Patent Publication Number: US-7716935-B2

Title: Refrigerator for managing food by using RFID

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2005-0045184, filed on May 27, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to refrigerators for cold storage of food, and more particularly, to a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID, in which food can be stored and managed in a storage space which has an optimum storage condition in the refrigerator by using RFID devices. 
   2. Discussion of the Related Art 
   Depending on refrigerators, there are refrigerators that have a separate fresh storage chamber for the user to use selectively in maintaining freshness of the food stored therein. There are many kinds of food stored in the refrigerator. Because the user can not remember all kinds of the food in the refrigerator, the user is required to open/close a door of the refrigerator every time for determining the food stored therein. The verification of the food stored in the refrigerator by such a method causes waste of power following opening/closing of the refrigerator door, and decomposition of food of which a storage time period is passed, causing waste of food. 
   In order to solve such a problem, the inventor discloses an invention titled “a device for controlling display of food stored in a refrigerator in Korea Patent Registration No. 0377741, for determining kinds of food stored in the refrigerator from an outside of the refrigerator. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a related art refrigerator is provided with an oscillation circuit  10  for generating a fixed frequency, a frequency demultiplying circuit  11  for demultiplying the frequency from the oscillation circuit  10  into a signal of a particular frequency, to generate time, time counting means  12  for receiving the signal from the demultiplying circuit and counting time, day counting means  13  for changing a day if a preset time comes with reference to the time counted at the time counting means  12 , storage means  14  for storing various kinds of information on food stored in the refrigerator, a selection key unit  15  for a user to apply various kinds of information on kinds, amounts, time periods to be stored, and so on of the food to be stored thereto, a food storage number of days/time display unit  16  for a CPU  19  to renew and display a number of days and time of storage of food at fixed intervals, an expiration date passed food display unit  17  for displaying food having the expiration date passed, a stored food sequential display unit  18  for renewing and displaying information on food stored in the storage means  14  at fixed intervals, and a CPU  19  for displaying date/time of food stored, food having the expiration date passed, and food in storage presently in a sequence based on information on food stored in the storage means  14 . 
   By using the foregoing system, the related art refrigerator stores information on stored food the user inputted personally through the selection key unit  15  in the storage means  14 , and displays information on time/date of storage of food, on food of which deadline is passed, and on food in storage presently. 
   There has been inconvenience of manual input of names of a plurality of kinds of food in order to obtain information on food stored in the related art refrigerator. Since the selection key unit  15  is required to have an input capability similar to a keyboard for the input, the selection key unit  15  becomes complicate to increase a production cost of the refrigerator. Moreover, the input takes a substantial time period of the user. 
   Furthermore, because the related art refrigerator simply stores the various kinds of food in the refrigerator, and manages the food according to information displayed on the display unit  16 ,  17 , and  18 , there is a problem in that freshness, taste, and nutrition of the various kinds of food is degraded as the stored time period passes by. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID, in which the most suitable positions of storage for various kinds of food in the refrigerator are selected automatically, and storage information is stored and managed automatically for convenient management of the stored food. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID, which can manage a particular position in the refrigerator to meet the most suitable storage condition of the food even if the food is stored in the particular position of the refrigerator. 
   Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
   To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID includes a plurality of storage portions divided in the refrigerator for storing food, RFID devices each having storage information of each kind of food stored in the storage portions, and controller for reading the storage information and setting up the storage portion which maintains a storage condition suitable to the storage information read thus. 
   The controller reads the storage information from the RFID device, and stores food managing information for the storage information. 
   The refrigerator further includes sensors for measuring storage conditions of the storage portions. 
   The refrigerator further includes display means for the user to notice the storage information and food managing information for the storage information, and the storage portion set up thus. 
   The storage portions include movable shelves such that a position at the time of placing of the food in the storage of the food and a stored position of the food after placing of the food are different. 
   In another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID includes a plurality of storage portions divided in the refrigerator for storing food, sensors on the storage portions for measuring storage conditions of the storage portions respectively, a plurality of RFID devices each having storage information of each kind of food to be stored in the storage portions, controller for reading the storage information from the RFID devices, storing food managing information for the storage information, and setting up the storage portion which maintains a storage condition suitable to the storage information read from the RFID device thus from the storage conditions of the storage portions measured by the sensors, and display means for the user to notice the storage information and the food managing information for the storage information from the controller, and the storage portion set up thus. 
   It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings; 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a system of a related art refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a partial enlarged view; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of a system of a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a RFID tag applied to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a preferred embodiment of food managing information applied to the present invention; and 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  each illustrates a graph showing an optimum storage condition of grain applied to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a partial enlarged view,  FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of a system of a refrigerator for managing food by using RFID in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a RFID tag applied to the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the refrigerator includes a freezing chamber door  54   a  and a refrigerating chamber door  54   b  mounted on a front of a refrigerator body  52  having a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber formed on opposite sides thereof, a plurality of storage portions  56  in the freezing chamber and refrigerating chamber for storage of food therein, each with various kinds of sensors  70  for measuring various storage conditions, controller (not shown) on the freezing chamber door  54   a  for reading and storing food managing information from information a RFID tag  62  stores in correspondence to the food stored in respective storage portions, and determining an optimum storage portion having a storage condition according to the food managing information, and display means (not shown) on the freezing chamber door  54   a  for displaying various kinds of information and the like obtained from the controller. 
   The refrigerator body  52  has a refrigerating cycle (not shown) with a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), a capillary tube (not shown), an evaporator (not shown) built therein, a cold air circulating flow line (not shown) and a fan (not shown) for circulating the cold air built therein, holes (not shown) in an inside wall for introduction of the air passed around the evaporator to the storage portions  56 , and dampers  90  on the cold air circulating holes or on partition walls (not shown) between the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber. 
   Operation of the compressor, dampers  90 , and the cold air circulating fan is controlled by the controller according to load, to control a flow rate of the cold air, to control a temperature and humidity of the refrigerator. 
   While the refrigerating chamber door  54   b  have door baskets ‘B’ on insides for storage of food or the like, the freezing chamber door  54   a  has a dispenser unit ‘D’ on an outside for making ice and dispensing the ice easily, and the refrigerating chamber door  54   b  has a home bar (not shown) on an outside for easy dispensing of water, drink, and so on. 
   On the outside of the freezing door  54   a , the controller is mounted for user&#39;s easy handling, as well as the display means is mounted for easy notice of an operation state of the refrigerator. 
   The storage portions  56 , formed to sort and store various kinds of food in the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber, are divided in general into one sector for storing food and the other sector food stored therein can be managed, separately. The storage portions  56  will be described limited only to the other sector food stored therein can be managed, separately. 
   The storage portions  56  are constructed of various shelves and partitions, each of which may have a separate automatic opening/closing device on a front thereof for automatic/manual opening/closing. 
   Therefore, if the controller sets up the most suitable one of the storage portions  56 , the automatic opening/closing device of the storage portion  56  is opened by the controller, for the user to place the food therein, directly. 
   Moreover, each of the storage portions  56  may have a shelf (not shown) mounted to be movable in up/down directions or front/rear directions, arranged at a position for the user to place the food the most easily in a state the freezing chamber door  54   a  or the refrigerating chamber door  54   b  is opened or closed, and designed to move to a position of the storage portion  56  in a state the user closes the freezing chamber door  54   a  or the refrigerating chamber door  54   b.    
   Of course, it may be designed such that the movable shelf moves to the position of the storage portion  56  only when the controller sets up the storage portion  56 , otherwise moves to other position the user desires or stops at the site. 
   Though the sensors  70  can be mounted to all of the storage portions  56  for detailed measurement of the storage conditions, the sensors  70  are mounted only some of the storage portions  56 , taking ranges of sensing of the sensors  70  into account. 
   The storage conditions of the storage portions  56  that the sensors  70  can sense are temperatures, humidity, a cold air circulating rate, composition of air, vibration, a light quantity, and so on, for measuring which, various sensors, such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, flow rate sensors, and so on are included. 
   Next, the controller includes RFID reading means  64  for obtaining storage information from information stored in the RFID tag  62 , input means  66  for receiving an order from the user, date and time counting means  68  for defining year, month, and date and/or time, a microcomputer  72  for controlling above elements to obtain and store information stored in the RFID tag  62  attached to, or to be attached to food stored in the refrigerator, and display to the user, and storage means  74  for storing frames (user interface, and the like) to be displayed for food managing service formed controllable by the microcomputer  72  and food managing information. 
   Of course, the food managing refrigerator may further include a main microcomputer (not shown) for controlling operation of the freezing and refrigerating, with a communication line connected between the main microcomputer and the microcomputer  72  for making data communication. Or, the food managing refrigerator may control operation of the freezing and refrigerating by using the microcomputer  72 . The food managing refrigerator is also provided with power supply means (not shown) for supplying power to the elements. 
   In detail, in order to able to obtain storage information from the RFID tag  62  attached to food to be stored in the refrigerator or a storage container (not shown) thereof provided by the user from an outside of the refrigerator, the RFID reading means  64  includes frequency generating means, transmitting means, and receiving means. It is preferable that the RFID reading means  64  can obtain identification information of the RFID tag  62  together with the storage information, and has a performance enough to read the RFID tag  62  when the user puts the RFID tag  62  close to the RFID reading means  64  within a predetermined distance. 
   It is preferable that the RFID reading means  64  is mounted at a height of the freezing chamber door  54   a  to which the user can lift the RFID tag  62  with convenience for making the RFID tag  62  to be read by the RFID reading means  64  (for an example, in a range of a height of a breast). 
   Particularly, the RFID tag  64  includes a RFID integrated circuit in a separate container having storage information (for an example, 4 days, 6 days, 8 days, and so on), and identification information (information on identification of the RFID tag). The identification information is composed of a series of numerals, such as ‘1’, ‘2’, and so on for convenience of reading by the user. A storage time period is an effective time period which is a limit of time period of storage of the food in the refrigerator corresponding to an expiration date of the food written on the food to be stored actually, or a time period the user sets up, arbitrarily. 
   The RFID tag  62  will be discussed in more detail. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the RFID tag  62  includes an antenna  62   a  for receiving a radio frequency from the RFID reading means  64 , and transmitting a radio frequency including storage information and/or identification information to the RFID reading means  64 , a RFID integrated circuit  62   b  for transmitting a radio frequency having storage information and/or identification information stored therein by using an energy of a radio frequency upon reception of the radio frequency, and upper, and lower coating portions  62   c , and  62   d  coated on the antenna  62   a , and the RFID integrated circuit  62   b  for protection. 
   In a case the RFID tag is attached to a separate storage container, the lower coating portion  62   d , being a face to be attached to an exterior of the storage container the food will be placed therein, has at least attachment means (for an example, adhesive, or the like) (not shown), additionally. 
   The RFID tag  62  also includes identification means for identification with naked eyes of the user. The identification means (not shown) may be, for an example, colors, or numerals (related to storage information) on the upper coating portion  62 . The identification means identifies the RFID tag from other RFID tag with respect to the identification information stored in the RFID integrated circuit  62   b . For an example, if the identification means is the colors, with red for two days of an effective time period of storage, blue for four days of the effective time period of storage, and yellow for six days of the effective time period of storage, the user can know the effective time period of storage by looking at the color. Moreover, by providing a data base to the storage means  68  of the food managing refrigerator for reading the identification means by using such identification information, the microcomputer  72  can display identification means on the LCD display  82  in correspondence to the identification information to the user. 
   Of course, the food managing service may be applied to one of which quality or taste is mostly dependent on a stored period, such as dairy product, or to storage food of user&#39;s selection. 
   Next, referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the input means  66 , means for receiving an order from the user (for an example, reading of the RFID tag, addition or erasure of the food managing information), composes of an appropriate number of buttons, or the like in relation to the frame displayed on the display means. However, because no names of the stored food are required to be inputted at all, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the number is limited to around  6 . 
   Next, the date and time counting means  68 , means for defining year, month, date, and time when the RFID reading means  62  obtains the storage information and/or the identification information, provides the microcomputer  72  with the year, month, date and time of reception of a request upon reception of the request from the microcomputer  72 . 
   Next, the microcomputer  72  controls processes of the entire freezing/refrigerating, and, in addition to this, provides a food managing service described in detail as follows. 
   The microcomputer  72 , includes at least one central processing unit CPU (not shown) and may or may not include the storage means  74 . However, in order to describe data stored in the storage means  74  in more detail, the specification describes the microcomputer  72  and the storage means  74  as separate elements. 
   The microcomputer  72  checks the storage conditions of the storage portions  56  with reference to the sensors  70 , and sets up the storage portion  56  with reference to the storage information in the RFID tag  62  at the time of setting up the storage portion  56  based on the check. 
   Even if food is stored in the storage portion  56  set up thus, the microcomputer  72  controls various elements of the refrigerator, such as the compressor, the damper  90 , and the cold air circulating fan for maintaining the most suitable storage condition, to maintain better freshness, taste, nutrition, and so on, to maintain the most suitable storage condition in view of temperature, humidity, composition of gas, a light quantity, and so on. 
   Of course, though the compressor, the damper  90 , the cold air circulating fan can be controlled by the microcomputer  72 , they may be controlled by the main microcomputer. 
   The microcomputer  72  is designed to manage the food according to the food managing information received from the RFID reading means  64 , the input means  66 , and the date and time counting means  68 , and display the food managing information, and storage states of various kinds of food, and warning notices of remained effective number of days of storages of the various kinds of food. 
   Lastly, the storage means  74  stores at least frames to be displayed on the LCD  82  for the user to provide the food managing service the food managing refrigerator provides to the user, and the food managing information formed by the microcomputer  72 . The frames are interface frames for easy use of the food managing information by the user. The food managing information includes at least the storage information of the RFID tag  62  attached to the stored food and/or the storage container thereof, and, in addition to this, the identification information, the storage starting date and time, or a number of stored days, and so on. The number of stored days is a number of days the RFID tag  62  is stored together with the food stored, actually. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the display means  80  includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)  82  for displaying the frames (user interfaces) from the controller, the storage information, and the food managing information, and a light emitting diode (LED)  84  for indicating the storage portion  56  set up by the controller, and is controlled by the microcomputer  72 . 
   In detail, the LCD  82  is mounted on the front of the refrigerating chamber door  54   a  at a height similar to the RFID reading means  64 , and at a position similar to the input means  66 , taking convenience of the user into account. 
   The LCD  82  may be designed to display insides of the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber as well as a position of the storage portion  56  separately at the time of setting up the storage portion  56 . 
   Next, the LEDs  84  are mounted in correspondence to respective storage portions  56 , so that, if the storage portion  56  is set up, the LED  84  for the storage portion emits a light, for user&#39;s notice of the storage portion and storage of food therein. Moreover, the LEDs  84  may be dual LEDs respectively for displaying the storage states of the food stored in the storage portion  56  to the user with different colors. 
   For an example, though the dual LED emits green when the food is stored in the storage portion  56  in a most suitable storage condition, or the effective number of days of storage of the food is remained more than the set up period, the dual LED emits red when the food fails to be stored in the storage portion  56  in the most suitable storage condition, or the effective number of days of storage of the food is remained less than the set up period. 
   The operation of the refrigerator for managing food by using RFID of the present invention will be described. 
   In order to formulate the food managing information, and manage the stored food, the microcomputer  72  displays the frames for the food managing service stored in the storage means  74  on the LCD  82 . If the user selects the food managing service, the microcomputer  72  receives the order from the input means  66 , and controls the RFID reading means  64  to obtain the storage information and/or the identification information from the RFID tag  62  attached to, or to be attached to the stored food and/or the storage container. 
   In this instance, if the user brings the RFID tag  62  attached to the stored food and/or the storage container within a predetermined distance from the RFID reading means  64 , after the microcomputer  72  stores the storage information and/or the identification information obtained thus to the storage means  74  as the food managing information, the microcomputer  72  may store the same to the storage means  74  after the microcomputer  72  receives a user&#39;s order whether the storage information and/or the identification information read thus is stored or not. 
   At the same time with this, the microcomputer  72  requests the date and time counting means  68  for a time when the RFID reading means  64  obtains the storage information and/or the identification information, or when the storage means  74  stores the storage information and/or the identification information, and stores the time (i.e., a year, a month, a date and/or time) provided from the date and time counting means  68  to the storage means  74  as the food managing information together with the storage information and/or the identification information. Of course, the time provided thus is a storage starting date and time of the stored food of which effective number of days of storage varies with kinds of stored food and can be read from the RFID tag  62  for the stored food. 
   In the meantime, the microcomputer  72  receives and stores food storage information on the food intended to store from the RFID tag  62  of the food, obtains the most suitable storage conditions of the food with respect to humidity, a cold air flow rate, composition of air, vibration, and a light quantity from the most suitable storage information, compares the most suitable storage conditions to storage conditions of the storage portions  56  received from the sensors respectively, and designates the storage portion  56  as a result of the companson. 
   Then, the microcomputer  72  indicates the storage portion  56  by the LCD  82 , or by the LED  84 , or by opening the storage portion  56  by using the automatic opening/closing device, for the user to store the food in the storage portion  56 . Then, the microcomputer  72  controls such that the storage portion  56  is maintained in the most suitable storage condition by controlling the compressor, the damper (not shown), the cold air circulating fan, and so on. 
   After obtaining the storage information and the food managing information of the food to be stored in the refrigerator through above process, the microcomputer  72  stores the information in the storage means  74  for future management. Thereafter, if the user intends to identify items (RFID tag) of the food stored in the food managing refrigerator presently, the microcomputer  72  reads the food managing information stored in the storage means  66 , and displays the food managing information on the display means  25  if the user applies selection of a food identifying service to the input means  66 . 
   In this instance, the microcomputer  72  reads the food managing information, obtains the present date and time (year, month, date and/or time) from the date and time counting means  68 , calculates a stored number of days of the stored food, and displays on the LCD  82 . The stored number of days is calculated by subtracting a storage starting date from the present date. 
   Moreover, for easy identification of the stored food by the user, the microcomputer  74  may display the food storage information in the order of the storage starting dates, or remained effective number of days of storage. Particularly, the microcomputer  74  may display the food storage information in the order of the storage starting dates if the stored food fails to contain the effective number of days of storage. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of the food managing information, wherefrom it can be known that the food managing information displayed on the LCD  82  includes storage time period information, identification information (or identification means) (may be omitted), storage starting date, and effective number of days of storage included in the storage information of the RFID tag  62  attached to the stored food. The warning message service of the stored food may be displayed, additionally. Moreover, as shown, in the case of food having the effective number of days of storage passed, the passed number of days may also be displayed as shown in cases of items ‘1’ and ‘2’. 
   Moreover, the microcomputer  74  provides a noticing service on the remained effective number of days of storage of the stored food according to a user&#39;s selection or automatically by using the stored effective number of days of storage and the calculated number of stored days. The microcomputer  74  calculates the effective number of days of storage remained presently, and if the remained number of days is within a predetermined number of days storage, the microcomputer  74  provides the noticing service. The noticing service may be an warning message (display with character, or icon) on the LCD  82 , or a various colors of light from the LED  84 , or warning with a speaker (not shown) (sound, and so on). 
   For an example, if the remained effective number of days of storage is 3 days, the microcomputer  74  may start display of the warning message. Moreover, the warning message displayed thus may be varied with the remained number of days of storage, for attracting the user&#39;s attention. The warning message is stored in the storage means  74 . Moreover, the microcomputer  74  may also display the warning message on the food having the effective number of days of storage passed on the LCD  82  or the LED  84 . 
   Thus, the user is provided with service on the stored food by means of the RFID tag  62  attached to the food stored in the food managing refrigerator or the storage container thereof. It is required to erase the information on the stored food from the food managing information in a case the user releases the storage, and uses the stored food. 
   Accordingly, the microcomputer  72  displays the food managing information on food in storage presently on the LCD  82 , receives food to be erased according to user&#39;s selection from the input means  66 , and erases information on the food (such as the storage time period information, the identification information, the starting date of storage, a stored number of days, selection of the warning message service, and so on) from the storage means  74 . 
   Moreover, the microcomputer  72  reads the information (the storage time period information, and/or the identification information) of the RFID tag  62  attached to the food of which storage is to be released by the user by means of the RFID reading means  64 , and enables the user to input the storage release order through the input means  66 . Upon reception of the storage release order, the microcomputer  72  may erase the food managing information including the information in the RFID tag  62 . 
   Of course, after the erasure, the microcomputer  30  displays the food managing information on the RFID tags  62  attached to the food stored presently on the LCD  82 . 
   The most suitable conditions of storage of various kinds of food, such as processed food, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and grains, can be stored in the storage means  74  in forms of tables as shown in tables 1 and 2. 
   
     
       
         
             
             
             
             
             
           
             
               TABLE 1 
             
             
                 
             
             
               vegetables 
               Temp. 
               Gas emission 
               Light Q&#39;ty 
               Others 
             
             
                 
             
           
          
             
               Spinach, celery, 
               0-5° C. 
               — 
               — 
               — 
             
             
               onion 
             
             
               Tomato, cucumber, 
               0-5° C. 
               — 
               — 
               No cooling 
             
             
               pimiento 
             
             
               Potato 
                21° C. 
               O 2  at 0-5° C. 
               Shield 
               — 
             
             
               Cabbage 
                0° C. 
               — 
               — 
               6 months 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
               storage 
             
             
               Broccoli 
                0° C. 
               — 
               — 
               — 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   
     
       
         
             
             
             
             
             
           
             
               TABLE 2 
             
             
                 
             
             
                 
               Temp. 
                 
               Gas 
                 
             
             
               Fruits 
               ° C. 
               humidity 
               emission 
               Others 
             
             
                 
             
           
          
             
               Banana 
               17-21 
               85-95% 
               — 
               — 
             
             
               Lemon 
               11-13 
               90-95% 
               — 
               — 
             
             
               Green tomato 
               18-22 
               — 
               — 
               Full maturity delay, 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
               store at 13-16° C. 
             
             
               Red tomato 
               13-18 
               — 
               — 
               Full maturity delay, 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
               store at a room 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
               temperature 
             
             
               Water melon 
               13-21 
               85-95% 
               — 
               Sensitive to ethylene 
             
             
               Orange 
               4-7 
               90-95% 
               ethylene 
               — 
             
             
               Apple 
               0-2 
               90-95% 
               ethylene 
               Store certain species 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
               at 2-4° C. 
             
             
               Grape 
               0-2 
               90-95% 
               ethylene 
               — 
             
             
               Strawberry 
               0-2 
               90-95% 
               ethylene 
               — 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , grain can be stored in the best condition at a moisture content of below 15%, and can be stored for a long time period since no noxious insects can breed, and, referring to  FIG. 7 , the grain can be stored for a longer time period if storage air contains 3-5% CO 2 . Besides, since fungi can propagates at a storage humidity of over 70%, the storage humidity is the most suitable at 50-70%, with a storage temperature of 10° C. 
   The refrigerator for managing food by using RFID of the present invention has been described in detail, taking a two door type refrigerator having a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber provided at opposite sides of the refrigerator as an example, with reference to the embodiment and attached drawings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
   As has been described, since the refrigerator for managing food by using RFID obtains the most suitable storage condition from the storage information and the food managing information for the storage information on the RFID tag, enables to place the food at the storage portion in the refrigerator meeting the most suitable storage condition, and manages the food according to the storage information automatically, the refrigerator for managing food by using RFID of the present invention permits convenient management of the stored food at the most suitable space, and moreover, since the refrigerator for managing food by using RFID manages the storage portion to meet the most suitable storage condition by checking a temperature, humidity, storage gas composition, and a light quantity of the storage portion, the refrigerator for managing food by using RFID permits to enhance freshness, taste, and nutrition of the food.