JP2006084132A - Sensor device, door device and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems of requiring a large number of sensors, being unable to photograph only when a door is opened by a certain specific distance or more by arranging a camera in an upper part in a refrigerator, and being problematic in design performance, due to having and controlling a large number of sensors for simultaneously controlling the inside and the outside of a consumer electronics apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: This invention has a casing arranged in a partition part of equipment and an apparatus, forming a part of the partition part and rotatable while maintaining closure of the partition part, and the sensor stored in the casing, detecting an external state via the casing and capable of changing the detecting direction by turning; and can detect a state in the respective directions to the partition part by at least one rotational movement of the casing and the sensor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor device, a door device, and a refrigerator that can change the state of a sensor.

  A plurality of sensors are required for devices that have a large number of sensors inside or outside the home appliance and manage the home appliance. In refrigerators, the camera is placed at the top so that it does not interfere with the door, and when the door is opened more than a certain level, the door switch detects the start and end of shooting. Techniques such as changing are disclosed. (Refer patent document 1) Moreover, the technique of organizing automatically by the robot provided with the surveillance camera and artificial intelligence in the refrigerator is disclosed. (Refer patent document 2) Moreover, the technique etc. which read the electromagnetic wave which generate | occur | produces from things like a memory label, and perform food management are proposed. (See Patent Document 3) In addition, an autofocus technique is known in which a distance is measured and focused in a video apparatus such as a camera. In addition, there is known an automatic door technology that detects a pressure at which a door is closed to notify that an object is caught in the door or opens the door again.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-42626 (FIGS. 1, 8, etc.) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-30421 (FIGS. 2, 5, etc.) JP 2000-65465 A (FIG. 2, column 0010, etc.)

  In order to manage the inside and outside of home appliances at the same time, a large number of sensors are required to manage the inside and outside of the home appliance, or in a refrigerator that stores food, the camera is placed at the top and the door is opened more than a certain amount I was able to shoot only when I was there, and there was a problem with the design. Also, if you try to manage food, it will be too expensive to manage, it will be too expensive, it can not be managed after complicated operations, or it may be nearby even if you try to read it wirelessly There are many problems such as detection of signals from foods, and there is a problem that only a specific location and a food with a specific label can be managed, and eventually there is a problem that it must be reconfirmed by human eyes. In addition, many sensors are required to manage home appliances such as air conditioners other than refrigerators and large spaces, and when moving the sensors to solve this problem, a special command is given to operate the control device or There was a problem that the management facilities would be large. In addition, there is a serious problem in terms of safety management as long as people and objects cannot be informed unless they are sandwiched between doors.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the present invention changes the direction of a sensor that forms a part of a partition part of equipment or equipment, and is easy to use. Is to get. Another object of the present invention is to obtain an apparatus that performs management of foods and other items and people and safety management with a simple structure.

A sensor device according to the present invention is provided in a partition part of equipment, equipment, etc., forms a part of the partition part and is rotatable while maintaining the closure of the partition part, and a housing housed in the case And a sensor capable of changing the detection direction by rotating to detect an external state through, and detecting the state of each direction relative to the partition portion by rotating at least one of the housing and the sensor.

A door device according to the present invention includes a door body that is provided in a partition section of equipment, equipment, etc. and is opened by rotation or sliding, and a door body and a partition section that measure an opening amount when the door body is opened. An opening amount measured by the door opening amount measuring means, comprising: a door opening amount measuring means provided on at least one; and a sensor provided in a partition near the opening of the door body and capable of changing a detection direction. The detection direction of the sensor is changed according to the above.

  Since the sensor device of the present invention can be rotated to change the detection direction, a practical and easy-to-use device that can easily check a wide range such as each direction of a partitioning part of equipment, equipment, etc. can be obtained. Moreover, since the door device of the present invention changes the detection direction in accordance with the opening amount of the door, an easy-to-use and safe device can be obtained. In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention has a simple structure and easy food management and is excellent in design.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing several examples of a refrigerator with a camera showing a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a door is opened in the refrigerator of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a sensor device that houses a camera as a sensor. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship with the sensor device when the case with the door is pulled out, and FIG. 6 is a sensor configuration diagram provided with a door opening / closing angle calculation mechanism.

  The configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 (1), the double doors 21 and 22 for the refrigerator compartment are provided in the upper part of the refrigerator 1, and the sensor device 2 with the camera attached in the vicinity of the center which is an open portion is provided in a structure that can rotate as shown in the figure. It has been. The refrigerator 1 is provided with a food storage room divided into a plurality of individual rooms, and a drawer door is provided in each independent warehouse room having different temperatures, such as an ice making room door 23, a switching room door 24, a vegetable room door 25, and a freezing room door 26. Is provided. The refrigerator 1 of FIG. 1 (2) has the same storage room configuration as (1), but the refrigerator compartment door 27 has a single opening structure so that the sensor device 2 can rotate as shown in the opening of the door. It is attached. FIG. 1 (3) has the same form and door configuration as (2) except that the mounting position of the sensor device 2 is different as it is provided at the lower end portion of the refrigerated compartment door 28 that is opened by one side. Similarly in FIG. 1 (4), the sensor device 2 is provided at the center of the refrigerator compartment door different from the opening of the single door 29. In any structure, the sensor device is provided integrally with the door, and the design can be made clean and good-looking.

  FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the door 3 of the refrigerator compartment 1 is opened in a single opening. Although the detection port 30 of the sensor device 2 is directed outward from the outer surface of the refrigerator 1 in FIG. 1, the sensor device 2 rotates and faces the inside of the refrigerator 1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows a structure in which the sensor detection port 30 of the sensor device 2 faces the inside of the slide door 4 which is fixed to the main body of the refrigerator 1 and is pulled out and is a vegetable room door drawn out. The sensor device 2 is provided in a gap position that does not hinder the opening and closing of the one-side opening and closing door 3 and is attached. The housing of the sensor device 2 in FIG. 4 has a cylindrical shape that houses the sensor 6 and can be rotated in the circumferential direction, and is a camera lens that detects video information from a detection port 30 that is elongated in the axial direction. The viewing direction as shown in the figure can be changed. By using such a case, video information in each direction can be detected by one sensor. The casing may be any material that improves the heat insulation performance, that is, a molded product such as a resin material is used without using metal. The detection port 30 in FIG. 4 seals the inside of the housing with a transparent plastic. The entire housing may be made transparent, or the inside of the housing may be decompressed to improve the heat insulation performance of the sensor device 2 portion between the outside and the inside of the refrigerator.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the slide door 4 that is a pull-out type in FIG. 3 is pulled out, and shows a conceptual diagram in which the sensor device is attached to the sealed door so as not to get in the way. In the upper figure, the detection port 30 of the sensor device 2 faces outward with the door sealed. Moreover, this housing | casing is covered with the auxiliary | assistant apparatus component 5 inside, and the cold air which is cold air does not escape outside. When the sliding door 4 is pulled out in the direction of the arrow as shown in the figure below, when the food case integrated with the door is also pulled out, the arrangement of the sensor device attached to the refrigerator body does not move and the casing rotates and the detection port 30 The food stored in the food case can be observed facing downward. When facing outward and facing downward, the distance to the image information obtained with the lens is completely different, but using a wide-angle lens or a fish-eye lens with a charge-coupled device attached, further image correction or autofocusing By providing a mechanism in the housing, information on both long distance and short distance may be obtained separately.

  This is an autofocus mechanism that measures the distance from the reflected light or sound wave that hits the subject by irradiating infrared rays or sound waves from the camera side, and is a distance measuring method that determines the position of the lens based on this distance. In this case, it is easy to focus regardless of the darkness or the contrast of the subject, and two optical images are not required for distance measurement, so that it is possible to perform distance measurement with considerable distance. In this method, information can be obtained without problems even when the door of the refrigerator is slightly opened, in the dark in the closed state, or even when the outside of the refrigerator is in the middle of the night. In addition to the active method, there is a passive method in which an image is electrically processed to determine the lens position. However, both require an electric process and a mechanical process, and are controlled by the microcomputer 9 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sensor configuration diagram provided with a door opening / closing angle calculation mechanism. A camera direction changing motor 8 for changing the detection direction of the camera lens 6 is provided in the housing 2 to change the camera direction. Further, the camera direction is rotated by a camera unit rotation motor that rotates the casing. In addition, 12 is an illuminating device and has faced the direction of the detection port 30 always. Control of the camera rotation motor 7 and camera direction changing motor 8, that is, camera direction control, is detected by the hall IC 10 by the rotation of the door shaft rotation detection magnet 11 that rotates following the door rotation, and is calculated by the microcomputer 9. The motor driving device 13 controls the rotation angle of the motor. Even with a sensor other than the camera, the microcomputer 9 and the driving device 13 operate and control the sensor. The door shaft rotation detection device may be provided directly on the rotation shaft of the hinge portion that holds the door and supports the rotation, or the rotation angle is changed from the rotation shaft at a position other than the hinge portion by the link mechanism. May be picked up.

  Next, the operation will be described. When the sensor device 2 configured as described above is used in the refrigerator of FIG. 1, a rotatable sensor can confirm the inside and outside of the home appliance with a sensor such as a single camera. In a refrigerator or the like, the sensor can be provided at various positions according to the purpose as shown in FIG. Further, another sensor may be provided in place of the camera lens as in the structure of FIG. 6, or different types of sensors other than the camera lens are combined with the camera lens by rotating the motor 8 together with the camera lens. May be. The sensor device 2 in FIG. 1 (1) uses a camera lens 6 and is provided on the door with the narrower width of the door 21 in the vertical direction with the fixing portion of the motor 7 down so that image information can be taken out both inside and outside. The casing is rotated by rotation of the motor 7 by being fitted to the elastic mechanism and fixed so as to be detachable. The sensor device 2 is cylindrical and is elongated and fixed integrally with the door even when the door is opened, so the door 21 is opened and does not interfere with food removal etc., but the width is narrower and the movement of opening and closing the door is small. The number of times of opening and closing is provided in the door 21 which is smaller than that of the door 22 to further reduce the obstruction of taking out food. Although not shown, the door is opened and closed by a handle provided at the lower portion of the door or a handle having the same protrusion as the sensor device at the lower portion of the sensor device 2 from the outer surface of the door.

  The sensor device 2 in FIG. 1 (2) is the same as (1), but the food detection range inside the refrigerator is different. When the vertical door is provided near the center of the double doors, the pockets on the far side of the refrigerator compartment and the door 22 can be detected almost by simply opening the door 22 and rotating the casing. On the other hand, when it is provided on the opening side of the single door, it is necessary to move the sensor device 2 with a mechanism such as a link mechanism for slightly detecting the door pocket portion. In the configuration of FIG. 1 (3), the sensor device 2 is mounted horizontally in the lower part of the single door. In this case, the sensor 6 may be a camera, but as an infrared detection element for external detection, it is used for human body detection or monitoring of a heat generating part that generates heat by operating a heater, gas, range, rice cooker, dishwasher, etc. in the kitchen. On the other hand, when the door is opened, the detection direction of the sensor provided below the door is preset in advance such that the detection direction is substantially horizontal or lower. In this case, the sensor is a directional antenna that picks up the radio wave information, and the radio wave information attached to the food to be stored or the radio wave information from the microchip is placed near the lower end of the door and the food is written on the tag. Information will be read. In other words, a tag or the like is provided with a reader function with this sensor to read food or the like so as to be attached to the lower end surface of the door or the lower end portion of the door. In this case, it may be read by rotating the sensor, or the sensor can be easily read by moving food in a fixed direction.

In this structure, both sides of the door, that is, the outer side and the inner side are not detected by the sensor, but only the outer side and the lower side can be detected by the sensor. If the sensor device 2 in which only the directional antenna is housed in the housing without providing the infrared detecting element at the upper end portion of the door 3 in the refrigerator of FIG. The food information can be read wirelessly by bringing the food close to the upper end of 3. In the case of information such as a barcode, it is desirable to have a reader function that can be used as a sensor. Furthermore, in this structure, the rotation of the housing by the motor 7 is not necessarily required. That is, only the outside of the door may be detected, and only the detection direction is provided on the surface of the lower end of the door. In that case, it is possible to detect whether the refrigerator compartment door 28 is opened or closed simply by placing a directional antenna below the infrared detecting element that detects the room from the refrigerator, and store it outside the refrigerator compartment. Useful for reading food information. When a reader that reads food information from tags or barcodes attached to food stored in the refrigerator as described above is provided as a sensor function, if the door is closed, the food is brought close to the surface of the door. When the door is opened, information can be easily read by an operation of moving along or along the surface, the lower end surface or the upper end surface, or by continuing these operations.

  In the configuration of FIG. 1 (4), an infrared irradiation device and an infrared detection camera are set as a sensor 6 and incorporated in the housing. This enables detection in a dark state, whether external or internal. This makes it easy to monitor the room in the dark, such as at night, and is effective as a safety measure. For the sliding door 4 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the fixing portion of the motor 7 for rotating the camera portion of the sensor device 2 is fixed to the refrigerator main body which is the fixing side for sliding the door. The position of the detection port 30 of the sensor device 2 is rotated according to the amount by which the slide door 4 is pulled out by the rotation of the motor 7. Note that the door pull-out amount detection device may be provided directly on the food storage case interlocked with the sliding door by simply changing the rotation angle detection of the door shaft rotation detection device to a flat amount, or on the rail that supports this case. A structure may be provided in which a rotation angle is detected by providing a mechanism that rotates according to the movement of the case.

  The sensor 6 in the structure of FIG. 6 is controlled by a stepping motor 8 or the like, and includes a stopper so that the cord passing therethrough cannot be rotated in the same direction so that the cord cannot be wound. In the case of a refrigerator or the like, if a sensor 6 such as a camera is provided, cold air may escape and energy efficiency may be deteriorated, so that there is no cold air leakage from the inside as in the auxiliary device component 5 shown in FIG. The inside of the refrigerator is made to be a sealed structure using auxiliary equipment parts 5. When the sensor is a camera, the auxiliary device component 5 uses a transparent heat insulating material such as silica aerogel for the scannable portion of the sensor so that the inside of the housing is sealed. In addition, these sensors and parts are provided with anti-condensation measures such as vacuum glass and anti-freezing measures. If this is still not enough, take measures such as installing wipers and other parts.

Moreover, when the place where the sensor is provided is a door, it becomes an obstacle when opening and closing the door. However, if the sensor is provided between the doors, an extra space is required. When the door is opened from the state A as shown in FIG. 5, a mechanism for moving the auxiliary device component 5 to a position where it is not obstructed by the motor or gear is provided as in B. If the interior is dark, you cannot use a sensor such as a camera. In a refrigerator or the like, when the door is opened as shown in FIG. 2, the opening angle of the hall IC 10 including a door shaft rotation detection magnet 11 which is a permanent magnet provided on the door shaft and a hall element for detecting the opening angle is provided. The result of the measurement device is calculated by the MPU 9 and the opening / closing angle is calculated. Based on the result, the angle change of the auxiliary device 2 itself such as a camera is changed to an angle at which it can be easily photographed by the camera rotation motor 7, and Use this to shoot the interior with automatic adjustment. When the image sensor used for the camera cannot shoot wide, it is possible to shoot a wide range by swinging the camera lens 6 perpendicularly to the rotation direction of the casing with the camera direction changing motor 8 inside the casing of the sensor device 2. Is possible. In the case of the sliding door 4, as shown in FIG. In addition, when the camera is rotated to take a picture when it is closed, the interior lamp of the refrigerator may be turned on, or the lighting device 12 may be provided in the camera.

  As described above, by providing the sensor capable of changing the detection direction of the present invention, in the refrigerator 1 or the like, for example, the user who has opened and closed can be recognized at the same time by setting in advance in the storage means of the microcomputer 9. It is also possible to record, thereby detecting the intrusion of a suspicious person. When the sensor is facing outside such as the home appliance 1 or when a plurality of sensors are provided, the human body can be detected even at night. The camera may be provided with an illumination device, or an infrared communication device or the like may be provided, and illumination or the like may be turned on by communication provided via the microcomputer 9. The same applies when the sensor device 2 is provided in an air conditioner or the like. For example, a sensor device can be attached to the exterior of an air conditioner indoor unit as an air conditioner, and an operation signal of the air direction control plate of the indoor unit can be transmitted to cause the sensor to perform the same operation as the vertical and horizontal operations of the control plate. . By providing a radiation temperature sensor as this sensor, the temperature in the direction in which the wind is blown can be confirmed by simply connecting the wiring of the air conditioner indoor unit to the sensor device. In this way, the sensor is rotated by driving the motor 7 or 8 in accordance with the operation state of the operation unit that performs the original operation of the facility, the device, or the like provided in the facility or the device or a signal for operating the operation unit. Furthermore, by providing a communication means such as infrared communication, it can be used for other purposes such as reducing the lighting cost when there is no person other than security to save electricity and using it for nighttime lighting.

  In the above description, the casing of the sensor device has been described by transferring a thin cylindrical tube, but it is not limited to this shape. For example, only the sensor device can be shown on the interior and attached to the wall. FIG. 7 shows an example of a housing on a sphere. The indoor situation can be monitored in the form of a lighting device provided near the door in the room, and a driving switch is turned on as the door is opened and closed to rotate the sensory motor at a predetermined time set by a timer. Of course, a lighting fixture such as a fluorescent lamp may be housed in the housing, and it may be combined with lighting.

  In addition, in order to inform the family where meals are made and placed, it is possible to identify individuals by combining the image sensor with a sensor or a fingerprint authentication device provided on the handle of the door. Notification may be made through a human interface such as a speaker or a liquid crystal, or by using an illumination provided on the door. When the sensor device 2 is provided in an air conditioner or the like, by checking the inside, it is possible to check the state of the parts, whether the heat exchanger is dry, etc., and it becomes possible to prevent mold more accurately than before. In addition, it is useful for analyzing the cause of failure by regularly analyzing internal information.

  When these home appliances are connected to a home network by wire or wireless, the information of these sensors can be browsed outside the home, so that the home appliances can be operated based on the information. When the refrigerator is equipped with the sensor device 2, food is recognized in combination with information such as a weight sensor and a wireless tag, or food that has entered a tapper or the like is recognized by the sensor such as a camera to detect the remaining amount and Since the freshness can be displayed and the interesting information and knowledge of the food accompanying it can be displayed at the same time, it can be easily checked from a mobile terminal or the like from outside the house, which can be useful for shopping. By giving instructions to write new information such as freshness and quantity in the database of the wireless tag or refrigerator based on the information, the whole family can share the same information for the food. In addition, if the previous state is stored as a database, it can be compared and examined based on information obtained at supermarkets and the like, and appropriate information such as varieties can be provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, for the two rooms 31 and 32 on both sides partitioned by the wall 33, a method of using a single sensor device can confirm both rooms by attaching a rotary camera to the wall 33. There is also. In the case of the sensor device of the present invention, since it is hermetically sealed with respect to the rooms 31 and 32 on both sides, only the housing can be rotated and monitored by the camera, the air-conditioned air does not leak, and waste of energy can be prevented. Further, FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining another example of use in the case of a sliding door. A window 37 is provided in a vehicle body 34 of a vehicle 40 such as a train, and the sliding door 36 opens and closes on the rail 35. A door opening / closing mechanism 38 is provided in a storage portion that stores the door 36 when the door 36 is opened, and is driven in response to a communication command to open and close the door 36. The sensor device 2 of the present invention is provided on the vehicle body 34 at the upper part of the portion immediately before the door 36 is to be closed. Naturally, the door opening / closing mechanism 38 may use hydraulic pressure or the like instead of a mechanical instrument. The sensor device 2 may be inside or outside the vehicle body 34, but is fixed by bolts or screws where it does not obstruct the opening and closing of the sliding door. The sensor device of the present invention is a fully-closed mechanism, and no problem occurs even if it is used outdoors. In other words, the sensor device is a sensor device that monitors the state near the door opening when the door 36 is fully opened from the initial small opening amount when the door 36 is opened and further closes, and confirms safety so that no object is pinched. As a sensor of this sensor device, an ultrasonic transmitter that emits sound waves and a sound wave detector that detects reflected sound waves are provided.

  The opening amount that the door 36 opens or closes can be obtained from the operation amount signal of the door opening / closing mechanism. The motor 7 is driven according to the opening amount. In the case of a large open amount that allows humans to get on and off, the housing is irradiated with sound waves obliquely downward with respect to the outside of the vehicle, and the door 36 is closed and the housing is rotated to the direction immediately below to detect the sound waves in stages. Or do it continuously. The motor 8 is also rotated by receiving a similar signal so that the sensor faces from the vicinity of the center of the door opening to the vicinity of the center of the opening that is open immediately before closing. If there is something moving at the door opening in the middle of closing from the door opening amount and the reflected sound wave state detected by the sound wave detector, the movement state is judged, the door opening / closing mechanism 38 is stopped, and an abnormal signal is sent. I can do it. In other words, the door closing is stopped by judging while following the movement such as jumping on the train, etc., or when the door of the car starts to open by mistake, the movement of the person or person is judged and the door is opened halfway It will be useful as a safety measure, such as stopping at. When the door opening / closing operation is performed by a human hand, a sensor that detects an image instead of a sound wave may be used. By using not only an ordinary lens but also a wide-angle lens or fish-eye lens in combination with an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and using a means for analyzing a captured image, a wider range of information can be obtained without moving the camera. Such a safety device can be used in automobiles, factories, schools, etc., and the same configuration is possible with a revolving door instead of a sliding door.

  As an application example of the present invention, there is provided a rotatable camera for home appliances such as a refrigerator. You can shoot inside and outside the refrigerator with one camera. Thereby, food information is acquired by photographing the interior. The remaining amount of food such as bins and tappers and the state of cooked food can be checked and viewed via the network. For foods with wireless tags and refrigerators with weight sensors, information is shared in combination with them, and the date and amount used are judged by image recognition using a camera. You can always know the latest information outside the house by writing in. Compared with information acquired by mobile phones at supermarkets, it is possible to provide appropriate information such as freshness, production area, price, and quantity. Also, taking pictures outside the refrigerator can be useful for surveillance cameras and user management.

As described above, the present invention is provided with a home appliance or the like, and is provided with a sensor device that automatically changes the orientation. It is possible to obtain convenient home appliances that can obtain a wide range of information, such as confirming both.

Further, according to the present invention, in a home appliance with an opening / closing mechanism such as a door, the detection direction of the sensor can be changed depending on the degree of opening / closing, and the detection state can be changed with a simple structure. In this case, the sensor can move both in the rotational direction and in the vertical direction. Further, the configuration can be simplified by using the function of the home appliance to assist the operation of the sensor.

In addition, in the sensor device provided in the case of home appliances such as a refrigerator or an air conditioner, when using a sensor such as a camera that forms condensation or fogging, the sensor can be provided with a function of preventing condensation or preventing fogging. Useful image information can be obtained and erroneous signal acquisition can be prevented. Also, by using a plurality of sensors at the same time, it can be used for security and the like.

Information obtained by home appliances using auxiliary devices such as sensor devices can be browsed via a network, and home appliances can be managed based on the results. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a communication network configuration of a refrigerator that uses the sensor device of the present invention. The microcomputer 9 and the motor drive device 13 are assembled on the control board 51 of the sensor device 2 attached to the refrigerator, and connected to the refrigerator control board 52 in the refrigerator electrical box to receive power supply and the like. A communication device is mounted on the sensor device control board, and is connected to the outdoor Internet 71 via a router 70 arranged indoors. Moreover, the signal of the lure-inducing force attached to the refrigerator can be connected to the sensor device 2 provided at another location. The Internet 71 is connected to a mobile phone 73, a personal computer 74, a PDA 75, and the like, and is also connected to an ASP application provider 72 and the like. Video information, security information, and the like from the sensor device 2 can be monitored outdoors using a mobile phone 73 or the like, or can be stored in a data server of the ASP 72 and various processes can be performed using communication.

  FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the control board in the network configuration of FIG. The sensor device 2 and the sensor device control board 51 may be provided integrally, or may be disposed at completely different locations. When a camera is used as a sensor, a camera control unit 61 that controls the camera module 53 that is the sensor is provided on the substrate 51. The video information detected by the sensor is stored in the storage device 60, and the home appliance communication unit control unit 59 that performs control when the information to be stored, displayed, or combined with the information is obtained in the refrigerator. From the connector 62, the control content is transmitted via the connector 63 to the refrigerator control unit 65 provided on the refrigerator control board 52 provided in the electrical component box of the refrigerator. On the other hand, electric power is sent from the power supply 64 to the sensor device side from the refrigerator control board 52. The sensor device control board 51 is provided with various protocols 57 and a communication driver 58 for communication, and is equipped with a wired LAN connector 54, an I / F 55 for wireless communication, a communication control unit 56, and the like. As a result, information transmission is possible both by wire and wirelessly. 10 is transmitted from the antenna to the router 70 via the communication control unit 56 mounted on the sensor device control board 51 in FIG. 10 and wirelessly communicated not only with the external mobile phone 73 through the Internet but also with other sensor devices 2. Can be transmitted. In addition, it has been explained that it can be obtained from equipment, equipment, etc. as a power source, or taken from a power source located in the vicinity of home appliances, etc. However, when using communication, a solar cell or a fuel cell may be used as a power source as a stand-alone Is natural.

As described above, information from the sensor device of the present invention is effectively used using various communications, and can perform safety management, food management, and the like. In this way, by using a rotatable sensor that is integrated with equipment and facilities, the state of the sensor is easily linked to the operation of the equipment and equipment, so that information can be easily communicated. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an easy-to-use device and equipment with a simple structure, and it is possible to use a sensor device useful for safety. In addition, it is possible to obtain a device that reliably manages foods and people, things, and safety with a simple structure.

  The home electric appliance of the present invention includes a rotatable sensor, and the inside and outside of the home electric appliance can be confirmed with one sensor, and the number of sensors can be minimized. There is an effect that security can be used by changing the direction of a sensor such as a camera according to the use or in conjunction with the original operation of the home appliance. Further sensor device of the present invention is configured and spherical like shape selective pencil type free, and, what facilities for small and lightweight, but also can be attached also easily be provided in the device, the design to itself Can be united with each other, and a device with good appearance can be obtained.

It is a block diagram which shows the sensor apparatus attachment state of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the sensor apparatus operation | movement at the time of door opening / closing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of a sensor apparatus operation | movement at the time of sliding door door opening / closing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the swing by the sensor operation | movement of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sensor apparatus operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of the door opening / closing operation | movement of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a door opening / closing angle calculation mechanism and sensor apparatus structure explanatory drawing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is another door opening / closing angle calculation mechanism and sensor apparatus structure explanatory drawing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is indoor application structure explanatory drawing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is vehicle application structure explanatory drawing of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a network block diagram of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a sensor apparatus functional structure block diagram of Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Home appliance, 2 Auxiliary device, 3 Door, 4 Sliding door, 5 Auxiliary equipment parts, 6 Camera lens, 7 Camera part rotation motor, 8 Camera direction change motor, 9 Microcomputer, 10 Hall IC, 11 Door axis rotation Magnet for detection, 12 lighting device, 13 motor drive device, 21, 22 refrigerator compartment dose opening door, 23 ice making door, 24 switching chamber door, 25 vegetable compartment door, 26 freezer compartment door, 27, 28 refrigerator compartment door, 29 Single door, 30 detection ports, 31, 32 rooms, 33 walls, 34 vehicle bodies, 35 rails, 36 slide doors, 37 windows, 38 slide door opening / closing mechanism, 40 vehicles, 51 sensor device control board, 52 refrigerator control board, 53 Camera module, 54 wired LAN connector, 55 I / F, 56 communication control unit, 57 protocol, 58 for communication Driver, 59 home appliance communication unit control unit, 60 storage device, 61 camera control unit, 62, 63 connector, 64 power supply, 65 refrigerator control unit, 70 router, 71 Internet, 72 ASP, 73 mobile phone, 74 PC, 75 PDA.

Claims (12)

A casing that is provided in a partition section of equipment, equipment, etc. and that forms a part of the partition section and can be rotated while maintaining the closure of the partition section, and an external state that is housed in the casing and is passed through the casing And a sensor capable of changing a detection direction by detecting rotation, and detecting a state of each direction with respect to the partition portion by rotation of at least one of the housing and the sensor. . 2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the casing and the sensor rotate in different directions. 2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of different types of sensors are provided in the housing. 2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein an irradiation device that irradiates electromagnetic waves or sound waves in the same direction as the sensor is provided in the housing. 2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the casing is sealed or depressurized, or a partition that partially covers the casing is provided to insulate the temperature difference between both sides of the partition. The housing or the sensor is rotated according to an operation state of an operation unit that performs an operation of the facility, the device, or the like provided in the facility, the device, or a signal for operating the operation unit. Item 6. The sensor device according to any one of Items 1 to 5. The information detected by the sensor provided in the housing is at least image information by a camera or the like, electromagnetic wave information by an infrared detection element or the like, sound wave information for detecting a reflected wave of an irradiated sound wave, or radio wave information by a directional antenna. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the number is one. Provided in at least one of the door body that is provided in the partition part of equipment, equipment, etc. and is opened by rotating or sliding, and the door body and the partition part for measuring the opening amount when the door body is opened. According to the opening amount measured by the door opening amount measuring means, and a door opening amount measuring means and a sensor provided in a partition part in the vicinity of the opening of the door body and capable of changing the detection direction. A door device that changes a detection direction of the sensor. The change in the detection direction of the sensor is classified into at least two stages, that is, an opening initial stage with a small opening amount or immediately before closing and a stage with a large opening amount that can be taken in and out even when the door body is opened. The door device according to claim 8. The door device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the information detected by the sensor is directly or stored and transmitted by communication to be notified or displayed. A refrigerator comprising the sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the door device according to any one of claims 8 to 10. A housing that is provided at the upper end or lower end of the refrigerator door and forms a part of the refrigerator door and is formed of a heat insulating material, a sensor that is housed in the housing and detects an external state through the housing, The information stored in the stored item is contactlessly provided by the sensor by bringing the stored item stored in the refrigerator compartment close to the outer surface or the lower or upper end surface of the refrigerator door. A refrigerator characterized by reading.

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