# US 11,112,169 B2 · Smart home controller refrigerator and control method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,112,169 B2 - Document ID: US11112169B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/305,216 - Filed: 2017-06-07 - Published: 2020-10-08 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-09 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sang Oh Kim; Jungsang Yun; Dul Lae Min - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112169B2 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - H04L 12/2818: {from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007)} - F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks} - F25B 2600/07: Remote controls - G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house - G05B 2219/2654: Fridge, refrigerator - H04L 2012/285: {Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract The present invention relates to a smart home controller refrigerator and a control method therefor, the smart home controller refrigerator, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising: a control unit comprising a control protocol communication unit for receiving control information for controlling a home appliance in a home, an operation protocol communication unit for generating an operation signal calculated from the control information, and a signal transmission unit for transmitting the operation signal to the home appliance; at least one storage space; and at least one door for controlling the opening/closing of the at least one storage space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A smart home controller refrigerator, comprising: one or more storage spaces to refrigerate or freeze contents; one or more doors that open or close the storage spaces; and a control interface provided on the one or more doors and having a controller configured to control a home appliance provided external to the refrigerator, the controller including a control protocol communication unit configured to receive control information from an external server or a portable device to control the home appliance; a storage unit that stores the control information; an operation protocol communication unit that generates an operation signal based on the control information; a signal transmitting unit that transmits the operation signal to the home appliance, and wherein the operation protocol communication unit is configured to communicate based an operation protocol including any one or more of Infrared communication, Zigbee communication, Bluetooth, or UWB (Ultra WideBand), wherein the signal transmitting unit that transmits the operation signal corresponding to the operation protocol to the home appliance is arranged on the door, wherein the control interface is configured to receive inputs to control an operation of the refrigerator, wherein the signal transmitting unit includes an infrared light emitter and an infrared light receiver configured to sense a touch on the control interface, wherein the infrared light emitter transmits an infrared signal for controlling the home appliance according to the operating protocol, wherein two or more infrared light emitters are arranged in the control interface, and wherein at least two of the infrared light emitters are positioned to emit the infrared signal in a different direction from each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the control information includes information to turn the home appliance on or off, to set a schedule to turn the home appliance on or off based on the schedule, or to control an operation of the home appliance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, when the infrared light emitter transmits the infrared signal according to the operation protocol, the controller controls the infrared light receiver to not sense or process the infrared signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the control interface includes a Bluetooth communication interface, and wherein the Bluetooth communication interface transmits the operation signal to the home appliance by pairing with the home appliance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the control protocol communication unit transmits control result information to the external server or the portable device, the control result information including a result of a generation and a transmission of the operation signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the control information includes schedule information, and wherein the controller controls the operation protocol communication unit and the signal transmitting unit such that the operation signal is transmitted to the home appliance at a time set in the schedule information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the home appliance is a smart home device configured for wireless control. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the home appliance is at least one of a cook top hood, air purifier, a television, a lamp, an air conditioner, or a motorized window covering. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the external server or the portable device over a first protocol and communicate with the home appliance over a second protocol different than the first protocol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the external server and the portable device are connected to the controller of the refrigerator over Wi-Fi and the home appliance is configured to communicate with the controller of the refrigerator over at least one of infrared signal, Zigbee, Bluetooth, or Ultra WieBand (UWB). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The smart home controller refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the control information includes at least one of a serial number of the home appliance, a time, a communication protocol of the home appliance, an identifier name of the home appliance, a control function, or a duration. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling a smart home controller refrigerator, comprising: transmitting, from a portable device to a controller in a refrigerator or an external server, control information to control a home appliance provided external to the refrigerator, the control information being transmitted in accordance with a first protocol; and receiving, by the portable device from the controller of the refrigerator or the external server, control result information corresponding to the control information indicating a result of an operation signal transferred to control the home appliance based on the control information, and wherein the control information includes information to turn the home appliance on or off, to set a schedules to turn the home appliance on or off based on the schedule, or to control an operation of the home appliance, wherein the operation signal is a signal transmitted from the controller of the refrigerator to the home appliance to control the home appliance based on the control information, the operation signal being generated according to a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, wherein the second protocol comprises any one of Infrared communication, Zigbee communication, Bluetooth, or Ultra WideBand (UWB), wherein a signal transmitting unit that transmits the operation signal corresponding to the operation protocol to the home appliance is arranged on a door of refrigerator, wherein a control interface is configured to receive inputs to control an operation of the refrigerator, wherein the signal transmitting unit includes an infrared light emitter and an infrared light receiver configured to sense a touch on the control interface, wherein the infrared light emitter transmits an infrared signal for controlling the home appliance according to the operating protocol, wherein two or more infrared light emitters are arranged in the control interface, and wherein at least two of the infrared light emitters are positioned to emit the infrared signal in a different direction from each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for controlling the smart home controller refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the receiving the control result information from the external server by the portable device includes receiving the control result information of the refrigerator stored in the external server in real time or at a predetermined time interval. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a smart home controller refrigerator by a controller of a refrigerator that comprises one or more storage spaces to refrigerate or freeze contents and one or more doors that open or close the storage spaces, and a control interface that is provided on the one or more doors the controller being provided on the one or more doors, comprising: controlling, by the controller of the refrigerator, a control protocol communication unit to receive control information from an external server or a portable device to control a home appliance provided external to the refrigerator; storing the received control information in a storage unit; controlling, by the controller of the refrigerator, an operation protocol communication unit to generate a operation signal based on the control information; transmitting, by a signal transmitting unit, the operation signal to the home appliance to control the home appliance according to the control information; and wherein the operation protocol communication unit is configured to communicate based an operation protocol including any one or more of Infrared communication, Zigbee communication, Bluetooth, or UWB (Ultra WideBand), wherein the signal transmitting unit that transmits the operation signal corresponding to the operation protocol to the home appliance is arranged on the door, wherein the control interface is configured to receive inputs to control an operation of the refrigerator, wherein the signal transmitting unit includes an infrared light emitter and an infrared light receiver configured to sense a touch on the control interface, wherein the infrared light emitter transmits an infrared signal for controlling the home appliance according to the operating protocol, and when the infrared light emitter transmits the infrared signal according to the operation protocol, the controller controls the infrared light receiver to not sense or process the infrared signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method for controlling the smart home controller refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the control information includes information to turn the home appliance on or off, to set a schedule to turn the home appliance on or off based on the schedule, or to control an operation of the home appliance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method for controlling the smart home controller refrigerator of claim 14, further comprising: controlling the control protocol communication unit to transmit, to the external server or the portable device, control result information that includes a result of a generation and a transmission of the operation signal to the home appliance.