# US 2021/0239392 A1 · Refrigerator

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- Number: US 2021/0239392 A1
- Document ID: US20210239392A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/234,093
- Filed: 2021-04-19
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-27
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Inhwan Ryu; Minjoo Cha; Hyein Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239392A1

## CPC

- F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- F25D 23/028: {Details}
- F25D 23/04: with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
- F25D 23/062: {defining a cabinet}
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text
- H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources}
- H04N 23/51: Housings
- H04N 23/64: {Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image}
- F25D 2400/06: Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
- F25D 2500/06: Stock management
- F25D 2600/00: Control issues
- F25D 2700/02: Sensors detecting door opening
- F25D 2700/06: Sensors detecting the presence of a product
- F25D 2700/08: Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
- 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)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a main body having a storage compartment, a first door rotatably installed at a first side of the main body to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment, and a second door rotatably installed at a second side of the main body to open and close a second portion of the storage compartment. A first camera may be installed at the first door to take a picture of an interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the first door, and a second camera may be installed at the second door to take a picture of the interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the second door. A controller may combine plural pictures taken by the first camera and the second camera into a single corrected image of a region of the first compartment spanning from the first door to the second door.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having a storage compartment;
a door coupled to the body and configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a light source provided at the storage compartment;
a door sensor;
a camera provided at the storage compartment;
a decorative portion that is arranged with respect to the camera; and
wherein the decorative portion is formed of an opaque material,
wherein the decorative portion has a transparent window, and
wherein the camera is configured to take a picture through the transparent window.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the camera is provided on the door or is provided in the storage compartment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the camera has a plurality of cameras that is arranged in a row to the door.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of cameras are arranged on same positions in a width direction and have different heights.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the decorative portion is provided on the door.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a first thickness, in a vertical direction, of a middle portion of the decorative portion is greater than a second thickness, in the vertical direction, of a first edge portion of the decorative portion, and the first thickness is greater than a third thickness, in the vertical direction, of a second edge portion of the decorative portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to actuate the light source and to control the camera to take at least one picture of the storage compartment when the door sensor detects that the storage compartment is closed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage compartment has a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment, and the door has a first door and a second door, and
wherein the first door is rotatably coupled to a first end portion of the body, and configured to open and close an open front face of the first storage compartment, and
the second door is rotatably coupled to a second end portion of the body, and configured to open and close an open front face of the second storage compartment.

### Claim 9

A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having a storage compartment;
a door coupled to the body and configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a light source provided at the storage compartment;
a door sensor;
a camera provided at the storage compartment; and
a controller configured to actuate the light source and to control the camera to take at least one picture of the storage compartment when the door sensor detects that the storage compartment is closed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the camera is provided on the door or is provided in the storage compartment

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a storage device configured to store the at least one picture taken by the camera.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a communication device configured to transmit the at least one picture to an external device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a display configured to provide various information related to food stored in the refrigerator, the display being provided on the door.

### Claim 14

A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having a storage compartment;
a door coupled to the body and configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a light source provided at the storage compartment;
a door sensor;
at least one camera provided at the storage compartment; and
a controller configured to combine a plurality of pictures taken by the at least one camera, and to provide the combined pictures into a single image.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the at least one camera is provided on the door or is provided in the storage compartment

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of pictures comprise a picture of an interior of the storage compartment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of pictures comprise a picture of an interior of the door.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the camera such that the camera is to take a picture when the door is provided at a predetermined rotation position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the camera such that the camera is to take a picture during rotation of the door.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator according to claim 14, further comprising a door rotation position sensor configured to sense a rotation position of the door.