KR20180015971A - Refrigerator and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and a control method thereof. The refrigerator comprises: a main body which has a plurality of storage units wherein foods are stored; a door which opens and closes the main body; a door switch which senses whether or not the door is opened or closed; at least one sub-door which opens and closes the storage units; at least one locking unit which locks the sub-door; a video acquisition unit which extracts a video of a user who opens the door; and a controlling unit which extracts feature information of the user from the extracted video of the user, and controls the locking unit in accordance with the feature information. Moreover, the controlling unit specifies a user in accordance with the feature information of the user when sensing the opening of the door, and controls a locking function or an unlocking function of the locking unit in accordance with the specified user.

Description

REFRIGERATOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

Generally, a refrigerator is a device that allows storage of a stored product in a fresh state for a long time by the cold air supplied to the inside of the storage room. The cool 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 room is uniformly transferred to the inside of the storage room by the convection so that the food can be stored at a desired temperature.

Conventionally, when the door is opened by a door switch simply without grasping the type of food stored in the refrigerator or the preference of each storage unit according to the user, the light source is operated in the refrigerator storage room.

Therefore, there is a problem that the conventional refrigerator can not easily grasp the position of the food that the user desires or prefer.

In addition, conventionally, the door of the storage unit for opening / closing each storage unit exists in an open state regardless of the user, so that the food stored in the storage unit can be taken out regardless of the user. Thus, there is a problem that the user's access to the dangerous foods can not be controlled.

Further, when a large number of users share one refrigerator, a problem of theft occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a refrigerator and a control method thereof that permit or restrict the use of a storage unit in accordance with a user to solve the problem.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food processing apparatus including a main body having a plurality of storage portions for storing food, a door for opening and closing the main body, a door switch for sensing that the door is opened and closed, A door, at least one locking unit that locks the sub door, an image acquiring unit that extracts an image of a user who opens the door, extracts characteristic information of the user from the extracted image of the user, And a control unit for controlling the locking unit. When the opening of the door is sensed, the control unit specifies a user based on the characteristic information of the user, and locks or unlocks the locking unit in response to the specified user. And controls the unlocking of the refrigerator and the control method thereof.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

According to the present invention, when a plurality of users share a refrigerator, there is an advantage that a plurality of storage units of the refrigerator can be locked or unlocked according to the user, so that a large number of users can share the refrigerator without fear of food stolen.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of restricting the infant from withdrawing dangerous food dangerous to a non-adult user.

Further, the present invention has an effect of guiding the position of the food permitted to the user to light.

1 is a view showing a control block of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 when the door is opened;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the main body of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the sub door removed;
FIG. 5 is a front view of a main body for explaining a storage unit of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a front view of the main body for explaining the sub door shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the main body for explaining the operation of the sub door shown in FIG. 1,
FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view for explaining the locking unit of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1,
9 to 12 are views for explaining the operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention,
13 is a front view of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;
14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present invention.

2 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator when the door of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1 is opened. Fig. Front view.

1 to 3, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 3 having a plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 for storing foods, a door 3 for opening and closing the main body 3, A door switch 160 for detecting that the door 4 is opened and closed, at least one sub door 60 for opening and closing a plurality of storage units S1, S2 and S3 to be stored and a sub door 60 A plurality of light sources 140 for supplying light to each of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3; an image acquiring unit 130 for acquiring images of a user opening the door 4; And a control unit 130 for extracting the characteristic information of the user from the unit 110 and the extracted user's image and controlling the locking unit 190 based on the characteristic information.

Also, the refrigerator according to one embodiment further includes an entrance sensing unit 120 and a communication unit 150.

At least one storage chamber S may be formed in the main body 3. When a plurality of storage compartments S are formed in the main body 3, a plurality of storage compartments 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 main body 3 may include a refrigerating chamber located on the upper side and a freezing chamber located on the lower side of the refrigerating chamber. The main body 3 may include an outer case 10 which forms an outer appearance.

Specifically, the storage compartment S can be formed in the main body 3 by the inner case 2. [ The inner case 2 may be located inside the outer case 10. [ The main body 3 may be provided with a heat insulating material between the outer case 10 and the inner case 2. [

The inner case 2 may be formed in a box shape whose front surface is opened. The inner case 2 may include a left plate 21 and a right plate 22, an upper plate 23, a lower plate 24 and a thick plate 25.

The main body 3 is formed with a plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3 for storing food. The plurality of storage units (S1, S2, S3) may be partitioned into independent spaces, and the spaces connected to each other may be logically divided. Specifically, the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 may be defined by the shelf S of the main body 3 being partitioned by the shelf 6.

The shelf 6 is placed in the storage room S so that the storage room S can be partitioned into a plurality of spaces. The detailed structure will be described later.

The main 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 for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, an expansion mechanism for expanding the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant expanded in the expansion mechanism.

The main body 3 may include a storage room (S) fan (not shown) for supplying cool air of the storage room S to the storage room S after flowing into the evaporator. The main body 3 may include a cool air duct 14 for guiding the air cooled by the evaporator to the storage room S. [ The cool air duct 14 may be formed with a cool air discharge port 16 for discharging cool air guided to the storage room S.

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

The door switch 160 senses that the door 4 opens and closes the main body 3 and transmits the detection result to the control unit 130. Various known techniques for detecting whether the door 4 is opened can be used for the door switch 160.

The image acquisition unit 110 is an apparatus for acquiring an image. The image acquisition unit 110 may include a camera as an example. The image acquisition unit 110 may include an image sensor and an image processing module. The image acquisition unit 110 may process still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor (e.g., CMOS or CCD). The image processing module may process the still image or moving image obtained through the image sensor to extract necessary information, and may transmit the extracted information to the control unit 130, which will be described later. The control unit 130 may determine the user's sex, age, face, and the access state of the user based on the information acquired by the image acquisition unit 110. [

The image acquisition unit 110 extracts an image of the user who opens the door 4 and provides the extracted image to the control unit 130. [ Here, the image of the user opening the door 4 includes a user approaching the door 4, touching the door 4, or opening the door 4. [ The image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 may be signal processed in the control unit 130. [

The image acquisition unit 110 includes a first image acquisition unit 111 for extracting a first image of a user before opening the door 4 and a second image acquisition unit 111 for extracting a second image of the user after opening the door 4, And an acquisition unit 112. [

The first image extracting unit 111 is installed at a position where the image of the periphery of the door 4 can be obtained. Specifically, the first image extracting unit 111 may be installed on the outer surface of the main body 3 or on the front surface of the door 4. [

The second image extracting unit 112 may be disposed in the main body. The second image extracting unit 112 may be disposed on the front surface of the body exposed to the outside in a state where the door 4 is opened.

The embodiment may further include a light source 140. The light source 140 supplies light to each of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. The light source 140 outputs light having a predetermined luminous intensity, thereby securing a view of the user. Preferably, the light source 140 is used as a point light source 140 in order to provide a concentrated light to a storage area smaller than the storage room S. The light sources 140 are arranged in a plurality corresponding to the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. One or more light sources 140 may be disposed in one storage unit.

The light source 140 is preferably an economical and environmentally friendly semiconductor device such as a light emitting diode. One or a plurality of light emitting diodes may be disposed. Further, when a plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged, each of the light emitting diodes may emit different colors or may have different color temperatures. The light emitting diode preferably emits white light having excellent color rendering and visibility. In addition, the color and brightness of the light emitting diode can be controlled by the control unit 130.

The entrance sensing unit 120 senses entrance and exit of food into a plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 and provides the control unit 130 with food. The entrance / exit detection unit 120 detects food entrance / exit information such as the type and location of the food to / from the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. The control unit 130 extracts food access information of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 sensed by the entrance sensing unit 120. [ The entrance sensing unit 120 allows the user to extract information on a preferred storage unit of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 and the type of the preferred food.

The entrance detection unit 120 may include any one of a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, and an internal image acquisition unit 121, 122, and 123 for detecting presence or absence of food in a plurality of storage units S1, S2, have.

The proximity sensor senses the presence of foods located inside the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3 and provides them to the control unit 130. [ The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface, or an object existing in the vicinity of the detection surface, without mechanical contact by using electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Examples of proximity sensors include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. Specifically, the proximity sensor is installed in the shelf 6 to detect the presence of food located in the upper portion of the shelf 6.

The pressure sensor measures the pressure applied to the plurality of storage units (S1, S2, S3) and outputs the pressure value to the control unit (130). The control unit 130 detects whether food exists in each of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 based on the pressure value input from the pressure sensor. Specifically, the pressure sensor is installed in the shelf 6 to detect the presence or absence of food placed on the shelf 6.

The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 are devices for acquiring images of a plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 may include a camera as an example. The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 may include an image sensor and an image processing module. The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 may process still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor (for example, CMOS or CCD). The image processing module may process the still image or moving image obtained through the image sensor to extract necessary information, and may transmit the extracted information to the control unit 130, which will be described later. The control unit 130 can determine the type of food entering and leaving the food, the type of food stored, and the like based on the information acquired by the internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123.

The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 are disposed corresponding to the respective storage units. The internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 are installed at positions where they can acquire images of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. Specifically, the internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123 may be installed on one side of the self 6 or / and the inner case 2.

The communication unit 150 is provided to enable wireless communication between the server 200 and a refrigerator or / and a plurality of refrigerators. The communication unit 150 transmits the information received from the server 200 to the control unit 130 and transmits the control signal of the control unit 130 to the other refrigerator or server 200.

For example, the communication unit 150 may be a mobile communication system or a mobile communication system, such as a mobile communication system, a mobile communication system, a mobile communication system, a mobile communication system, (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) And an external terminal or server 200 on a mobile communication network constructed according to a mobile communication network such as a mobile communication network,

In another example, the communication unit 150 is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in a communication network according to wireless Internet technologies. Wireless Internet technologies include, for example, wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), WiBro Interoperability for Microwave Access, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) Transmits and receives data according to at least one wireless Internet technology, including Internet technologies not listed above.

The server 200 stores a previous usage pattern of a specific user accumulated in a plurality of refrigerators, characteristic information of a user, and authorized user information, and is a wired / wireless communication method with the control unit 130. The server 200 may provide the control unit 130 with a previous usage pattern of a specific user, characteristic information of a user, and authorized user information.

The control unit 130 can control the overall operation of each configuration of the refrigerator.

The control unit 130 may output a control signal to the locking unit 190 or the light source 140 so as to control locking or unlocking of the locking unit 190 and operation or state of the light source 140. [ The control unit 130 can sense the user and control the locking unit 190 to lock or unlock the storage unit according to the user. The control unit 130 may extract the characteristic information of the user from the extracted user's image and control the locking unit 190 based on the characteristic information.

For example, the control unit 130 may include a processor 131 that makes logical decisions and a memory 132 that stores data.

 The processor 131 may be implemented in hardware as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) 130 may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors 130, and electrical units for performing other functions.

The control unit 130 may be provided in each refrigerator or may be provided in the server 200 connected to the refrigerator in a wired or wireless communication manner or may be provided in the refrigerator and the server 200 at the same time.

Various data necessary for controlling the refrigerator are stored in the memory 132. Specifically, the memory 132 stores extracted users, images of foods, characteristics information of users, usage patterns of users, authorized user information, and the like.

Hereinafter, the arrangement of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3, the sub door 60, the locking unit 190, and the plurality of light sources 140 will be described in detail.

4 is a front view of the main body 3 in which the sub door 60 is removed to explain the inside of the storage room S of the refrigerator shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, the storage room S of the main body 3 may be divided into a plurality of storage units. The plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3 may be defined by the shelf S of the main body 3 being partitioned by the shelf 6.

The shelf 6 may be disposed horizontally inside the storage chamber S. It is preferable that a plurality of shelves 6 are arranged vertically in one storage room S. The entire shape of the shelf 6 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape. The shelf (6) can be detachably arranged in the storage room (S).

Specifically, the inner case 2 may include a shelf 6 holder 6 to which the shelf 6 is attached and detached, and the shelf 6 may be detachably attached to the shelf 6 (see FIG. 6) Possibly combined.

The shelf 6 preferably has an impermeable material or a semi-permeable material to prevent light generated in the light source 140 disposed in each storage unit from leaking to the other storage unit.

More specifically, the storage room S is divided into a first storage unit S1 by a first shelf 6a and a second shelf 6b by a second shelf 6b spaced apart from the first shelf 6a, (S2), and a third storage unit (S3). The first storage unit S1 is a space between the upper plate 23 of the inner case 2 and the first shelf 6a and the second storage unit S2 is a space between the first shelf 6a and the second shelf 6b And the third storing portion S3 is a space between the second shelf 6b and the bottom of the inner case 2. [

The plurality of light sources 140 are arranged to easily supply light to the respective storage units. The plurality of light sources 140 may be disposed on one surface of the inner case 2 or may be disposed on the shelf 6. The light source 140 may be arranged to emit light downward from the lower surface of the shelf 6. This is because, when the food is placed on the upper part of the shelf 6, if the light is blocked by the food, it is difficult to supply the light to the storage part.

Specifically, the light source 140 includes a first light source 141 for providing light to the first storage unit S1, a second light source 142 for providing light to the second storage unit S2, And a third light source 143 for providing light to the storage unit S3.

The first light source 141 is disposed on the upper plate of the inner case 2 to provide light to the upper surface of the first shelf 6a and the second light source 142 is disposed on the lower surface of the first shelf 6a, And the third light source 143 is disposed on the second bottom surface 6b to provide light to the bottom of the inner case 2.

In this case, the internal image acquisition units 121, 122, and 123, which are components of the entrance detection unit 120, include a first internal image acquisition unit 121 for acquiring an image of the first storage unit S1, A second internal image acquisition unit 122 for acquiring an image of the storage unit S2 and a third internal image acquisition unit 123 for acquiring an image of the third storage unit S3.

The first internal image acquiring unit 121 is disposed on one surface of the inner case 2 between the upper case and the first shelf 6a and the second internal image acquiring unit 122 is disposed on the first surface 6b and the inner case 2 between the second shelf 6b and the bottom of the inner case 2 and the third inner image acquiring unit 123 is disposed on one side of the inner case 2 between the second shelf 6a and the second shelf 6b, (2).

Fig. 5 is a front view of the main body for explaining the storage portion of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a front view of the main body for explaining the sub door 60 shown in Fig. 1, Sectional view of the main body for explaining the operation of the sub door 60. Fig.

The sub door 60 opens and closes the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. The sub door 60 can be rotated about an axis in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction to open / close the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3. A part of the sub door 60 is depressed in the center direction to form the air gap 61 and the boundary of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3. This air gap 61 becomes the handle of the user.

Specifically, the sub door 60 is hinged to one surface of the inner case 2 through a hinge 62. [ The sub door (60) is hinged to the side surface (21) of the inner case (2).

The sub door 60 may be provided in a number corresponding to the number of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3 or may be provided in a part of the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3. Specifically, the sub door 60 includes a first sub door 60a for opening and closing the first storage unit S1, a second sub door 60b for opening and closing the second storage unit S2, And a third sub door 60c that opens and closes the part S3.

The embodiment may further include an opening / closing setting switch 66 (for setting the opening and closing of each sub door 60). The opening / closing setting switch 66 is a physical button for setting the opening / closing of each sub door 60 And a touch button. The opening / closing setting switch 66 has a number corresponding to that of the sub door 60, and may be disposed on the front surface of the shelf 6.

8 is a plan sectional view for explaining the locking unit 190 of the refrigerator shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 8, the locking unit 190 locks the sub door 60. The locking unit 190 may use a number of means to limit the opening of the sub-door 60. The locking unit 190 permits (unlocks) the opening of the sub door 60 or restricts (locks) the opening of the sub door 60 in accordance with the control signal of the control unit 130. [

For example, the locking unit 190 includes a motor (not shown) that generates driving force, a pinion gear 192 that is rotated by a driving force to the motor, and a pinion gear 192 that is engaged with the pinion gear 192, And a locking rack 191 that reciprocates by a locking mechanism 191. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The lock rack 191 is inserted into the lock groove 63 formed in the sub door 60 to lock the sub door 60 and unlock the sub door 60 by being disengaged from the lock groove 63. [

The locking unit 190 is installed on the side surface 21 of the inner case 2. Specifically, the locking unit 190 can be disposed in a space between the inner case 2 and the outer case 10.

Hereinafter, an operation method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

9 to 12 are views for explaining the operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9, the control unit 130 extracts characteristic information of the user from the user's image extracted by the image acquisition unit 110, and based on the characteristic information, outputs the locking unit 190 and / or the light source 140 ). When the door 4 is opened, the control unit 130 can identify the user based on the user's characteristic information and control the locking unit 190 according to the specified user.

Specifically, the control unit 130 controls the image acquisition unit 110 to capture an image of the user who is close to the door 4. [ The control unit 130 can acquire the image of the user who opens the door 4 by the image acquisition unit 110 when the opening of the door 4 is sensed. Then, the control unit 130 can extract the characteristic information of the user from the image of the user extracted by the image acquisition unit 110. [

Here, the characteristic information is data for identifying the identity of the user. For example, the characteristic information may include at least one of gender information, age information, and face information of the user. The characteristic information is information based on the user to permit the use of a plurality of storage units. The characteristic information of this user can be stored in the memory 132 of the control unit 130 and stored in the server 200. [ The control unit 130 specifies the user by comparing the extracted characteristic information with previously stored characteristic information.

For this purpose, the image acquisition unit 110 may be configured to perform the image extraction of a user, for example, by combining a Polynomial Support Vector Machine proposed by Papgeorgiou and Poggio Haar-based approach may be used, or a method using a chamfer distance between the boundary image proposed by Gavrila and Philomin and the sample database, or an extended method proposed by Viola A technique such as a Harr wavelet method can be used.

The control unit 130 specifies the user based on the characteristic information. The control unit 130 may control the locking unit 190 based on the characteristic information and the authorized user information provided from the server 20. [ Specifically, the control unit 130 determines whether the specified user is a new user or a new user. The control unit 130 controls the entire locking unit 190 to lock if the specified user is a new user. That is, the control unit 130 restricts a new user from fetching food from the plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3.

11, if the specified user is a preexisting user, the control unit 130 determines whether the specified user is the same as the authorized authorized user. If it is determined that the specified user is the same authorized user, . The control unit 130 controls the locking unit 190 to be locked when it is determined that the specified user is not the same as the authorized authorized user.

The control unit can control at least some of the locking units 190 to be locked based on the usage area information of the specific user. Here, the authorized user is a user authorized to use a specific storage unit, and the control unit 130 determines based on the authorized user information. Herein, the application area information is information storing a storage unit allowing access among a plurality of storage units for each authorized user. For example, when the specific user activates the opening / closing setting switch 66 corresponding to each sub door 60, the authorized user information or the authorized area information is displayed only when the specific user opens the door, Can be unlocked.

Alternatively, the control unit 130 specifies the user's favorite preference storage unit based on the previous usage pattern information of the specific user when the specified user is the default user, and selects the locking unit 190 corresponding to the preference storage unit, Can be controlled to be unlocked. Here, the preference storage unit refers to a storage unit having the highest frequency of use by the user by analyzing the previous usage pattern of the user stored by the entrance sensing unit 120 among the plurality of storage units S1, S2, and S3. Specifically, the control unit 130 analyzes the user's previous usage pattern to specify the preference storage unit as the first storage unit S1, and corresponds to the first subdoor 60a that opens and closes the first storage unit S1 The locking unit 190 can be controlled to be unlocked.

Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention is advantageous in that, when a plurality of users share a refrigerator, a plurality of storage units of the refrigerator can be locked or unlocked for each user so that a plurality of users can share the refrigerator without fear of food stolen exist. In addition, there is an advantage in limiting infant withdrawals of dangerous foods that are dangerous for non-adult users to handle.

However, in the case where the user is changed before the door 4 is opened and after the door 4 is opened, the image of the user may be redundantly extracted in order to restrict unauthorized users from fetching food from the storage unit.

10, when the door 4 is opened, the control unit 130 specifies a user based on the property information extracted from the first image acquired by the first image acquisition unit 111 And controls the locking or unlocking of the locking unit 190 in response to the specified user. After the opening of the door 4 is detected and the predetermined time has elapsed, the second image acquiring unit 112 acquires the second image And controls the state of the locking unit 190 to be maintained when the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are the same person. If the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are not the same person, the control unit 130 determines whether or not the locking unit 190 (corresponding to the user specified based on the characteristic information extracted from the second image) ) Of the user. That is, if the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are not the same person, the control unit 130 determines whether the specified user is the same as the authorized user who is permitted to use , And controls the locking unit 190 to be locked if it is determined that the user is not the same as the authorized authorized user.

Also, the embodiment may control the light source 140 with the locking unit 190 to guide the user to the unlocked storage.

11, when the door 4 is opened, the control unit 130 specifies the user based on the user's characteristic information, and locks / locks the locking unit 190 corresponding to the specified user. Off and the on / off of the light source 140 can be controlled.

Specifically, the control unit 130 determines whether the specific user is the same as the authorized user who is permitted to use the storage unit, and controls the locking unit 190 to be unlocked if it is determined that the same user is the same. 190 are turned on. More specifically, when the control unit 130 determines that the specific user is the same as the authorized user who is permitted to use the third storage unit S3, the locking unit 190 for locking the third sub-door 60c And controls the third light source 143 to be turned on. In addition, the control unit 130 controls at least a part of the locking units 190 to be locked based on the usage area information of the specific user, and the light sources 140 corresponding to the locking units 190 to be locked are turned off .

12, the control unit 130 controls locking / unlocking of the locking unit 190 and on / off of the light source 140 corresponding to a specified user, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, It is possible to control the total light sources 140 of the storage units S1, S2,

When it is determined that the previous usage pattern information of the specified user does not exist, the control unit 130 compares the food access information of the plurality of storage units (S1, S2, S3) sensed by the entrance sensing unit 120 with the extracted food user information The usage pattern information of a specific user is accumulated. The control unit 130 may transmit the usage pattern information of the accumulated specific user to the server 200. [

13 is a front view of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the embodiment of FIG. 13 may further include a partition wall 170 as compared with the embodiment of FIG.

The partition wall 170 is a partition for partitioning a plurality of storage units S1, S2, S3 into a plurality of sub-storage units. The partition wall 170 may be disposed in a direction intersecting with the shelf 6. The partition wall 170 may comprise an impermeable or semi-permeable material. At this time, the sub doors 60 may be arranged to correspond to the respective sub storage units.

14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14, a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first step of extracting an image of a user opening a door 4, a step of extracting characteristics information of a user based on the extracted image, S2, S3) for controlling the locking / unlocking of the sub-doors (60) of the plurality of storage units (S1, S2, S3) based on the pre-stored authorized user information, Step < / RTI >

The details of the control method of the refrigerator of the present invention are as follows.

First, the image acquisition unit 110 captures an image of a user who is close to the door 4 (S10). Specifically, the control unit 130 controls the first image acquiring unit 111 to capture an image of a user who is close to the door 4.

The control unit 130 determines whether opening of the door 4 is sensed (S20).

In the first step, when the opening of the door 4 is sensed, the control unit 130 extracts the image of the user who opens the door 4 into the image obtained by the first image acquiring unit 111 S30).

In the second step, the control unit 130 extracts the characteristic information of the user from the extracted user's image (S40).

In a third step, the control unit 130 identifies a user based on the characteristic information (S60), and determines whether the specified user is an authorized user (S70).

In the third step, if it is determined that the specified user is the authorized user, the control unit 130 controls the unlocking unit 190 corresponding to the storage unit applied to the authorized user to be unlocked (S81) And controls the light source 140 corresponding to the applied storage unit to be turned on (S83).

The control unit 130 controls the locking unit 190 to be locked (S85) when it is determined that the specified user is not the authorized user, and the light source 140 corresponding to the locked storage is turned off (S87).

In addition, the embodiment may overlap the image of the user to detect that the user is changed after opening the door.

Specifically, when the opening of the door 4 is sensed, the control unit 130 specifies the user based on the characteristic information extracted from the first image acquired by the first image acquisition unit 111, (S91) from the second image in the second image acquiring unit 112 after the opening of the door 4 is sensed and a predetermined time has elapsed, by controlling the locking or unlocking of the locking unit 190 The user can be specified based on the characteristic information, and the state of the locking unit 190 can be controlled to be maintained when the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are the same (S93). If the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are not the same person, the control unit 130 determines whether or not the locking unit 190 (corresponding to the user specified based on the characteristic information extracted from the second image) ) Of the user.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Also, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

In the drawings, the thickness and the size of each component are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown for convenience and clarity of explanation. Also, the size and area of each component do not entirely reflect actual size or area.

Further, the angles and directions mentioned in the description of the structure of the embodiment are based on those shown in the drawings. In the description of the structures constituting the embodiments in the specification, reference points and positional relationships with respect to angles are not explicitly referred to, reference is made to the relevant drawings.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

A body having a plurality of storage portions for storing food;
A door that opens and closes the main body;
A door switch for sensing that the door is opened or closed;
At least one sub-door opening / closing the plurality of storage units;
At least one locking unit for locking the sub door;
An image acquiring unit that extracts an image of a user opening the door; And
And a control unit for extracting characteristic information of the user from the extracted image of the user and controlling the locking unit based on the characteristic information,
Wherein the control unit specifies a user on the basis of the characteristic information of the user when the door is opened, and controls locking or unlocking of the locking unit according to a specified user. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Determining whether the specific user is the same as the authorized user who is permitted to use the storage unit,
And controls the locking unit to be unlocked when it is determined that the same person is present. The method according to claim 1,
A plurality of the sub doors and the locking units are arranged corresponding to the plurality of storage units,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
And controls at least a part of the locking units to be locked based on the usage permission area information of the specific user. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Wherein the user preference storage unit specifies a favorite preference storage unit based on the previous usage pattern information of a specific user and controls the locking unit corresponding to the preference storage unit to be unlocked. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the image acquiring unit comprises:
A first image acquiring unit disposed on a front surface of the door to extract a first image of the user before opening the door;
And a second image acquiring unit disposed in the main body to extract a second image of the user after the door is opened. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Wherein the control unit specifies a user based on the characteristic information extracted from the first image when the door is opened, controls locking or unlocking of the locking unit according to a specified user,
A user identified by the first image and a user identified by the second image are selected based on the characteristic information extracted from the second image after the opening of the door is detected and a predetermined time has elapsed And controls the state of the locking unit to be maintained when the occupant is the same person. 8. The method of claim 7,
The over-
If the user specified by the first image and the user specified by the second image are not the same person, the locking unit is locked or unlocked corresponding to the user specified based on the characteristic information extracted from the second image Controlled refrigerator. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a plurality of light sources for supplying light to each of the plurality of storage portions,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Wherein when the door is opened, the user is identified based on the characteristic information of the user, and the on / off of the light source is controlled corresponding to the specified user. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
Determining whether the specific user is the same as the authorized user who is permitted to use the storage unit,
If it is determined that the same person is present, controls the locking unit to be unlocked,
And controls the light source corresponding to the locking unit to be unlocked to be turned on. 9. The method of claim 8,
A plurality of the sub doors and the locking units are arranged corresponding to the plurality of storage units,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
And controlling at least a part of the locking units to be locked based on the use permission area information of the specific user,
And the light sources corresponding to the locking units to be locked are turned off. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a server for storing user characteristics information and authorized user information accumulated in a plurality of refrigerators and connected to the control unit through a wired / wireless communication method,
Wherein the control unit controls the locking unit based on the characteristic information and authorized user information provided by the server. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an entrance sensing unit for sensing entrance and exit of food to the plurality of storage units and providing the food to the control unit,
Wherein the control unit stores usage pattern information of a specific user on the basis of the food access information of the plurality of storage units sensed by the entrance sensing unit and the extracted image of the user. 13. The method of claim 12,
The entrance /
A proximity sensor and an internal image acquiring unit for sensing whether or not food is present in the plurality of storage units. A first step of extracting an image of a user opening the door;
A second step of extracting characteristic information of a user based on the extracted image;
And a third step of controlling the locking and unlocking of the sub door of the storage unit based on the previously stored user information and specifying the user on the basis of the characteristic information of the user.

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