Refrigerator and method for opening a refrigerator door

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage compartment;

a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;

a lighting unit disposed at the storage compartment and configured to illuminate the storage compartment;

a projector disposed at the door, the projector including a light emitting unit configured to emit light to thereby project an optical pattern on a ground surface, wherein the optical pattern comprises at least one virtual switch; and

a controller configured to control the lighting unit and the projector, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on a first user operation, turn on the lighting unity and based on the first user operation, turn on the projector to project the optical pattern on the ground surface to thereby indicate a position for performance of a second user operation of the at least one virtual switch for a predetermined operation of the door.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the projector includes one or more lenses configured to transmit the light emitted from the light emitting unit toward the ground surface.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the door includes a transparent portion configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting unit to an outside of the refrigerator, and

wherein the controller is configured, in a state in which the storage compartment is closed, to turn on the lighting unit to allow the storage compartment to be visible through the transparent portion and to turn on the light emitting unit to project the optical pattern forward of the front surface of the door.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the lighting unit based on elapsing of a preset time.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured, based on the lighting unit being turned off, to maintain the projection of the optical pattern onto the ground surface.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the light emitting unit based on an emitting time exceeding a predetermined time greater than the preset time.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door includes a sensor configured to detect a presence of a user in a predetermined detection range,

wherein the controller is configured, based on the sensor detecting the presence of the user, to turn on the light emitting unit, and

wherein the first user operation includes the user approaching toward the cabinet.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the second user operation includes placing a foot of the user in the predetermined detection range, and

wherein the predetermined operation of the door includes opening the door based on the foot of the user being placed in the predetermined detection range.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment includes a first compartment and a second compartment,

wherein the door includes a first door configured to open and close the first compartment and a second door configured to open and close the second compartment, and

wherein the projector is disposed at at least one of the first door or the second door.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the second compartment is a freezing compartment, and wherein the projector is disposed at the second door.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the door includes a transparent portion configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting unit to an outside of the refrigerator.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the projector is disposed at a lower part of the door vertically below the transparent portion of the door.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the projector is disposed at a center portion of the door in a width direction at the lower part of the door.

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage compartment, the storage compartment including a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;

a lighting unit disposed at the storage compartment and configured to illuminate the storage compartment;

a refrigerating compartment door configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment, a front surface of the refrigerating compartment door including a transparent portion configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting unit to an outside of the refrigerator;

a freezing compartment door configured to open and close the freezing compartment;

a projector disposed at one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door, the projector including a light emitting unit configured to emit light to thereby project an optical pattern on a ground surface, wherein the optical pattern comprises at least one virtual switch; and

a controller configured to control the lighting unit and the projector, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on a first user operation, turn on the lighting based on the first user operation, turn on the projector to project the optical pattern on the ground surface thereby to indicate a position for performance of a second user operation of the at least one virtual switch for a predetermined operation of the door.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , further comprising a sensor disposed at at least one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door, the sensor being configured to detect an approach of a user toward the cabinet,

wherein the controller is configured, based on the sensor detecting the approach of the user, to turn on the light emitting unit,

wherein the first user operation includes the approach of the user, and

wherein the predetermined operation of the door includes opening the door based on the performance of the second user operation.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage compartment;

a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;

a detection device configured, in a state in which the storage compartment is closed, to detect an insertion of an object into a predetermined detection range defined between a bottom surface of the door and a ground surface;

a projector disposed at the bottom surface of the door and configured to project an optical pattern onto the ground surface to thereby indicate the predetermined detection range to a user, wherein the optical pattern comprises at least one virtual switch; and

a controller configured to:

based on the detection of the insertion of the object into the predetermined detection range, perform a predetermined operation of the door, and based on an elapse of a preset time and performance of the predetermined operation of the door, turn off the projector.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the detection device is configured to detect insertion of a foot of the user into the predetermined detection range.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined operation of the door includes opening the door.

19. The refrigerator of claim 17 , further comprising a lighting unit disposed at the storage compartment and configured to illuminate the storage compartment,

wherein the predetermined operation includes turning on the lighting unit.

20. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the detection device comprises:

a first detection device configured to, based on the projector being turned on, detect the insertion of the object into the predetermined detection range; and

a second detection device configured to detect an approach of the user toward the cabinet, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

turn on the projector based on the second detection device detecting the approach of the user toward the cabinet, and

perform the predetermined operation of the door based on the first detection device detecting the insertion of the object into the predetermined detection range.