IP Library Granted Patent US 10,684,069
Granted Patent B2
US 10,684,069 · App. 16/453,495 · Granted Jun 16, 2020

Refrigerator

Inventors: Inhwan Ryu (Seoul, KR); Minjoo Cha (Seoul, KR); Hyein Yang (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
F25D29/00F25D23/028F25D23/04F25D23/062G06Q10/087G06T11/60H04N5/2252H04N5/23222H04N7/181F25D2400/06F25D2500/06F25D2600/00F25D2700/02F25D2700/06F25D2700/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,684,069
App. No.
16/453,495
Granted
Jun 16, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a main body having a storage compartment, a first door rotatably installed at a first side of the main body to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment, and a second door rotatably installed at a second side of the main body to open and close a second portion of the storage compartment. A first camera may be installed at the first door to take a picture of an interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the first door, and a second camera may be installed at the second door to take a picture of the interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the second door. A controller may combine plural pictures taken by the first camera and the second camera into a single corrected image of a region of the first compartment spanning from the first door to the second door.

Claims (26)

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body having a storage compartment;

a door rotatably coupled to an end portion of the main body, the door having baskets to store food and to be arranged on an inner surface of the door;

a plurality of cameras provided at the baskets and configured to take at least one picture, the cameras arranged in only a row;

a light source provided on the storage compartment;

a door opening/closing sensor; and

a controller configured to actuate the light source and to control the cameras to take the pictures of the storage compartment when the door opening/closing sensor detects that the door closes the storage compartment,

wherein the cameras are located on a middle portion of the storage compartment in a width direction, and

wherein the cameras take photos simultaneously.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cameras have one of cameras arranged on a upper portion and the other of cameras arranged on a lower portion.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cameras takes photos when the light source is operated.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller combines a plurality of pictures taken by the cameras simultaneously.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a decorative portion provided on the door,

wherein the camera is arranged to the decorative portion.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the decorative portion is formed of an opaque material, and the decorative portion has a transparent window at the middle portion of the decorative portion.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a storage device configured to store the pictures taken by the cameras; and

a communication device configured to transmit the pictures stored in the storage device to an external device.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the storage device stores the picture combined by the controller.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the communication device transmits the last pictures taken by the cameras to the external device.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the communication device transmits the pictures when the controller receives a user's request signal.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the external device includes a terminal having a display that displays the picture.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the terminal is connected to the refrigerator through a network.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment includes a refrigerating compartment, and wherein the door opens and closes the refrigerating compartment.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of racks is provided in the storage compartment.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2013-0032525 · Mar 27, 2013 · national
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15792912 · Oct 25, 2017
Continuation 15298520 · Oct 20, 2016
Continuation 15040333 · Feb 10, 2016
Continuation 14190450 · Feb 26, 2014
Related Publication 20190316838A1 · Oct 17, 2019