KR20190084860A - Microphone module and a refigerator including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, provided are a microphone module, which a plate-shaped substrate adhering to one surface of an exterior material; a plurality of microphone elements spaced apart from the substrate; a plurality of microphone holes penetrating the substrate at a position of corresponding to the plurality of microphone module; and a sealing member sealing the substrate and a space between the exterior material and the substrate, wherein the plurality of microphone elements are provided on one surface of the substrate opposite to the exterior material.

Description

[0001] Microphone module and a refigerator including the same [0002]

The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a microphone module and a microphone module.

Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that allows low-temperature storage of food in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to cool the inside of the storage space by using cool air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle, thereby storing the stored food in an optimum state.

[Background Art] [0002] In recent years, refrigerators have become increasingly multifunctional in accordance with changes in diet and products, and refrigerators having various convenience devices for enhancing user convenience are being marketed.

In recent years, various refrigerators have been developed to enable a user to control the operation of the refrigerator using voice. In the case of a refrigerator, there may be a problem that the door is opened or closed or the operation of the refrigerator is not free when the object is held in both hands. To solve this problem, a refrigerator has been developed in which a microphone is disposed in a refrigerator, and a user's voice is input to control the operation.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-1999-0041832 discloses a structure in which a microphone for inputting a voice of a user is provided, and a voice received by a microphone is analyzed by a voice signal recognition unit to operate a motor for driving the door. With this structure, the user can input and output a voice to open and close the door.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-20180-0079835 discloses a refrigerator having a microphone in a cabinet or a door, and controlling the output of a screen provided on a door by a microphone. With this structure, the user can adjust the screen of the refrigerator and control the operation by voice.

However, in this conventional technique, there is no detailed description of the placement position of the microphone, and there is no detailed description of the layout structure.

When the microphone is disposed on the front surface of the main body or the door in order to increase the voice recognition rate, the recognition rate is the best, but a microphone hole may be formed at a position corresponding to the position where the microphone is disposed to be exposed to the outside, .

If the arrangement of the microphone holes is made in an invisible position, the recognition rate may be lowered or a problem may arise such that a lot of noise is generated structurally. In addition, dust or dirt may block the microphone hole depending on the position of the microphone, and in such a case, there is a problem that normal voice input becomes impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module and a microphone module capable of improving speech recognition performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module and a microphone module having a structure that is easy to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module capable of effectively recognizing user's voice and controlling the operation of the refrigerator.

 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a microwave oven and a microwave oven having a microphone module and a microwave oven module, which can improve the appearance by minimizing exposure of a configuration for voice input.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a microwave oven having a microphone module for ensuring a voice recognition rate without exposing a microphone hole to a user's voice signal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module capable of minimizing the influence of vibration and noise generated during operation of a refrigerator, thereby improving the voice recognition rate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module for preventing a microphone hole in which sound is input by dust or foreign matter from being clogged.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator provided with a microphone module that can prevent the microphone module from being mounted and the voice recognition rate from lowering even when the door is repeatedly opened and closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator equipped with a microphone module for allowing a microphone module to be disposed at a position where mounting and service are easy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module that can improve a user's convenience by controlling a door light by user's voice input.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module capable of controlling a dispenser by user's voice input to improve usability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a microphone module capable of controlling a screen output of a dispenser by user's voice input.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator provided with a microphone module in which a drawer door can be pulled out and lifted by a user's voice input.

A microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plate-shaped substrate which is in close contact with one surface of a casing of a home electric appliance; A plurality of microphone elements spaced apart from the substrate; A plurality of microphone holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements; And a sealing member sealing the space between the substrate and the exterior material and the substrate, wherein the plurality of microphone elements are disposed on one surface of the substrate opposite to the exterior material.

The sealing member may be formed with a plurality of through-holes opened at positions corresponding to the microphone holes.

The microphone hole passing through the casing and the through hole and the substrate hole can form an airtight passage toward the microphone element.

The sealing member may be formed of an adhesive material.

The sealing member may be formed of a compressible material.

The sealing member may be formed in a sheet shape corresponding to the size of the substrate.

And a connector for electrically connecting to the outside of the board may be provided on one side of the board that is the same as the side on which the plurality of microphone modules are mounted.

The connector can be disposed between adjacent microphone elements.

One surface of the substrate in contact with the exterior material may be formed in a planar shape.

The microphone elements may be spaced apart by an interval of 50 mm to 100 mm.

The pair of microphone elements may be provided on both sides of the substrate.

A refrigerator provided with a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet forming a storage space; A door opening / closing the storage space; A receiving portion formed on an upper surface of the door; A microphone module provided on the inside of the accommodating portion and receiving a user's voice command; A door cover for shielding the accommodating portion; A microphone mounting portion formed on the door cover and on which the microphone module is mounted; And a microphone hole opened to the microphone mounting portion.

The microphone mounting portion can protrude upward from the door cover.

The microphone hole may be open toward the front of the microphone mounting part, and may be formed on the protruded circumferential surface of the microphone mounting part.

The microphone mounting portion includes: a protruding portion protruding upward; And an inclined portion extending forward from the front end of the protruding portion and having a slope that becomes lower toward the front, and the microphone hole can be formed in the inclined portion.

The microphone mounting portion may include a depressed portion depressed downward from the front of the inclined portion, and the front end of the inclined portion may extend to a lower end of the depressed portion.

A hole guide may be formed around the microphone hole and a front surface of the hole guide may be formed to have a slope larger than a slope of the slope portion.

The microphone module is mounted on the rear surface of the inclined portion and is spaced apart from the inner surface of the upper receiving portion.

The microphone supporter includes a mounting surface coupled to the protruding portion. The microphone supporter includes: a mounting surface coupled to the protruding portion; And a supporting surface extending at an inclination corresponding to the inclined portion at a front end of the mounting surface, and the microphone module can be mounted on the supporting surface.

The microphone supporter may be provided with a connector hole that exposes a microphone connector projecting downward from the microphone module.

The upper receiving portion may include a voice module which is disposed apart from the microphone module and is electrically connected to the microphone module and processes a voice signal input from the microphone module.

A refrigerator provided with a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet forming a storage space; A door opening / closing the storage space; A receiving portion formed on an upper surface of the door; A microphone module accommodated in the accommodation portion and including a microphone element into which a voice command of a user is input; A speaker module accommodated in the accommodating portion and outputting sound; The microphone module and the speaker module may be mounted on the inner surface of the door cover. The microphone module and the speaker module may be mounted on the inner surface of the door cover.

A speaker mounting portion is formed on one side of the door cover corresponding to the speaker module; The speaker mounting portion may include a speaker cover having a speaker hole opened to expose an audio output portion of the speaker module, and a speaker cover provided on the speaker mounting portion to cover the speaker hole from above.

The periphery of the speaker cover can be spaced from the periphery of the speaker mounting portion.

It is possible that a frame portion protruding upward along the periphery of the speaker hole is protruded.

And an output portion guide protruding from the periphery of the voice output portion so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the speaker hole.

The voice module may be spaced apart from the microphone module and the speaker module, and the voice module may be connected to the microphone module and the speaker module by a connector.

A control unit electrically connected to the voice module is formed in the cabinet and the control unit can control the operation of the refrigerator according to a voice received from the microphone module.

The refrigerator includes a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cabinet forming a storage space; A door opening / closing the storage space; A plurality of microphone holes formed on one side of the door; And a microphone module mounted on an inner surface of the door, wherein a voice command of a user is inputted, wherein the microphone module comprises: a substrate disposed on an inner surface of the door so as to be in close contact with one surface; A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements, wherein the microphone holes, the substrate holes, and the microphone elements are arranged on the same extension line.

The microphone module may be mounted on a cab deco that forms the upper surface of the door.

The microphone module may be mounted on an outer case forming a front surface of the door.

The microphone module may be mounted on an inclined surface formed at an inclined lower end of the outer case.

The microphone module can be mounted on the handle of the door.

The handle may be recessed inwardly, and the microphone module may be disposed on the recessed inner side of the handle.

A lower cab deco is formed on the lower surface of the door to face the ground, and the microphone module can be mounted on the lower cab deco.

The door is provided with a dispenser for taking out water or ice, and the microphone module can be mounted on the dispenser.

The door is provided with a display for indicating the operating state of the refrigerator, and the microphone module can be mounted on the display.

A refrigerator provided with a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet forming a storage space; A door opening / closing the storage space; A microphone module disposed inside the cabinet and receiving a voice command of the user; And a microphone hole formed on a front surface of the cabinet corresponding to the microphone module, wherein the microphone module comprises: a substrate disposed on an inner surface of the cabinet so as to be in close contact with one surface; A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements, wherein the microphone holes, the substrate holes, and the microphone elements are arranged on the same extension line.

The pair of door doors are arranged adjacent to each other, and the microphone hole can be formed between the pair of doors.

A plurality of the microphone holes can be continuously arranged along the space between the doors.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet forming a storage space; A door opening / closing the storage space; A hinge connecting the cabinet and the door such that the door is rotatable; A hinge cover covering the hinge; A microphone module provided on the inside of the hinge cover for inputting voice commands of the user; And a microphone hole formed in the hinge cover corresponding to the microphone module, wherein the microphone module comprises: a substrate disposed on an outer surface of the hinge cover so as to be in close contact with one surface; A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements, wherein the microphone holes, the substrate holes, and the microphone elements can be arranged on the same extension line.

The following effects can be expected in a refrigerator provided with a microphone module and a microphone module according to the present invention.

Even when the user holds the object in both hands, the door opening device is driven through the voice input of the user to automatically open the door, take out water ice through the dispenser, adjust the display output screen, draw out the drawer door, So that water or ice can be smoothly taken out even when the hands are not free.

Further, since various operations of the refrigerator can be adjusted by the user's voice, the operation structure such as a button exposed to the outside can be omitted, and the structure of the handle can be omitted or minimized to make the appearance more refined and elegant There is an advantage.

In addition, the microphone module is accommodated in the cab deco at the upper portion of the door, and the microphone hole is formed at the upper portion of the cab deco so that the recognition rate can be improved while preventing direct exposure to the user.

Particularly, the microphone hole is formed on the inclined portion of the protruding microphone mounting portion, so that the microphone hole can be secured at a minimum protrusion height. In addition, the microphone hole formed in the inclined portion is not visually conspicuous to the user's eyes, so that the voice recognition is effectively performed, but the microphone hole is prevented from being exposed.

In addition, a hole guide is formed around the microphone hole, and dust or foreign matter dropped by the hole guide can be prevented from being directly introduced into the microphone hole.

Further, the microphone hole formed on the inclined portion is lowered from the upper side toward the lower side, and the inclination thereof is formed to be larger than the inclined portion, thereby preventing inflow of dust or foreign matter and inputting voice more effectively have.

In addition, a depression is formed in the lower part of the microphone hole, and when the foreign matter or dust that may be frequently generated in the layout structure of the door is dropped, the microphone hole is piled up inside the depression, do. Therefore, it is possible to maintain speech recognition performance.

The microphone module may be mounted on the inclined surface so as to be closely attached thereto, and may be stably mounted on the door cover by a microphone supporter.

In addition, since the microphone module has a structure in which the substrate is closely attached to the door cover, a channel through which sound can be introduced at the shortest distance from the microphone element mounted on the substrate can be constituted, .

Since the microphone module is mounted on the door cover, noise or impact of the refrigerator can not be directly transmitted to the microwave oven, and the microphone module is suspended in the upper receiving portion to minimize noise vibrations transmitted from the refrigerator cabinet. Therefore, it is possible to expect the effect of improving speech recognition performance by reducing noise.

In addition, even when the door is repeatedly opened and closed and the impact is applied, the microphone module can be normally mounted by stable support of the microphone supporter.

In addition, between the substrate on which the microphone device is mounted and the rear surface of the door cover can be closely attached to the microphone module by the hermetic member, noise can be prevented from flowing into the microphone module. In addition, even if an impact is applied to the door by the hermetic member having elasticity, it is possible to protect the microphone module by buffering the impact to reduce noise caused by impact. Therefore, there is an advantage that the possibility of false input of speech is reduced and speech recognition performance is improved.

 In addition, a microphone module and a speaker module are disposed in the upper receiving portion, and a voice module connected to the microphone module and the speaker module by a connector may be further provided. Therefore, the door cover is opened and the modularized microphone module and the speaker module are separately mounted at the time of service, thereby facilitating service and maintenance.

In addition, since the microphone module and the speaker module are separated from the voice module and mounted on the door cover, a space for service work can be ensured and the assembling workability can be improved.

The door cover is formed with a speaker mounting portion on which the speaker module is mounted, and a rim around the speaker hole and the speaker hole is formed inside the depressed inside of the speaker mounting portion to prevent dust or foreign matter from penetrating into the speaker module .

In addition, the speaker mounting portion is provided with a speaker cover to prevent dust or foreign substances from entering the speaker and to effectively output sound.

In addition, the speaker module is provided with an output portion guide that contacts the outer surface of the rim, minimizing the transmission of voice output from the speaker module to the adjacent microphone module, thereby preventing malfunction.

The microphone module may include a plurality of microphone elements. Therefore, since the noise can be reduced by analyzing the voice signals input to the microphone elements on both sides, the voice recognition performance can be further improved.

Particularly, by using a plurality of microphone elements, it is possible to grasp the position of an input voice signal, thereby accurately recognizing the position of a user close to the front of the refrigerator corresponding to an actual user. Therefore, Can be accurately recognized.

An audio module connected to the microphone module is disposed inside the upper accommodating portion. Accordingly, the door cover is opened and the module module and the speaker module are separated from each other in a service situation, thereby facilitating service and maintenance.

In addition, the voice module has a structure capable of communicating with a remote server, and thus can transmit a voice signal transmitted from the microphone module to the server, and the server processes and analyzes the voice signal in a natural language, It can be made available for the operation of the refrigerator.

That is, if the size and performance of a server arranged at a remote place are ensured, the voice module can be designed at a level that enables minimum communication, and thus can be disposed on the door with a minimum size. Therefore, the space loss for the heat insulation of the door can be minimized, and if the sub door is transparent to the door, the arrangement space of the sub door can be sufficiently secured.

In addition, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator can be reduced by simply configuring the voice module.

In addition, by ensuring the performance of the server in which space and cost are relatively limited, it is possible to remarkably improve the voice processing and recognition performance, and thus it is possible to guarantee a good voice recognition rate, and further, There is an advantage that the operation reliability can be secured.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator.
3 is a front view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 'in Fig.
5 is an exploded perspective view of the refrigerator door.
6 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of a cap door cover, a speaker module, and a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a partially enlarged view of a microphone mounting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a perspective view of the microphone mounting portion as viewed from below.
9 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of the microphone module.
10 is an exploded perspective view of the microphone module.
11 is a perspective view of a microphone supporter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of the microphone module and the microphone supporter.
FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged view showing the combined state of the microphone module and the microphone supporter.
14 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the speaker module.
15 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of the refrigerator.
16 to 23 are views showing another arrangement of the microphone module.
24 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
25 is a perspective view of the upper door.
26 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper joint structure of the refrigerator and the upper door.
FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a cover mounted on the upper end of the upper door, a speaker module, and a microphone module. FIG.
28 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of the refrigerator.
29 is a perspective view of a state in which a lower door is closed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
30 is a perspective view of the lower door taken out.
31 is a view showing the inner state of the lower door of Fig. 30. Fig.
32 is a perspective view showing the state in which the lower door is drawn out and the container is raised.
33 is a view showing the internal state of the lower door of Fig. 32. Fig.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and that other embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention may be easily devised by adding, .

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator. 3 is a front view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be formed in a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door for opening and closing the storage space.

The inside of the cabinet 10 may be divided into upper and lower portions. A refrigerating chamber may be formed in the upper portion of the cabinet 10, and a freezing chamber may be formed in the lower portion of the cabinet 10. The inside of the cabinet 10 may be divided into left and right sides, and a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber may be formed on both sides of the cabinet 10.

The door may comprise a refrigerator compartment door 20 and a freezer compartment door 30. The refrigerator compartment door (20) and the freezer compartment door (30) can be opened and closed by rotating the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively.

The refrigerator compartment door 20 may include a pair of left and right refrigerating compartment doors 21 and 22 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment above the cabinet 10. The freezing chamber door 30 may include a pair of left and right freezing compartment doors 31 and 32 for opening and closing the lower portion of the cabinet 10.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention can be applied to all types of doors of a refrigerator regardless of the shape and structure of the door. For convenience of explanation and understanding, the refrigerator including the refrigerator door and the freezer door .

Meanwhile, an ice maker 25 may be provided on the inner side of the left refrigerating chamber door 21. The ice maker 25 is an apparatus for making and storing ice by automatic water supply and may be provided in a heat insulating space formed on the back surface of the left refrigerating chamber door 21.

A dispenser 23 may be installed on the front surface of the left refrigerating chamber door 21. The dispenser 23 allows the ice or purified water produced by the ice maker 25 to be taken out, thereby allowing water or ice to be taken out by the user's external operation.

The auxiliary display 231 may be provided on the dispenser 23. The auxiliary display 231 displays the operation state of the dispenser 23 and the refrigerator 1 and allows the user to input an operation. When the display 24 is not provided on the right refrigerating chamber door 22 And may perform the functions of the display 24.

The right refrigerating chamber door 22 has an opening 220 formed at the center thereof and a door basket 221 may be provided inside the opening 220. A sub door (40) for opening and closing the opening (220) may be provided. Accordingly, the user can access the door basket 221 by opening and closing the sub door 40. The right refrigerating chamber door 22 provided with the sub door 40 may also be referred to as a main door.

One end of the sub door 40 can be rotatably shaft-engaged and a handle 425 can be formed at the other end to facilitate the rotation operation of the sub door 40.

At least a portion of the sub door 40 may be selectively transparent or opaque. Therefore, the sub door 40 may be configured to be able to identify the inside of the opening part 220 even when the sub door 40 is closed.

A display 24 may be provided at the lower end of the opening 220. The display 24 may display an operation state of the refrigerator and a user may input an operation for operating the refrigerator 1. [

Therefore, if the display 24 is turned on even when the sub door 40 is closed, the user can check the output information of the display 24 through the sub door 40.

3, a microphone mounting portion 511 on which a microphone module 53 for receiving a user's voice is mounted may be protruded from the upper surface of the right refrigerating chamber door 22. As shown in FIG. The microphone module 53 may be provided inside the microphone mounting part 511.

The microphone module 53 and the microphone mounting portion 511 may be disposed at a left side position or a left side position of the right refrigerating chamber door 22. When the microphone module 53 is disposed at the left end of the right refrigerating chamber door 22 because the refrigerator compartment door 20 is provided on both sides of the refrigerator compartment door 20, when the user speaks at the center of the refrigerator 1 It becomes possible to recognize it more effectively.

The microphone mounting portion 511 is virtually invisible when viewed from the front due to the characteristics of its shape. Since the height of the refrigerator is generally larger than the user's key, the microphone mounting portion 511 is invisible to the user in a normal use environment. Even though the user is located away from the refrigerator 1, the microphone holes 511 and the microphone holes 512 located in the microphone mounting portions 511 are not visible.

That is, the microphone mounting portion 511 may have a position and structure that minimizes external exposure while ensuring a high recognition rate. Hereinafter, the structure of the microphone mounting part 511 and the microphone module 53 will be described in more detail.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the microphone module 53 is provided in the right refrigerating chamber door 22. However, the present invention is applicable to all types of refrigerators in which a cap decode is formed on the upper surface of the door It can be applied. Hereinafter, the right refrigerator compartment door 22 will be referred to as a door 22.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 'in Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the refrigerator door.

As shown in the figure, the sub door 40 includes a door frame 41 having a periphery and an opening at its center, and a door frame 41 mounted on the door frame 41 to shield the open center of the door frame 41 And a panel assembly 42.

The panel assembly 42 includes a plurality of glasses 421, 422, and 423 that are spaced back and forth and spacers 424 that are provided between the glasses 421, 422, 423 and support the peripheries of the plurality of glasses 421, 422, . A heat insulating space may be formed between the plurality of spaced glasses 421, 422, 423. At least one glass 421 may be formed of a heat insulating glass.

Although not shown, a display module such as a touch sensor and a transparent LCD (LCD) may be disposed on the rear surface of the glass 421 provided on the front surface of the panel assembly 42. In this structure, the panel assembly 42 itself can perform a display function.

The panel assembly 42 may form a front surface and a rear surface of the sub door 40 in a state where the panel assembly 42 is mounted on the door frame 41. Particularly, the glass 421 on the frontmost side of the panel assembly 42 is formed larger than the other glass 422 and 423 so that the protruded outer end can be seated on the door frame 41. The sub door 40 Can be formed. In addition, a film of a specific color may be adhered or a coating layer such as a deposition may be formed on at least the front glass 421 so that the inside of the opening 220 may be selectively and transparently visible.

The door 22 includes an out plate 222 forming a front surface and a peripheral surface of the door 22 and a door liner 223 coupled to the out plate 222 to form a rear surface of the door 22. ). The out plate 222 may be formed of a metal material and may have a portion corresponding to the opening 220 opened.

The door liner 223 may form a rear surface of the door 22 and an inner surface of the opening 220. Of course, if necessary, a separate frame may be formed to form the inner surface of the opening 220, and the outer plate 222 and the door liner 223 may be coupled to both sides of the frame. .

The door light 225 may be mounted on the door liner 223 forming the inner surface of the opening 220. The door light 225 may include an LED module 225b and a light case 225a for receiving the LED module 225b. The light emitted from the LED module 225b passes through the light case 225a and is emitted toward the inside of the opening 220 to illuminate the inside of the opening 220. [

Accordingly, when the light door 22 is turned on, the inside of the opening 220 becomes brighter, and even when the sub door 40 is closed, the door 220 is opened through the opening 421a and stored in the door basket 221 Food can be confirmed.

When the door light 225 is turned off, the inside of the opening 220 is darkened and the transparent portion 421a may be opaque so that the interior of the opening is not visible. At this time, the transparent portion 421a may be opaque or mirror-like due to the glass 421 of the panel assembly 42. The transparent portion 421a refers to an area where the inside of the glass 421 is visible and may be defined as an inner area of the bezel when an opaque bezel is formed around the glass 421. [

On the other hand, the door liner 223 is fitted with a gasket, which can be formed along the periphery of the door

A cab decor (50) may be formed on the upper surface of the door (22). The cap decor 50 is coupled with the door liner 223 and the out plate 222 to form the upper surface of the door 22. [ The interior space of the door 22 formed by the out plate 222, the door liner 223 and the cab decor 50 may be filled with a heat insulating material 224. [

Meanwhile, the cab deco 50 may be formed of a plastic material, and a hinge mounting portion 502 may be formed at one side of the cab deck 50 to receive the hinge for rotating the door 22.

The cap decor 50 may be formed with an upper receiving portion 501 that is downwardly recessed. Most of the space of the upper receiving portion 501 except the periphery of the cap decor 50 is depressed downward.

A door opening device 52, a microphone module 53, a speaker module 55, and a voice module 56 can be accommodated inside the upper accommodating portion 501. A door cover 51 may be provided to shield the upper surface of the upper receiving portion 501.

In detail, the door opening device 52 is configured to be automatically opened without the user directly pulling the door 22 in a state where the door 22 is closed. The door opening device 52 may have various configurations and typically include a pushrod 521 which is selectively protruded. The push rod 521 can be protruded when an open signal is input and the end of the push rod 521 pushes the cabinet 10 to open the door 22. When the push rod 521 is retracted again, the door 22 is rotated and closed by its own weight.

A rod opening 501a may be formed on one side of the rear surface of the upper accommodating portion 501 facing the push rod 521. When the door opening device 52 inside the door 22 is operated, the push rod 521 pushes the cabinet 10 through the rod opening 501a to open the door 22 can do.

The door opening device 52 can be operated by the user's voice input to the microphone module 53, and thus the door 22 can be opened and closed through the user's voice.

The door opening device 52 is disposed at the upper end of the upper housing 501 so that the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 are arranged close to the center of the refrigerator 1, As shown in FIG.

The microphone module 53 is for receiving a user's voice for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 1 and may be mounted on a microphone mounting portion 511 formed on the door cover 51. [ The microphone module 53 can be closely attached to the lower surface of the door cover 51 and can be supported by the microphone supporter 54. A microphone hole 512 may be further formed in the microphone mounting portion 511 and a user's voice may be introduced into the microphone module 53 mounted in the microphone mounting portion 511 through the microphone hole 512 .

The speaker module 55 is for outputting sounds, and outputs information that can be output as sounds, such as operational status information of the refrigerator 1 or request information of a user. The speaker module 55 may be positioned below the speaker mounting portion 514 formed on the door cover 51. [ The speaker module 55 may also be fixedly mounted on the door cover 51.

The audio module 56 may be connected to the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55. The voice module 56 can process the voice input from the microphone module 53, and thus the voice module 56 can be called a voice recognition voice communication. The microphone module is formed separately from the voice module, and a function for voice processing can be performed by the microphone module, so that the configuration of the microphone module 53 can be minimized and made compact. With this structure, the space in which the microphone module 53 is installed can be minimized, and the portion protruding to the outside can be minimized. The voice module 56 may transmit the voice signal to the speaker module 55 in association with the speaker module 55.

The voice module 56 may be fixedly mounted on the inner bottom of the upper receiving portion 501. The voice module 56 may include a plurality of connectors 561, 562, 563, 564. In detail, the connectors 561, 562, 563, and 564 include a first connector 562 and a second connector 563 connected to the microphone module 53, a third connector 561 connected to the speaker module 55, And a fourth connector 564 to which the fourth connector 564 is supplied. The speaker module 55 or the microphone module 53 can be easily separated or serviced or replaced as required and the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 ) Can be selectively used.

The door cover 51 is formed in a plate shape corresponding to the opening of the upper accommodating portion 501 and may be mounted to shield the upper accommodating portion 501. The door cover 51 forms an upper surface of the door 22 when mounted on the cab deco 50 and the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 can be fixedly mounted. That is, the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 may be mounted on the door 22 and may be mounted on the door cover 51 to be suspended from the inside of the upper receiving portion 501 .

Particularly, the microphone module 53 is kept attached to the lower surface of the door cover 51, and the noise introduced into the microphone module 53 can be minimized. For example, the refrigerator 1 continuously generates noise vibrations of devices such as the compressor 12, which constitute a refrigeration cycle during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, due to the nature of the refrigerator 1, To the module (53).

Therefore, the microphone module 53 can be mounted in the door 22 and can be mounted away from the inside of the door 22 without being exposed. Thus, noise generated during the operation of the refrigerator 1 So that the recognition rate can be improved.

The upper surface of the microphone module 53 is completely in contact with the inner surface of the door cover 51 so that the sound of the user is not leaked to the microphone module 53, The recognition rate can be further improved.

Hereinafter, the structure of the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

6 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of a cap door cover, a speaker module, and a microphone module according to an embodiment of the present invention. And. 7 is a partially enlarged view of a microphone mounting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a perspective view of the microphone mounting portion as viewed from below. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of the microphone module.

As shown in the figure, the microphone cover 511 may be formed on the door cover 51. The microphone mounting portion 511 includes a protrusion 511a protruding upward from the door cover 51, an inclined portion 511b formed at a front end of the protrusion 511a, and a protrusion 511b formed at an end of the inclined portion 511b And may include a depression 513.

The protruding portion 511a protrudes most of the microphone mounting portion 511 and may protrude in parallel with the upper surface of the door cover 51. A microphone mounting boss 517 may be formed on the lower portion of the protrusion 511a. The microphone mounting boss 517 may be provided on both left and right sides and may be inserted into the supporter through hole 546 of the microphone supporter 54. The screw (S) fastened to the supporter through hole (546) is fastened so that the microphone supporter (54) can be fixedly mounted on the lower surface of the protrusion (511a).

The projecting height of the protruding portion 511a may be set to a height at which the microphone hole 512 can be formed in the inclined portion 511b and a height at which the microphone mounting portion 511 can be maximally viewed . For example, the height of the protrusion 511a may be set to have a height of 2 mm to 3 mm.

The inclined portion 511b may be formed at a front end of the microphone mounting portion 511 so that the inclined portion 511b may be inclined downward as it extends forward. The inclined portion 511b may be formed to have an inclination of 30 ° to 50 °.

The inclined portion 511b is formed to have a predetermined width and may have a size and shape corresponding to the microphone module 53 on the back surface. A front rib 511c and a rear rib 511d for fixing the microphone module 53 may protrude downward from the rear surface of the inclined portion 511b. The front ribs 511c and the rear ribs 511d may extend in the lateral direction along the front end and the rear end of the inclined portion 511b, respectively. The microphone module 53 may be positioned between the front rib 511c and the rear rib 511d.

The microphone module 53 can be mounted at the correct position by the front rib 511c and the rear rib 511d so that the microphone hole 512 formed in the inclined portion 511b is inserted into the microphone module 53, The microphone element 532 of FIG.

The microphone hole 512 is mounted on the inclined portion 511b. The microphone hole 512 may be formed at a position corresponding to the center of the microphone element 53 so that the user's voice may be effectively input through the microphone hole 512. The microphone hole 512 is arranged on the same extension line as the through hole 533a of the sealing member 533 and the substrate hole 531a formed in the microphone substrate 531, To be effectively transmitted to the device 532.

The microphone holes 512 may be provided on both sides of the left and right sides. That is, a pair of microphone elements 532 corresponding to the microphone hole 512 is also provided, and a sound having passed through the pair of microphone holes 512 can be input.

It is preferable that a pair of the microphone holes 512 and the pair of microphone elements 532 are formed on both sides with a distance of approximately 50 mm to 100 mm considering a general user's position. The analysis and processing of the voice input to the microphone element 532 can be more effectively performed by the pair of microphone holes 512 spaced apart from each other by the set distance, and the recognition rate can be improved.

A hole guide 512a may be formed around the microphone hole 512. The hole guide 512a may be formed to protrude along the periphery of the microphone hole 512 and be formed to have a height lowered from the upper side toward the lower side. Therefore, when the dust or foreign matter falls from above, dust or foreign matter is prevented from being directly introduced into the microphone hole 512 by the hole guide 512a, dust or foreign matter flows down and the depression 513 ).

In addition, although the microphone hole 512 is formed on the inclined portion 511b, the end portion of the hole guide 512a has a greater angle than the inclined portion 511b, So that it can be more effectively transmitted toward the display unit 512.

The sound output from the speaker module 55 is transmitted to the microphone element 532 so that the microphone hole 512 faces forward and the hole guide 512a is formed around the microphone hole 512. [ Can be prevented. Preferably, the speaker mounting portion 514 and the microphone mounting portion 511 or the microphone hole 512 are located at a distance of at least 80 mm to 120 mm.

Meanwhile, the depression 513 may be formed in front of the inclined portion 511b. The depression 513 is recessed downward from the end of the inclined portion 511b so that dust or foreign matter falling from above is collected. Therefore, even if dust or foreign matter falls from above and accumulates on the upper surface of the door cover 51, the microphone hole 512 is not easily blocked.

That is, dust or foreign matter flowing along the inclined portion 511b is accommodated in the depressed portion 513 below the inclined portion 511b. Therefore, the microphone hole 512 is not covered until the dust or foreign matter is completely accumulated after completely filling the depression 513, so that the voice recognition performance of the user can be maintained.

Meanwhile, the door cover 51 may be provided with a speaker mounting portion 514 on which the speaker module 55 is mounted. The speaker mounting portion 514 may be formed such that one side of the door cover 51 is depressed downward. The speaker module 55 may be mounted on the lower surface of the speaker mounting portion 514.

A speaker hole 515 is formed at the center of the speaker mounting portion 514 and a rim 515a may be formed around the speaker hole 515. The rim 515a may be formed so as to protrude from the speaker cover 57 and not touch the speaker cover 57. Dust or foreign matter introduced into the speaker mounting portion 514 is prevented from flowing into the speaker module 55 due to the rim 515a.

The audio output unit 550 of the speaker module 55 is formed at an inner area of the frame 515a, that is, at a position corresponding to the speaker hole 515, The sound can be output to the outside through the speaker hole 515 without leaking into the door 22.

A pair of speaker mounting bosses 516 may be formed on the speaker mounting portion 514. The speaker mounting boss 516 may be formed on both sides of the speaker hole 515. The speaker boss 572 extends downward and extends to the speaker coupling part 552 on both sides of the speaker module 55.

The speaker cover 57 may be mounted on the speaker mounting portion 514. The speaker cover 57 may include a plate portion 571 and a speaker boss 572. The plate portion 571 is formed in a plate shape and has a shape corresponding to the speaker mounting portion 514 and may be formed in a slightly smaller size. Therefore, when the speaker cover 57 is mounted on the speaker mounting portion 514, the periphery of the speaker mounting portion 514 and the periphery of the speaker cover 57 are spaced apart from each other, 55 may leak out.

A speaker boss 572 extending downward may be formed on the lower surface of the speaker cover 57. The speaker boss 572 may extend through the speaker mounting boss 516 to the speaker coupling part 552. The screw S fastened by the speaker fastening part 552 is fastened to the speaker boss 572 so that the speaker cover 57 and the speaker module 55 are fixedly mounted on the door cover 51 .

10 is an exploded perspective view of the microphone module.

Referring to the drawings, the microphone module 53 may include a microphone substrate 531, a microphone 532, and a sealing member 533. Referring to FIG. The microphone module 53 includes at least a microphone element 532 and may be called a microphone.

In detail, the microphone substrate 531 is provided to allow the microphone device 532 to be mounted and supported at a predetermined distance, and the microphone device 532 can be disposed at a certain distance.

On the other hand, the microphone element 532 has a structure in which a pair of the microphone elements 532 is disposed to the left and right. Of course, the number of the microphone elements 532 may be two or more, but the number of the microphone elements 532 may be increased. In addition, May be provided.

The pair of microphone elements 532 are disposed on both sides of the microphone element 532 to improve the recognition rate. In detail, when a pair of microphone elements 532 are disposed on both sides, the voice of the user can be received by both the microphone elements 532 on both sides. Therefore, the voice inputted to each microphone element 532 is converted into a signal, And the noise can be more effectively removed. Therefore, a remarkably improved speech recognition rate can be expected as compared with the arrangement in which one microphone element 532 is disposed.

In addition, since the microphone elements 532 are disposed on both sides of the left and right sides, a difference in the intensity of sounds input to the pair of microphone elements 532 is generated, and the position at which sound is input can be determined. That is, if the user is positioned in front of the refrigerator 1 for use of the refrigerator 1, the difference in sound intensity input to the microphone elements 532 on both sides is relatively small, and the refrigerator 1 The sound input from the side or diagonal direction of the microphone device 532 differs greatly from that of the microphone device 532 on both sides.

Accordingly, it is possible to determine the position of the sound input by using the pair of microphone elements 532, that is, the position of the user, and therefore, the sound generated at the position determined by the user can be amplified to increase the voice recognition rate. It is possible to accurately detect and recognize the user's voice in front of the refrigerator 1 even if a large number of sounds are input at the same time, thereby improving the reliability of speech recognition performance.

On the other hand, on both sides of the microphone substrate 531, a substrate hole 531a penetrating the microphone substrate 531 may be formed. The substrate hole 531a may be formed at a position corresponding to the microphone element 532 and may have a structure in which voice of a user may be transmitted to the microphone element 532. [ The microphone substrate 531 may be formed in a plate shape extending in the transverse direction so as to be attachable to the inclined portion 511b of the microphone mounting portion 511. [

A microphone connector 534 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the microphone substrate 531. The microphone connector 534 protrudes downward (in a direction away from the cap decor) 545, respectively. Therefore, the first connector 562 and the second connector 563 of the audio module 56 and the microphone connector 534 can be connected to each other without interference of the microphone supporter 54 by harnesses having connectors at both ends thereof .

The microphone element 532 is a portion to which a voice is input, and may be mounted on both sides of the lower surface of the microphone substrate 531. When the microphone module 53 is mounted, the microphone element 532 is positioned at a position corresponding to the microphone hole 512 so that a user's voice can be input. The microphone element 532 may be a device having various structures capable of inputting a voice of the user. Of course, the microphone device 532 may be a variety of devices capable of receiving voice input, and thus the microphone device 532 may be referred to as a microphone or a microphone device.

The microphone element 532 is located on the lower surface of the microphone substrate 531 and is positioned at a position corresponding to the through hole 533a of the sealing member 533 and the substrate hole 531a of the microphone substrate 531 As shown in FIG. Therefore, the sound introduced from the microphone hole 512 passes through the through hole 533a and the substrate hole 531a in order to be introduced into the microphone element 532. [

The upper surface of the microphone substrate 531 may be formed in a planar shape so that the cover 51 may be attached to the lower surface of the microphone substrate 531. [ That is, the lower surface of the microphone mounting portion 511. [

Meanwhile, the sealing member 533 may be formed in a sheet shape and disposed on the upper surface of the microphone substrate 531. Therefore, the microphone substrate 531 can be closely contacted between the inclined portions 511b of the microphone mounting portion 511 by the sealing member 533. [

The sealing member 533 is completely hermetically sealed between the upper surface of the microphone substrate 531 and the lower surface of the inclined portion 511b so that sound introduced from the outside is not leaked between the substrate and the door cover 51, So that it can be directed to the microphone element 532.

In addition, when the space between the microphone substrate 531 and the door cover 51 is completely sealed by the sealing member 533, the noise can be prevented from being generated due to noise, vibration, impact, etc. generated in the upper door 20 It is also possible to prevent the noise from being introduced.

The sealing member 533 may be an adhesive tape or a double-sided tape. When the sealing member 533 is formed of an adhesive material, the microphone module 53 can be attached and fixed to the microphone mounting portion 511 substantially. Therefore, the sealing member 533 may be referred to as an adhesive member or a fixing member.

A through hole 533a is formed on both sides of the sealing member 533 and the through hole 533a may be disposed on the same extension line as the microphone element 532 and the substrate hole 531a. Therefore, the sealing member 533 can form a passage through which voice is transmitted to the microphone element 532, as well as the microphone module 53. [

The sealing member 533 may be formed of an elastic material so as to effectively cushion shock or vibration generated when the upper door 20 is opened or closed due to the characteristics of the environment of the upper door 20. In addition, vibration or shock generated in the cabinet 10 during operation of the refrigerator 1 and transmitted to the microphone module 53 can be further mitigated.

The sealing member 533 may be formed on the substrate 531 in the form of an adhesive if the sealing member 533 does not cover or block the substrate hole 531a. Of course, if the sealing and supporting performance by the microphone supporter 54 is ensured, the sealing member 533 is omitted and the upper surface of the substrate 531 is in close contact with the lower surface of the inclined portion 511a It is possible.

As such, regardless of the material and the structure of the sealing member 533, the space between the substrate 531 and the door cover 51 is completely sealed. Therefore, the passage toward the microphone element 532 can be formed only by the path formed by the microphone hole 512 and the substrate hole 531a. Therefore, the external noise is not leaked but is directed to the microphone element 532 at the shortest distance, and the noise inside the door 22 or the noise transmitted through the cabinet 10 also flows into the microphone element 532 It can be blocked at its source.

11 is a perspective view of a microphone supporter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The microphone supporter 54 is mounted on the door cover 51 so that the microphone module 53 can be closely fixed to the inclined portion 511b of the door cover 51. As shown in FIG. The upper surface of the microphone supporter 54 may include a mounting surface 541 and a supporting surface 542.

The mounting surface 541 is a portion for mounting the microphone supporter 54 and may be formed parallel to the lower surface of the door cover 51, more specifically, the lower surface of the protrusion 511a. On both sides of the mounting surface 541, a pair of supporter through holes 546 may be formed to penetrate the microphone supporter 54 in the vertical direction. The screw S may be fastened under the supporter through hole 546 and fastened to the microphone mounting boss 517.

The support surface 542 is formed at the front end of the mounting surface 541 and has a slope that decreases toward the front. The support surface 542 may be formed to have a size capable of seating the microphone module 53 and have a slope corresponding to the inclined portion 511b of the microphone mounting portion 511. [ Therefore, the microphone module 53 may be disposed between the inclined portion 511b and the supporting surface 542. [

An upper rib 543 may be formed at a rear end of the support surface 542 in contact with the rear rib 511d. The front end of the support surface 542 may be provided with a lower rib 544 in contact with the front rib 511c.

The lower rib 544 may have a predetermined height and may form a frame 515a extending upward along the front surface and a part of the side surface of the microphone supporter 54. Therefore, when the microphone supporter 54 is mounted, the front ribs 511c and the rear ribs 511d are positioned between the upper ribs 543 and the lower ribs 544, The depression 513 may also be inserted into the space between the support surface 542 and the lower rib 544.

With this structure, the microphone supporter 54 can be mounted at an accurate position, and the guide structure of the plurality of ribs 511c, 511d, 543 and 544 can guide the microphone supporter 54 to the correct position . With such a structure, the periphery of the microphone module 53 can be further tightened, and the microphone module 53 can be more closely attached to the door cover 51. FIG.

Meanwhile, a connector hole 545 may be formed in the center of the microphone supporter 54. The microphone connector 534 may be exposed downward through the connector hole 545 when the microphone module 53 is mounted on the support surface 542. [ Therefore, the microphone module 53 can be connected to the voice module 56 while the microphone module 53 is fixed to the door cover 51.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of the microphone module and the microphone supporter. 13 is a partially enlarged view showing a state in which the microphone module and the microphone supporter are engaged.

Referring to the drawings, a microphone module 53 is mounted on a supporting surface 542 of the microphone supporter 54 in detail. At this time, the microphone connector 534 is positioned inside the connector hole 545.

Then, the microphone supporter 54 with the microphone module 53 mounted thereon is placed on the microphone mounting portion 511. At this time, the mounting surface 541 of the microphone supporter 54 is positioned on the lower surface of the protruding portion 511a of the microphone mounting portion 511. The screw S is fastened below the microphone supporter 54 and can be fastened to the microphone mounting boss 517 through the supporter through hole 546. [

The upper ribs 543 and the lower ribs 544 are located on the outer sides of the front ribs 511c and the rear ribs 511d and the rear ribs 511c and 511d As shown in FIG. Therefore, the microphone supporter 54 can be positioned at the correct position, so that the microphone element 532 of the microphone module 53 and the microphone hole 512 can be aligned with each other.

Especially, when the screw S is fastened, the microphone supporter 54 can press the substrate 531 from below the substrate 531 toward the lower surface of the door cover 51, and the substrate 531 Can be further adhered to the lower surface of the door cover 51.

The microphone module 53 is located in a space between the front rib 511c and the rear rib 511d. The sealing member 533 of the microphone module 53 seals between the microphone voice module 56 and the lower surface of the inclined portion 511b.

When the screw S for mounting the microphone supporter 54 is fully tightened, the microphone supporter 54 presses the microphone module 53 toward the lower surface of the inclined portion 511b. Accordingly, the sealing member 533 can be compressed to seal the space between the microphone voice module 56 and the rear surface of the inclined portion 511b, and the substrate 531 And the door cover 51 are separated from each other or the state of alignment between the microphone hole 512 and the substrate hole 531a is damaged.

Therefore, in any situation, the voice introduced into the microphone hole 512 can be transmitted to the microphone element 532 without leakage. In addition, unnecessary noise is prevented from flowing into the microphone element 532.

Meanwhile, the microphone hole 512 may be formed so as to have a larger diameter as it approaches the lower surface of the opened upper surface, that is, the microphone element 532. Therefore, the sound introduced into the microphone hole 512 can be effectively transmitted to the microphone element 532, and noise can be minimized.

Hereinafter, a mounting structure of the speaker module 55 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

14 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the speaker module.

As shown in the figure, the speaker module may be disposed on the lower surface of the speaker mounting portion 514. An audio output unit 550 for outputting audio is disposed on the speaker module 55 facing the speaker hole 515 and an output unit guide 551 is provided around the audio output unit 550 . The output unit guide 551 may be formed to be in contact with an outer end of the rim 515a formed on the speaker mounting portion 514. [ Accordingly, the speaker module 55 can be mounted at an accurate position, and the sound output from the sound output unit 550 can be completely transmitted to the outside through the speaker hole 515.

The speaker cover 57 is located inside the speaker mounting portion 514 and the speaker boss 572 is mounted to penetrate the speaker mounting boss 516. The screw S which is inserted through the speaker fastening part 552 and is screwed downward is engaged with the speaker boss 572 so that the speaker cover 57 and the speaker module 55 can be fixed at the same time.

The speaker cover 57 may be positioned on the same plane as the upper surface of the door cover 51 and the cab deco 50 in a mounted state. A sound outputted to the speaker module 55 between the periphery of the speaker cover 57 and the periphery of the speaker mounting portion 514 may be leaked to the periphery of the speaker hole 515 and the periphery of the speaker cover 57 have.

Hereinafter, the operation of the refrigerator 1 having the above structure will be described.

15 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of the refrigerator.

As shown in the figure, in the refrigerator 1, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle including the compressor 12 is operated under the control of the main control unit 11 to cool the inside of the refrigerator. The main control unit 11 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator and may be called a main controller, a main PCB or a control unit.

The user operates the refrigerator 1 by directly operating the display 24 or the auxiliary display 231 of the refrigerator 1. [ Then, the temperature of the refrigerator 1 can be manipulated through the manipulation input of the user, or the specific function execution can be operated. It is also possible to turn on / off the door light 225 for taking out the water or ice through the dispenser 23 or through the sub door 40.

On the other hand, the user can recognize the user's voice and control the operation of the refrigerator 1 at a position where the user can not use both hands or a remote location where the operation of the refrigerator 1 is difficult.

For example, when a user sets a trigger sound in front of the refrigerator 1, the voice recognition mode is activated by the microphone module 53 and the voice module 56, and then the user operates the refrigerator 1 A voice command for the voice input is input. When the user issues a command, the voice signal input through the microphone module 53 is processed by the voice module 56 and then transmitted to the main controller 11 to control the specific operation of the refrigerator.

An example of a function operated by the user's voice will be described below.

The user can confirm the operation state of the refrigerator 1 by turning the display 24 of the refrigerator 1 on and off by voice command. Then, the temperature sensed by the in-housing temperature sensor 13 can be output to the display 24, and the user can adjust the temperature of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment by voice with reference to the output temperature, .

Then, the user can turn on / off the door light 225 by voice command of the user. When the door light 225 is turned on and off, the sub door 40 can be made selectively transparent and opaque. When the door light 225 is turned on, the transparent part 421a of the sub door 40 So that the interior of the door basket 221 can be identified even when the sub door 40 is closed.

Then, the user can operate the dispenser 23 by voice command of the user. Water or ice can be taken out by the voice command of the user. When the user inputs the desired amount of water through the adjustment of the dispenser valve 231, the dispenser valve 231 and the dispenser 23 can perform the set operation to extract the set amount of water .

It is also possible to select and extract the ice state of the ice maker 25 through the user's voice. For example, when the user selects the ice state such as the piece ice or the general ice, the ice maker 25 or the ice maker 251 provided in the ice bank storing ice performs the set operation to move the ice in the selected state to the dispenser 23).

Various operation information including a change in the operating state of the refrigerator 1 or a set state may be displayed on the display 24 or the auxiliary display 231, May be output.

In addition, the speaker module 55 can output not only the operation information but also whether the voice input of the user is correctly performed, to be guided to the user, and to induce the user to input an accurate voice command to the refrigerator 1 do.

Meanwhile, the microphone module 53 may be mounted at various positions of the refrigerator 1. [ Hereinafter, various exemplary arrangements of the microphone module 53 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The structure of the microphone module 53 itself is the same as that of the microphone module 53 described below except that the microphone module 53 differs from the microphone module 53 in the mounting position only. Therefore, the structure of the microphone module 53 itself will be omitted.

16 is a view showing the microphone module disposed in the dispenser.

As shown in the figure, a dispenser 23 may be provided on the front surface of the door 22. The dispenser 23 may be provided with a recessed space through which water or ice is taken out, and an auxiliary display 231 may be provided above the recessed space to indicate the operation state of the refrigerator 1. [

The dispenser 23 and the auxiliary display 231 may be formed of a single module or may be mounted on the front surface of the door 22. A microphone module 53a may be provided on one side of the dispenser 23 where the auxiliary display 231 is located. The microphone module 53a formed at a position adjacent to the auxiliary display 231 may be located in the dispenser 23 because the microphone module 53a is located in a part of the dispenser 23.

The microphone module 53a may be the same as the above-described structure, but may be configured to be in close contact with the back surface of the auxiliary display 231. [ A pair of microphone holes 231a may be formed on one side of the auxiliary display 231 corresponding to the microphone element 532 of the microphone module 53a. The microphone hole 231a may be opened toward the front side and may be disposed at a position adjacent to the recessed space 230 of the dispenser 23 so as not to be conspicuous to the user.

The microphone module 53a may be located inside the recessed space of the dispenser 23 as well as the auxiliary display 231. [ At this time, since the microphone module 53a and the microphone hole 231a are located inside the recessed space 230, the microphone module 53a and the microphone hole 231a may not be exposed to the user.

Fig. 17 is a diagram in which the microphone module is disposed between the doors. Fig.

As shown in the figure, the door 20 is located on both left and right sides, and a predetermined space may be formed between the doors 20 when the door 20 on both sides of the door 20 is closed.

The microphone module 53b may be disposed on the front surface 101 of the cabinet 10 corresponding to the space between the doors. The microphone module 53b may be mounted inside the cabinet 10 and may be disposed in close contact with the inner surface of the cabinet 10. A microphone hole 101a may be formed in the front surface 101 of the cabinet 10 corresponding to the position of the microphone element 532 of the microphone module 53b.

Since the space between the pair of doors 20 is a narrow space, the microphone module 53b may be formed long up and down. The pair of microphone elements 532 and the microphone holes 101a may be arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, the microphone hole 101a can be exposed to the outside through the space between the door 20 and the door 20, thus facilitating the reception of the voice signal.

Of course, since the portion of the front surface of the cabinet 10 on which the microphone module 53b is mounted is separated from the door 20, the microphone module 53b is disposed in the lateral direction as in the above- It is also possible that the microphone element 532 and the microphone hole 101a are arranged in the horizontal direction.

In addition, when a barrier (not shown) for partitioning the internal space of the cabinet 10 is provided, the microphone module 53b may be disposed on the front surface of the barrier.

18 is a view showing the microphone module disposed on the hinge cover.

As shown, the door 20 has a structure rotatably connected to the cabinet 10 by a hinge device 26. In addition, the hinge device 26 may include a hinge cover 261 covering configurations including a hinge disposed therein.

The hinge cover 261 may be positioned at the upper end of the cabinet 10 and the door 20, and may have a structure that is exposed to the outside. The hinge cover 261 may be provided with a microphone module 53c.

The microphone module 53c may be mounted on the inner surface of the hinge cover 261. [ A microphone hole 261a may be formed on the outer surface of the hinge cover corresponding to the mounting position of the microphone module 53c.

A pair of the microphone holes 261a may be formed at positions corresponding to the pair of microphone elements 532. [ The microphone hole 261a may be formed to face the upper surface. Of course, if necessary, the upper surface of the hinge cover 261 may have the same structure as the microphone mounting portion 511, or the microphone hole 261a may be formed to face the front side.

Since the microphone module 53c is mounted on the hinge cover 261, it is possible to prevent the microphone hole 261a from being seen when the user looks ahead. In addition, the microphone module 53c can be easily serviced through the separation of the hinge cover 261. Also, the arrangement of the wires along the hinge cover 261 may be facilitated.

Fig. 19 is a view showing the microphone module disposed in the upper cab deco; Fig.

As shown in the drawing, the microphone module 53d may be provided inside the upper cab decor 51. At this time, the microphone module 53d may be in close contact with the upper surface of the upper cap decor 51, and a pair of microphone holes 51a may be formed in the upper cap decor 51 corresponding to the microphone module 53d. . The pair of microphone holes 51a may be located at positions corresponding to a pair of microphone elements 532 disposed on the microphone module 53d.

On the other hand, the microphone hole 51a may be opened upward, so that the microphone hole 51a may not be seen when the user views the refrigerator 1 from the front.

The mounting position of the microphone module 53d and the position of the microphone hole 51a may be formed at the center of the left and right sides of the door 20 or near the center of the cabinet 10 as a whole.

FIG. 20 is a view showing the microphone module disposed on the front of the door. FIG.

As shown, the outer surface of the door 20 may be formed by an outer case 201. The outer case 201 may be formed of various materials such as metal and plastic. In addition, a microphone module 53e may be provided on the front surface of the outer case 201.

The microphone module 53e is located inside the door 20 and may be in close contact with an inner surface of a portion forming the front surface of the outer case 201. [ A microphone hole 201a may be formed in the outer case 201. [ The pair of microphone holes 201a may be formed at a position corresponding to a pair of the microphone elements 532 located at the microphone module 53e.

The position of the microphone module 53e and the microphone hole 201a may be located at a position near the periphery of the door 20 while being positioned at the front of the door 20. [ Therefore, the microphone hole 201a may not be conspicuous to the user's eyes, and may be formed at a position adjacent to the lower end of the user's eyes.

21 is a view showing the microphone module disposed on the handle.

As shown in the figure, a handle 325 may be provided at one side of the door 20 inwardly recessed. Although the handle 325 provided in the lower door 20 is illustrated in the present embodiment, the microphone module 53f may be provided on the handle of all the doors regardless of the position and structure of the door.

The handle 325 may form a recessed handle groove 324 and may be injection molded of a plastic material and assembled to the door 20. A microphone module 53f may be mounted on the handle 325. The microphone module 53f may be disposed inside the door 20 and may be mounted on the outer surface of the handle 325 so as to be in close contact with the surface of the handle 324.

A pair of microphone holes 325a may be formed on one side of the handle 325. The microphone hole 325a may be formed at a position corresponding to the microphone element 532 of the microphone module 53f and may be formed inside the handle groove 324. [ Therefore, the microphone module 53f and the microphone hole 325a may not be exposed when viewed from the outside.

Meanwhile, the microphone module 53f may be formed at any position inside the handle groove 324, but is preferably formed at a position other than the position where the user puts his / her hand in order to open the door 20 Lt; / RTI > For example, when the door 20 is located at a position close to the outer end where the rotation axis of the door 20 is located, the user's hand is not easily contacted, so that the microphone hole 325a frequently contacts with the user's hand, .

12 is a view showing the microphone module disposed at the lower end of the door.

As shown in the drawing, the lower door 32 may be formed in an outer appearance by an outer case 321. The outer case 321 may be formed in a plate shape to form an outer appearance including a front surface of the lower door 32.

A microphone module 53g may be provided at a lower end of the outer case 321, that is, at a lower end of the front surface of the lower door 32. [ The microphone module 53g may be provided inside the lower door 32 and may be in close contact with the front surface of the outer case 321.

A pair of microphone holes 321b may be formed in the outer case 321. The microphone hole 321b may be located at a position corresponding to a pair of the microphone elements 532 provided in the microphone module 53g. And. Since the microphone module 53g and the microphone hole 321b are located at the lower end of the lower door 32, the microphone module 53g and the microphone hole 321b may be invisible when the user stands in front of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, the outer case 321 may be bent at the bottom of the front surface of the lower door 32 to form an inclined surface 321a. The microphone module 53g and the microphone hole 321b may be positioned on the inclined surface 321a. When the microphone hole 321b is disposed on the inclined surface 321a, the microphone hole 321b can be made less visible to the user.

In this embodiment, the lower door 32 of the upper and lower doors 21 and 32 is described as an example. However, when the doors are arranged on both the left and right sides, The module 53g may be disposed and the microphone hole 321b may be formed.

Fig. 23 is a view showing the microphone module disposed in the lower cab deco; Fig.

As shown in the figure, a lower cab decor 322 may be provided at the lower end of the lower door 32. The lower cab deco 322 forms a lower surface of the lower door 32 and may be mounted on the lower door 32 so as to face the ground. The lower cab deco 322 may be formed by injection molding with a plastic material and may be combined with an outer case 321 forming an outer surface of the lower door 32 to form a lower surface of the lower door 32.

A microphone module 53h may be mounted on a lower surface of the lower cab deco 322. The microphone module 53h may be provided on the inner side of the lower door 32 and on the inner surface of the lower cab decor 322. Therefore, the microphone module 53h is not exposed to the outside.

A pair of microphone holes 323a may be formed in the lower cab decor 322. The microphone hole 323a may be located at a position corresponding to a pair of microphone elements 532 provided in the microphone module 53h.

The lower cab deco 322 may further include a microphone module mounting portion 323 protruding downward. The microphone module 53h may be mounted on the inner side of the microphone module mounting portion 323. At this time, the microphone hole 323a may be formed on the front surface of the microphone module mounting part 323 to be directed forward.

Although the microphone module mounting portion 323 has a structure in which the microphone module mounting portion 323 is protruded, the microphone module mounting portion 323 is positioned on the lower surface of the lower door 32 close to the ground, can do.

Although the lower door 32 disposed at the lower portion of the upper and lower doors is described as an example in the present embodiment, even if the door is arranged in the left and right directions, the lower door cap decor is provided. The microphone module 53h may be provided and the microphone hole 323a may be formed.

The refrigerator refrigerator (1) according to the embodiment of the present invention may be various other embodiments other than the above-described embodiments.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a single door opens / closes one space, and the door thickness and the cab deco structure are different from each other. Since the other configurations are the same, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, A description thereof will be omitted.

24 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The refrigerator 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 60 for forming a storage space and doors 61 and 62 for opening and closing the cabinet 60.

The storage space of the cabinet 60 can be partitioned into an upper storage space 11 and a lower storage space 12, and the upper and lower spaces partitioned can be maintained at different temperatures. The door may include an upper door 62 for opening and closing the upper storage space, and at least one lower door 61 for opening and closing the lower storage space.

The upper door 62 is rotatably mounted in the cabinet 60 and may be configured to open and close the upper storage space 11 by rotation. Accordingly, the upper door 62 may be referred to as a rotary door or a rotary door. The lower door 61 is installed in the cabinet 60 so as to be able to be drawn in and out, and may be configured to open and close the lower storage space 12 by means of a draw-in mouth. Accordingly, the lower door 61 may be referred to as a drawer door or a drawer door. The lower door 61 may include a plurality of lower doors 61. The lower door 61 may be vertically disposed, and may include an upper drawer door 30a and a lower drawer door 30b.

The upper door (62) is rotatably mounted on the sub door (40) in a center opening (201). The sub door 40 may be formed at least partially transparent so that the sub door 40 can be viewed through the inside of the sub door 40. Although not shown in detail, the sub door 40 may be configured to be heat-insulated by a plurality of glass panels, and a transparent display may be provided therein to enable output of a screen. Then, the sub door 40 can be selectively switched to transparent opaque according to a user operation. Therefore, the inside of the upper storage space 11 can be selectively seen or not seen.

The front surface of the sub door 40 may be formed by a front panel 421. The front panel 421 may be formed in an area of the front surface of the sub door 40, Most of the interior of the upper storage space 11 can be seen.

A display 24 may be provided at the lower end of the opening 201. The display 24 is configured to be visible from the outside through the sub door 40. The display 24 may output the operating state or the set state of the refrigerator 1. [ The display 24 may output the operation setting state of the lower door 61 in particular.

For example, the elevating state of the lower door 61 or the setting state for elevating and lowering can be displayed. That is, when the lower door 61 is in a state in which the user can input / When the lower door 61 is in a state in which the user can operate the pull-in and lift-up operations directly by operating the operation units 301 and 302, the lower door 61 can be outputted. In addition, when either one of the drawing-out of the lower door 61 or the elevation of the lower door 61 via the display 24 is operable through voice input, it may be outputted.

In addition, the lower door 61 may output during the drawing-in / out operation or the operation completion state, and the lower door 61 may output during the elevating operation or the operation completion state.

25 is a perspective view of the upper door. 26 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper coupling structure of the refrigerator and the upper door.

A main control unit 11 may be provided on the upper surface of the door cabinet 60 and a door opening device 63 may be provided on the side of the main control unit 11. The door opening device 63 is configured to allow the push rod 631 to be drawn in and out. When the push rod 631 is pulled out or protruded, the rear door of the upper door 62 can be pushed open. When the push rod 631 is retracted, the upper door 62 is closed by its own weight.

The main control unit 11 and the door opening device 63 are mounted on the upper surface of the cabinet 60. A main case 12 accommodating both the main control unit 11 and the door opening device 63 as well as the hinge device 14 for opening and closing the upper door 62 is provided on the upper surface of the cabinet 60 .

The main control unit 11 may be connected to the door opening device 63 and the door opening device 63 may be operated when a voice command of the user is inputted. That is, the door opening device 63 can be operated by the user's voice without any operation of a button or the like.

 Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, the upper door 62 has a relatively thin structure, so that the door opening device 63 having a relatively large size can not be placed in the cab deco 70 And is configured to be mounted on the cabinet 60 and to push and rotate the upper door 62.

Since the door opening device 63 is disposed on the cabinet 60 side, the thickness of the door 62 can be reduced and the heat insulation loss of the upper door 62 can be minimized even in a slim structure .

The upper door 62 may have an outer surface formed by coupling an out plate 621 forming an outer surface including a front surface and a door liner forming a back surface, The space between the liner can be filled with insulation. A cap decor 70 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper door 62.

A microphone mounting portion 511 on which a microphone module 53 for receiving voice of a user is mounted may be protruded from the upper surface of the upper door 62. The microphone module 53 may be received in the inner space of the cab deco 70. The space of the cab deco (70) can be shielded by the cover (71). The microphone mounting portion 511 may be formed on the cover 71.

The microphone mounting portion 511 may be disposed in an area between the left and right side ends of the upper door 62. Therefore, when the user speaks at the center of the refrigerator 1, it becomes possible to recognize it more effectively.

The microphone mounting portion 511 is virtually invisible when viewed from the front due to the characteristics of its shape. Since the height of the refrigerator is generally larger than the user's key, the microphone mounting portion 511 is invisible to the user in a normal use environment.

The microphone mounting portion 511 may include a protruding portion 511a, an inclined portion 511b and a depressed portion 513. The microphone hole 512 may be formed on the inclined portion 511b . Therefore, even if the user is located away from the refrigerator 1, the microphone holes 512 located in the microphone mounting portions 511 and the microphone mounting portions 511 are not visible.

As described above, the microphone mounting unit 511 can have a position and structure that ensures a high recognition rate while minimizing external exposure. Hereinafter, the structure of the microphone mounting part 511 and the microphone module 53 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a cover mounted on the upper end of the upper door, a speaker module, and a microphone module. FIG.

A cab decor (70) may be formed on the upper surface of the door (22). The cap decor 70 is coupled with the door liner and the out plate 621 to form an upper surface of the door 22. [ The interior space of the door 22 formed by the out plate 621, the door liner, and the cab decor 70 may be filled with a heat insulating material.

The cap decor 70 may be formed with an upper receiving portion 701 which is downwardly recessed. The upper housing 701 may be formed by recessing most of the space except the periphery of the cap decor 70 downward.

A microphone module 53, a speaker module 55, and an audio module 56 can be accommodated in the upper receiving portion 701. Further, a cover 71 for shielding the opened upper surface of the upper accommodating portion 701 may be provided.

The microphone module 53 is for receiving a user's voice for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 1 and may be mounted on a microphone mounting part 511 formed on the cover 71. [ The microphone module 53 may be attached to the lower surface of the cover 71 and may be supported by the microphone supporter 54. A microphone hole 512 may be further formed in the microphone mounting portion 511 and a user's voice may be introduced into the microphone module 53 mounted in the microphone mounting portion 511 through the microphone hole 512 .

The speaker module 55 is for outputting sounds, and outputs information that can be output as sounds, such as operational status information of the refrigerator 1 or request information of a user. The speaker module 55 may be positioned below the speaker mounting portion 514 formed on the cover 71. Also, the speaker module 55 may be fixedly mounted on the cover 71. [

The audio module 56 may be connected to the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55. The voice module 56 can recognize a voice by receiving a voice signal input from the microphone module 53. Therefore, the voice module 56 may be called a voice recognition unit.

The voice module 56 may convert the voice signal input from the microphone module 53 and transmit the converted voice signal to a remote server. Therefore, the voice module 56 can be formed to have a minimum size for signal processing within the very narrow space of the upper door 62, and the voice module 56 can be attached to the upper door 62 It is possible to minimize the space for disposition. That is, the loss of the heat insulating space of the upper door 62 can be minimized through the structure of the microphone module 53, and the size of the sub door 40 can be made as large as possible, can do.

Meanwhile, the audio module 56 may be connected to the speaker module 55, processed by an output signal, and transmitted to the speaker module 55.

The voice module 56 may be fixedly mounted on the inner bottom of the upper receiving portion 701. The voice module 56 may include a plurality of connectors 561, 562, 563, 564. The connectors 561, 562, 563, and 564 include a first connector 562 and a second connector 563 connected to the pair of microphone modules 53, a third connector 561 connected to the speaker module 55, And a fourth connector 564 to which power is supplied. The speaker module 55 or the microphone module 53 can be easily separated or serviced or replaced as required and the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 ) Can be selectively used.

The cover 71 is formed in a plate shape corresponding to the opening of the upper receiving portion 701 and may be mounted to shield the upper receiving portion 701. The cover 71 forms an upper surface of the upper door 62 when mounted on the cab deco 70 and the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 can be fixedly mounted. That is, the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 may be mounted on the upper door 62, and may be mounted on the cover 71 and suspended on the inside of the upper receiving portion 701 .

Particularly, the microphone module 53 is kept attached to the lower surface of the cover 71, and the noise introduced into the microphone module 53 can be minimized. For example, the refrigerator 1 continuously generates noise vibrations of devices such as the compressor 12, which constitute a refrigeration cycle during the operation of the refrigeration cycle, due to the nature of the refrigerator 1, To the module (53).

Therefore, the microphone module 53 can be mounted in the interior of the upper door 62 without being exposed, and can be mounted in a state of being separated from the inside of the upper door 62, so that when the refrigerator 1 is operated So that the recognition rate can be improved.

Meanwhile, a cover 71 may be mounted on the cab deco 70. The cover 71 may shield the opening of the upper receiving portion 701 and allow the microphone module 53 and the speaker module 55 to be fixedly mounted. For this purpose, the cover 71 may be provided with the microphone mounting portion 511 and the microphone mounting portion 511.

28 is a block diagram showing a control signal flow of the refrigerator.

Under the control of the main control unit 11, the refrigerator 1 operates the refrigeration cycle including the compressor 602 to cool the inside of the refrigerator. The main control unit 11 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator, so that the main control unit 11 can control the overall electrical components inside the refrigerator and receive signals from various sensors. The main control unit 11 may be referred to as a main PCB or a control unit.

The user operates the refrigerator 1 by directly operating the display 24 of the refrigerator 1 or the operating units 301 and 302 provided on the door or the cabinet for the operation of the refrigerator 1. [ Then, the temperature of the refrigerator 1 can be manipulated through the manipulation input of the user, or the specific function execution can be operated.

On the other hand, the user can recognize the user's voice and control the operation of the refrigerator 1 at a position where the user can not use both hands or a remote location where the operation of the refrigerator 1 is difficult.

For example, when a user sets a trigger sound in front of the refrigerator 1, the voice recognition mode is activated by the microphone module 53 and the voice module 56, and then the user operates the refrigerator 1 A voice command for the voice input is input.

Meanwhile, the voice module 56 includes a communication unit 565. Therefore, it is possible to communicate with the server 2 through the communication unit 565, and the voice signal inputted from the microphone module 53 can be processed and transmitted to the server 2.

The server 2 receives a voice signal from the microphone module 53, analyzes the voice signal, and determines a voice command corresponding thereto. The server can process or analyze the received voice signal in a natural language, and can convert the received voice signal into text data. The server analyzes the text data to determine a voice command, or transmits the analyzed data or text data to the communication unit To the refrigerator (1) or other home appliance (3).

The server may be at least one of an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) server, a Natural Language Processing (NLP) server, and a Text to Speech (TTS) It may be possible to perform a complex operation.

Accordingly, the process of analyzing and processing the voice signal received from the refrigerator 1 may be performed by the server 2, and the processed data may be transmitted to the voice module 56 through the communication unit 565 . With this structure, the configuration of the voice module 56 can be minimized. In particular, the server 2, which is relatively free of volume and performance constraints, can have excellent performance and can perform analysis of voice signals and conversion of voice signals as well as performing other additional tasks associated with the input voice signals .

For example, the server 2 may search information based on the received voice signal or compare the operation information of the refrigerator 1 with stored data to check the status. The information obtained through the server 2 may be transmitted to the refrigerator 1 through the communication unit 565 and output to the speaker module 55 or to the display 24. In addition, it is also possible to control the operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the information transmitted from the server 2.

It is possible to indirectly communicate with other home appliances 3 through communication with the server 2, and it is possible to control the operation of the other home appliances 3 or acquire status information.

The voice module 56 may be connected to the main control unit 11 and may control the operation of electrical components connected to the main control unit 11 through a user's voice input.

For example, the user can input the drawing-in and -owing operations of the lower door 61 using voice. That is, it is possible to control the driving part for operating the lower door 61 only by voice in a state where the user can not use the hand.

The driving unit may include a draw-out input motor 15 for drawing out the lower door 61 and a lift motor 35 for moving the lower door 61 up and down. Can be controlled.

Hereinafter, a structure and a control method of raising and lowering the lower door using a user's voice will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

29 is a perspective view of a state in which a lower door is closed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The refrigerator (1) maintains both the upper door (62) and the lower door (61) closed when the food is stored. In this state, the user can take out the food from the lower door 61 and store food by operating the lifting and lowering.

The user can operate the operating portions 301 and 302 provided on the front or bottom of the lower door 61 in order to draw in and out the lower door 61. The operation units 301 and 302 may be a switch 301 structure that is provided on the front surface of the lower door 61 and can be touched or pressed. ). ≪ / RTI >

In addition, when the user is holding objects in both hands or is unable to directly operate the operation units 301 and 302 at a position somewhat distant from the user, the user can input the pull-in and pull-down operations of the lower door 61 through voice.

In the following description, the lower drawer door 30b is opened and elevated among the lower doors 61 arranged in the upper and lower rooms. However, the upper drawer door 30a has the same structure, And may be lifted or lowered.

Hereinafter, the operation of the lower door will be described using voice of the user.

30 is a perspective view of the lower door taken out. 31 is a view showing the inner state of the lower door of Fig. 30. Fig.

As shown in the figure, when a user desires to draw and lift the lower drawer door 30b, a specific voice is inputted within the set distance from the refrigerator 1, and the operation of the lower drawer door 30b is instructed .

The lower drawer door 30b includes a drawer portion 32 to which the drawer input rail 34 is mounted and in which the container 36 and the elevating device 80 are accommodated, And a door portion 32 in which the door 35 is received.

The lower drawer door 30b is pulled forward by the user in accordance with the pull-out operation of the lower drawer door 30b. The lower drawer door 30b can be drawn out while extending the draw-in input rail 33. [

Meanwhile, the lower drawer door 30b may be configured to be pulled out by driving the draw-out input motor 15 inside the cabinet 60, not by a method of directly opening the lower drawer door 30b.

The drawer input rack 34 provided on the bottom surface of the lower drawer door 30b can be coupled with the pinion gear 151 rotated when the drawer input motor 15 provided in the cabinet 60 is driven, And the lower drawer door 30b is pulled in and out as the draw-out input motor 15 is driven.

The draw-in / out distance of the lower drawer door 30b can be extended to a distance such that at least a front space S1 inside the drawer portion 32 in which the container 36 is accommodated can be completely exposed to the outside. In this state, when the elevating device 80 is elevated or lowered in the drawer part 32, the door 36 or the doors 20, 30a or the cabinet 60, .

At this time, the draw-in / out distance of the lower drawer door 30b may be determined by the draw-out mouth sensing device disposed in the cabinet 60 and / or the lower drawer door 30b. The draw-out mouth sensing device can detect the state where the lower drawer door 30b is completely drawn or closed. The input / output sensing device includes a pair of magnets 381 and 382 provided on the draw-out input rail 33 or the drawer 32 and a sensing sensor 16 (not shown) provided on one side of the cabinet for sensing the magnets 381 and 382 ).

If necessary, the draw-out mouth sensing device may be configured as a switch at a position where the lower drawer door 30b is completely drawn in and at a position where the lower drawer door 30b is drawn out, thereby sensing the draw-out of the lower drawer door 30b. The inlet and outlet sensing device includes a sensor for counting the number of revolutions of the draw-out inlet motor 15 or a sensor for measuring a distance between a rear surface of the door part 31 and a front end of the cabinet 60, It is possible to detect the withdrawal of the door 30b.

The driving motor 64 may be driven to operate the elevating device 80 in a state in which the lower drawer door 30b fully senses the drawing. The elevating device 80 can be configured to be operated in a state in which the lower drawer door 30b is fully drawn out and the safe lifting of the food or container 36 seated in the elevating device 80 is assured.

In a state where the lower drawer door 30b is drawn out, the front space S1 is fully extended to the outside of the lower storage space 602 when the lower drawer door 30b is drawn out It must be withdrawn.

Particularly, the rear end L1 of the front space S1 must be longer than the front end L2 of the cabinet 60 or the upper door 62, It must be at least positioned further forward than the front end (L2) of the cabinet (60) or the upper door (62).

When the elevating device 80 is pulled out to be driven, the entire drawer portion 32 is not completely pulled out but only the position for avoiding interference when the elevating device 80 is lifted or lowered, as shown in FIG. 31 Can be withdrawn. At this time, at least a part of the rear space S2 of the drawer part 32 is located inside the lower storage space 602. [ That is, the rear end (L3) of the drawer part (32) is located at least inside the lower storage space (602).

Therefore, even when the weight of the stored object is added to the weight of the lower drawer door 30b including the elevating motor 40 and the elevating device 80 provided in the door portion 31, It is possible to ensure stable drawing-out and elevating operation without sagging or breaking of the lower drawer door 33 or the lower drawer door 30b itself.

The elevating motor 35 is provided inside the door 31 and is connected to the elevating device 80 to provide power for elevating the elevating device 80. The elevating device 80 may be structured as a scissors and may be moved up and down according to the driving of the elevating motor 35. Of course, the configuration of the elevating device 80 may be various other configurations that can be elevated by the elevating motor 35. FIG.

The elevating motor 35 may start its operation in a state in which the lower drawer door 30b is fully withdrawn. In order to prevent the safety of the user and damage to the stored food, after the withdrawal of the lower drawer door 30b is confirmed and the set time has elapsed, the operation of the lifting motor 35 starts the lifting of the lifting device 80 Lt; / RTI >

Of course, if necessary, the user may instruct the drawing operation of the lower drawer door 30b by voice only. In this case, after the lower drawer door 30b is drawn out, the elevating motor 35 is kept in a stopped state . After confirming that the lower drawer door 30b is fully drawn out, the user can again instruct the upward movement of the lower drawer door 30b by voice.

32 is a perspective view showing the state in which the lower door is drawn out and the container is raised. 33 is a view showing the inner state of the lower door of Fig. 32. Fig.

When the operation signal of the elevating motor 40 is input in a state where the lower drawer door 30b is drawn out, the elevating motor 40 is operated. By the elevation of the elevating device 80, The elevating motor 35 is operated.

When the operation of the elevating motor 40 is started, power is transmitted to the elevating device 80, and the elevating device 80 starts to ascend. As the elevating device 80 is lifted up, the container supported by the elevating device 80 moves up through the opened upper end of the drawer part 32.

The lifting device 80 is continuously lifted and stops when lifted to a sufficient height to facilitate access to the food or container 36 that is seated in the lifting device 80 as shown in FIG. In such a state, the user can easily lift the food or container 36 without overtaking the waist.

On the other hand, completion of the ascending or descending of the ascending / descending device 80 can be confirmed by the ascending / descending detecting device. The elevating and lowering sensor is provided on both sides of the door unit 31 corresponding to the maximum ascending position and the maximum descending position of the elevating and lowering sensor, And a pair of detection sensors 171 and 172 for detecting the detection signals.

33, when the sensing sensor 172 on the door 31 senses the magnet 81, it is determined that the elevating device 80 has been completely elevated, Thereby stopping the forward rotation.

Even when the elevating device 80 is lowered, when the sensing sensor 171 under the door 31 senses the magnet 81, it is determined that the elevating device 80 has been completely lowered So that the reverse rotation of the lifting motor 35 can be stopped.

After the user's food storing operation is completed, the user inputs a voice for descending the elevating device 80 and for pulling the lower drawer door 30b. When the user descends the elevating device 80 and inputs a voice for pulling the lower drawer door 30b, the elevating motor 35 is operated and the elevating device 80 starts descending .

The descent of the elevating device 80 may be performed by the reverse rotation of the driving motor 64, and may be gradually performed through the reverse process to that described above.

When the elevating device 80 is completely lowered, the state shown in FIG. 17 is obtained. At this time, completion of descent of the elevating device 80 is also performed by the elevating sensor. When the magnet 81 is sensed by the sensing sensor 171 located below, the elevating device 80 determines that the lowering is completed, and the elevating motor 35 stops.

After the elevation motor 35 stops, the lower drawer door 30b can be pulled in by the operation of the draw-out input motor 15. [ When the draw-out mouth sensing device senses the complete withdrawal of the lower drawer door 30b, the draw-out inlet motor 15 stops and when the lower drawer door 30b is completely closed, have.

In this manner, the lower door 61 can be operated by continuous operation from the draw-out to the rise only by voice input of the user, and the lower drawer door 30b can be continuously operated from the descent to the draw- Can be operated.

Therefore, the user can control the operation of the lower door 61 by voice even in a situation where the user is holding an object on his / her hand or can not directly operate the operation portions 301 and 302. Of course, the operating portions 301 and 302 may be omitted, if necessary, so that a cleaner and more luxurious appearance can be formed.

Claims (41)

A cabinet forming a storage space;
A door opening / closing the storage space;
A receiving portion formed on an upper surface of the door;
A microphone module provided on the inside of the accommodating portion and receiving a user's voice command;
A door cover for shielding the accommodating portion;
A microphone mounting portion formed on the door cover and on which the microphone module is mounted; And
The microwave oven according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The method according to claim 1,
And the microphone mounting portion protrudes upward from the door cover.
3. The method of claim 2,
The microphone hole is opened to the front in the microphone mounting portion,
Wherein the microphone module is formed on a protruding peripheral surface of the microphone mounting portion.
The method according to claim 1,
The microphone-
A protrusion protruding upward;
And an inclined portion extending forward from the front end of the projecting portion and having a slope lower toward the front,
And the microphone hole is formed in the inclined portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the microphone mounting portion includes a depressed portion depressed downward from a front of the inclined portion,
And the front end of the inclined portion extends to a lower end of the depressed portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
A hole guide protrudes around the microphone hole,
And the front surface of the hole guide is formed to have a slope larger than a slope of the slope portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on a rear surface of the inclined portion and is spaced apart from an inner surface of the upper accommodating portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
And a microphone supporter for supporting the microphone module from the lower side and being coupled to the door cover,
The microphone supporter includes:
A mounting surface coupled to the projection;
And a support surface extending at an inclination corresponding to the inclined portion at a front end of the mounting surface,
And the microphone module is mounted on the support surface.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the microphone supporter is formed with a connector hole to expose a microphone connector projecting downward from the microphone module.
The method according to claim 1,
The upper housing portion being spaced apart from the microphone module,
And a voice module that is electrically connected to the microphone module and processes a voice signal input from the microphone module.
A cabinet forming a storage space;
A door opening / closing the storage space;
A receiving portion formed on an upper surface of the door;
A microphone module accommodated in the accommodation portion and including a microphone element into which a voice command of a user is input;
A speaker module accommodated in the accommodating portion and outputting sound;
And a door cover which shields the receiving portion and has a microphone hole at a position corresponding to the microphone element,
Wherein the microphone module and the speaker module are mounted on an inner surface of the door cover.
12. The method of claim 11,
A speaker mounting portion is formed on one side of the door cover corresponding to the speaker module;
Wherein the speaker mounting portion is formed with a speaker hole opened to expose an audio output portion of the speaker module,
And a speaker cover provided on the speaker mounting portion and covering the speaker hole from above.
13. The method of claim 12,
And the periphery of the speaker cover is spaced apart from the periphery of the speaker mounting portion.
13. The method of claim 12,
And a rim protruding upward is formed along the periphery of the speaker hole.
13. The method of claim 12,
And an output part guide protruding from the periphery of the sound output part so as to closely contact with the periphery of the speaker hole is formed.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the audio module is spaced apart from the microphone module and the speaker module,
And a voice module connected to the microphone module and the speaker module via a connector.
17. The method of claim 16,
A control unit electrically connected to the voice module is formed in the cabinet,
Wherein the control unit controls the operation of the refrigerator according to a voice received from the microphone module.
A cabinet forming a storage space;
A door opening / closing the storage space;
A plurality of microphone holes formed on one side of the door; And
And a microphone module mounted on an inner surface of the door and receiving a voice command of the user,
The microphone module includes:
A substrate disposed on an inner surface of the door so as to be in close contact with one surface thereof;
A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And
And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements,
Wherein the microphone hole, the substrate hole, and the microphone element are disposed on the same extension line.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on a cab deco that forms an upper surface of the door.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on an outer case forming a front surface of the door.
21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on an inclined surface inclined at a lower end of the outer case.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on a handle of the door.
23. The method of claim 22,
The handle is recessed inwardly,
Wherein the microphone module is disposed inside the depressed portion of the handle.
19. The method of claim 18,
A lower cab deco is formed on a lower surface of the door to form a surface facing the ground,
And the microphone module is mounted on the lower cab deco.
19. The method of claim 18,
The door is provided with a dispenser for taking out water or ice,
And the microphone module is mounted on the dispenser.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the door is provided with a display for indicating an operation state of the refrigerator,
Wherein the microphone module is mounted on the display.
A cabinet forming a storage space;
A door opening / closing the storage space;
A microphone module disposed inside the cabinet and receiving a voice command of the user;
And a microphone hole formed on a front surface of the cabinet corresponding to the microphone module,
The microphone module includes:
A substrate disposed on an inner surface of the cabinet so as to be in close contact with one surface;
A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And
And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements,
Wherein the microphone hole, the substrate hole, and the microphone element are disposed on the same extension line.
28. The method of claim 27,
The doors are arranged side by side at a position adjacent to each other,
And the microphone hole is formed between the pair of doors.
29. The method of claim 28,
Wherein a plurality of the microphone holes are continuously arranged along the space between the doors.
A cabinet forming a storage space;
A door opening / closing the storage space;
A hinge connecting the cabinet and the door such that the door is rotatable;
A hinge cover covering the hinge;
A microphone module provided on the inside of the hinge cover for inputting voice commands of the user;
And a microphone hole formed in the hinge cover corresponding to the microphone module,
The microphone module includes:
A substrate disposed on an outer surface of the hinge cover so as to be in close contact with one surface thereof;
A plurality of microphone elements provided on the other surface of the substrate and spaced apart from each other; And
And a plurality of substrate holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements,
Wherein the microphone hole, the substrate hole, and the microphone element are disposed on the same extension line.
A plate-like substrate which is in close contact with one surface of a casing of a home electric appliance;
A plurality of microphone elements spaced apart from the substrate;
A plurality of microphone holes formed through the substrate at positions corresponding to the plurality of microphone elements;
And a sealing member that hermetically seals between the substrate and the exterior material and the substrate,
Wherein the plurality of microphone elements are disposed on one surface of the substrate opposite to the casing.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the sealing member is formed with a plurality of through holes that are open at positions corresponding to the microphone holes.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the microphone hole passing through the exterior material and the through hole and the substrate hole form an airtight path toward the microphone element.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the sealing member is formed of an adhesive material.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the sealing member is formed of a compressible material.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the sealing member is formed in a sheet shape corresponding to the size of the substrate.
32. The method of claim 31,
And a connector for electrically connecting to the outside of the board is provided on one side of the board that is the same as the side on which the plurality of microphone modules are mounted.
39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the connector is disposed between adjacent microphone elements,
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein one surface of the substrate in contact with the exterior material is formed in a planar shape.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the microphone elements are spaced apart by an interval of 50 mm to 100 mm.
32. The method of claim 31,
Wherein the pair of microphone elements are provided on both sides of the substrate.

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