determined that the predetermined time has arrived (YES in S540), the server 50 may acquire the recipe information in S650. Recipe information is information indicating how to cook a plurality of dishes and necessary ingredients. Then, in S660, the cooking menu may be selected from the recipe information. For example, when it is determined that "pork", "potato", and "carrot" are stored in the refrigerator 20 based on the identification information stored in the memory 54, the server 50 determines that "nikujaga" is stored from the recipe information. , "Curry" may be selected. Then, in S670, the server 50 may transmit the cooking promotion information and the shortage information to the terminal device 100. The cooking promotion information is information that prompts the user to cook a cooking menu (that is, "nikujaga", "curry") corresponding to "pork", "potato", and "carrot". The deficiency information is information indicating the food that is deficient for cooking the cooking menu. Specifically, for example, the server 50 sends information prompting the user to cook the cooking menu "nikujaga" selected based on the identification information, and the "onion" is insufficient to cook the "nikujaga". Information indicating that the item is being used may be transmitted to the terminal device 100. With such a configuration, it is possible to propose a method of consuming the food stored in the refrigerator 20.

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

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the server 50 transmits the generated operation schedule information to the terminal devices 100 to 400 (S130). However, the server 50 may transmit the operation schedule information to the refrigerator 20. Further, the server 50 may transmit the schedule information stored in the scheduler 60 to the refrigerator 20. Then, the refrigerator 20 may display the operation schedule information and the schedule information received from the server 50 on the display unit 24. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately notify the operation schedule information and the schedule information of each user even to the users whose information literacy is not high.

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

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

The operation of the generator to generate mist will be described. First, by cooling the discharge electrode, moisture in the air is condensed, and the condensed water is held by the discharge electrode. The retained water is supplied to the apex. In this state, when a negative voltage is applied to the discharge electrode by the high voltage power supply, the electric charge is concentrated on the pointed portion, and energy exceeding the surface tension is supplied to the water supplied to the pointed portion. As a result, the water supplied to the pointed portion of the discharge electrode undergoes Rayleigh splitting due to the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, and mist (that is, charged charged fine particle water) is released. The particle size of the released charged fine particle water is, for example, 3 to 50 nm. The peak particle size is, for example, 20 nm. The released charged fine particle water contains an active species such as OH radical by applying a high voltage, and the active species functions as a sterilizing and deodorizing component.

Further, the generator for generating charged fine water is not limited to the one utilizing the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, and for example, H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m which is a positive ion and O ^2- (H ₂ ) which is a negative ion. O) It may be one that generates _n (m and n are natural numbers) of charged fine particle water in the air, or it emits pale light by causing air insulation destruction due to corona discharge or the like, and becomes the moisture in the air. It may react to generate cluster-shaped charged fine water.

Further, the generator may generate ozone simultaneously with or alternately with the charged fine particle water. Ozone can be generated by causing air dielectric breakdown due to the above-mentioned corona discharge or the like. In addition, a small amount of ozone can be generated by the above-mentioned electrostatic atomization phenomenon. Ozone has a high sterilizing and deodorizing ability, and functions suitably as a sterilizing and deodorizing component.

Visible light (400 nm to 500 nm) in the blue region may be applied to the charged fine particle water containing the active species. With such a configuration, the life of the active species can be extended.

Active species such as OH radical may be generated by irradiating the photocatalyst with visible light or ultraviolet light having a relatively short wavelength. Specifically, for example, when silver oxide containing silver zirconium phosphate is used as the photocatalyst, it is possible to irradiate light having a wavelength region of about 400 nm to 580 nm, and when titanium oxide is used, it is possible to irradiate light. Active species may be produced by utilizing light sources of light emitting diodes capable of irradiating light having a wavelength of 380 nm.

In the generator utilizing the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, the amount of functional components generated can be adjusted by adjusting the on time of the high voltage power supply. That is, when the on-time of the high-voltage power supply is lengthened, the amount of functional components generated increases. The server 50 may generate a functional component by turning on the high voltage power supply of the generator at a predetermined timing of the generated operation schedule information. Further, the server 50 may spray the generated functional component over a wide range in the refrigerator by increasing the rotation speed of the fan in the refrigerator 20, and enhance the sterilizing and deodorizing effect.

Subsequently, the control of the operation operation of the above-mentioned generator by the server 50 will be described. For example, the server 50 operates the generator so that the generator operates in the time zone in which the operation operation of the refrigerator 20 is set to the power saving mode in S30 (that is, the time zone in which all the users have the attribute of "absent"). May be controlled. With such a configuration, the hygiene aspect of the food stored in the refrigerator 20 can be ensured even during the operation operation in the power saving mode in which the operation is performed with lower power consumption than usual.

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

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

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

In this way, the server 50 may control the refrigerator 20 so as to appropriately execute the operation of the generator according to the operation operation of the refrigerator 20. If it is desired to enhance the sterilizing and deodorizing effect of a specific part (for example, a vegetable room) in the refrigerator 20, the generator of the specific part is operated and the other part (for example, a refrigerating room) is operated. The generator may be operated and the fan may be rotated so that the functional component spreads from the other part to the specific part through the duct connecting the specific part and the other part. Further, the functional component sprayed on the specific portion may be increased by increasing the opening degree of the damper arranged in the duct.

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

These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof, as are included in the scope and gist of the invention.

10: Refrigerator control system, 20: Refrigerator, 22: Operation unit, 24: Display unit, 26: Control unit, 28: Open / close sensor, 30: Information reader, 32: Temperature sensor, 50: Cloud server, 52: CPU, 54: Memory, 60: Scheduler, 62: External service information acquisition unit, 100: Terminal device, 110: Communication network, 112: Operation unit, 114: Display unit, 116: Control unit, 120: OS program, 122: Refrigerator application

Claims (16)

Refrigerator control system
With a refrigerator
A server that can communicate with the refrigerator and controls the operation of the refrigerator,
A scheduler stored in the server and storing schedule information indicating the content of user actions, and
A terminal device that can access the scheduler and
Equipped with
The terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler, and the terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler.
The server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user stored in the scheduler.
The schedule information includes home information indicating whether or not the user is at home.
The server controls the operation operation of the refrigerator to the defrosting mode at a time when it is determined that a predetermined number of people or more are absent based on the home information.
In the server, the start information indicating that the defrosting mode has started, the ending information indicating that the defrosting mode has ended, and the temperature in the refrigerator after the defrosting mode ends are set to a predetermined temperature. The return information indicating that the device has returned to is transmitted to the terminal device.
Refrigerator control system. Refrigerator control system
With a refrigerator
A server that can communicate with the refrigerator and controls the operation of the refrigerator,
A scheduler stored in the server and storing schedule information indicating the content of user actions, and
A terminal device that can access the scheduler and
Equipped with
The terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler, and the terminal device can transmit the schedule information to the scheduler.
The server controls the operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the user stored in the scheduler.
The server can acquire external service information, and controls the operation operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information and the external service information.
The external service information includes weather information and
The server removes air caused by the operation of the defrost mode when it is determined based on the weather information that the operation operation of the refrigerator is controlled to the defrost mode. The operation of the refrigerator is controlled so as to increase the evaporation efficiency of frost water.
Refrigerator control system. The scheduler stores schedule information of a plurality of users.
The refrigerator control system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the server controls the operation operation of the refrigerator based on the schedule information of the plurality of users. The refrigerator
The first acquisition unit for acquiring food information about the food stored in the refrigerator, and
A first transmission unit that transmits the acquired food information to the server, and
Equipped with
The server according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the server transmits the operation schedule information indicating the content of the operation of the refrigerator and / or the food information received from the refrigerator to the terminal device. Refrigerator control system. The refrigerator includes an operation unit that receives a first user operation for inputting the schedule information.
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the refrigerator transmits the schedule information input by the first user operation to the server. The operation unit can accept the input of the second user operation for changing the schedule information transmitted to the scheduler.
When the refrigerator receives the input of the second user operation, the refrigerator transmits the changed schedule information to the scheduler.
The refrigerator control system according to claim 5 , wherein the server updates the schedule information. The terminal device is
It is possible to accept the input of the third user operation for changing the schedule information transmitted to the scheduler.
When the input of the third user operation is accepted, the changed schedule information is transmitted to the scheduler.
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the server updates the schedule information. The refrigerator is provided with a display unit.
The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the refrigerator displays the schedule information received from the server and / or the operation schedule information indicating the content of the operation operation of the refrigerator on the display unit. .. The schedule information includes home information indicating whether or not the user is at home.
Claims 1 to 8 control the server to control the operation of the refrigerator to a power saving mode with low power consumption during a time when it is determined that a predetermined number of people or more are absent based on the home information. Refrigerator control system described in any of. The refrigerator has a main body and a door that closes an opening that opens in front of the main body.
When the refrigerator detects the opening and closing of the door while the operation operation is controlled to the power saving mode, the operation operation is changed from the power saving mode to a normal mode having higher power consumption than the power saving mode. The refrigerator control system according to claim 9 , which is modified. The schedule information includes home information indicating whether or not the user is at home.
Based on the home information, the server performs the operation operation of the refrigerator in the refrigerator in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the time when the user changes from the absence state to the home state. The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , which controls a strong cooling mode in which the temperature is maintained at a low temperature. The schedule information includes shopping information indicating that the user plans to procure food.
When the shopping information is included in the schedule information, the server lowers the temperature in the refrigerator by operating the refrigerator in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the scheduled end time of the shopping information. The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , which controls to a strong cooling mode in which the temperature is maintained. The schedule information includes cooking information indicating that the user plans to prepare a meal.
When the schedule information includes the cooking information, the server lowers the temperature in the refrigerator by operating the refrigerator in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the scheduled start time of the cooking information. The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , which controls to a strong cooling mode in which the temperature is maintained. The external service information includes power outage information indicating a power outage plan.
Based on the power failure information, the server controls the operation operation of the refrigerator to a strong cooling mode for maintaining the temperature in the refrigerator at a low temperature in response to the arrival of a predetermined time before the power failure. Item 2. The refrigerator control system according to Item 2. The refrigerator
A second acquisition unit for acquiring identification information for identifying the food stored in the refrigerator and deadline information indicating the deadline for consumption of the food.
A second transmission unit that transmits the acquired identification information and the deadline information to the server, and
Equipped with
Based on the deadline information, the server transmits consumption promotion information to the terminal device, which prompts the user to consume the food identified by the identification information when a predetermined period has arrived from the deadline. , The refrigerator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 . The server further includes a third acquisition unit that acquires recipe information regarding cooking of a plurality of dishes.
The server
Based on the recipe information, cooking promotion information prompting the user to cook a cooking menu corresponding to the identification information is transmitted to the terminal device.
The refrigerator control system according to claim 15 , wherein when there is a food shortage for cooking the cooking menu, the shortage information indicating that the food food is short is transmitted to the terminal device.

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