Abstract:
A system for monitoring the contents of a refrigerator. The system comprises a plurality of cameras mounted within a refrigerator, a wireless transceiver adapted to transmit image data to a mobile electronic device, and a computer-based logic for implementing commands relayed to the present system from the mobile electronic device. The cameras are arranged within the interior of the refrigerator to provide users with a complete view of the contents of their refrigerators. The present system assists users in grocery shopping and planning meals when not at home.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/873,663 filed on Sep. 4, 2013. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to systems for capturing a plurality of videos or images and wirelessly transmitting said images. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for monitoring the contents of a refrigerator via a plurality of internally-mounted cameras that are accessible using a mobile electronic device, such as a smartphone. 
         [0004]    Many individuals neglect to check the contents of their refrigerators prior to grocery shopping or meal planning because they are in a rush or otherwise forget to do so. Once at the grocery store, these individuals then have to make difficult decisions about what to food items to purchase if they cannot remember their refrigerators&#39; contents. On one hand, if they choose not to buy the item on the chance 
         [0005]    that they already have it, the entire meal can be ruined if they lack an essential ingredient. On the other hand, if they choose to purchase the item on the chance that they do not already have it, they may be needlessly purchasing an item, potentially resulting in wasted food and wasted money. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a system that is adapted to allow individuals to monitor the contents of their refrigerators in real-time, thereby allowing them to make correct purchasing decisions. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0007]    Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to refrigerator monitoring systems. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to refrigerators having screens mounted to the exterior of the refrigerator housing for viewing the contents of the refrigerator. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art. 
         [0008]    Some systems for monitoring the contents of a refrigerator comprise cameras mounted within the interior of the refrigerator and a means to relay images captured by said cameras to a display screen mounted to the exterior of the refrigerator. These systems are useful for viewing the contents of a refrigerator without the need to open the refrigerator door and expose the contents within the interior to the surrounding non-chilled environment. Other systems comprise a monitor mounted to the external portion of the refrigerator that is connected to a camera or plurality of cameras that are located at a remote location, thereby providing users with the means to monitor another room when in the kitchen. However, these systems address different problems than those which the current invention seeks to address. These systems do not provide users with a means to monitor the contents of their refrigerator in real-time so that they can make correct, informed purchasing decisions when grocery shopping. The present system obviates the need to remember to constantly check the contents of one&#39;s refrigerator and prevents individuals from wasting food, time, and money. The present substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing refrigerator monitoring systems. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of refrigerator monitoring systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new refrigerator monitoring system and method wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when seeking to ascertain the contents of the user&#39;s refrigerator when at the grocery store or any other location. 
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved refrigerator monitoring system that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator monitoring system that is wirelessly accessible via a mobile electronic device. 
         [0012]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator monitoring system that provides users with a means to view the entirety of the interior of the refrigerator. 
         [0013]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator monitoring system that provides a means for sequentially viewing the images presented by each of the plurality of cameras. 
         [0014]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator monitoring system that automatically turns on the interior lights of the refrigerator when the user wirelessly accesses the camera system. 
         [0015]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the refrigerator of the present invention with its doors open. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the user interface displayed on the user&#39;s mobile electronic device when accessing the present invention&#39;s internal camera system. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a diagram of the operation of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the refrigerator monitoring system. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for accessing the internal camera system of the present invention via a smartphone. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0021]    As used herein, “logic” refers to (i) logic implemented as computer instructions and/or data within one or more computer processes and/or (ii) logic implemented in electronic circuitry. As used herein, “computer-readable medium” excludes any transitory signals, but includes any non-transitory data storage circuitry, e.g., buffers, cache, and queues, within transceivers of transitory signals. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of the refrigerator of the present invention with its doors open. The present system comprises two sub-systems: an image capturing and transmitting system integral to a refrigerator and an image receiving and displaying system adapted for use on mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones. The image capturing and transmitting system of the present invention comprises a refrigerator  11  having a housing  14 , at least one hingedly attached door  12 , and a plurality of shelves  13  for supporting objects thereon. The present refrigerator  11  functions just as a conventional refrigerator, i.e. it comprises at least one thermally-insulated compartment and a heat pump that cools said at least one compartment by drawing heat therefrom and transferring it to the exterior environment. No claim is made as to the precise composition of the thermally-insulated compartment nor the precise type or design of the heat pump. It is submitted that the combination of a thermally-insulated compartment and a heat pump to create a cooled, enclosed compartment suitable for storing food for prolonged periods of time is well known in the prior art. 
         [0023]    The present invention preferably further comprises a plurality of cameras  15  disposed about the interior of the refrigerator  11 . The cameras  15  are preferably arranged such that one camera  15  is provided for each shelf  13  and each of the cameras  15  is directed inwardly from the interior surface of the refrigerator housing  14 , thereby allowing the system of cameras  15  to display to display the entirety of the contents of the refrigerator  11  in aggregate by comprising a camera  15  to display the contents of each shelf  13 . The cameras  15  may comprise any type image-capturing means known in the prior art, including devices that are adapted to capture single images or devices that are adapted to capturing video. 
         [0024]    The refrigerator of the present system further comprises a wireless transceiver  16  adapted to wirelessly receive and transmit images captured by the cameras  15  to a mobile electronic device and a logic  17  that is adapted to selectively activate the cameras and control various other functions of the refrigerator portion of the present invention. The wireless transceiver  16  comprises any means of establishing a wireless communication network between one or more computer-based devices known in the prior art. The logic  17  acts to (a) identify and process incoming signals from the wireless transceiver and translate them into commands relayed to the various other portions of the present system and (b) translate the images captured by the cameras  15  into a form suitable to then be relayed wirelessly via the wireless transceiver  16  to the mobile electronic device in communication therewith. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a perspective view of the user interface displayed on the user&#39;s mobile electronic device when accessing the present invention&#39;s internal camera system. The present invention comprises two separate systems in communication with each other: image capturing and transmitting system integral to a refrigerator and an image receiving and displaying system adapted for use on mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones. The image receiving and displaying system is adapted for providing the user with a means for wirelessly viewing and sorting through images or video captured by the integral refrigerator cameras. The user interface system is adapted to function on a mobile electronic device  31 , such as a smartphone. The present mobile electronic device comprises devices dedicated solely to viewing the images wirelessly transmitted by the camera system or an application or software capable of being downloaded and then run on any mobile electronic device  31 . 
         [0026]    The user interface comprises an image display portion  32  and a user input portion  33 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image display portion  32  displays an image captured from one of said cameras in a sequential manner, i.e. one image from one camera is viewable at a time. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the image display portion  32  is adapted to simultaneously display multiple or all of the image feeds from a plurality of the cameras on a single screen. The cameras are preferably arranged such that one of said cameras is dedicated to a single shelf, thereby allowing the user to easily view and ascertain the contents of his or her entire shelf by cycling view all of the available camera feeds to see the contents of every single shelf of the refrigerator. The digital cameras comprise both static-image capturing devices and devices adapted to capture video and relay said video in real-time to the mobile electronic device  31  via the wireless transceiver. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a diagram of the operation of the present invention. The operation of the present system is carried out via the logic, the integral refrigerator cameras adapted to capture images or video, the wireless transceiver, and the software user interface displayed on the mobile electronic device in communication with the present system. Users are able to access the present system from their mobile electronic device via a software application downloaded to and executed by said mobile electronic device. When the users initially access the present system, the image receiving and displaying system embodied within that software application sends an activation signal  51  to the wireless transceiver. Once that activation signal  51  is received, the logic then detects whether the refrigerator lights are turn on  52 . If the light is turned off, then the logic activates the internal refrigerator lights  53  to provide an improved picture or video capturing environment. If the lights were turned off, i.e. whenever the refrigerator door is closed in most models of refrigerators, then the captured images or videos would be excessively dark and users would not be able to properly visualize the contents of the refrigerator. If the refrigerator lights are already on, then the present system bypasses this step. 
         [0028]    Once the present system has ensured that there is proper lighting, it then begins capturing images  54  with the integral refrigerator cameras. The camera or cameras from which the images are being captured  54  are selectively activated by the logic, which has received a signal from the user interface via the wireless transceiver as to which camera the user wishes to access. The user interface provides users with a means to selectively choose that camera through which they are viewing the image or video of the interior contents of their refrigerator. In one embodiment of the present invention, the user interface displays to the user video or images captured from a single camera. The user can then scroll through or otherwise selectively activate the remaining available cameras to initiate image capture  54  on that camera, which then causes the wireless transceiver to relay  55  the captured images or video to the mobile electronic device in communication with the present system. In a second embodiment, multiple images captured by multiple refrigerator cameras are display simultaneously to the user via the user interface. In this embodiment of the present system, the logic initiates image or video capture on multiple of the refrigerator cameras, as chosen by the user, simultaneously. 
         [0029]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0030]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.