# US 11,079,174 B2 · Method for detecting whether article with abnormal temperature is placed in refrigerator

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- Number: US 11,079,174 B2
- Document ID: US11079174B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/463,839
- Filed: 2017-11-22
- Published: 2019-10-31
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-23
- Assignees: Qingdao Haier Joint Stock Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Qingdao Haier Joint Stock Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chunyang Li; Ming Wang; Jianlin Miao; Sen Mou; Bintang Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079174B2

## CPC

- F25D 29/005: {Mounting of control devices}
- F25D 29/008: {Alarm devices}
- G01J 5/0003: {for sensing the radiant heat transfer of samples, e.g. emittance meter}
- G01J 5/026: {Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control}
- F25D 2700/06: Sensors detecting the presence of a product
- F25D 2700/123: more than one sensor measuring the inside temperature in a compartment
- F25D 2700/16: Sensors measuring the temperature of products
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)

## Abstract

A method for detecting whether an article with an abnormal temperature is placed in a refrigerator. The method includes: controlling a plurality of infrared sensors to collect temperature values after a door body is opened; determining whether an abnormal storage space in which the article with the abnormal temperature is possibly placed exists in a plurality of storage spaces; acquiring a first temperature change value of the abnormal storage space between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is possibly placed in the abnormal storage space and a second temperature change value of the abnormal storage space caused by heat exchange between an external environment and the abnormal storage space between said time points; and determining whether the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space according to the first temperature change value and the second temperature change value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for detecting whether an article with an abnormal temperature is placed in a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body whose inner portion is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, a door body arranged at a front of the refrigerator body, a controller disposed on a main control board installed in the refrigerator body, and a plurality of infrared sensors configured to sense temperatures of the plurality of storage spaces and electrically connected to the controller respectively; and the method performed by the controller comprises:
controlling the plurality of infrared sensors to collect temperature values after the door body is opened;
determining whether an abnormal storage space in which the article with the abnormal temperature is placed exists in the plurality of storage spaces;
acquiring a first temperature change value of the abnormal storage space before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to a result that the abnormal storage space exists being determined;
calculating a second temperature change value of the abnormal storage space according to a temperature difference summation formula sum(n)=sum(n−1)+IR(n+1)−IR(n), wherein the second temperature change value is caused by heat exchange between an external environment and the abnormal storage space between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space, wherein at the start of the temperature difference summation calculation, sum(0)=0;
setting IR(n+1) and IR(n) respectively being temperature values collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at an (n+1)-th time and an n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to an absolute value of a difference of the temperature values collected by an infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space being smaller than a first preset value;
setting IR(n+1) and IR(n) respectively being temperature values collected by an additional infrared sensor at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space being greater than or equal to the first preset value, and the additional infrared sensor by which an absolute value of a difference of temperature values collected at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space is smaller than the first preset value being identified;
setting IR(n+1) and IR(n) respectively being temperature values collected by any one of two or more additional infrared sensors at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space, or respectively being average values of temperature values collected by all of the two or more additional infrared sensors at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space being greater than or equal to the first preset value, and the two or more additional infrared sensors by each of which an absolute value of a difference of temperature values collected at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space is smaller than the first preset value being identified;
setting sum(n)=sum(n−1) in response to an absolute value of a difference of temperature values collected by each of the plurality of infrared sensors at the (n+1)-th time and the n-th time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space being greater than or equal to the first preset value; and
determining whether the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space according to the first temperature change value and the second temperature change value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the abnormal storage space exists in the plurality of storage spaces comprises:
determining that the abnormal storage space exists in the plurality of storage spaces, and determining that each storage space corresponding to any one of the plurality of infrared sensors by which an absolute value of a difference of temperature values collected at two adjacent times is greater than a preset sudden change value is the abnormal storage space during opening of the door body in response to the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected by the any one of the plurality of infrared sensors at two adjacent times being greater than the sudden change value; and
determining that the abnormal storage space does not exist in the plurality of storage spaces during opening of the door body in response to an absolute value of a difference of temperature values collected by each of the plurality of infrared sensors at two adjacent times being smaller than or equal to the sudden change value, wherein the sudden change value is greater than or equal to the first preset value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein acquiring the first temperature change value comprises:
recording a first temperature value collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space for recent E times before the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected by the infrared sensor at two adjacent times is greater than the sudden change value, and using the first temperature value as a temperature value of the abnormal storage space before the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space, wherein E≥2;
recording a second temperature value collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at any one of continuous M times after the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal temperature space at two adjacent times is greater than the sudden change value and the absolute value of the difference of the temperature values collected at any two adjacent times in the continuous M times is smaller than the first preset value, and using the second temperature value as a temperature value of the abnormal storage space after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space, wherein M≥3; and
calculating a difference between the second temperature value and the first temperature value, and using the difference as the first temperature change value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein:
recording the temperature value collected by the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space at the first or last time in the continuous M times, and using the temperature value as a temperature value of the abnormal storage space after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein:
performing temperature collection by each of the plurality of infrared sensors for the first time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space collecting the recorded first temperature value;
performing temperature collection by each of the plurality of infrared sensors for the last time between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the infrared sensor corresponding to the abnormal storage space collecting the recorded second temperature value;
performing temperature difference summation calculation for the first time by using temperature values collected by the infrared sensor at the second and first times between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space;
performing temperature difference summation calculation for the last time by using temperature values collected by the infrared sensor at the last two times between time points before and after the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space; and
using a result of the last temperature difference summation calculation as the second temperature change value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space according to the first temperature change value and the second temperature change value comprises:
determining whether a difference between the first temperature change value and the second temperature change value is greater than a second preset value;
determining that the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the difference being greater than the second preset value;
determining that no article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space in response to the difference being not greater than a second preset value;
wherein the second preset value is greater than or equal to the sudden change value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of infrared sensors is three or more.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the plurality of infrared sensors to collect the temperature values is performed after the door body is opened for a preset period.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending a visual and/or audible signal to remind a user in response to a result that the article with the abnormal temperature is placed in the abnormal storage space being determined; and
determining that no article with the abnormal temperature is placed in any of the plurality of storage spaces during opening of the door body in response to a result that the abnormal storage space does not exist being determined.