JP2018194193A - Controller, refrigerator, refrigeration system, control method, and control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately control a refrigerator by using a position of a user. A communication device (2) is connected to a position determination unit (201) that detects a user's approach, and when the user approaches, a cold air in the refrigerator flows to the outside when a door of a refrigerator is opened. A control command generation unit (203) that suppresses the operation of functions is provided. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, a control device that controls the refrigerator, a refrigeration system including the refrigerator, a refrigerator control method, and a control program.

  With the progress of IoT technology, technology for connecting a refrigerator to an external network has been developed. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a control device that obtains a user's estimated position and changes a set temperature of a refrigerator from a first set temperature to a second set temperature lower than the first set temperature.

JP 2017-020730 A (published January 26, 2017)

  In the related art described above, the set temperature of the refrigerator is changed from the first set temperature to the second set temperature lower than this using the user's estimated position. However, the control that can be executed using the position of the user is not limited to this. Moreover, in the said prior art, although a user's position is used, it is not the control which considered the user's characteristic.

  One embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to realize a control device or the like that appropriately controls a refrigerator using a user's position.

  In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device that controls a refrigerator, and detects a user's approach to the refrigerator and a user's approach. When it does, it is the structure provided with the function control part which suppresses the function of the said refrigerator which induces the outflow of the air in the said refrigerator outside the said refrigerator.

  In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to an aspect of the present invention is a control device that controls a lockable refrigerator, and a detection unit that detects the approach of the user to the refrigerator and a user who has approached An attribute determination unit that determines the attribute of the refrigerator and an unlocking unit that unlocks the refrigerator according to the determined attribute.

  In order to solve the above problem, a control method of a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method of a control device that controls a refrigerator, and a detection step of detecting a user's approach to the refrigerator; A function control step that suppresses the function of the refrigerator that induces the outflow of the air in the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator when the approach of the user is detected.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a control method for a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for a control device that controls a lockable refrigerator, and detects a user's approach to the refrigerator. The method includes a step, an attribute determination step for determining the attribute of the approaching user, and an unlocking step for unlocking the refrigerator in accordance with the determined attribute.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, even when the refrigerator door is opened by the user, it is possible to perform an appropriate control of suppressing outflow of cool air inside the refrigerator due to the opening of the refrigerator door. Play.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the refrigeration system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in the said communication apparatus. It is a figure which shows the function used as the object controlled by the said communication apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the content of the setting table in each mode in the said embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the table stored in the said communication apparatus, (a) is a figure which shows an unlocking table, (b) is a figure which shows a registrant table, (c) is a figure which shows an opening / closing record. It is. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the refrigerator which concerns on the said another embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process in the communication apparatus which concerns on said another embodiment. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the other structural example.

Embodiment 1
〔Overview〕
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. First, an outline of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigeration system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator 1, a communication device (control device) 2, a router 3, an information server 4, a mobile communication terminal 5, and a network 6. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 and the communication device 2 are described separately, but the refrigerator 1 may include the function of the communication device 2. Further, the function of the communication device 2 may be realized by the information server 4.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the communication device 2 connects the refrigerator 1 and the network 6 via the router 3. That is, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 and the network 6 are not directly connected, but the communication device 2 plays a role as a buffer zone (DMZ). In addition, an information server 4 and a user mobile communication terminal 5 are connected to the network 6. The information server 4 transmits various information to the mobile communication terminal 5 and the refrigerator 1 via the network 6. In addition, when the information provided from the information server 4 is not required, the information server 4 may not be included in the refrigeration system 10.

  In the refrigeration system 10 according to the present embodiment, the communication device 2 causes the refrigerator 1 to execute appropriate control using the position of the user acquired from the mobile communication terminal 5. In addition, the structure which specifies a user's position using the information of the household appliances (not shown) connected via the router 3, without acquiring from the mobile communication terminal 5 may be sufficient. For example, if there is information that the door of the microwave oven has been opened, the position of the user can be specified from the information as being in front of the microwave oven in the kitchen. Further, if there is information that the TV of the living room is turned on, the position of the user can be specified as the front of the TV of the living room from the information.

  And in this embodiment, when it determines with the user's position approaching the refrigerator 1, and when it determines with more than predetermined time having passed approaching, it makes the refrigerator 1 perform appropriate control corresponding to the said condition. .

  Thereby, the refrigerator 1 can be appropriately controlled using a user's position. In addition, although this embodiment demonstrates the structure which performs control of the refrigerator 1 by the communication apparatus 2, the structure which the refrigerator 1 itself performs the function of the communication apparatus 2 may be sufficient.

[Communication device 2]
Next, the communication device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the communication device 2. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the communication device 2 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, a network communication unit 220, and a transmission / reception unit 230.

  The storage unit 210 stores various data including settings table 211 used in processing in the communication device 2. The setting table 211 is a table in which the positional relationship between the refrigerator 1 and the user is associated with the control content of the refrigerator 1.

  The control unit 200 controls each unit of the communication device 2 in an integrated manner, and includes a position determination unit (detection unit) 201, a state determination unit (state determination unit) 202, and a control command generation unit (function control unit) 203. including.

  The position determination unit 201 uses the information acquired from the mobile communication terminal 5 or the information from the home appliance connected via the router 3 to determine whether or not the user's position is close to the refrigerator 1. judge.

  When the position determination unit 201 determines that the user is approaching the refrigerator 1, the state determination unit 202 is connected via the router 3 in what state (operation state) the user is in. Judgment is made using information from home appliances. For example, when the user is approaching the refrigerator 1 but the door of the refrigerator 1 is not opened and a gas stove (or electromagnetic cooker) is used, the user determines that cooking is in progress. In addition, when the refrigerator 1 is placed in the bedroom and the user who has approached the refrigerator 1 turns off the bedroom without opening the door of the refrigerator 1, the user is determined to be sleeping.

  When the position determination unit 201 determines that the user is approaching the refrigerator 1, the control command generation unit 203 generates a control command for the refrigerator 1 according to the determination content of the situation determination unit 202. Send to. Specific contents of the control command will be described later.

  The network communication unit 220 connects the communication device 2 and the network 6 via the router 3. The transmission / reception unit 230 communicates with the refrigerator 1.

[Refrigerator 1]
Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the principal part structure of the refrigerator 1 is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 100, a storage unit 110, a transmission / reception unit (reception unit) 120, an ambient temperature detector 131, a freezer compartment temperature detector 132, a refrigerator compartment temperature detector 133, and door opening / closing detection. The apparatus 134, the compressor 135, the air blower 136, the damper 137, the defrost heater 138, and the deodorizer 139 are included.

  The control unit 100 controls each part of the refrigerator 1 in an integrated manner.

  The storage unit 110 stores various data used for processing in the refrigerator 1. The transmission / reception unit 120 communicates with the communication device 2. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 120 receives a control command for the refrigerator 1 from the communication device 2. In addition, the transmission / reception unit 120 transmits the operation status of the refrigerator 1 (current temperature setting, error information, evaluation value indicating necessity of defrosting, etc.) to the communication device 2.

  The ambient temperature detector 131 detects the temperature around the refrigerator. The freezer compartment temperature detector 132 detects the temperature of the freezer compartment. The refrigerator compartment temperature detector 133 detects the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The door opening / closing detection device 134 detects opening / closing of the door of the refrigerator 1.

  The compressor 135 compresses the gaseous refrigerant accommodated in the refrigerator 1. The compressed gaseous refrigerant is liquefied by a condenser (not shown), and the liquefied refrigerant is sent to an evaporator (not shown) and vaporized by the evaporator, thereby cooling the air around the evaporator. In addition, by raising the rotation speed of the compressor 135, the temperature of the air around the evaporator becomes lower.

  The blower 136 blows air to circulate the air around the evaporator whose temperature has been lowered into the warehouse.

  The damper 137 is a valve body provided in an air flow path that connects the evaporator, the refrigerator compartment, and the freezer compartment. By opening the damper 137, the air cooled by the evaporator is sent to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

  The defrost heater 138 is a heater for melting frost attached to the evaporator.

  The deodorizer 139 performs deodorization inside the refrigerator 1.

[Processing Flow in Communication Device 2]
Next, the flow of processing in the communication apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the communication device 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, first, the position determination unit 201 determines whether or not the user has approached the refrigerator 1 (S101, detection step).

  When the position determination unit 201 determines that the user is not approaching the refrigerator 1 (NO in S101), the communication device 2 does not transmit a control command to the refrigerator 1. That is, the refrigerator 1 is operated in the normal mode (S102). On the other hand, when the position determination unit 201 determines that the user is approaching the refrigerator 1 (YES in S101), the communication device 2 transmits a control command of “approach mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S103, function control step). . Details of the “approach mode” will be described later.

  After that, the situation determination unit 202 monitors whether or not the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened. If one minute or more has passed without the door of the refrigerator 1 being opened with the user approaching (YES in S104), the situation determination is performed. The unit 202 determines the user's situation. First, the situation determination unit 202 determines whether or not the user is cooking (S105). And when it determines with a user being cooking (it is YES at S105), the communication apparatus 2 transmits the control command of "in cooking mode" to the refrigerator 1 (S106). Details of the “cooking mode” will be described later. Thereafter, when the user leaves the refrigerator 1 (YES in S111), the communication device 2 transmits a control command for “transition mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S112). Details of the “transition mode” will be described later.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the user is not cooking (NO in S105), the situation determination unit 202 determines whether the user is sleeping (S107). When it is determined that the user is sleeping (YES in S107), the communication device 2 transmits a control command for “sleeping mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S108). Details of the “sleep mode” will be described later. Thereafter, when the user leaves the refrigerator 1 (YES in S113), the communication device 2 transmits a control command for “transition mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S114).

  When it is determined that the user is not sleeping (NO in S107), the communication device 2 transmits a control command for “other mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S108). Details of the “other mode” will be described later. Thereafter, when the user leaves the refrigerator 1 (YES in S115), the communication device 2 transmits a control command for “transition mode” to the refrigerator 1 (S116).

If the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened in less than one minute after the user approaches (NO in S104), the communication device 2 sends a control command for “normal mode” to the refrigerator 1 after the door of the refrigerator 1 is closed. Send to. (S110)
The above is the flow of processing in the communication device 2.

[Contents of setting table 211]
Next, the contents of the setting table 211 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the function to be controlled in the refrigerator 1 and the contents of the setting table 211 in the normal mode.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the functions to be controlled by the refrigerator 1 include “temperature control”, “compressor”, “fan motor”, “damper”, “deodorization”, and “defrosting”. “Temperature control” is a function of adjusting the temperature of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment (if there are other rooms as well). As shown in FIG. 5, the “temperature adjustment” function (temperature adjustment function) includes “strong”, “normal”, and “weak”, “strong” means that the temperature adjustment is strengthened, that is, the temperature is set low. “Weak” weakens the temperature adjustment, that is, sets the temperature higher.

  The “compressor” is a function for adjusting the rotational speed of the compressor. As shown in FIG. 5, the “compressor” function has “strong”, “normal”, “weak” and “weakest”, “strong” increases the rotation speed, and “weak” decreases the rotation speed. , “Weakest” sets the rotational speed to be lower than “Weak”.

  The “fan motor” is a function for adjusting the rotational speed of the fan motor. As shown in FIG. 5, the “fan motor” function includes “acceleration”, “normal”, and “deceleration (including stop)”, “acceleration” increases the rotation speed, and “deceleration (including stop)” Reduce the speed or stop the fan motor.

  The “damper” function is a function for adjusting the opening and closing of the damper. As shown in FIG. 5, the “damper” function includes “normal” and “close”, and “close” closes the damper. Normally, the damper is open.

  The “deodorizing” function is a function of adjusting the deodorizing strength in the refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 5, the “deodorization” function includes “strong” and “normal”, and “strong” increases the deodorization strength.

  The “defrosting” function (defrosting function) is a function for adjusting the defrosting frequency. As shown in FIG. 5, the “defrost” function includes “increase”, “normal”, and “decrease”, “increase” increases the defrost frequency, and “decrease” decreases the defrost frequency. .

  As indicated by the underline in FIG. 5, in the normal mode, all the functions of “temperature control”, “compressor”, “fan motor”, “damper”, “deodorizing function”, and “defrosting frequency” are “ “Normal”.

  Next, the contents of the setting table 211 in each mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the contents of the setting table 211 in each mode.

  The contents of the “approach mode” are shown in the setting table 211a of FIG. The “approach mode” is a process performed in step S103 of FIG. As shown in the setting table 211a, in the “approach mode”, “temperature control” is “normal”, “compressor” is “normal”, “fan motor” is “deceleration”, “damper” is “closed”, “ “Deodorization” is “Normal” and “Defrost” is “Normal”.

  The “approach mode” is a mode that is set when it is detected that the user has approached. When the user approaches, there is a high possibility that the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened as it is. If the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened in the normal operation, the cool air in the refrigerator is likely to flow out to the outside, so that the internal temperature rises and the power consumption increases. By controlling as described above in the “approach mode”, the rotational speed (rotational speed) of the fan motor is reduced and the damper is closed. Thereby, even if the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened, it can suppress that the cool air in a warehouse flows out outside. Therefore, an increase in the internal temperature can be suppressed and an increase in power consumption can be suppressed. That is, in this embodiment, the function of the refrigerator 1 that induces the outflow of the air in the refrigerator 1 to the outside of the refrigerator 1 is suppressed.

  The contents of the “during cooking mode” are shown in the setting table 211b of FIG. The “cooking mode” is a process performed in step S105 of FIG. As shown in the setting table 211b, in the “cooking mode”, “temperature control” is “weak”, “compressor” is “strong”, “fan motor” is “normal”, “damper” is “normal”, “Deodorization” is “strong” and “defrost” is “normal”.

  The “cooking mode” is a mode that is set when the user is cooking. When the user is cooking, there is a high possibility that the temperature in the vicinity of the refrigerator 1 slightly rises and the smell of cooking is spreading. By controlling as described above in the “cooking mode”, the temperature adjustment can be weakened and the deodorizing function can be enhanced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the temperature adjustment from working strongly even though the temperature around the refrigerator 1 is increased due to the influence during cooking, and to suppress the influence of the smell during cooking. be able to.

  The contents of the “sleeping mode” are shown in the setting table 211c of FIG. The “sleeping mode” is a process performed in step S108 of FIG. As shown in the setting table 211c, in “sleeping mode”, “temperature control” is “weak”, “compressor” is “weakest”, “fan motor” is “deceleration”, and “damper” is “normal”. “Deodorization” is “normal” and “defrost” is “reduction”.

  The “sleeping mode” is a mode set when the user is sleeping. When the user is sleeping, the driving sound of the refrigerator 1 may be felt loud for the user. Moreover, the possibility that the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened and closed during sleep is low, and the possibility that the cool air in the refrigerator flows out to the outside is low. By controlling as described above in the “sleeping mode”, the temperature adjustment can be weakened, the rotation speed of the compressor can be made the weakest, the fan motor can be decelerated, and the defrosting frequency can be lowered. Thereby, while being able to suppress the driving | running | working sound of the refrigerator 1, power consumption can be suppressed, maintaining the temperature in a store | warehouse | chamber.

  The contents of “other mode” are shown in the setting table 211d of FIG. The “other mode” is a process performed in step S109 in FIG. As shown in the setting table 211d, in the “other mode”, “temperature control” is “normal”, “compressor” is “weak”, “fan motor” is “normal”, “damper” is “normal”, “ “Deodorization” is “Normal” and “Defrost” is “Reduction”.

  The “other mode” is a mode that is set when the user is approaching the refrigerator 1 but the door is not opened and is not in the above situation. In this case, since the door of the refrigerator 1 is not opened, the inside temperature can be maintained. Therefore, by controlling as described above in the “other mode”, it is possible to suppress the power consumption while maintaining the internal temperature by reducing the rotation speed of the compressor and decreasing the defrosting frequency.

  The contents of the “transition mode” are shown in the setting table 211e of FIG. The “transition mode” is processing performed in steps S112, S114, and S116 in FIG. As shown in the setting table 211e, in the “transition mode”, “temperature control” is “normal”, “compressor” is “strong”, “fan motor” is “normal”, “damper” is “normal”, “ “Deodorization” is “Normal” and “Defrost” is “Increase”.

  The “transition mode” is a mode for returning from the above-described mode to the normal mode. By controlling as described above in the “transition mode”, it is possible to increase the rotation speed of the compressor and increase the defrosting frequency. Thereby, it can transfer to normal mode promptly.

Note that not all functions need to be controlled in each mode, and at least one of the functions to be controlled may be controlled.
[Embodiment 2]
〔Overview〕
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the present embodiment, a lock (locking) function is added to the refrigerator 1 (locking is possible), and when the user approaches the refrigerator 1, the approaching user is identified, and the lock is released corresponding to the user (unlocked) ) Moreover, the refrigerator 1 performs the process matched with the user who approached. Thereby, the refrigerator 1 can perform an appropriate process for every user.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the opening / closing frequency | count of the door of the refrigerator 1 by an unregistered user is recorded.

[Communication device 2]
First, with reference to FIG. 7, a configuration of a main part of the communication device 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the communication device 2. Note that, as described above, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the communication device 2 in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 200 includes an open / close recording unit 204 and a registrant determination unit (attribute determination unit) 205 and a situation determination unit 202. Absent. In addition, the unlocking table 215, the registrant table 216, and the opening / closing record 217 are stored in the storage unit 210, and the setting table 211 is not stored.

  The opening / closing recording unit 204 records the number of opening / closing of the door of the refrigerator 1 by an unregistered user for each user. An unregistered user is a user who is not registered in the registrant table 216 described later.

  The registrant determination unit 205 determines whether or not the user approaching the refrigerator 1 is a registrant registered in the registrant table 216 (attribute), and if the user is a registrant, which user registered in the registrant table 216 It is determined whether it corresponds to.

  The control command generation unit (unlocking unit) 203 uses the determination result of the registrant determination unit 205, the unlocking table 215, and the registrant table 216 to instruct to unlock the refrigerator 1, output voice control instruction, and interior lamp A control instruction is generated and transmitted to the refrigerator 1.

  The unlocking table 215 is a table in which the room of the refrigerator 1 to be unlocked, the volume of output sound, and the brightness in the cabinet (the brightness of the interior lamp) are set. An example of the unlocking table 215 is shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 8A, the unlocking modes include “normal unlocking”, “unlocking for children”, “annual unlocking”, “unregistered person unlocking”, and “normal unlocking”. "" Unlocks all the rooms of the refrigerator 1, and the output volume is normal and the brightness in the cabinet is also normal. “Unlocking for children” unlocks only the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator 1, and the output volume is normal and the brightness in the cabinet is also normal. “Annual unlocking” unlocks all the rooms of the refrigerator 1 and has a large output volume and brighter interior. “Unregistered unlocking” unlocks only a specific room designated in advance, and the output volume is normal and the brightness in the cabinet is also normal.

  In addition, when there are a plurality of rooms, a room that can be unlocked for each user may be set.

  The registrant table (registration information) 216 is a table in which users are registered. FIG. 8B shows an example of the registrant table 216. In the example shown in FIG. 8B, user A, user B, and user C are registered, and user A is male, 68 years old, and the unlocking mode is “annual unlocking”. Similarly, the user B is a woman, 8 years old, and the unlock mode is “unlock for children”. The user C is male, 22 years old, and the unlocking mode is “normal unlocking”. The contents registered in the registrant table 216 can be called user attributes.

  The registrant table 216 only needs to associate the user with the unlocking mode, and the gender and age are not essential.

  The opening / closing record 217 is a table recorded when a user who is not registered in the registrant table 216 opens and closes the door of the refrigerator 1. FIG. 8C shows an example of the opening / closing record 217. Here, an example is shown in which each user is recorded as being identifiable. Since the identification of the user is possible using a known technique, the description thereof is omitted.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8C, the user a opens the door at 11:10:15 on April 21, 2017, and closes the door at 11:11:00. The same applies hereinafter. Note that the opened room of the refrigerator 1 may also be associated with the room.

[Refrigerator 1]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the principal part structure of the communication apparatus 2 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the refrigerator 1. Note that, as described above, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the refrigerator 1 in the above embodiment, a speaker 140 and a camera 141 are included, and the control unit 100 includes an open / close recording unit 101, a photographing processing unit 102, a lock processing unit 103, an audio A processing unit 104 and a brightness adjustment unit 105 are included.

  When the door of the refrigerator 1 is opened / closed by an unregistered person, the opening / closing recording unit 101 acquires the opening / closing time and transmits it to the communication device 2.

  The photographing processing unit 102 photographs the unregistered person using the camera 141 when the unregistered person opens and closes the door of the refrigerator 1, and transmits the photographed image to the communication device 2.

  The lock processing unit 103 performs unlocking and locking processes of the door of the refrigerator 1 according to instructions from the communication device 2.

  The sound processing unit 104 outputs sound from the speaker 140. In addition, the voice processing unit 104 adjusts the volume of the voice to be output in accordance with an instruction from the communication device 2.

  The brightness adjustment unit 105 adjusts the brightness in the refrigerator 1 according to the instruction from the communication device 2.

[Processing Flow in Communication Device 2]
Next, the flow of processing in the communication device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the communication device 2.

  As shown in FIG. 10, first, the position determination unit 201 determines whether or not the user has approached the refrigerator 1 (S201, detection step). When the position determination unit 201 determines that the user is approaching the refrigerator 1 (YES in S201), the registrant determination unit 205 determines whether the approaching user is a registrant (S202, attribute determination). Step). If the user is not a registrant (NO in S202), the communication device 2 transmits an instruction to the refrigerator 1 to perform processing associated with unlocking for the non-registrant (S203, unlocking step).

  On the other hand, if the user is a registrant (YES in S202), the registrant determination unit 205 determines whether or not there is a user associated with the child unlock (S204, attribute determination step). In the case of a user associated with unlocking for children (YES in S204), the communication device 2 transmits an instruction to the refrigerator 1 to perform processing associated with unlocking for children (S205, unlocking). Step).

  When the user is not associated with the unlocking for children (NO in S204), the registrant determination unit 205 determines whether or not the user is associated with the elderly unlocking (S206, Attribute determination step). In the case of a user associated with the elderly unlocking (YES in S206), the communication device 2 transmits an instruction to the refrigerator 1 to perform the process associated with the elderly unlocking (S207, unlocking). Step). When the user is not associated with the annual unlocking (NO in S206), the communication device 2 transmits an instruction to the refrigerator 1 to perform the process associated with the normal unlocking (S208, Unlocking step).

  The above is the flow of processing in the communication device 2.

[Other configurations]
Further, in the present embodiment, the locking state is controlled based on whether the registrant and the non-registrant are at home and whether the user who has approached the refrigerator 1 is the registrant or the non-registrant (or both). It may be a configuration. In FIG. 11A, the locking state is controlled by whether or not the registrant and non-registrant are at home, and whether the user approaching the refrigerator 1 is the registrant or non-registrant (or both). Indicates the pattern to be performed. Note that “closed” illustrated in FIG. 11A indicates that the door of the refrigerator 1 is locked, and “open” indicates that the door of the refrigerator 1 is unlocked.

  As shown to (a) of FIG. 11, when both a registrant and a non-registrant are not at home, or when it is not approaching the refrigerator 1 at home, all the doors of the refrigerator 1 are locked. . On the other hand, when the registrant approaches the refrigerator 1, all the doors of the refrigerator 1 are unlocked. Moreover, when only a non-registrant approaches the refrigerator 1, only the door which is not lock-registered among the doors of the refrigerator 1 is unlocked. Here, the lock registration means that it is registered as a door that only the registrant can unlock.

  Moreover, opening and closing and recording of the door of the refrigerator 1 by a registrant and a non-registrant can be performed as shown in FIG. (B) of FIG. 11 is a figure which shows the relationship between the opening and closing of the door of the refrigerator 1 by a registrant and a non-registrant, and recording.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, when a non-registered person opens and closes the door of the refrigerator 1, the opening and closing time, the number of times, the inside photo when opened, the outside photo when opened (that is, the user's photo) ), And when the registrant opens and closes the door of the refrigerator 1, the opening and closing time, the number of times, and the inside photo when opened are recorded.

[Additional Notes]
In addition to the embodiment described above, the following processing may be executed. In embodiment mentioned above, although what kind of process was performed when a user approached the refrigerator 1 was described, it is not whether the user approached the refrigerator 1, but when the user left the house, the refrigerator 1 It is also possible to execute appropriate processing. For example, the structure which locks (locks) the refrigerator 1 when a user leaves a house may be sufficient. Moreover, when a user leaves a house, the structure which performs processes, such as performing a defrost process in the refrigerator 1 and raising preset temperature, may be sufficient.

  Moreover, the structure which makes the refrigerator 1 perform an appropriate | suitable process not only according to whether the user approached the refrigerator but whether the user returned home may be sufficient. For example, when the user goes home, the set temperature is returned to normal (when the set temperature is raised when the user leaves the home), and the deodorizing function is turned on. May be.

It is also conceivable to appropriately control the refrigerator 1 based on information acquired from the information server 4 or the like. For example, when the earthquake early warning is received, a process of locking the refrigerator 1 may be performed, or the temperature inside the warehouse may be adjusted by a weather forecast.
[Embodiment 3]
[Example of software implementation]
Control blocks of the refrigerator 1 and the communication device 2 (particularly the control unit 100 (opening / closing recording unit 101, imaging processing unit 102, lock processing unit 103, sound processing unit 104, brightness adjustment unit 105), and control unit 200 (position determination unit) 201, status determination unit 202, control command generation unit 203, open / close recording unit 204, registrant determination unit 205) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. However, it may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the latter case, the refrigerator 1 and the communication device 2 include a CPU that executes instructions of a program that is software that realizes each function, and a ROM (Read Only) in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by the computer (or CPU). Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. Note that one embodiment of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Summary]
The control apparatus (communication apparatus 2) which concerns on aspect 1 of this invention is a control apparatus which controls a refrigerator, Comprising: The detection part (position determination part 201) which detects a user's approach to the said refrigerator, and the said user's approach And a function control unit (control command generation unit 203) that suppresses the function of the refrigerator that induces the outflow of the air in the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator.

  When the user approaches the refrigerator, there is a high possibility that the refrigerator door is opened as it is. And according to said structure, when a user approaches a refrigerator, the function of the function connected with the cold air in a store | warehouse | chamber flowing outside when the door of a refrigerator opens is suppressed. Thereby, even if the door of the refrigerator is opened by the user, it is possible to suppress the outflow of cool air in the cabinet due to the opening of the refrigerator door.

  The functions that lead to the flow of cool air inside the refrigerator to the outside when the refrigerator door is opened include rotation of the fan motor and opening and closing of the damper. By suppressing the number of rotations of the fan motor, it is possible to suppress the circulation of the cool air in the refrigerator, so that the cool air in the refrigerator can be prevented from flowing out when the refrigerator door is opened. . In addition, by closing the damper, it is possible to prevent the cool air from flowing from the freezer to the refrigerator, so that it is possible to prevent the cool air in the refrigerator from flowing out when the refrigerator door is opened. That is, it is possible to prevent waste and contribute to energy saving.

  The control device according to aspect 2 of the present invention determines the operation state of the user when the door of the refrigerator is not opened during the period in which the detection unit continuously detects the approach of the user in the aspect 1. It is good also as a structure which comprises the state determination part (situation determination part 202) to perform, and the said function control part controls the function of the said refrigerator according to the said operation state.

  According to said structure, the function of the refrigerator corresponding to a user's state is controllable when the door of a refrigerator is not opened in spite of the user approaching the refrigerator. Thereby, even when the door of a refrigerator cannot be opened, the function of a refrigerator can be controlled appropriately.

  The control device (communication device 2) according to aspect 3 of the present invention is a control device that controls a lockable refrigerator, and includes a detection unit (position determination unit 201) that detects the approach of the user to the refrigerator, An attribute determination unit (registrant determination unit 205) for determining the user's attribute, and an unlocking unit (control command generation unit 203) for unlocking the refrigerator according to the determined attribute. is there.

  According to said structure, a refrigerator can be unlocked corresponding to the attribute of the user who approached. Thereby, a sense of security can be given to the user.

  In the control device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in the aspect 3 described above, the attribute includes registration information indicating whether or not the user has already been registered. Unlocking is possible according to the registration information, and the unlocking unit may be configured to lock or unlock each room of the refrigerator according to the registration information included in the determined attribute.

  According to said structure, the room of the refrigerator to unlock can be varied by the user registered beforehand and the user who is not registered.

  The control apparatus which concerns on aspect 5 of this invention is a function control part (control) which controls the function of the said refrigerator according to the said user's attribute, when the said detection part detects a user's approach in said aspect 3 or 4. An instruction generation unit 203) may be provided.

  According to said structure, the function of a refrigerator can be controlled corresponding to the attribute of the user who approached.

  The refrigerator which concerns on aspect 6 of this invention is the structure provided with the said control apparatus. According to said structure, there can exist the effect mentioned above.

  The control method of the control device according to aspect 7 of the present invention is a control method of the control device that controls the refrigerator, and when detecting the approach of the user to the refrigerator and the approach of the user, And a function control step for suppressing the function of the refrigerator that induces outflow of the air in the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator.

  According to said method, there exists an effect similar to the aspect 1 mentioned above.

  The control method of the control apparatus which concerns on aspect 8 of this invention is a control method of the control apparatus which controls the refrigerator which can be locked, Comprising: The detection step which detects the user's approach to the said refrigerator, and the attribute of the user who approached An attribute determination step for determining, and an unlocking step for unlocking the refrigerator according to the determined attribute.

  According to said method, there exists an effect similar to the aspect 3 mentioned above.

  In the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect, when it is determined that the operation state is cooking, the function control unit performs at least one of a temperature adjustment function and a deodorization function of the refrigerator. Alternatively, the configuration may be different from that during normal operation.

  During cooking, the temperature rises and the odor is likely to spread. And according to said structure, when a user is cooking, it controls so that the temperature adjustment function of a refrigerator and a deodorizing function may differ from usual. Therefore, the refrigerator can be controlled so as to suppress the influence of cooking.

  In the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect, when it is determined that the operation state is sleeping, the function control unit includes a temperature adjustment function of the refrigerator, a rotation control function of the fan motor, Further, at least one of the defrosting function may be different from that during normal operation.

  During sleep, it is desirable for the refrigerator to be quieter. Also, the possibility of opening and closing the refrigerator door is low. And according to said structure, when a user is sleeping, the temperature adjustment function of a refrigerator, the rotational speed of a fan motor, and a defrost function are controlled so that it differs from usual. Since the possibility of opening and closing the door of the refrigerator is low, it does not happen that the temperature in the refrigerator rises due to the opening and closing of the door. Therefore, by controlling the temperature adjustment function, the internal temperature can be maintained even if the temperature is increased. And power consumption can be suppressed by raising temperature. Moreover, the driving | running | working sound of a refrigerator can be reduced by reducing the rotational speed of a fan motor and reducing the defrost frequency.

  In the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect, when the detection unit detects the approach of a user, the attribute determination unit determines the attributes of the plurality of approached users, and determines the determined attribute. In the case where the registered information that is already registered is included, the unlocking unit may be configured to lock or unlock each room of the refrigerator in accordance with the registered information.

  According to the above configuration, when there are a plurality of approaching users and there is only one registered user, the refrigerator is unlocked in the same manner as when the registered user approaches. Thereby, the registered user can be handled preferentially.

  In the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect, the attribute includes a user's age category, and the age category included in the user attribute detected by the detection unit is an elderly person. When showing, the said function control part is good also as a structure which makes the interior light brighter than usual while raising the volume of the audio | voice output from a refrigerator more than usual.

  According to said structure, when the approaching user is an elderly person, an output audio | voice becomes louder than usual and the brightness of an interior lamp becomes brighter than usual. Thereby, control in consideration of the elderly can be performed.

  The refrigeration system which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is the structure containing the said control apparatus and the refrigerator controlled by this control apparatus. According to said structure, there can exist the effect mentioned above.

  The control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control device is realized by the computer by operating the computer as each unit (software element) included in the control device. A control program for the control device and a computer-readable recording medium on which the control program is recorded also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1 refrigerator 2 communication device (control device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Refrigeration system 100, 200 Control part 101,204 Opening / closing recording part 102 Image | photographing process part 103 Lock process part 104 Audio | voice process part 105 Brightness adjustment part 110,210 Storage part 120,230 Transmission / reception part 201 Position determination part (detection part)
202 Situation determination unit (state determination unit)
203 Control command generation unit (function control unit, unlocking unit)
205 Registrant determination unit (attribute determination unit)

Claims (8)

A control device for controlling a refrigerator,
A detection unit for detecting the approach of the user to the refrigerator;
And a function control unit that suppresses a function of the refrigerator that induces outflow of air in the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator when an approach of the user is detected. In a period in which the detection unit continuously detects the approach of the user, when the refrigerator door is not opened, the state determination unit that determines the operation state of the user,
The said function control part controls the function of the said refrigerator according to the said operation state, The control apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. A control device for controlling a lockable refrigerator,
A detection unit for detecting the approach of the user to the refrigerator;
An attribute determination unit for determining the attribute of the approaching user;
And a unlocking unit for unlocking the refrigerator according to the determined attribute. The attribute includes registration information indicating whether or not the user has been registered,
For each room of the refrigerator, locking and unlocking are possible according to the registration information,
The control device according to claim 3, wherein the unlocking unit locks or unlocks each room of the refrigerator according to the registration information included in the determined attribute.   5. The control device according to claim 3, further comprising a function control unit configured to control the function of the refrigerator according to the user attribute when the detection unit detects the approach of the user.   The refrigerator provided with the control apparatus described in any one of Claims 1-5. A control method of a control device for controlling a refrigerator,
A detection step for detecting the approach of the user to the refrigerator;
And a function control step of suppressing a function of the refrigerator that induces outflow of the air in the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator when the approach of the user is detected. A control method of a control device for controlling a lockable refrigerator,
A detection step for detecting the approach of the user to the refrigerator;
An attribute determination step for determining the attribute of the approaching user;
And a unlocking step of unlocking the refrigerator according to the determined attribute.

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