# US 12,181,212 B2 · Prompt method and device for refrigerator and refrigerator

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- Number: US 12,181,212 B2
- Document ID: US12181212B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/311,739
- Filed: 2020-11-12
- Published: 2022-10-13
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-31
- Assignees: Qingdao Haigao Design & Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Qingdao Haigao Design & Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jian Wu; Shu Zhou; Zhiqun Feng; Zhaojun Fei; Zuowei Yi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181212B2

## CPC

- F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G06F 16/00: Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06F 16/903: Querying (for retrieval from the web G06F16/953)
- G06F 16/9038: Presentation of query results
- F25D 2500/06: Stock management
- G05B 2219/2654: Fridge, refrigerator
- 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)
- 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)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, and relates to a prompt method for a refrigerator. The method comprises establishing a dish database according to the menu query information of the user, wherein the dish database comprises dishes and foods corresponding to the dishes; establishing a food database according to each food in the refrigerator and the time when the food enters the refrigerator; detecting food in the current refrigerator, wherein each food in the refrigerator is matched with a corresponding dish according to a dish database, and prompt information is obtained according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database; and prompting with the prompt information; wherein the prompt information includes expected expiration times and recommended dishes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for a refrigerator comprising a prompt device comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method comprising the following steps:
establishing a dish database according to menu query information of a user, wherein the dish database comprises dishes and foods corresponding to the dishes;
monitoring that the refrigerator sequentially passes through a door closing state, a door opening state and a door closing state;
reading an electronic tag arranged on food and recording corresponding reading time, wherein the reading time is a time when the food enters the refrigerator, and the electronic tag comprises name, type, production date and shelf life of the food;
establishing a food database according to each food in the refrigerator and the time when the food enters the refrigerator;
detecting food in a current refrigerator, wherein each food in the refrigerator is matched with a corresponding dish according to a dish database, and prompt information is obtained according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database; and
prompting with the prompt information on the prompt device; the prompt information includes an expected expiration time and recommended dishes;
wherein the prompt information is obtained by the refrigerator according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database;
wherein the method further comprises:
calculating Ei=Bi−Ji−a to obtain the expected expiration time when the food is non-packaged food, and calculating Ei=Bi−Si to obtain the expected expiration time when the food is packaged food;
obtaining the time when the corresponding food is in the refrigerator according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator by the refrigerator; and
displaying the prompt information on a display screen of the refrigerator when the expected expiration time Ei is less than or equal to the set threshold value;
wherein Ei is the expected expiration time, Bi is a shelf life, Ji is a time the food is in the refrigerator, a is a type reference time, and Si is a production date, a>0, i>0;
wherein when the food is the non-packaged food, a number of times a door is opened and closed results in a change in the type reference time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a dish database is established according to the user's menu query information, the method further comprises:
acquiring menu inquiry information of a user through the display screen of the refrigerator, displaying corresponding dishes, displaying the dishes corresponding to a selection instruction and recording the dishes and foods corresponding to the dishes after the selection instruction of the user is acquired.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the food database is established according to each food in the refrigerator and the time when the food enters the refrigerator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the detecting food in a current refrigerator comprises:
identifying food inside the refrigerator by utilizing radio frequency.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein each food in the refrigerator matches a corresponding dish according to a dish database, the method further comprises:
matching the detected food with a dish database to obtain all dishes containing the food.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the prompt information is obtained according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database, the method further comprises:
obtaining recommended dishes according to the display times of the dishes corresponding to the selection instruction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the prompt information is prompted, the method further comprises:
sending the prompt information to a user terminal when the expected expiration time Ei is less than or equal to the set threshold value.

### Claim 8

A refrigerator, comprising:
a prompt device comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to execute a method comprising:
establishing a dish database according to menu query information of a user, wherein the dish database comprises dishes and foods corresponding to the dishes;
monitoring that the refrigerator sequentially passes through a door closing state, a door opening state and a door closing state;
reading an electronic tag arranged on food and recording corresponding reading time, wherein the reading time is a time when the food enters the refrigerator, and the electronic tag comprises name, type, production date and shelf life of the food;
establishing a food database according to each food in the refrigerator and the time when the food enters the refrigerator;
detecting food in a current refrigerator, wherein each food in the refrigerator is matched with a corresponding dish according to a dish database, and prompt information is obtained according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database; and
prompting with the prompt information on the prompt device; the prompt information includes an expected expiration time and recommended dishes;
wherein the prompt information is obtained by the refrigerator according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator in the food database;
wherein the method further comprises:
calculating Ei=Bi−Ji−a to obtain the expected expiration time when the food is non-packaged food, and calculating Ei=Bi−Si to obtain the expected expiration time when the food is packaged food;
obtaining the time when the corresponding food is in the refrigerator according to the time when the food enters the refrigerator by the refrigerator; and
displaying the prompt information on a display screen of the refrigerator when the expected expiration time Ei is less than or equal to the set threshold value;
wherein Ei is the expected expiration time, Bi is a shelf life, Ji is a time the food is in the refrigerator, a is a type reference time, and Si is a production date, a>0, i>0;
wherein when the food is the non-packaged food, a number of times a door is opened and closed results in a change in the type reference time.