Method and refrigerating device for determining an object weight of an object for refrigeration

Abstract

A method serves for determining an object weight of an object that is put on a weighing zone, which has a plurality of weighing plates arranged in a grid pattern, of a household refrigerator. The respective weights are measured by the weighing plates and an image is taken of the weighing zone. From the image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the object stored on the weighing zone in relation to the individual weighing plates are determined. From the weights measured at the weighing plates and the proportions of the support surfaces the object weight of the respective object is determined, and advantageously the determined object weight of the object is stored in a database. A refrigerating device has a household refrigerator with a refrigerating compartment having a weighing zone with a plurality of weighing plates arranged in a grid pattern. The refrigerating device is intended for performing the method.

Claims

1. A method for determining an object weight of at least one object that is put on a weighing zone of a household refrigerator, the weighing zone having a plurality of weighing plates disposed in a grid pattern, which comprises the steps of: measuring respective weights by the weighing plates; taking at least one image of the weighing zone; determining from the at least one image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the at least one object stored on the weighing zone in relation to individual ones of the weighing plates; determining from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces, the object weight of the at least one object, wherein when precisely one object is recognized on one of the weighing plates, the object weight is calculated by dividing a respective weight measured at a weighing plate by a percentage of the support surface there; and storing at least the object weight of the at least one object in a database.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprising performing an object recognition on the at least one image in relation for the at least one object, and a type of recognized object is stored in the database such that it is linked with the object weight.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces of the at least one object, weight proportions of the object weight of the at least one object on the weighing plates that are occupied are determined, and the object weight is calculated by adding the weight proportions together.

4. A method for determining an object weight of at least one object that is put on a weighing zone of a household refrigerator, the weighing zone having a plurality of weighing plates disposed in a grid pattern, which comprises the steps of: measuring respective weights by the weighing plates; taking at least one image of the weighing zone; determining from the at least one image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the at least one object stored on the weighing zone in relation to individual ones of the weighing plates; determining from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces, the object weight of the at least one object, wherein determining object weights of a plurality of objects by solving a linear equation system M.Math.x=b, where determined proportions of the support surfaces correspond to coefficients of a coefficient matrix M, the object weights correspond to unknowns of vector x, and measured weights correspond to inputs for vector b; and storing at least the object weight of the at least one object in a database.

5. A method for determining an object weight of at least one object that is put on a weighing zone of a household refrigerator, the weighing zone having a plurality of weighing plates disposed in a grid pattern, which comprises the steps of: measuring respective weights by the weighing plates; taking at least one image of the weighing zone; determining from the at least one image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the at least one object stored on the weighing zone in relation to individual ones of the weighing plates by overlaying the grid pattern of the weighing plates on the at least one image that is taken of the weighing zone for determining the respective percentages of the support surfaces; determining from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces, the object weight of the at least one object; and storing at least the object weight of the at least one object in a database.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein when precisely one object is recognized on one of the weighing plates, the object weight is calculated by dividing a respective weight measured at a weighing plate by a percentage of the support surface there.

7. A method for determining an object weight of at least one object that is put on a weighing zone of a household refrigerator, the weighing zone having a plurality of weighing plates disposed in a grid pattern, which comprises the steps of: measuring respective weights by the weighing plates; taking at least one image of the weighing zone; determining from the at least one image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the at least one object stored on the weighing zone in relation to individual ones of the weighing plates; determining from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces, the object weight of the at least one object; storing at least the object weight of the at least one object in a database; performing an object recognition on the at least one image in relation for the at least one object, and a type of recognized object is stored in the database such that it is linked with the object weight; and determining a volume of a liquid from the object weight of the at least one object and the type of recognized object being a liquid container.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined from the at least one image whether the at least one object has been put by itself on the weighing plates, and then the object weight is determined directly from the respective weights measured at the weighing plates.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises measuring the respective weights by the weighing plates at specific points in time.

10. A refrigerating device, comprising: a household refrigerator with a refrigerating compartment having a weighing zone with a plurality of weighing plates disposed in a grid pattern, the refrigerating device being programmed to perform a method for determining an object weight of at least one object that is put on said weighing zone of said household refrigerator, the method comprises the steps of: measuring respective weights by said weighing plates; taking at least one image of said weighing zone; determining from the at least one image, respective percentages of support surfaces of the at least one object stored on said weighing zone in relation to individual ones of said weighing plates; determining from the respective weights measured at said weighing plates and the respective percentages of the support surfaces, the object weight of the at least one object; and storing at least the object weight of the at least one object in a database.

11. The refrigerating device according to claim 10, wherein said household refrigerator having a door with a door tray, said weighing zone is disposed in said door tray.

12. The refrigerating device according to claim 11, wherein said door tray is made from a transparent material.

13. The refrigerating device according to claim 10, wherein said household refrigerator has a data processing device for performing the method.

14. The refrigerating device according to claim 10, wherein said household refrigerator has a communication device for data exchange with at least one external instance, and is intended for transmitting the respective weights measured and the at least one image to the at least one external instance, and the at least one external instance is intended to determine from the respective weights and the at least one image the object weight of the at least one object.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a refrigerator 1 with a refrigerating compartment 2 that can be closed by a refrigerator door 3, here illustrated as open. Objects for refrigeration K1, K2 can be stored on storage compartments 4 of the refrigerating compartment 2 and in door trays 5. The door trays 5 are arranged on an inner side of the refrigerator door 3. Further, the refrigerator 1 has a camera 6 that is permanently integrated in a ceiling of the refrigerating compartment 2 and by means of which images of at least one of the door trays 5 can be taken, for example when the refrigerator door 3 is in a predetermined angular position as it is closed. In this context, the images also include the objects for refrigeration K1 and K2 that are stored in the door trays 5.

(2) Moreover, the refrigerator 1 has a central control unit 7 that is coupled to the camera 6 and is intended for image evaluation of images taken by means of the camera 6.

(3) Optionally, the refrigerator 1 has at least one communication module 8 (e.g. a Bluetooth module, a WiFi module and/or an Ethernet module) for communicating with at least one external instance, e.g. a network server N, a Cloud computer (not illustrated) and/or a mobile user terminal S. The external instance S, N may be equipped with a database.

(4) FIG. 2 shows, in a view from obliquely above, a door tray 5 with a weighing zone 9 that lies on a base of the door tray 5 or forms the base. The door tray 5 as such (without the weighing zone 9) has optically transparent side walls 10 and is advantageously made entirely from an optically transparent material, e.g. plastics material. FIG. 3 shows the door tray 5 in plan view.

(5) The weighing zone 9 has twelve rectangular weighing plates 9a to 9l, which are arranged in a (6×2) matrix grid pattern, next to one another with virtually no gaps. Further, the weighing zone 9 may additionally have further weighing plates 9m to 9p for the purpose of filling in the base of the door tray 5 at the edge, in which case there is a (8×2) matrix grid pattern. The further weighing plates 9m to 9p have a different shape and/or size from the weighing plates 9a to 9l. The weighing zone 9 has a controller (not illustrated), which receives the analog measurement data generated by the weighing plates 9a to 9p and converts it into corresponding weight data.

(6) In the image taken by the camera 6, image portions or partial images corresponding to the borders or surfaces of the individual weighing plates 9a to 9p can be identified, with the result that the weight measured by the corresponding weighing plate 9a to 9p can be associated with each partial image. To put it another way, the grid pattern of the weighing plates 9a to 9p is overlaid on the at least one image of the weighing zone 9 that is taken. This is possible even if the camera 6 is oriented obliquely in relation to the weighing zone 9. As a result, by means of the control unit 7 it is possible to determine from the image, in a comparatively simple manner, percentages of (partial) support surfaces of the objects for refrigeration K1, K2 in respect of the individual weighing plates 9a to 9p. From the weights measured at the weighing plates 9a to 9p and the proportions of the (partial) support surfaces of the objects for refrigeration K1, K2, the object weights O(K1) and O(K2) of the respective objects for refrigeration K1 and K2 respectively are then determined by the control unit 7 and stored in a database that is internal to the device or external to the device (e.g. integrated in the external instance S, N).

(7) Moreover, by means of the control unit 7, in an image of the camera 6 there is performed a recognition of an object for refrigeration in relation to the objects for refrigeration K1, K2 that are put on the weighing zone 9 and weighed there, and from this a type of the objects for refrigeration K1, K2 is recognized—in this case a milk carton K in a 1-liter package and a juice bottle K2 in a half-gallon package. The type of the objects for refrigeration K1, K2 is stored in the database, such that it is linked with their object weights O(K1), O(K2).

(8) FIG. 4 shows, in plan view, the weighing zone 9 of the door tray 5, with an object for refrigeration K3 put on it. As determined by image evaluation, the object for refrigeration K3 has a support surface A(K3) determined by an edge R(K3). As a result of image evaluation utilizing the grid of the weighing plates 9a to 9p that is overlaid on the image, the proportions of the support surfaces A(9a), A(9b) and A(9c) of the object for refrigeration K3 that are supported on the weighing plates 9a, 9b and 9c respectively are determined and linked with the weights G(9a), G(9b) and G(9c) that are measured at the corresponding weighing plates 9a, 9b, 9c respectively.

(9) In the present case, for example A(9a)=20%, A(9b)=70% and A(9c)=10% of the total support surface A(K3), and G(9a)=200 g, G(9b)=700 g and G(9c)=100 g.

(10) The object weight O(K3) of the object for refrigeration K3 can be calculated directly in a first variant, from:
O(K3)=G(9a)+G(9b)+G(9c)=200 g+700g+100g =1000 g
because no other objects have been put on the weighing plates 9a, 9b and 9c. This can be recognized from the image evaluation. In this case, the proportions of the support surfaces A(9a), A(9b) and A(9c) respectively do not need to be determined, which is a saving on computing effort.

(11) In a second variant, the object weight O(K3) of the object for refrigeration K3 can be calculated from:
O(K3)=G(9b)/A(9b)=700 g/0.7=1000 g
(and analogously from the weighing plates 9a and 9c), since only the one object for refrigeration K3 is supported there.

(12) However, the object weight O(K3) of the object for refrigeration K3 can also be solved algorithmically by formal solution of a linear equation system with only one unknown.

(13) If, as a result of recognition of an object for refrigeration, the type of packaging of the object for refrigeration K3 is also recognized and the weight of the packaging is known, then the weight of the content of the object for refrigeration K3 can be inferred by subtracting the weight of the packaging accordingly. If, further, it is recognized from the type of packaging of the object for refrigeration K3 that it is a liquid container, then an at least approximate filling level of the liquid in the object for refrigeration K3 can also be calculated.

(14) FIG. 5 shows, in plan view, the weighing zone 9 with two objects for refrigeration K3 and K4 put on it. The object for refrigeration K4 that has been put down in addition to the object for refrigeration K3 that was already described in FIG. 4 is supported on the weighing plates 9c and 9d, in this case by way of example by the proportions of the support surfaces A(K4, 9c)=40% and A(K3, 9d)=60%.

(15) The object weights O(K3) and O(K4) of the objects for refrigeration K3 and K4 respectively may in turn be calculated for example from:
O(K3)=G(9b)/A(9b)=700 g/0.7=1000 g and
O(K4)=G(9d)/A(9d)=300 g/0.6=500 g
or alternatively by solving a linear equation system. On the weighing plate 9c, the respective weight proportions G(K3, 9c) and G(K4, 9c) must correspond to the weight G(9c) measured there, which can also be expressed as
G(9c)=O(K3)*A(K3, 9c)+O(K4)*A(K4, 9c)=1000g*0.1+500 g*0.4=300 g.

(16) This calculation may be used for example as a plausibility check.

(17) FIG. 6 shows, in plan view, the weighing zone 9 of the door tray 5 with two objects for refrigeration K5 and K6 put on it, in an arrangement different from FIG. 5, namely that both objects for refrigeration K5 and K6 are put on the weighing plates 9b and 9c, and only there, at the same time. Thus, neither of the two objects for refrigeration K5, K6 is put by itself on one of the weighing plates 9a to 9p, with the result that the simple calculation of weight by forming the quotient or by directly adding the measured weights cannot be applied.

(18) In the present case, the object weights O(K5) and O(K6) of the objects for refrigeration K5 and K6 respectively can be determined by solving a linear equation system M.Math.x=b, where the determined proportions of the support surfaces A of the objects for refrigeration K5, K6 correspond to the coefficients of the coefficient matrix M, the object weights O(K5) and O(K6) correspond to the unknowns of the vector x, and the weights G(9b) and G(9c) measured at the weighing plates 9b and 9c respectively correspond to the inputs of the vector b. In that case:

(19) $\left(\begin{array}{cc}A\left(K5,9b\right)& A\left(K6,9b\right)\\ A\left(K5,9c\right)& A\left(K6,9c\right)\end{array}\right)\left(\begin{array}{c}O\left(K5\right)\\ O\left(K6\right)\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}G\left(9b\right)\\ G\left(9c\right)\end{array}\right)$
with the additional condition O(K5)+O(K6)=G(9b)+G(9c). The columns of the coefficient matrix M correspond to the surface proportions of the respective objects for refrigeration K5, K6, while the rows correspond to the respective surface proportions of the objects for refrigeration K5, K6 on a particular weighing plate 9b, 9c.

(20) Assuming, by way of example, that the following have been measured or determined: A(K5, 9b)=0.5; A(K5, 9c)=0.5; A(K6, 9b)=0.3;A(K6, 9c)=0.7; G(9b)=1.9 kg and G(9c)=3.1 kg, then this equation becomes:

(21) $\left(\begin{array}{cc}0.5& 0.3\\ 0.5& 0.7\end{array}\right)\left(\begin{array}{c}O\left(K5\right)\\ O\left(K6\right)\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}1.9\mathrm{kg}\\ 3.1\mathrm{kg}\end{array}\right)$
with the additional condition O(K5)+O(K6)=5 kg. Solving the linear equation system while taking into account the additional condition gives O(K5)=2 kg and O(K6)=3 kg.

(22) It goes without saying that the present invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown.

(23) Thus, the linear equation system (including the additional condition) may in principle be applied to any number i of objects for refrigeration Ki, which may in principle be supported on the weighing plates in any way.

(24) The determination or calculation of the object weights O(Ki) of the i objects for refrigeration Ki may be carried out by means of the control unit 7, a controller of the weighing zone 9, and/or (where appropriate in distributed manner) one or more of the external instances S, N.

(25) In general, the above-mentioned variants for determining an object weight may be selected as desired, as may different variants for different objects for refrigeration and/or combinations thereof. Selection may be made for example on the basis of the image evaluation. Thus, in a development it is possible to determine automatically whether:

(26) a) an object weight is calculated by directly adding the measured weights, for example if it has been recognized that the associated object for refrigeration is by itself on the associated weighing plates,

(27) b) an object weight is calculated by dividing a measured weight by the surface proportion there, for example if only precisely one object for refrigeration has been recognized on the associated weighing plate, and/or

(28) c) an object weight is determined by formal algorithmic solving of a linear equation system.

(29) In general, the terms “one”, “a”, etc. may be understood as a singular or a plural, in particular in the context of “at least one” or “one or more”, etc., provided this is not explicitly ruled out, for example by the phrase “exactly one”, etc.

(30) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:

(31) 1 Refrigerator

(32) 2 Refrigerating compartment

(33) 3 Refrigerator door

(34) 4 Storage compartments

(35) 5 Door tray

(36) 6 Camera

(37) 7 Control unit

(38) 8 Communication module

(39) 9 Weighing zone

(40) 9a-9p Weighing plate

(41) 10 Side wall of the door tray

(42) A Support surface

(43) K1-K6 Object for refrigeration

(44) N Network server

(45) R Edge of a support surface of an object for refrigeration

(46) S Mobile user terminal