# US 11,898,787 B2 · Refrigerator with automatic door opening and controlling method thereof

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- Number: US 11,898,787 B2
- Document ID: US11898787B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/225,576
- Filed: 2021-04-08
- Published: 2021-12-23
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-19
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Taecheol Park; Byoungmok Kim; Jonghyun Son; Jeonghyun Lee; Seokjun Son
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898787B2

## CPC

- F25D 23/028: {Details}
- E05F 15/73: responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
- F25D 23/02: Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042})
- G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data}
- G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target
- G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- E05F 2015/765: {using optical sensors}
- E05Y 2900/31: for refrigerators
- F25D 27/005: {combined with control means}
- F25D 2323/021: French doors
- F25D 2327/001: Lighting arrangements on the external side of the refrigerator, freezer or cooling box
- F25D 2500/02: Geometry problems
- F25D 2700/02: Sensors detecting door opening
- F25D 2700/04: Sensors detecting the presence of a person
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- 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)
- E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a main body including a first door, a door opening device configured to open the first door, a first proximity sensor disposed adjacent to the first door, a first infrared sensor disposed on the first door, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to, based on detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, control the door opening device to open the first door based on an external object approaching within a threshold distance from the refrigerator, and based on the external object being identified based on detection data obtained by the first infrared sensor while the first door is open, control the door opening device to stop opening of the first door.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A refrigerator comprising:
a main body including a first door;
a door opening device including a module for opening the first door;
a first proximity sensor disposed adjacent to the first door;
a first infrared sensor disposed on the first door; and
at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
based on detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, transmit to the door opening device a signal for opening the first door according to an external object approaching within a threshold distance from the refrigerator, and
based on the external object being identified according to detection data obtained by the first infrared sensor while the first door is open, transmit to the door opening device a signal for stopping the opening of the first door.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1,
wherein the first door is configured to include a first cover disposed outside the first door and a first handle formed inside the first cover, and
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The refrigerator of claim 2,
wherein the first handle is configured to be disposed below the first door, and
wherein the first infrared sensor is further configured to be disposed below the first door to irradiate infrared rays downward of the first door.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1,
wherein the first door includes a first light emitter disposed adjacent to the first infrared sensor, the first light emitter including at least one light emitting element, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, based on the detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, transmit a signal for turning on the first light emitter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
based on the detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, identify an approach distance of the external object; and
based on the identified approach distance, transmit a signal for turning on a different light emitting mode of the first light emitter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
turn on the first light emitter based on the approach distance of the external object being within a first threshold distance; and
turn off the first light emitter based on the approach distance of the external object being within a second threshold distance smaller than the first threshold distance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The refrigerator of claim 4,
wherein the first door is configured to include the first cover disposed outside the first door and the first handle formed inside the first cover,
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle, and
wherein the first infrared sensor and the first light emitter are configured to be included in a first module disposed parallel to the first handle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising:
a second door disposed adjacent to the first door in a horizontal direction;
a second proximity sensor disposed adjacent to the second door; and
a second infrared sensor disposed on the second door,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
based on detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor, identify a door close to an external object that approaches within a threshold distance from the refrigerator,
transmit the door opening device a signal for opening the identified door among the first door and the second door, and
based on the external object being identified by the infrared sensor disposed on the identified door while the identified door is open, transmit to the door opening device a signal for stopping the opening of the identified door.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The refrigerator of claim 8,
wherein the first door is configured to include the first cover disposed outside the first door and the first handle formed inside the first cover,
wherein the second door is configured to include a second cover disposed outside the second door and a second handle formed inside the second cover,
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle, and
wherein the second infrared sensor is configured to be dispose between the second cover and the second handle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The refrigerator of claim 9,
wherein the first infrared sensor disposed on the first door is further configured to be disposed adjacent to the second door, and
wherein the second infrared sensor disposed on the second door is further configured to be disposed adjacent to the first door.

### Claim 11

A method for controlling a refrigerator including a main body including a first door, a door opening device including a module for opening the first door, a first proximity sensor disposed adjacent to the first door, and a first infrared sensor disposed on the first door, the method comprising:
based on detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, transmitting to the door opening device a signal for opening the first door according to an external object approaching within a threshold distance from the refrigerator; and
based on the external object being identified according to detection data obtained by the first infrared sensor while the first door is open, transmitting to the door opening device to stop a signal for stopping the opening of the first door.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11,
wherein the first door is configured to include a first cover disposed outside the first door and a first handle formed inside the first cover, and
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12,
wherein the first handle is configured to be disposed below the first door, and
wherein the first infrared sensor is further configured to be disposed below the first door to irradiate infrared rays downward of the first door.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11,
wherein the first door comprises a first light emitter disposed adjacent to the first infrared sensor, the first light emitter including at least one light emitting element, and
further comprising:
transmitting a signal for turning on the first light emitter based on the detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting a signal for turning on the first light emitter comprises:
based on the detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor, identifying an approach distance of the external object; and
based on the identified approach distance, transmitting a signal for turning on a different light emitting mode of the first light emitter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting a signal for turning on the first light emitter comprises:
transmitting a signal for turning on the first light emitter based on the approach distance of the external object being within a first threshold distance; and
transmitting a signal for turning off the first light emitter based on the approach distance of the external object being within a second threshold distance smaller than the first threshold distance.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14,
wherein the first door is configured to include the first cover disposed outside the first door and the first handle formed inside the first cover,
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle, and
wherein the first infrared sensor and the first light emitter are configured to be included in a first module disposed parallel to the first handle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the refrigerator further comprises:
a second door disposed adjacent to the first door in a horizontal direction;
a second proximity sensor disposed adjacent to the second door; and
a second infrared sensor disposed on the second door,
based on detection data obtained by the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor, identifying a door close to an external object that approaches within a threshold distance from the refrigerator,
transmitting a signal to the door opening device for opening the identified door among the first door and the second door, and
based on the external object being identified by the infrared sensor disposed on the identified door while the identified door is open, transmitting a signal to the door opening device for stopping the opening of the identified door.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18,
wherein the first door is configured to include the first cover disposed outside the first door and the first handle formed inside the first cover,
wherein the second door is configured to include a second cover disposed outside the second door and a second handle formed inside the second cover,
wherein the first infrared sensor is configured to be disposed between the first cover and the first handle, and
wherein the second infrared sensor is configured to be dispose between the second cover and the second handle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19,
wherein the first infrared sensor disposed on the first door is further configured to be disposed adjacent to the second door, and
wherein the second infrared sensor disposed on the second door is further configured to be disposed adjacent to the first door.