JP2015021624A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of realizing a clock feature without need of additional components.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment includes: a communication adapter 18 (communication means) communicating with external devices (3, 4, 5, 7); a time information acquisition unit 10e (time information acquisition means) acquiring, from the external devices (3, 4, 5, 7), time information that can identify time via the communication adapter 18; and a time identification unit 10f (time identification means) identifying the time on the basis of the time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit 10e.

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

  Conventionally, in a refrigerator having a clock function, there is one that corrects a time lag based on time information acquired from an external device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3193363

However, when the clock function is provided, additional parts such as a clock dedicated IC and a backup battery are required.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of realizing a clock function without the need for additional components.

  The refrigerator according to the embodiment includes a communication unit that communicates with an external device, a time information acquisition unit that acquires time information that can specify a time from the external device via the communication unit, and a time information acquisition unit. Time specifying means for specifying the time based on the acquired time information.

The figure which shows typically the communication aspect of the refrigerator of one Embodiment and an external apparatus. The figure which shows the structure of the refrigerator of one Embodiment typically. The figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of performing power saving operation in one Embodiment. The figure which shows the flow of a process at the time of acquiring the warehouse side information in one Embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment is installed in a house 2 and can communicate with a PC 4 and a mobile terminal 5 via an access point 3. In the present embodiment, communication is performed between the refrigerator 1 and the access point 3 by a wireless communication system by a communication adapter 18 provided on the top of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 can also communicate with the mobile terminal 5 and the server 7 connected to the external network 6 through the access point 3. The PC 4 is a so-called personal computer, and is connected to the access point 3 by a wired system or a wireless system.

  The mobile terminal 5 may be a so-called smart phone (high-function mobile phone), a tablet PC, or the like. When the mobile terminal 5 exists in the house 2 like the mobile terminal 5A shown in FIG. It is connected so that it can communicate by a short-range wireless system. Further, when the mobile terminal 5 exists outside the house 2 like the mobile terminal 5B shown in FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 5 is connected to the access point 3 via the network 6 so as to be communicable by wide area communication. . In addition, the mobile terminal 5 can be connected to the access point 3 via the network 6 by wide-area communication even from inside the house 2, and in the house 2 without using the access point 3. Communication with the refrigerator 1 is possible directly. At this time, a short-range communication method such as a so-called wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be employed between the portable terminal 5 and the refrigerator 1 or the access point 3.

  The server 7 is configured by a known computer system, stores information (such as an IP address) for accessing the refrigerator 1, and can transmit time information to the refrigerator 1 as will be described later. It has become. The time information transmitted from the server 7 is information that can specify the time, and is transmitted by an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server built in the server 7 or a dedicated application program. This time information is used for controlling the refrigerator 1 such as power saving control and imaging control, as will be described later. The access point 3, the PC 4, the mobile terminal 5, the server 7, and the like constitute an external device described in the claims.

Next, the configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.
As is well known, the refrigerator 1 stores food and the like, and includes a plurality of storage rooms such as a refrigerator room and a freezer room not shown. This refrigerator 1 has the main control part 10, as shown in FIG. The main control unit 10 includes a microcomputer having a CPU 10a, a ROM 10b, a RAM 10c, a timer 10d, a time information acquisition unit 10e, a time specification unit 10f, a warehouse side information acquisition unit 10g, and the like, and is stored in the ROM 10b and the like. The entire refrigerator 1 is controlled in accordance with the program. Among these, the time information acquisition unit 10e, the time specification unit 10f, and the warehouse side information acquisition unit 10g are realized in software by a program executed by the CPU 10a in the present embodiment. These may be realized in hardware.

The timer 10d provided in the main control unit 10 is a functional unit built in a general microcomputer, and can be initialized at an arbitrary timing and measures the time elapsed since the initialization. To do. In the present embodiment, the timer 10d for measuring the elapsed time is assumed. However, the counter is used, and for example, a fixed period corresponding to 1 second or the like is set, and the time is indirectly counted by counting up. It is good also as a structure to measure.
The main control unit 10 is well known based on the temperature in the cabinet detected by the temperature sensor 12, the door open / closed state detected by the door opening sensor 13, etc. so that the operation state set from the operation panel 11 is obtained. The operation state of the refrigeration cooling mechanism 14 and the refrigeration cooling mechanism 15 constituting the refrigeration cycle is controlled. Although FIG. 2 shows an example in which a refrigeration cooling mechanism 14 for a refrigeration room and the like and a refrigeration cooling mechanism 15 for a freezing room or the like are provided, a configuration in which both are shared may be used.

Since the defrosting device 16 can adopt a well-known configuration, a detailed description thereof is omitted. However, the defrosting device 16 is for removing frost generated in the cooler of the refrigeration cycle, and includes a heater that generates heat when energized. . For this reason, when defrosting operation is started, energization of the heater is started, so that power consumption is increased as compared with normal operation.
Since the ice making device 17 can adopt a well-known configuration, detailed description is omitted, but water is supplied to the ice making tray and the temperature of the ice making tray is detected to detect the temperature of the water indirectly. The refrigeration cycle is operated for ice making until it is determined that the ice is frozen, and when it is determined that the ice is frozen, the ice tray is rotated to store the ice in the ice storage container. For this reason, when the ice making operation is started, the operation of the refrigeration cycle is for ice making, and the water supply motor and the like are driven, so that the power consumption is increased as compared with the normal operation.

  The communication adapter 18 performs short-distance wireless communication with the access point 3 and the portable terminal 5 in the room. In this embodiment, the communication adapter 18 is provided on the top of the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the communication adapter 18 is provided on the top of the refrigerator 1 so as to be detachable from the refrigerator 1, but may be built in the refrigerator 1. As described above, the communication adapter 18 is provided with a circuit for performing communication using a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. The communication adapter 18 constitutes a communication means.

  The camera device 19 has a well-known image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. In this embodiment, the camera device 19 images the state of an article stored in a room such as a refrigerator. That is, the camera device 19 acquires warehouse-side information that is information related to the refrigerator 1. In addition, the camera device 19 may capture the interior of the house 2 in which the refrigerator 1 is provided. Warehouse-side information such as the indoor state captured by the camera device 19 is transmitted to an external device. The camera device 19 constitutes a warehouse-side information acquisition unit together with the warehouse-side information acquisition unit 10g.

  The time information acquisition unit 10 e acquires time information capable of specifying the time from an external device such as the server 7 via the communication adapter 18. This time information is used for controlling the refrigerator 1 as described above, and is information that can specify the current time, the time at which the operating state of the refrigerator 1 is changed, and the like. More specifically, the time information includes information that can specify the current time information when the time information is transmitted, the time when the refrigerator 1 is operated to save power, the time when the warehouse-side information is acquired, and the like. ing. Hereinafter, information related to the time for changing the operating state of the refrigerator 1 among the time information is referred to as control information for convenience, and the time for performing control is referred to as control time. This control time corresponds to a power saving time (a power saving start time for starting power saving control, a power saving end time for ending power saving control), and an acquisition time for acquiring warehouse side information (imaging time for the camera device 19). .

  This time information acquisition part 10e is time-of-day when electricity supply to the refrigerator 1 is started and every predetermined period (for example, once a day or every 6 hours, which corresponds to an acquisition cycle). Get information. However, it is not always necessary to acquire the control information periodically. That is, only information that can specify the time is periodically acquired, and the control information may be acquired when the setting is performed from the mobile terminal 5 or the like.

  The time specifying unit 10f specifies the current time and the time for controlling the refrigerator 1 based on the time information. Specifically, when the time information is acquired, the time specifying unit 10f specifies the time at that time and initializes the timer 10d. That is, the time specifying unit 10f initializes the timer 10d at the initialization timing (that is, the timing at which the time information is acquired). Based on the time specified when the time information is acquired and the time elapsed after the initialization measured by the timer 10d, more specifically, the time elapsed at the time when the time information was acquired. By adding, the current time (current time) is specified. Further, the time specifying unit 10f specifies the control time when the above-described control information is included in the time information. The time specified by the time specifying unit 10 f is used for control by the main control unit 10.

  The store-side information acquisition unit 10 g acquires store-side information that is information related to the refrigerator 1. The warehouse-side information acquisition unit 10g acquires not only information that can grasp the state of the room imaged by the camera device 19 but also other information. For example, the warehouse-side information acquisition unit 10g includes information related to the operating state of the refrigerator 1, information related to the installation environment of the refrigerator 1, and the like. Specifically, information that allows the user to grasp operations performed on the refrigerator 1 such as operation of the operation panel 11 or opening / closing of the door, details of control performed by the main control unit 10 and its Information that can grasp how the operating state of the refrigerator 1 has been changed by the control, information that can grasp the environmental temperature where the refrigerator 1 is installed, etc. Information that can be used to grasp the situation. That is, the warehouse side information in the present embodiment is not limited to image information obtained by imaging the room in the refrigerator 1 with the camera device 19, but includes various information related to the refrigerator 1 such as the operating state and installation environment of the refrigerator 1. .

  Moreover, the warehouse side information acquisition part 10g transmits the acquired warehouse side information to an external apparatus. At this time, the warehouse-side information acquisition unit 10g adds the additional information that can specify the time when the warehouse-side information is acquired, and transmits the warehouse-side information. Further, on the external device side, the storage side information is notified to the user (for example, an image is displayed) or the storage side information is stored.

Next, the effect | action of the refrigerator 1 of an above-described structure is demonstrated.
The refrigerator 1 includes a functional unit that increases power consumption when the operation is started, like the defrosting device 16 and the ice making device 17 described above. Since the functional unit such as the defrosting device 16 is controlled by the main control unit 10, the refrigerator 1 can control to some extent the time when the power consumption increases by adjusting the operation timing of the functional unit. In addition, the refrigerator 1 can operate the refrigeration cycle in the power saving mode because the temperature change in the refrigerator compartment or the like is reduced when the door is not opened or closed little. That is, the refrigerator 1 has a so-called power saving function.

  Now, time can be considered as one index for determining the operation of the functional unit and the shift to the power saving mode. That is, if the time is known, for example, a so-called peak shift can be performed when power is tight during the daytime, or the function unit can be operated at midnight when the electricity bill is reduced. Further, since it is generally expected that the doors are not opened and closed at midnight, it is possible to perform power saving operation such as shifting to the power saving mode according to the time zone. That is, by controlling the refrigerator 1 based on the time, the power saving function of the refrigerator 1 can be effectively utilized.

By the way, if the refrigerator 1 is provided with a watch-dedicated IC, additional parts that constitute the IC and peripheral circuits are required. In addition, a backup battery or the like is required in order to cope with a power failure or the like, and the number of additional parts increases.
Then, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment becomes a structure which specifies time by acquiring time information from an external apparatus. Hereinafter, the flow of processing of each device including the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition, since the operation | movement by each apparatus single-piece | unit is in common with a well-known thing, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 mainly demonstrates the flow of information.

<Example of power saving control>
As shown in FIG. 3, when the refrigerator 1 acquires time information from the server 7 side, the refrigerator 1 specifies the current time (S1). At this time, the current time is specified by the time specifying unit 10f as described above. Moreover, the refrigerator 1 will specify control time, if the control information is acquired (S2). The control information includes, for example, power saving time setting (S5) from the PC 4 or the portable terminal 5A, power demand information (S6) from an electric power company or the like, or power saving time setting from the portable terminal 5B from outside (S7). It is information set by the above, and is information that can specify the control time.

  Here, in the power saving time setting in steps S5 and S7, for example, the start time and end time of the power saving operation are set. The set time is transmitted to the refrigerator 1 as control information, and is specified as the control time in the refrigerator 1. Further, in the power demand information in step S6, a time zone where the power demand is expected to reach a peak is notified to the server 7 from an electric power company etc., and the time before and after that time zone is set as a power saving time. It is transmitted to the refrigerator 1 as information. Note that these times are examples.

Then, the refrigerator 1 determines whether or not the set time (the power saving start time described above in the present embodiment) has been reached (S3), and waits if the set time has not been reached (S3: NO). At this time, the time elapsed from the time when the current time is specified in step S1 is counted by the timer 10d, and the current time is updated. And the refrigerator 1 will perform power-saving control, when set time comes (S3: YES) (S4). In the power saving control in step S4, for example, control for shifting the refrigeration cycle to the power saving mode, and control for preventing the defrosting operation and the ice making operation from being performed are performed. That is, the refrigerator 1 starts a power saving operation at the set time.
Thus, the refrigerator 1 specifies time based on time information acquired from an external device such as the server 7 and performs power saving control based on the specified time.

<Example of warehouse side information acquisition>
As illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, the mobile terminal 5 sets an imaging time for imaging with the camera device 19 (S 10), and transmits control information capable of specifying the imaging time to the refrigerator 1. At this time, not only the indoor portable terminal 5A but also the imaging time may be set by the PC 4, or the imaging time may be set by the outdoor portable terminal 5B or the like.

When the refrigerator 1 acquires the control information, the refrigerator 1 specifies the imaging time (S11). Thereafter, the refrigerator 1 determines whether or not the imaging time has been reached while updating the current time (S12). If the imaging time has not been reached (S12: NO), the refrigerator 1 stands by as it is, and when the imaging time is reached (S12). : YES), the camera device 19 images the room (S13). Then, the captured image is transmitted to the portable terminal 5 or the like instructed to capture the image as side information. At this time, the refrigerator 1 transmits the image information together with information that can specify the time when the image information was captured. That is, when the refrigerator 1 transmits the warehouse-side information, the refrigerator 1 transmits the additional information (so-called time stamp) that can specify the time when the warehouse-side information is acquired. In addition, the structure which transmits warehouse side information to the server 7 grade | etc., And accumulate | stores in the server 7 may be sufficient. In that case, by accessing the server 7 from the portable terminal 5 or the like, it is possible to acquire the warehouse-side information so that it can be specified when it is acquired.
As described above, the refrigerator 1 performs control based on the specified time, for example, when the control time such as the imaging time described above is reached while the current time is specified, such as when the camera device 19 captures an image.

According to this embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
The refrigerator 1 includes a communication adapter 18 that communicates with an external device, a time information acquisition unit 10e that acquires time information that can specify the time from the external device via the communication adapter 18, and a time information acquisition unit. Since the time specifying unit 10f that specifies the time based on the time information acquired in 10e is provided, the time can be specified. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide additional components such as a watch-dedicated IC in the refrigerator 1. That is, the timepiece function can be realized without requiring additional parts.

  The refrigerator 1 can be initialized at an arbitrary timing, and includes a timer 10d that measures a time elapsed after the initialization. The time specifying unit 10f initializes the timer 10d at the timing when the time information is acquired. In addition, the initialization time is stored, and the current time is specified based on the stored initialization time and the time elapsed after initialization measured by the timer 10d. Thus, the current time can be specified without frequently acquiring time information from an external device. Further, since the timer 10d is a function that is generally built in a microcomputer, no additional parts are required. Moreover, since the refrigerator 1 is basically always energized, there is no need to provide a backup battery or the like.

  The refrigerator 1 acquires time information periodically when energization is started and every time the acquisition cycle elapses. The timer 10d generally measures time by counting a reference clock or the like, but if the time period is long, an error may occur with the current time. Further, when an unexpected power failure occurs, the timer 10d is initialized and the current time becomes unknown. Therefore, the current time can be corrected periodically by obtaining time information when energization is started and periodically.

The refrigerator 1 uses time information for control. Thereby, the driving | operation of the refrigerator 1 can be controlled based on the correct time.
Specifically, the time information is used for power saving control of the refrigerator 1 in the present embodiment, and it is possible to specify a power saving start time for starting the power saving control and a power saving end time for ending the power saving control. it can. Thereby, the power saving control can be started when the power saving start time is reached, and the power saving control can be ended when the power saving end time is reached. For power saving control, the temperature setting is increased (for example, control is performed to change the temperature setting) when there is little or no door opening / closing, for example, at midnight, or the defrosting of the category with the highest power consumption in the refrigerator 1 Control that shifts the peak to avoid the daytime in summer (control to set or change the timing of defrosting operation) and the like are included. That is, it can contribute not only to power saving in the house 2 but also to social power saving.

  The refrigerator 1 acquires the warehouse side information and transmits the obtained warehouse side information to an external device. At this time, when the refrigerator 1 transmits the warehouse-side information, the refrigerator 1 adds the additional information that can specify the time when the warehouse-side information is acquired, and transmits the additional information. Thereby, while being able to grasp | ascertain the driving | running state, installation environment, etc. of the refrigerator 1 in the external apparatus side, since the time which acquired warehouse side information based on additional information can be specified, a power failure etc. generate | occur | produces Even in this case, it is possible to grasp when the warehouse-side information is acquired, and it is possible to guarantee the accuracy and validity of the warehouse-side information.

  The store-side information acquired by the refrigerator 1 includes, for example, indoor image information obtained by the camera device 19. In this case, for example, a room such as a refrigerator room or a room of the house 2 is imaged. Thereby, for example, the amount of stored food can be grasped on the external device side. At this time, the latest state can be grasped by imaging at a time set by an external device.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded.
The control information for acquiring the warehouse-side information may be information for setting a time for periodically obtaining the warehouse-side information, such as “8:00 am”, “every 6 hours”, and the like. As described above, if the warehouse information is periodically acquired, application to a monitoring system from a remote location is also possible.

In addition to the defrosting device 16 and the ice making device 17 exemplified in the embodiment, for example, a deodorizing device that applies a high voltage to deodorize the room, an electrostatic atomizer that generates water vapor in a vegetable room, and the like are also targeted. Good. Further, a rapid cooling function for rapidly freezing food may be set as a control target. That is, the control based on the time information may be performed on the devices, functions, or general functions of the refrigerator 1.
In that case, it is preferable that a target device or the like can be selected. For example, the rapid cooling function is a function for preserving the food in a good condition, and if it is restricted, the convenience may be reduced. Therefore, for example, the rapid cooling function may not be targeted. In addition, a device or the like to be controlled may be set according to time, or a device that is not to be controlled may be set according to time.

In one embodiment, the camera device 19 is provided as the storage-side information acquisition unit, and the indoor image information is acquired as the storage-side information. However, the refrigerator 1 includes, for example, the number of times the door has been opened and closed and the number of times the operation state has changed. As long as it is related information, other information may be used as warehouse-side information, and a device or a function for acquiring the information may be further provided.
Further, the warehouse-side information acquired by the warehouse-side information acquisition unit 10g is temporarily stored in the RAM 10c or other storage means (may be the server 7), and the stored warehouse-side information is periodically stored. It may be transmitted (or provided) to an external device.

  In the embodiment, the setting information is directly transferred from the PC 4 or the portable terminal 5 to the refrigerator 1. However, the information is transmitted to the server 7 via the access point 3 or transmitted from the server 7 to the refrigerator 1. You may make it transmit. Further, the setting information may be temporarily stored and transmitted to the refrigerator 1 at a predetermined time. Moreover, you may make it transmit, when the transmission request, such as time information, is received from the refrigerator 1. Further, the time (control time) set by the setting information on the server 7 side or the like may be specified and transmitted at a timing in time for control, such as one hour before the control time.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is a refrigerator, 3 is an access point (external device), 4 is a PC (external device), 5 is a portable terminal (external device), 7 is a server (external device), and 10 is a main control unit. (Control means, time information acquisition means, time specification means, warehouse side information acquisition means) 10e is a time information acquisition section (time information acquisition means), 10f is a time specification section (time specification means), 10g is warehouse side information acquisition Part (warehouse side information acquisition means), 18 is a communication adapter (communication means), and 19 is a camera device (warehouse side information acquisition means).

Claims (11)

A communication means for communicating with an external device;
Time information acquisition means for acquiring time information capable of specifying time from the external device via the communication means;
Time specifying means for specifying time based on the time information acquired by the time information acquiring means;
A refrigerator characterized by comprising. Initialization is possible at an arbitrary timing, and further includes a time measuring means for measuring the time elapsed after the initialization,
The time specifying means initializes the time measuring means at the timing when the time information is acquired and stores the initialized time, and stores the initialized time and the initial time measured by the time measuring means. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the current time is specified based on the time elapsed after conversion.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the time information acquisition means acquires the time information periodically when energization is started and every time a preset acquisition cycle elapses. .   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time information is information used for controlling the refrigerator. The time information is information used for power saving control of the refrigerator,
The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the time specifying unit specifies a power saving time for performing the power saving control based on the time information. The time specifying means specifies a power saving start time for starting the power saving control as the power saving time,
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the control means provided in the refrigerator starts the power saving control at the power saving start time. The time specifying means specifies a power saving end time for ending the power saving control as the power saving time,
The refrigerator according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the control means provided in the refrigerator ends the power saving control when the power saving end time is reached.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control means provided in the refrigerator performs a control to change a temperature setting as the power saving control.   9. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the control means provided in the refrigerator performs control for setting or changing a defrosting operation timing as the power saving control. In addition to acquiring warehouse-side information, which is information related to the refrigerator, further comprising warehouse-side information acquisition means for transmitting the acquired warehouse-side information to the external device,
The said warehouse side information acquisition means adds the additional information which can specify the time which acquired the warehouse side information, and transmits, when transmitting the said warehouse side information. The refrigerator according to one item. A camera device for imaging the room;
The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the storage-side information acquisition unit acquires indoor image information captured by the camera device as the storage-side information based on the time specified by the time specification unit.

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