Patent Publication Number: US-2020284504-A1

Title: Domestic refrigeration appliance comprising a digital camera

Description:
The invention relates to a household refrigeration appliance comprising a digital camera. 
     DE 10 2013 211 099 A1 discloses a household refrigeration appliance which comprises a refrigeration compartment and a camera module. The camera module comprises a perforated panel and a circuit board on which a chip with a light sensor field for capturing image data of refrigerated goods stored in the refrigeration compartment and a microcontroller for processing the image data are arranged. 
     The object of the present invention is to specify an improved household refrigeration appliance comprising a digital camera. 
     The object of the invention is achieved by means of a household refrigeration appliance having a heat-insulated carcass with an inner container, which delimits a coolable interior space provided for storing food, a refrigeration device for cooling the coolable interior space and a digital camera which comprises an optical device comprising an image sensor and a lens arranged upstream of the image sensor, and an electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller and the optical device are arranged spatially separate from one another either in or on the household refrigeration appliance and the electronic controller is set up to actuate the optical device and to read the image sensor by means of a communication route. 
     The inventive household refrigeration appliance comprises the heat-insulated carcass with the inner container which delimits the coolable interior space. This is cooled by means of the refrigeration device. This refrigeration device is preferably configured as a refrigerant circuit essentially known to the person skilled in the art and is preferably designed in such a way that it cools the coolable interior space at least approximately to a predetermined temperature. The coolable interior space is provided for storing food. 
     The household refrigeration appliance preferably comprises an electronic controller which is set up to actuate the refrigeration device. 
     The inventive household refrigeration appliance can comprise a heat-insulated door leaf which closes the coolable interior space in the closed state and makes this accessible in the open state. 
     The inventive household refrigeration appliance can for example be a household refrigerator. In this case the coolable interior space is cooled to temperatures greater than 0° C. The inventive household refrigeration appliance can however also be a combined fridge-freezer. The inventive household refrigeration appliance can have precisely one coolable interior space but also a plurality of coolable interior spaces, each of which can also be closed and opened by means of a door leaf. 
     The inventive household refrigeration appliance also comprises the digital camera with which it is possible for example to produce an image of the interior of the household refrigeration appliance. The digital camera comprises the optical device which comprises the image sensor and the lens arranged upstream of the image sensor. The digital camera further comprises the electronic controller which is set up to actuate the optical device and to read the image sensor in order to generate an image data set from the corresponding read signals. The image data set is assigned to the image which is created by the digital camera. 
     According to the invention these components of the digital camera are not arranged within a single camera casing in or on the household refrigeration appliance, but are each arranged or attached spatially separately from one another in or on/to the household refrigeration appliance. The communication route is also provided, via which the electronic controller actuates the optical device and reads the image sensor. 
     In the case of a digital camera the electronic controller is normally larger, in particular significantly larger than its optical device. As however according to the invention the optical device is attached in or to the household refrigeration appliance spatially separately from the electronic controller, the component provided for the image capture, i.e. the optical device, can be attached more easily and/or more flexibly in or to the household refrigeration appliance than a complete conventional digital camera. 
     A further advantage of the spatially separate arrangement of the optical device from the electronic controller can be a reduction in the visible camera size as, for example, the relatively large electronic controller can be attached more flexibly in or to the household refrigeration appliance. As a result it is possible for example for the digital camera to be less obtrusive, for no relatively large holders to be required, for the integration options of the electronic controller to be enhanced in that for example said electronic controller is attached in a reinforcement part for example within a heat-insulated wall of the household refrigeration appliance. 
     The digital camera is provided in particular to produce images of the coolable interior space or images of the side of the heat-insulated door leaf facing toward the coolable interior space. The optical device is therefore preferably attached in or to the household refrigeration appliance in such a way that the image data set assigned to an image of the coolable interior space or of the side of the door leaf facing toward the coolable interior space. 
     According to one embodiment of the inventive household refrigeration appliance the optical device is attached in or to the carcass. In this way it is possible for the image data set to be assigned to the image of the side of the door leaf facing toward the coolable interior space. 
     The optical device can also be attached in or to the door leaf so that the image data set is assigned for example to an image of the coolable interior space. 
     The optical device can be attached for example directly in or to the door leaf or can for example be attached in or to a door rack attached to the side of the door leaf facing toward the coolable interior space or can be integrated into said door rack. 
     The household refrigeration appliance can also have a drawer which is arranged within the coolable interior space and which can be removed at least partially from the coolable interior space when the door leaf is open. In this case it can be provided that the optical device is attached in or to this drawer. In this case it is preferably provided that the electronic controller actuates the optical device in such a way that the image is generated as the drawer is closed. To this end the household refrigeration appliance comprises for example a corresponding detection device which is connected to the electronic controller. 
     The household refrigeration appliance comprises in particular a heat-insulated wall. The heat-insulated wall is for example a part of the heat-insulated carcass or is the heat-insulated door leaf. 
     The heat-insulated wall comprises in particular an inner membrane facing toward the coolable interior space and an outer membrane facing away from the coolable interior space. A heat insulation, which is embodied in particular as insulating foam, is arranged between the inner membrane and the outer membrane. In the case of the carcass the inner membrane is formed by the inner container. In the case of the door leaf the inner membrane in particular is formed by the side facing toward the coolable interior space. 
     According to one embodiment of the inventive household refrigeration appliance the electronic controller is attached within the heat-insulated wall, in particular within the heat-insulated door leaf or within the heat-insulated carcass. The electronic controller can be attached for example by means of a reinforcement part for example within the heat-insulated wall. The electronic controller is preferably arranged within the heat insulation, in the case of the insulation foam preferably embedded within this. 
     In order for the electronic controller to be able to communicate with the spatially separate optical device, the digital camera or the household refrigeration appliance comprises the communication route via which the electronic controller is able to read the image sensor and to actuate the optical device. The electronic controller is set up to create the image data set on the basis of the signals read from the image sensor. The electronic controller therefore represents in particular a logic component of the digital camera. 
     The communication route can for example comprise an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) or a MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance). 
     The communication route can for example be a wireless communication route, e.g. a WLAN or Bluetooth communication route. 
     The communication route can however also be configured as a wired option. 
     The communication route is preferably configured as a flexible printed circuit or comprises a flexible printed circuit. A flexible printed circuit (FPC) is a printed electronic circuit or printed conductor paths on a flexible carrier. The carrier is made for example from polyimide or is a polyester film and is coated in particular with a thin copper layer. 
    
    
     
       Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown for illustration in the attached schematic drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective representation of a household refrigeration appliance with a door leaf and at least one digital camera, and 
         FIG. 2  shows the digital camera. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows, in a perspective view, a household refrigeration appliance  1  which comprises a heat-insulated carcass  2  with an inner container  3  which delimits a coolable interior space  4 . The coolable interior space  4  is provided for storing food (not shown). 
     The household refrigeration appliance  1  further comprises a heat-insulated door leaf  5  which is mounted on the carcass  2 , in particular rotatably in relation to a vertically running axis. In the event of an open door leaf  5  the coolable interior space  4  is accessible and in the event of a closed door leaf  5  the coolable interior space  4  is closed. 
     Arranged on the side  5   a  of the door leaf  5  facing in the direction of the coolable interior space  4  in the case of the present exemplary embodiment is a plurality of door racks  6  for storing food. Arranged in the coolable interior space  4  is in particular a plurality of shelves  7  for storing food and arranged in the lower region of the coolable interior space  4  is in particular a drawer  8  in which food can likewise be stored. Arranged above the drawer  8  is one of the shelves  7  which covers the upwardly directed opening of the drawer  8 . In the case of an open door leaf  5  the drawer can be at least partially removed from the coolable interior space  4 . 
     The household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises a refrigeration device (not shown in further detail) essentially known to the person skilled in the art preferably in the form of a refrigerant circuit for cooling the coolable interior space  4 . The refrigerant circuit comprises for example a compressor, a condenser connected downstream of the compressor, a throttle device which is configured, in particular, as a throttle pipe or capillary pipe connected downstream of the condenser, and an evaporator which is arranged between the throttle device and the compressor. 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises a controller (not shown in further detail) which is set up to actuate the refrigeration device, in particular the compressor of the refrigerant circuit in a manner that is commonly known to persons skilled in the art, such that the coolable interior space  4  has at least approximately a predetermined or predeterminable target temperature. The controller is preferably set up such that it regulates the temperature of the coolable interior space  4 . In order, if required, to obtain the actual temperature of the coolable interior space  4 , the household refrigeration appliance  1  can have at least one temperature sensor (not shown in further detail) which is connected to the controller. 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises a digital camera  20 , shown in  FIG. 2 , which is in particular set up to generate images or image data sets of the coolable interior space  4  or of the side  5   a  of the door leaf  5  facing toward the coolable interior space  4  assigned to the images. 
     The household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises in particular a heat-insulated wall. The heat-insulated wall is for example a part of the heat-insulated carcass  2  or is a heat-insulated door leaf  5 . 
     The heat-insulated wall comprises in particular an inner membrane facing toward the coolable interior space  4  and an outer membrane facing away from the coolable interior space  4 . 
     Arranged between the inner membrane and the outer membrane is a heat insulation essentially known to a person skilled in the art in particular in the form of an insulation foam. In the case of the carcass  2  the inner membrane is formed by the inner container  3  and in the case of the door leaf  5  by the side  5   a  of the door leaf  5  facing toward the coolable interior space  4 . 
     The digital camera  20  comprises an optical device  21  and an electronic controller  22 . The optical device  21  comprises an image sensor  23  and a lens  24  arranged upstream of the image sensor  23 . In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the image sensor  23  and the lens  24  are arranged within a casing  25 . 
     The digital camera  20  or the household refrigeration appliance  1  further comprises a communication route  26  via which the electronic controller  22  is able to communicate with the optical device  21 . The electronic controller  22  is set up to actuate the optical device  21  and to read the image sensor  23  by means of the communication route  26  in order to generate the image data set from the signals read from the image sensor  23 . 
     The electronic controller  22  comprises for example a circuit board (not shown in further detail) and electronics arranged on the circuit board, which are arranged for example within a further casing (not shown). The electronics comprise for example a microprocessor or a microcontroller. 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the household refrigeration appliance  1  is configured in such a way that the digital camera  20  generates its images/image data set in the case of a closing door leaf  5  at a predetermined opening angle of, for example, 45°. 
     In order to detect the opening state of the door leaf  5 , the household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises in the case of the present exemplary embodiment a corresponding detection device  9  which in the case of the present exemplary embodiment is configured in such a way that it detects the specific opening angle of the door leaf  5  of, for example, 45° and also detects when the door leaf  5  is closed. The detection device  9  is in particular connected to the electronic controller  22 . 
     The electronic controller  22  and the optical device  21  are attached spatially separately from one another and are each attached in or to the household refrigeration appliance  1 . 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the optical device  21  is attached in or to the carcass  2 . In this way it is possible for the image data set to be assigned to the image of the side of the door leaf  5  facing toward the coolable interior space  4 . 
     The optical device  21  can also be attached in or to the door leaf  5 , in particular attached in or to one of the door racks  6  or integrated into said door racks, so that the image data set is assigned for example to an image of the coolable interior space  4 . 
     The optical device  21  can also be attached in or to the drawer  8 . In this case it is preferably provided that the electronic controller  22  actuates the optical device  21  in such a way that the image is generated as the drawer  8  is closed. To this end the household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises for example a corresponding detection device (not shown in further detail) which is connected to the electronic controller  22 . 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the electronic controller  22  is attached within the heat-insulated wall, for example within the heat-insulated door leaf  5  or within the heat-insulated carcass  2 . The electronic controller  22  can be attached for example by means of a reinforcement part (not shown in further detail) for example within the heat-insulated wall. The electronic controller  22  can be embedded into the insulating foam. 
     In order for the electronic controller  22  to be able to communicate with the spatially separate optical device  21  attached in or to the household refrigeration appliance  1 , the digital camera  20  or the household refrigeration appliance  1  comprises the communication route  26 . 
     The communication route  26  can comprise for example an LVDS or a MIPI interface. 
     The communication route  26  can for example be a wireless communication route, e.g. a WLAN or Bluetooth communication route. 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the communication route  26  is configured as a wired option. 
     In the case of the present exemplary embodiment the communication route  26  is configured as a flexible circuit or comprises a flexible circuit. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
     
         
           1  Household refrigeration appliance 
           2  Carcass 
           3  Inner container 
           4  Coolable interior space 
           5  Door leaf 
           5   a  Side 
           6  Door rack 
           7  Shelves 
           8  Drawer 
           9  Detection device 
           20  Digital camera 
           21  Optical device 
           22  Electronic controller 
           23  Image sensor 
           24  Lens 
           25  Casing 
           26  Communication route