Refrigerator
Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body having a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment, in which food is stored, a first door configured to open the first storage compartment via pivotal rotation thereof, a second door configured to be moved forward of the second storage compartment to open the second storage compartment, a receptacle configured to be moved along with the second door and received in the second storage compartment, the receptacle serving to store food therein, and a camera installed to the main body to take a picture of the receptacle. The refrigerator further includes a control unit configured to combine a plurality of pictures taken by the camera as the second door is moved and configured to correct the images into an image showing the receptacle.
1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a main body having a storage compartment, the storage compartment defining an interior space to store objects;
a shelf provided in the storage compartment;
a drawer provided below the shelf, the drawer having a receptacle configured to receive items for storage;
a camera installed at the shelf, the camera being configured to capture images of an interior of the receptacle; and
a drawer opening/closing sensor configured to detect whether the drawer is released from contact with the shelf,
wherein the camera captures an image when the drawer opening/closing sensor detects that the drawer contacts the shelf.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein camera is located toward one side of the drawer to take an image within a range from the one side to another side of the drawer.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is oriented to face an opposite corner on the basis of a horizontal plane.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is oriented to face an opposite corner on the basis of a vertical plane.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is installed at a front end of the shelf.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is provided at an edge of the shelf in a width direction.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the drawer includes a first drawer and a second drawer provided to be parallel with each other below the shelf,
the camera includes a first camera to capture an image of the first drawer and a second camera to capture an image of the second drawer, and
the first camera is provided to be adjacent to the second camera.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source provided in the storage compartment; and
a controller configured to activate the light source when the camera captures an image.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the light source is provide at a ceiling of the interior space to emit light into the storage compartment.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the light source emits light downward.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a door opening/closing sensor configured to detect whether the door opens or closes.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the controller configured to actuate the light source when the door opening/closing sensor detects that the door opens the storage compartment.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the controller configured to actuate the light source when the camera takes images of the drawer while the door opening/closing sensor detects that the door closes the storage compartment.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to externally display at least one of the images.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the captured image provides a view of the interior of the receptacle looking down into the receptacle from above the receptacle.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage device configured to store one or more images captured by the camera.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , further comprising a communication device configured to transmit the images stored in the storage device to an external device.
18. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the camera captures an image when the controller receives a user request via the communication device.