KR102339983B1 - Sensor for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The sensor for a refrigerator according to an aspect of the present invention is disposed to face the inside of the refrigerator storage compartment, an internal sensor unit including an internal humidity sensor for sensing humidity inside the refrigerator storage compartment, is disposed to face the outside of the refrigerator storage compartment, An external sensor unit including an external humidity sensor for detecting humidity outside the refrigerator storage compartment, and a state of food stored in the refrigerator storage compartment based on a difference between humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor and humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor By including a processor for determining, it is possible to determine the state of the food stored in the refrigerator storage room.

Description

Sensor for refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a sensor for a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a sensor for a refrigerator capable of efficiently managing the freshness of food stored in a refrigerator storage room.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigerator is a device that allows stored items to be stored in a fresh state for a long period of time by cold air supplied to the inside of a storage room. The cold air supplied to the inside of the storage chamber is generated by the heat exchange action of the refrigerant. The cold air supplied to the inside of the storage chamber is uniformly delivered to the inside of the storage chamber by convection, so that food can be stored at a desired temperature.

In general, foods containing ingredients such as milk, cheese, and eggs have expiration dates for each type. In particular, it is important to keep and manage fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables in terms of health and economics.

Conventionally, there have been many cases in which the user manually writes and manages information on the expiration date of the ingredients on paper. However, this conventional method is inconvenient in that the user has to find out the expiration date information for each food and write it on paper, and store the paper on which the information on the expiration date is written.

In order to solve this problem, prior art 1 (Publication No. 10-2008-0084240) reads and manages food in the refrigerator using an RFID tag, a one-dimensional barcode, or a two-dimensional barcode.

However, prior art 1 has a problem in that it cannot be used in the case of food to which an RFID tag is not attached.

Prior Art 2 (Publication No. 10-2006-0111009) discloses a food management refrigerator that efficiently manages food stored in a refrigerator through a shape image of food obtained using an imaging means.

In the prior art 2, food can be efficiently managed using an image obtained by a camera, but depending on the location of the camera and stored food, some foods are covered and difficult to recognize may occur.

In addition, there are technologies for detecting the gas generated during ripening and spoiling of vegetables and fruits using a gas sensor to determine the freshness of fruits and vegetables stored in a storage room. In this case, it is difficult to determine the freshness of vegetables in the initial stage in which gas is hardly generated, and since there is a possibility of interference with the smell of food other than spoilage of vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator storage room, it is difficult to accurately determine the freshness with a gas sensor.

Accordingly, research on methods for efficiently recognizing and managing foods stored in a refrigerator is increasing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor for a refrigerator capable of determining the state of food stored in a storage room by detecting humidity, and a food management method using the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor for a refrigerator capable of more accurately determining the state of food using a humidity sensor and a pressure sensor, and a food management method using the same.

In order to achieve the above or other object, the sensor for a refrigerator according to an aspect of the present invention includes an internal sensor unit that is disposed to face the inside of a refrigerator storage compartment, and includes an internal humidity sensor that detects humidity inside the refrigerator storage compartment, and a refrigerator storage compartment. an external sensor unit disposed to face the outside of the refrigerator and including an external humidity sensor for detecting humidity outside the refrigerator storage compartment, and based on a difference between humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor and humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor By including a processor for determining the state of the food stored in the refrigerator storage compartment, it is possible to determine the state of the food stored in the refrigerator storage compartment.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to detect the humidity to determine the state of the food stored in the storage room.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage in that the state of the food can be more accurately determined using the humidity sensor and the pressure sensor.

On the other hand, various other effects will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description according to the embodiment of the present invention to be described later.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view when the door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 is opened.
3 is a view showing the exterior of a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating an arrangement example of a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an internal block diagram of a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 to 11 are diagrams referenced in the description of the operation of the sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and may be modified in various forms.

In the drawings, in order to clearly and briefly describe the present invention, the illustration of parts irrelevant to the description is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for the same or extremely similar parts throughout the specification.

On the other hand, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given simply in consideration of the ease of writing the present specification, and do not give a particularly important meaning or role by themselves. Accordingly, the terms “module” and “unit” may be used interchangeably.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 when the door 4 is opened.

The shape of the refrigerator 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is exemplary and the present invention is not limited thereto.

1 and 2 , a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 3 having a storage compartment S for storing food, a door 4 for opening and closing the body 3, and a door (4) may include a door switch 160 that detects that the opening and closing.

At least one storage chamber (S) may be formed in the body (3). When the main body 3 is formed with a plurality of storage chambers (S), the plurality of storage chambers (S) may be partitioned by a barrier. The main body 3 may include an upper storage chamber and a lower storage chamber, or may include a left storage chamber and a right storage chamber. The body 3 may include a refrigerating compartment located at an upper side and a freezing compartment located at a lower side of the refrigerating compartment. The body 3 may include an outer case 11 that forms an exterior.

Specifically, the main body 3 may have a storage compartment S formed by the inner case 2 . The inner case 2 may be located inside the outer case 11 . In the main body 3 , a heat insulating material may be disposed between the outer case 11 and the inner case 2 .

The inner case 2 may be formed in a box shape with an open front. The inner case 2 may include a left plate, a right plate, an upper plate, a lower plate, and a rear plate.

A plurality of storage chambers (S) in which food is stored is formed in the body (3). The plurality of storage rooms S may be partitioned into spaces independent of each other, and spaces connected to each other may be logically divided. Specifically, the storage compartment (S) of the main body (3) may be defined by being partitioned by the shelf (6).

The shelf 6 is on which items such as food to be stored in the storage compartment S are placed, and at least one shelf 6 is positioned in the storage compartment S to divide the storage compartment S into a plurality of spaces.

A drawer may be disposed in one or more storage compartments (S). Alternatively, one or more storage compartments (S) may be configured in the form of a drawer to be distinguished from other storage compartments or the rest of the storage compartment. The drawer is for storing or holding food, and a plurality of drawers may be disposed in the vertical and/or left and right directions. The drawer may be configured as a container (also called a drawer or a bin) having a space of a certain size in which food is stored.

In addition, one or more storage compartments (S) may be opened and closed by being configured to slide back and forth, or may be opened and closed according to the movement of the door by providing a door.

One or more storage compartments (S) may be a vegetable compartment (also referred to as freshness compartment) for storing fresh food such as vegetables and fruits therein.

The body 3 may include a cooling device for cooling the storage chamber (S).

The cooling device may include a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser in which the refrigerant compressed in the compressor is condensed, an expansion mechanism in which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser is expanded, and an evaporator in which the refrigerant expanded in the expansion mechanism is evaporated.

The main body 3 may include a storage chamber (S) fan (not shown) for supplying the storage chamber (S) after flowing the cold air of the storage chamber (S) to the evaporator. The body 3 may include a cold air duct (not shown) for guiding the air cooled by the evaporator to the storage chamber S. A cold air outlet (not shown) for discharging guided cold air to the storage chamber S may be formed in the cold air duct.

A single door 4 can open and close the storage compartment S, and a plurality of doors can open and close the storage compartment S together. The door 4 and the main body 3 may be provided with a door switch 160 for detecting the opening or closing of the door 4 .

The door switch 160 detects that the door 4 opens and closes the main body 3 , and transmits the detection result to a controller (not shown) of the refrigerator 10 . As the door switch 160 , various known technologies capable of detecting whether the door 4 is open may be used.

Meanwhile, a display unit 180 for displaying a predetermined image may be further provided on the front surface of the main body 3 .

The display unit 180 may display information such as a control screen and an operating state. For example, the display unit 230 may display a service type of the dispenser (ice cubes, water, ice cubes), a set temperature of the freezer compartment, and a set temperature of the refrigerating compartment.

The display unit 180 may be implemented in various ways, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and the like.

In addition, the display unit 180 may display an image captured by an internal camera (not shown) or display a user interface screen or the like.

In addition, the display unit 180 is provided as a touch screen (touch screen) can be used as an input means.

According to an embodiment, the refrigerator 10 may include a sensor 12 that acquires an external image or detects a user's input or movement.

For example, the sensing unit 12 may include an image sensor and an image processing module.

The sensing unit 12 may process a still image or a moving image obtained by an image sensor (eg, CMOS or CCD). The image processing module may process a still image or a moving image obtained through the image sensor, extract necessary information, and transmit the extracted information to the controller.

For example, the sensing unit 12 may include a vibration sensor that detects a knock input of the user tapping the front of the refrigerator.

The control unit may determine the user's gender, age, face, user's access state, user's input, etc. based on the information obtained by the sensing unit 12 , and may control the operation of the refrigerator 10 in response thereto. have.

The sensing unit 12 may be installed at a location capable of acquiring an image or a user input around the door 4 . For example, the sensing unit 12 may be installed on the outer surface of the main body 3 or on the front surface of the door 4 .

3 is a view showing the exterior of a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are views showing an arrangement example of the sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an internal block diagram of a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 to 7, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed to face the inside of the refrigerator storage compartment (S), and detects the humidity inside the refrigerator storage compartment (S). It includes an internal sensor unit 110 including an internal humidity sensor 111 and an external humidity sensor 121 that is disposed to face the outside of the refrigerator storage compartment (S) and detects humidity outside the refrigerator storage compartment (S) It may include an external sensor unit 120 that

Here, the refrigerator storage compartment (S) may be a vegetable compartment (S) for storing fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits. Hereinafter, a case in which the refrigerator storage compartment (S) is a vegetable compartment (S) will be described as an example, but the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to the present invention may be used in other storage compartments.

On the other hand, the vegetable compartment (S) is configured in the form of a drawer and can be slid in the front and rear directions, and the user can take out the vegetable compartment (S) to the front of the refrigerator (10) to put or remove food. Alternatively, the front surface S1 of the vegetable compartment S may be configured as a door, and the user may open the door to put or remove food.

On the other hand, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator may include a body 101 accommodating various parts therein, and the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 are disposed on both sides of the body 101 . can be placed.

The sensor 100 for the refrigerator may be inserted and mounted in a partial area of the front surface S1 of the vegetable compartment S. In this case, the inner sensor unit 110 may be disposed to face the inside of the vegetable compartment (S), and the external sensor unit 120 may be disposed to face the outside of the vegetable compartment (S). Accordingly, the internal sensor unit 110 may detect the internal humidity of the vegetable compartment (S), and the external sensor unit 120 detects the external humidity of the vegetable compartment (S), that is, the humidity inside the refrigerator (10). can do.

On the other hand, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, based on the difference between the humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor 121, the vegetable compartment (S) may include a processor 140 for determining the state of the stored food. The processor 140 may be accommodated in the body 101 .

The processor 140 is, based on the difference between the vegetable compartment (S) internal humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the external humidity data of the vegetable compartment (S) detected by the external humidity sensor 121, the vegetable compartment (S) ), it is possible to determine the freshness of the stored food.

In the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, two humidity sensors 111 and 121 are respectively located inside and outside the vegetable compartment S, and the humidity values of the two humidity sensors 111 and 121 are The difference can be used to measure the evaporation of water in vegetables and fruits.

In addition, according to the present invention, by applying the external humidity sensor 121 of the vegetable compartment (S), even if the humidity environment in the refrigerator is changed, it is possible to measure the freshness by the humidity difference inside/outside the vegetable compartment (S).

When the difference between the humidity data sensed by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the humidity data sensed by the external humidity sensor 121 is smaller than a predetermined reference value, the processor 140 is configured to determine the amount of evaporation of moisture over time. As a result, it can be determined that the freshness of the food is lowered.

Alternatively, the processor 140, when the decrease slope of the difference (value) between the humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor 121 is smaller than the reference slope , it can be determined that the moisture evaporation amount over time is large, and the freshness of the food is lowered.

Gas generated due to the passage of time and decay varies according to the types of vegetables and fruits being stored, but moisture is a common issue regardless of the types of vegetables and fruits.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the freshness of food can be more accurately determined than the freshness determination using gas by inferring the amount of moisture change from the humidity change and determining the freshness of the food according to the moisture change.

Meanwhile, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include pressure sensors 112 and 122 for detecting a pressure change.

In FIG. 6 , the case in which the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 includes pressure sensors 112 and 122, respectively, has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, only the internal sensor unit 110 may include the pressure sensor 112 , or only the external sensor unit 120 may include the pressure sensor 122 .

In this embodiment, the processor 140, when a pressure change greater than or equal to a reference value is detected by the pressure sensors 112 and 122, the humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the external humidity sensor 121 The state of the food may be determined by excluding data corresponding to the occurrence time of the pressure change greater than or equal to the reference value.

The pressure sensors 112 and 122 may detect a pressure change that occurs when the door 4 of the refrigerator 10 is opened and closed.

As the door 4 of the refrigerator 10 is opened and closed, the internal humidity of the refrigerator 10 may change under the influence of external humidity. In addition, the internal / external humidity of the vegetable room (S) may be affected. Therefore, in the present invention, the freshness can be more accurately determined by determining whether the door 4 is opened or closed with the data detected by the pressure sensors 112 and 122 and excluding the humidity change due to the opening and closing of the door 4 . have.

Meanwhile, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a storage unit 150 , a communication unit 190 , a battery (not shown), and the like, and the storage unit 150 , a communication unit ( 190), a battery (not shown), and the like may be accommodated in the body 101 .

The storage unit 150 records various types of information necessary for the operation of the sensor 100 for a refrigerator, and may include a volatile or nonvolatile recording medium. A recording medium stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic may include tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like.

Also, the storage unit 150 may store sensing data of the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 .

The communication unit 190 may include at least one communication module to communicate with other electronic devices.

The communication unit 190 may transmit, under the control of the processor 140 , the determined food state information, such as freshness, to the refrigerator 10 , a user's mobile terminal, a predetermined server, or the like. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the user of the deterioration of the freshness of the food.

In addition, the communication unit 190 may transmit, under the control of the processor 140 , the detected data of the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 to the refrigerator 10 , a user's mobile terminal, a predetermined server, and the like. have.

Alternatively, the sensor 100 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light emitting element capable of outputting light of a predetermined color, and when it is determined that freshness is deteriorated, by emitting light of a predetermined color , it is possible to notify the user of the deterioration of the freshness of the food.

The battery may supply power for the operation of the sensor 100 for the refrigerator.

According to the present invention, the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 are disposed on both sides of the main body 101, so that the humidity inside/outside the vegetable compartment (S) can be controlled with one sensor 100 for a refrigerator. can detect In addition, since it is not necessary to provide two parts each, such as the processor 140 , the storage unit 150 , and the communication unit 190 , the manufacturing cost can also be reduced.

7 to 11 are diagrams referenced in the description of the operation of the sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing humidity data inside/outside the vegetable compartment (S) detected by the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 of the sensor 100 for a refrigerator after vegetables are put into the vegetable compartment (S). to be.

8 is a view showing the difference in humidity inside/outside the vegetable compartment (S) detected by the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 of the sensor 100 .

7 and 8, when the initial vegetables are added, the moisture content in the vegetables is maintained at 80-90% or more, and as time goes by, the moisture is balanced with the outside in the vegetable room (S). Humidity will gradually decrease.

At this time, since the weight of the vegetables also decreases as the moisture decreases, the freshness of the vegetables can be inferred according to the amount of change in humidity (the difference between humidity inside and outside the vegetable room) and the freshness can be monitored.

7 and 8 , the difference graph between the humidity data and the internal/external humidity data sensed by the internal sensor unit 110 and the external sensor unit 120 due to the operation of the compressor of the refrigerator 10 is shaken. (oscillation) occurs.

9 is a graph in which only the maximum value (Max point) is taken in FIG. 8 and the humidity oscillation phenomenon caused by the operation of the compressor in the refrigerator is removed.

In addition, Figure 10 is a graph showing the results of measuring the weight change of the vegetables put into the vegetable compartment (S).

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 , it can be seen that both the humidity and weight graphs show different inclinations for 2 to 4 days and 4 to 7 days.

Accordingly, when the difference between the humidity data sensed by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the humidity data sensed by the external humidity sensor 121 is smaller than a predetermined reference value, the processor 140 is It can be determined that the evaporation amount is large and the freshness of the food is lowered.

Alternatively, the processor 140, when the decrease slope of the difference (value) between the humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor 121 is smaller than the reference slope , it can be determined that the moisture evaporation amount over time is large, and the freshness of the food is lowered.

11 is a graph illustrating changes in pressure and humidity when the door 4 of the refrigerator 10 is opened and closed.

Referring to FIG. 11 , when the door 4 of the refrigerator 10 is opened and closed, a change in humidity occurs due to inflow of external air. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the humidity change phenomenon caused by the door 4 of the refrigerator 10 is removed using the pressure sensor 112 and/or 122, and freshness is determined based on the remaining humidity data. can

When a pressure change greater than or equal to a reference value is detected by the pressure sensors 112 and 122 , the processor 140 is configured to include a pressure greater than or equal to the reference value among humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor 111 and the external humidity sensor 121 . Excluding the data corresponding to the time of occurrence of the change, the state of the food can be determined.

That is, according to the present invention, by monitoring the pressure change in the refrigerator 10 with the data detected by the pressure sensors 112 and 122, it is possible to distinguish whether the humidity change is caused by the opening and closing of the door or the humidity change caused by the factors inside the vegetable compartment. In addition, by checking the humidity change factors, it can be excluded from the freshness monitoring in the case of a humidity change caused by opening and closing the door (4).

The processor 140 may determine whether the door 4 is opened or closed, and may more accurately determine the freshness by excluding a change in humidity caused by the opening and closing of the door 4 .

In the present invention, the moisture content of fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits is used as a measure of freshness instead of gas generated during the ripening and storage of fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to detect the humidity to determine the state of the food stored in the storage room.

According to the present invention, it is possible to infer and discriminate the freshness of the food being stored by the difference in humidity inside/outside the vegetable room.

According to the present invention, by locating one humidity sensor each inside/outside of the vegetable room, even if the humidity environment in the refrigerator changes, it is possible to determine the freshness by the difference in humidity inside/outside the vegetable room.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage in that the state of the food can be more accurately determined using the humidity sensor and the pressure sensor.

According to the present invention, the humidity change phenomenon that occurs when the refrigerator door is opened and closed can be distinguished by monitoring the internal pressure of the refrigerator with a pressure sensor, and the food condition more accurately by removing the components that affect the humidity change due to the door opening and closing can be identified.

In the sensor for a refrigerator according to the present invention, the configuration and method of the embodiments described above are not limitedly applicable, but all or part of each embodiment is selectively combined so that various modifications can be made to the embodiments. may be configured.

Meanwhile, the method of operating a sensor for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a processor-readable code on a processor-readable recording medium. The processor-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by the processor is stored. Examples of the processor-readable recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., and also includes those implemented in the form of carrier waves such as transmission over the Internet. . In addition, the processor-readable recording medium is distributed in a computer system connected to a network, so that the processor-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims In addition, various modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

Refrigerator: 10
Sensor for refrigerator: 100
Body: 101
Internal sensor unit: 110
External sensor unit: 120

Claims (5)

an internal sensor unit disposed to face the inside of the refrigerator storage compartment and including an internal humidity sensor sensing humidity inside the refrigerator storage compartment;
an external sensor unit disposed to face the outside of the refrigerator storage compartment and including an external humidity sensor for detecting humidity outside the refrigerator storage compartment; and,
A processor for determining the state of the food stored in the refrigerator storage compartment based on a difference between the humidity data sensed by the internal humidity sensor and the humidity data sensed by the external humidity sensor;
At least one of the internal sensor unit or the external sensor unit further includes a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure change,
The pressure sensor is
A sensor for a refrigerator that monitors and classifies the internal pressure of the refrigerator storage compartment generated when the door of the refrigerator storage compartment is opened and closed. delete According to claim 1,
The processor, when a pressure change greater than or equal to a reference value is detected by the pressure sensor, excludes data corresponding to an occurrence time of a pressure change greater than or equal to the reference value among humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor and the external humidity sensor, A sensor for a refrigerator, characterized in that it determines the state of food. According to claim 1,
The processor is
The refrigerator sensor, characterized in that it is determined that the freshness of the food is deteriorated when a difference between the humidity data sensed by the internal humidity sensor and the humidity data sensed by the external humidity sensor is smaller than a predetermined reference value. According to claim 1,
The processor is
A sensor for refrigerator, characterized in that it is determined that the freshness of the food is deteriorated when a decrease slope of a difference between the humidity data detected by the internal humidity sensor and the humidity data detected by the external humidity sensor is smaller than a reference slope .

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