US 6,393,848 B2Granted

Internet refrigerator and operating method thereof

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsYoung Hoon Roh, Kwang Choon Kim, Jin Cheol Cho

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Abstract

An Internet refrigerator and a method of operating the Internet refrigerator are disclosed. The Internet refrigerator includes a modem for performing a data communication with remote communication devices through the Internet, a first control section for controlling constituent elements of the refrigerator, a touch panel for producing key signals in accordance with a user's touch, a second control section for controlling other constituent elements of the refrigerator including the first control section in response to the key signals provided from the touch panel and key signals from the remote communication devices, a display section for displaying necessary information under the control of the second control section, and an Internet connection device for connecting the refrigerator to the Internet. The Internet refrigerator operating method uses internal information of the Internet refrigerator and information from the external communication devices. According to the Internet refrigerator and the operating method thereof, home automation centering around a kitchen can be implemented.

Claims30

Dependent claims

An Internet refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator control section for controlling constituent elements of the refrigerator;
a touch panel for providing key signals related to an operation of the refrigerator itself and key signals for effecting communications with the Internet according to a user s selection;
a remote controller for remotely providing the key signals related to the operation of the refrigerator itself and the key signals for effecting communications with the Internet according to the user's selection;
a display section, provided on an outer wall of the refrigerator, for displaying information related to the operation of the refrigerator itself and information obtained from the Internet in response to the key signals from the touch panel and the key signals from external devices through the Internet;
a main control section for performing a bidirectional communication with the refrigerator control section and the Internet and controlling the display section in response to the key signals from the touch panel, the key signals from the Internet and the key signals from the remote controller;
a dedicated communication control section for managing the bidirectional communication between the refrigerator control section and the main control section;
and
a modem connected between the Internet and the main control section by a dedicated communication line for the bidirectional communication between the Internet and the main control section.

5 more elements

A method of operating an Internet refrigerator having a key input device, a display device, and an Internet connection device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a key signal inputted from the key input device by a user and inputted from external devices through the Internet connection device;
(b) controlling constituent elements of the refrigerator in response to the key signal if it is detected that the key signal is related to an operation of the refrigerator itself;
(c) displaying through the display device first information from the refrigerator itself and from the external devices in response to the key signal if it is detected that the key signal is a signal for displaying the first information;
(d) transmitting second information of the refrigerator to the external devices in response to the key signal if it is detected that the key signal is a signal for transmitting the second information to the external devices through the Internet connection device;
and
(e) storing third information from the refrigerator itself and from the external devices through the Internet connection device in a memory of the refrigerator in response to the key signal if it is detected that the key signal is a signal for storing the third information in the memory.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.