JPH11337252A - Refrigerator usage comparison system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] The present invention objectively evaluates the power consumption of one's refrigerator from the result of comparing and evaluating a refrigerator of a specific user with other refrigerators, and when the power consumption is high, Investigate the cause. SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 transmits usage data such as power usage measured by a power usage measurement unit 11 to a center device 3, and the center device 3 uses a statistical processing unit 31 to output usage status data from a plurality of refrigerators. The data is totaled, statistically processed and compared, and the statistical processing result is output to the output means 33.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and quantifies the usage of a user by comparing it with others.
It is intended to suggest to the user how to use less power.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, awareness of protecting the global environment has been increasing for both manufacturers and users. For example, in order to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission that causes global warming, home appliances are required to be energy-saving.

[0003] Refrigerators are devices that use the largest amount of electric power at home as well as air conditioners, and there is a strong demand for energy saving. Therefore, in recent years, hardware-based energy savings have been rapidly progressing due to improvements in heat insulating materials and the like, and such energy savings are approaching the limit. Next, attention is paid to software-based energy saving such as usage.

[0004] Speaking of how to use the refrigerator, it is important to use the refrigerator efficiently and to maintain the temperature inside the refrigerator once cooled. For example, the former does not overload things in the refrigerator, the latter shortens the opening time of the door, and the hot one cools down before putting in.

[0005] Since the refrigerator operates continuously for 24 hours, the difference due to such usage causes a large difference in annual power consumption. Therefore, the energy saving of the refrigerator can be realized by the user trying to use the electric power with less consumption.

[0006]

In order for a user to keep in mind how to use a small amount of electric power and to further reduce the energy consumption of the refrigerator, the index is required. First, the user needs to know the power consumption of the refrigerator. Then, it is necessary to determine whether the power consumption is appropriate.

In the former case, the refrigerator may be provided with a power consumption meter to measure the power consumption of the refrigerator alone. In view of this, the user can judge whether the power consumption is large or small by comparing the monthly power consumption. However, as in the latter case, it is difficult to determine whether the power consumption is large or small in general.

[0008] For this purpose, it is assumed that a standard power consumption of the refrigerator is announced by a manufacturer. The standard power consumption here is the power consumption in a standard usage state determined by the manufacturer. Therefore, the number of family members, the family structure such as age, the climate of the living area such as warm and cold areas are not taken into consideration, and the amount stored in the refrigerator may differ from the actual use. Since the power consumption of refrigerators differs depending on each home and area where they live, it is not possible to simply compare them with standard power consumption.

From the above, in order for a user to keep in mind how to use a small amount of electric power, the index is necessary, which is the amount of electric power in consideration of his / her family structure, the area where he / she lives, and the refrigerator used. . This gives the user a measure to reduce his power usage.

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to inform the user of the standard amount of power used in his own refrigerator,
The purpose is to encourage users to use less power.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a refrigerator usage comparison system connected to a plurality of refrigerators, a center device, and a communication line such as a public line network. Power usage measurement means for measuring the amount of power, usage status recording means for recording the output from the power usage measurement means as usage data of the refrigerator, and transmission for transmitting the usage data to the center device by connecting to a communication line A center unit connected to a communication line to receive usage data from a plurality of refrigerators; a statistical processing unit for totalizing the usage data, statistically processing and comparing the data, and a result of the statistical processing. And output means for outputting

According to the above invention, the refrigerator records the usage data of the amount of power consumption and transmits it to the center device, and the center device statistically processes and compares the usage data of the plurality of refrigerators. The person can objectively evaluate the power consumption of his / her refrigerator based on the result of comparing and evaluating his / her refrigerator and other refrigerators, and can think of a method of using less power.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention can be embodied in the form described in each claim.

That is, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a power consumption measuring means for measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator, a usage recording means for recording the output from the power usage measurement means as the usage data of the refrigerator, Transmission means for connecting to a line and transmitting usage data to the center device,
The center device is connected to a communication line, receiving means for receiving usage data from a plurality of refrigerators, statistical processing means for counting, statistically processing and comparing the usage data, and outputting means for outputting the statistical processing result It is provided with.

[0015] Then, the refrigerator records the usage data of the power consumption and transmits it to the center device, and the center device statistically processes and compares the collected usage data of the plurality of refrigerators. From the result of comparing and evaluating the refrigerator and other refrigerators, the power consumption of one's own refrigerator can be objectively evaluated, and a method of using less power can be considered.

The statistical processing means collects and statistically processes the usage data, obtains an average value, a median, a standard deviation, etc. of the usage data, and compares them with the usage data of a specific refrigerator.

The statistical processing means compares the average value, median value, standard deviation, and the like of the plurality of refrigerator usage data with the usage data of the specific refrigerator, so that the user of the specific refrigerator can use his / her own refrigerator. And other refrigerators.

Further, the center device has database means having device information such as a model number of a refrigerator in each home,
The statistical processing means is for summarizing, statistically processing and comparing usage status data in a plurality of refrigerators in which at least a part of the device information has the same condition.

Since the center apparatus extracts and compares a plurality of refrigerators having the same model number and the like from the totaled usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of households, the refrigerator having the same conditions as the refrigerator of the specific user is used. Can be selected, and the accuracy of the usage comparison can be further enhanced.

Further, the center device includes a database unit having user information such as a family structure and a place of residence of each home, and the statistical processing unit uses a plurality of refrigerators in which at least a part of the user information has the same condition. The data is aggregated, statistically processed, and compared.

Since the center apparatus extracts and compares a plurality of households having the same condition of family composition and place of residence from the aggregated usage data of the refrigerators of the plurality of homes, the center apparatus is the same as the refrigerator of the specific user. Refrigerators of different conditions can be selected, and the accuracy of usage comparison can be further improved.

Further, the refrigerator is provided with an internal temperature measuring means for measuring the internal temperature, and the use state recording means is adapted to measure the internal temperature from the internal temperature measuring means and the electric power consumption from the electric power consumption measuring means. It is also used as usage data.

Then, the use status recording means transmits the combined use of the internal temperature from the internal temperature measurement means and the electric power consumption from the electric power consumption measurement means to the center device as the use status data. The temperature in the refrigerator and the power consumption are statistically processed and compared in the usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the inside temperature and the power consumption, and can think of a method of using less power.

Further, a door open / close measuring means for detecting an open state of the door and measuring a door open time and the number of times of opening / closing is provided. This is used as usage data together with the power consumption from the measuring means.

Then, the usage status recording means transmits the opening time of the door from the door opening / closing measurement means and the power usage from the power usage measurement means to the center device as usage status data. Statistical processing is performed on the time and frequency of opening of the doors and the power consumption in the usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes to compare the results. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between how to open his door and the amount of power consumption, and can think of a method of using less power.

Further, the refrigerator is provided with an internal temperature distribution measuring means for measuring the internal temperature distribution, and the use state recording means is provided with the internal temperature distribution from the internal temperature distribution measuring means and the power consumption measuring means. And the amount of power used together as usage data.

Then, the usage status recording means transmits the temperature distribution in the refrigerator from the temperature distribution measurement device in the refrigerator and the power consumption from the power consumption measurement device to the center device as usage data. Compares statistically the distribution of the temperature in the refrigerator and the power consumption in the totaled usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the temperature distribution in the refrigerator and the electric power consumption, and can think of a method of using less electric power.

Further, the refrigerator is provided with in-compartment quantity measuring means for measuring the bottom area and mass of the object placed in the compartment, and the use state recording means is provided with the quantity of the in-compartment from the in-compartment quantity measuring means. The usage data is used together with the power usage from the power usage measuring means.

Then, the usage status recording means combines the bottom area and mass of the object put in the storage from the storage quantity measurement means with the power usage from the power usage measurement means as the usage data as the center device. , The center device statistically processes and compares the amount of in-compartment items and the amount of electric power used in the aggregated usage data of refrigerators of a plurality of homes. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the amount of items in the storage and the amount of power consumption, and can think of a method of using less power.

The transmitting means of the refrigerator transmits the usage data to the wireless receiving device using wireless communication, and the wireless receiving device is connected to a communication line to transmit the usage data to the center device. In the usage comparison system, the transmitting means is configured as a separate housing from the refrigerator and can be retrofitted or replaced with the refrigerator body. And since the refrigerator and the communication line are connected using wireless communication, there is no need to extend the communication line to the place where the refrigerator is installed.In addition, the transmission means can be retrofitted and exchanged with the refrigerator body as a separate housing from the refrigerator. It is easy to deal with radio interference.

[0031]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a refrigerator usage comparison system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, there is a refrigerator 1 in a certain home. Refrigerator 1 is connected to center device 3 through communication line 2 and communicates with refrigerator 1 in each home and center device 3.

The communication from the refrigerator 1 to the center device 3 as communication contents includes information useful for investigating usage such as usage data of the refrigerator, and useful information for specifying the refrigerator such as a model number and a serial number of the refrigerator. Information is included.

In addition, from the center device 3 to the refrigerator 1, as a response to the above-mentioned notification, the evaluation result of the usage and the life expectancy obtained by comparing the usage data of the refrigerator, the details of the failure and the estimation of the repair are included. It is. These are notified to the user by the display means 4 provided in the refrigerator 1.
The display means 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal display.

Here, the communication line 2 is a public line network such as an analog telephone line and a digital telephone line.

Next, the refrigerator 1 and the center device 3 shown in FIG.
2 is shown in FIG. The refrigerator 1 has a power consumption measuring means 11 for measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator, a temperature measuring means 12 for measuring the temperature inside the refrigerator, and an opening state of the door to detect the open state of the door and the number of times the door is opened and closed. Opening / closing measuring means 13 for measuring the number of doors, user identifying means 1 for identifying the person who opens and closes the door
4. Clock means 15 for measuring time, power consumption measuring means 11, internal temperature measuring means 12, door opening / closing measuring means 13, user identification means 14, and clock means 15 are collectively recorded as usage data. The apparatus includes a use state recording unit 16, a transmission unit 17 connected to a communication line to transmit use state data to the center device 3, and a device control unit 18 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 1.

Thus, usage status data such as the amount of electric power used in the refrigerator 1, the temperature in the refrigerator, the opening and closing time and time of the door are recorded and transmitted to the center device 3.

The frequency of transmission is periodically transmitted by the clock means 15 once a day, for example, once a day. In addition, the frequency is also transmitted when the temperature inside the refrigerator exceeds a predetermined range or when the amount of power consumption changes suddenly. I do. Such a transmission request is issued by the use status recording unit 16.

On the other hand, the center device 3 includes a receiving means 30 connected to a communication line for receiving usage data from a plurality of refrigerators, a statistical processing means 31 for totalizing the usage data, statistically processing and comparing them, Output means 32 for outputting the result of the statistical processing. Further, a database unit 33 is provided which stores the model number notified from the refrigerator 1 and outputs data of the refrigerator to the statistical processing unit 31 if necessary at the time of statistical processing.

As described above, since the use condition data such as the electric power consumption and the internal temperature of the plurality of refrigerators are collected by the center device and statistically processed, the average value, median value, standard deviation, etc. of the use condition data of the plurality of refrigerators are obtained. can get. Based on this, if compared with the usage data of a home refrigerator, the refrigerator's power consumption is higher or lower than the average value, and if it is higher, the refrigerator temperature is higher than the average. You can see if there are any, whether the number of opening and closing of the doors and the opening time are too long.

The database means 33 of the center device 3 has equipment information of refrigerators in each home and user information of each home. The equipment information includes information indicating the characteristics of the refrigerator, such as the manufacturer, model number, and serial number.The user information includes information indicating the characteristics of the family, such as the number of family members and age, and the characteristics of the family such as the housing style and place of residence. It is.

Each home refrigerator is assigned an identification code (ID) for communication, and when communicating between the refrigerator 1 and the center device 3, a communication partner is recognized using this ID. This ID is also registered in the database means 33, and the statistical processing means 31 searches the home device information and user information using the ID.

As described above, the statistical processing means 31 can improve the accuracy of usage comparison by statistically processing and comparing the usage data with a plurality of refrigerators under the same condition using the device information and the user information. it can.

The equipment information such as the serial number is stored in each refrigerator at the time of shipment, and is transmitted to the center device 3 via the communication line 2 and registered in the database means 33. The user information such as the family structure is heard from the user by telephone or postcard, and the manager of the center device 3 registers the information in the database means 33.

For example, if the same refrigerator is extracted from the manufacturer and the model number and compared, it is possible to make a comparison in consideration of the performance difference between the old and new refrigerators and the capacity difference between large and small refrigerators. Furthermore, if refrigerators of a household having the same family structure such as the number of family members and age, and refrigerators of the same usage environment such as a house style and a place of residence are extracted and compared, it is possible to further enhance the accuracy of comparison of usage.

As described above, the database unit 33 allows the center apparatus 3 to compare and use the plurality of homes having the same model number, family structure, use environment, etc. in the refrigerator usage data of the plurality of homes. Is evaluated, the accuracy of the usage comparison can be further improved.

The results of these statistical processes are printed by output means 32 such as a printer and mailed to the user's home,
To send by. From this, the user can objectively evaluate the power consumption of his / her refrigerator based on the result of the comparison between his / her refrigerator and other refrigerators, and know what is the cause when the power consumption is high. Alternatively, the statistical processing result may be transmitted from the center device 3 to the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. 1 and displayed on the display means 4 (for example, a liquid crystal display) provided in the refrigerator 1.

Here, the inside temperature measuring means 12 will be described. The refrigerator temperature measuring means 12 is a thermometer installed in the refrigerator 1 and periodically measures the refrigerator temperature.

The inside temperature measuring means 12 and the power consumption measuring means 11 have a close relationship. The reason is that when the temperature in the refrigerator rises, the power consumption increases to lower the temperature.

Therefore, the refrigerator 1 is operated by the statistical processing means 31.
By comparing the internal temperature of the storage with the power usage, it can be understood how the power usage changes depending on the internal temperature. This allows the user to objectively evaluate the power consumption of his / her refrigerator, and to know whether or not there is a cause in the refrigerator temperature when the power consumption is large.

Next, the door opening / closing measuring means 13 will be described. The door opening / closing measuring means 13 is a switch installed on the door portion of the refrigerator 1, and is turned on, for example, when opened, and turned off when closed. The number of times of opening / closing is counted by counting the number of times of switching from OFF to ON, and the ON time is integrated to measure the opening time. The time interval between opening and closing is also measured.

The door opening / closing measuring means 13, the power consumption measuring means 11, and the inside temperature measuring means 12 have a close relationship. This is because if the number of times the door is opened and closed is increased, or if the opening time is increased, or if the time interval between opening and closing is shortened, the internal temperature rises, and the amount of power consumption increases to lower the temperature. There is a close relationship with the clock means 15 that measures the time. The act of opening the refrigerator door is at breakfast, lunch,
This is because it is often used during dinner.

Then, the statistical processing means 31 causes the refrigerator 1
By comparing the opening time and the number of times of opening and closing of the door with the electric power consumption and the internal temperature, it can be understood how the electric power consumption and the internal temperature change depending on the opening time and the opening frequency of the door. This allows the user to objectively evaluate the power consumption of his / her refrigerator and to know whether or not there is a cause in how to open the refrigerator door when the power consumption is high.

At this time, if the user identification means 14 is used, the opening time and the number of opening and closing times of the door can be checked for each person. When it is determined that the number of times of opening and closing the door is large and the opening time is long, it is necessary to know who has the problem of how to open the door. Therefore, the user is identified by the user identification means 14 and recorded in the use status recording means 16 and transmitted to the center device 3 and the statistical processing means 31 statistically processes the number of times of opening and closing, the opening time and the time interval of opening and closing for each user. I do. For example, it can be understood that the number of opening and closing times of the child is large. This allows the whole family to consider how to open and close the door that consumes less power.

The user identification means 14 is, for example, a method of identifying a user by inputting a personal identification code from the user.
Various methods are conceivable, such as a method of identifying with a user's fingerprint, and a method of identifying by height or face image recognition.

Further, by providing both the inside temperature measuring means 12 and the door opening / closing measuring means 13, it is possible to remove the change in the temperature distribution when the door is opened and perform the statistical processing.

(Embodiment 2) Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

The refrigerator 1 includes a temperature distribution measuring means 19 for measuring the temperature distribution in the refrigerator.
Reference numeral 6 designates use condition data by combining the temperature distribution in the refrigerator from the temperature distribution measuring device 19, the amount of power used by the power consumption measuring device 11, and the temperature in the refrigerator from the temperature measuring device 12. The center device compares the distribution of the refrigerator temperature, the refrigerator temperature, and the power consumption in the aggregated usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes.

The in-compartment temperature distribution measuring means 19, the power consumption measuring means 11, and the in-compartment temperature measuring means 12 have a close relationship. This is because if the container is over-packed or if a hot object is placed, the temperature in the container does not decrease or rises temporarily as desired, and the power consumption increases to lower it.

However, there is no clear criterion as to how much should be packed and how much should be packed, and how high the temperature should be. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, a temperature variation at a plurality of locations is used as the degree of uniformity of the temperature distribution in the refrigerator, and the usage status data is transmitted to the center device 3 with this included. The center device 3 aggregates the usage data of the plurality of refrigerators, performs statistical processing, obtains an average of actual usage, and uses the average as a reference value.

The statistical processing means 31 compares the temperature distribution in the refrigerator 1 with the amount of electric power used and the temperature in the refrigerator. Compare the average value of multiple refrigerators with the refrigerator of the user to find out how the reasons for high power consumption and large fluctuations in the refrigerator temperature are related to overfilling and hot storage. Can be.

Here, the inside temperature distribution measuring means 19 will be described. The refrigerator temperature distribution measuring means 19 is a plurality of thermometers installed in the refrigerator, and checks the temperature distribution in the refrigerator. As a result, the following can be detected. For example, if objects are concentrated in a part of the refrigerator (too much packed), the cooling air does not reach every corner and the temperature distribution in the refrigerator becomes uneven.
If you put a hot object without cooling it, there will be a very high temperature of several tens of degrees Celsius in a part of the refrigerator. As described above, the use of the refrigerator can be quantified by checking the degree of uniformity of the temperature distribution in the refrigerator.

The cause of the non-uniform temperature distribution in the refrigerator is that the packing and the heat insulating material are deteriorated and the cool air is leaking to the outside. The number of years of purchase of the refrigerator is stored in the database means 33, and a repairer is dispatched to a refrigerator having a long service life or a refrigerator having a portion close to the temperature of the outside air near the door. As described above, the deterioration of the packing can be quickly known at a remote place, and can be repaired immediately to maintain energy-saving usage.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the door opening / closing measuring means 13 is provided and the temperature distribution in the refrigerator is measured together with the manner in which the door is opened, a change in the temperature distribution due to the opening of the door is removed. Statistical processing can be performed. In addition, it is possible to analyze power consumption from various aspects.

(Embodiment 3) Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

The refrigerator 1 is provided with an in-compartment material amount measuring means 20 for measuring the amount of the in-compartment material. (The bottom area and mass of the power consumption), the power consumption from the power consumption measuring means 11 and the inside temperature from the inside temperature measuring means 12 are used as usage data. The center apparatus statistically processes and compares how the amount of power used and the temperature in the refrigerator change depending on the amount of objects put in the refrigerator, in the aggregated usage status data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes.

The in-compartment quantity measuring means 20, the power consumption measuring means 11, and the in-compartment temperature measuring means 12 have a close relationship.
If the goods in the refrigerator are too packed, the cooling air does not reach every corner and the temperature in the refrigerator rises. In addition, it takes time for the user to search for a desired one, and the opening time of the door becomes longer accordingly. As a result, the temperature inside the refrigerator rises and decreases, and the power consumption increases.

However, there is no clear criterion as to how much items should be packed before overpacking. Therefore, in the present invention, the amount of the object in the refrigerator (the bottom area and the mass of the object) is used, and the data is transmitted to the center device 3 with this included in the usage data. The center device 3 aggregates the usage data of a plurality of refrigerators,
Statistical processing is performed to determine the average of actual use, and this is used as a reference value.

[0069] The statistical processing means 31 compares the amount of the contents in the refrigerator 1 with the electric power consumption and the temperature in the refrigerator. By comparing the average value of a plurality of refrigerators with the refrigerator of the user himself / herself, it is possible to know how much the reason for the large amount of power consumption and the reason for the large fluctuation in the internal temperature are related to overpacking.

Here, the in-compartment material amount measuring means 20 will be described. The in-compartment amount measuring means 20 is an optical sensor such as a camera installed in the refrigerator, and is a weighing scale that measures a projected area such as a bottom area or a side area of the in-compartment, or measures the mass of the in-compartment. . With these, the area and mass occupied by the objects put in the refrigerator can be determined, and the usage of the refrigerator can be quantified.

Further, the in-compartment object amount measuring means 20 may detect the position of the in-compartment object, store and compare the position, and measure the moving amount. For example, if there is something that does not change its position even after one month, it can be guessed that the user has forgotten or unnecessary things have been entered, and the user can be notified of this.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the door opening / closing measuring means 13 is provided to measure the amount and position of the inside of the warehouse together with the way of opening the door, the inside of the warehouse can be measured only when the door is opened and closed. do it. In addition, it is possible to analyze power consumption from various aspects.

(Embodiment 4) As shown in FIG.
And a communication line 2 are provided with a wireless communication adapter and connected by wireless communication.

The wireless communication adapter 5 is connected to the refrigerator 1, and the wireless communication adapter 6 is connected to the telephone line 2, and two-way communication is performed between the wireless communication adapters 5 and 6. The wireless communication adapter 5 sends the usage data and the model number, which are reports from the refrigerator 1, to the wireless communication adapter 6, and receives from the center device the evaluation of usage, life expectancy, and the contents of the failure, which are answers from the center device, from the wireless communication adapter 6. I do.

Then, the communication line 2 is connected to the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG.
There is no need to extend the refrigerator to the point, and the location of the refrigerator can be freely selected within the range of wireless communication. The use of radio waves makes it possible to install a refrigerator anywhere in a home without wiring work for communication lines.

Further, the wireless communication adapter 5 on the refrigerator side is provided in a separate housing from the refrigerator and can be retrofitted or replaced. Thus, when it is desired to change the radio frequency used for communication between the wireless adapters 5 and 6, only the wireless communication adapter can be replaced. If a wireless communication adapter is built in the refrigerator 1, in such a case, work such as turning off the refrigerator and bringing it back to the factory is required, but the user does not want to turn off or bring back the refrigerator. . The reason that the radio frequency may be changed in this way is that radio communication may cause radio interference or interference problems depending on the radio wave environment at home.

As an advantage in manufacturing, the wireless communication adapter alone may be certified as a wireless device. If this is a refrigerator built-in type, it must be certified for each type of refrigerator, which is troublesome.

Although a functional block diagram is omitted, a wireless communication device is inserted into the home between the refrigerator 1 and the center device 3 in FIG. It is configured to mediate communication with the means 30.

As described above, since the refrigerator and the communication line are connected by using wireless communication, it is not necessary to extend the communication line to the place where the refrigerator is installed. In addition, the transmission means is separately attached to the refrigerator body as a separate housing from the refrigerator.・ Because exchange is possible, it is easy to cope with radio interference.

[0080]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the user objectively evaluates the power consumption of his / her refrigerator from the result of comparing and evaluating his / her refrigerator with other refrigerators. It is possible to consider how to use less power. The following effects are specifically obtained.

(1) The refrigerator records the usage data of the power consumption and transmits it to the center device, and the center device statistically processes and compares the collected usage data of the plurality of refrigerators. The result of comparing and evaluating a refrigerator with another refrigerator can objectively evaluate the power consumption of one's refrigerator, and can consider a method of using less power.

(2) The statistical processing means compares the average value, median value, standard deviation, etc. of the usage data of a plurality of refrigerators with the usage data of the specific refrigerator, so that the user of the specific refrigerator can use his / her own refrigerator. Refrigerators and other refrigerators can be compared and evaluated.

(3) Since the center device extracts and compares a plurality of refrigerators having the same model number and the like from the totaled usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of households, the center device can use the same conditions as the refrigerator of the specific user. Refrigerators can be sorted, and the accuracy of usage comparison can be further improved.

(4) The center unit extracts and compares a plurality of households having the same condition as the family structure and the place of residence from the aggregated refrigerator usage data of the plurality of households.
Refrigerators having the same conditions as the refrigerator of the specific user can be selected, and the accuracy of comparison of usage can be further improved.

(5) The use status recording means transmits the internal temperature from the internal temperature measurement means and the power usage from the power usage amount measurement means to the center device as usage status data. Statistical processing is performed on the internal temperature and the electric power consumption in the aggregated usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes to compare. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the inside temperature and the power consumption.

(6) The use state recording means transmits the opening time of the door from the door opening / closing measurement means and the electric power consumption from the electric power consumption amount measurement means to the center apparatus as use state data. Statistical processing is performed on the time and frequency of opening of the doors and the power consumption in the aggregated usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes to compare. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the way the user opens his door and the amount of power used.

(7) The usage status recording means transmits the temperature distribution in the refrigerator from the temperature distribution measurement device in the refrigerator and the power consumption from the power consumption measurement device to the center device as usage data. The apparatus statistically processes and compares the distribution of the temperature in the refrigerator and the power consumption in the aggregated usage data of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the internal temperature distribution and the power consumption.

(8) The usage status recording means is a center as usage status data by combining the bottom area or mass of the object put in the storage from the storage quantity measurement means with the power usage from the power usage measurement means. Since the data is transmitted to the device, the center device statistically processes and compares the amount of items in the refrigerator and the amount of electric power used in the data on the usage status of the refrigerators of a plurality of homes. The user can objectively evaluate the correlation between the amount of objects in the storage and the amount of power consumption.

(9) Since the refrigerator and the communication line are connected by wireless communication, there is no need to extend the communication line to the place where the refrigerator is installed. In addition, the transmission means is separately attached to the refrigerator body as a separate housing from the refrigerator. Since exchange is possible, it is easy to cope with radio interference.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration conceptual diagram of a refrigerator usage comparison system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a comparison system for using the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a refrigerator usage comparison system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a refrigerator usage comparison system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of a refrigerator usage comparison system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Telephone line 3 Center device 4 Display means 11 Electric power consumption measuring means 12 Internal temperature measuring means 13 Door opening / closing measuring means 16 Usage status recording means 17 Transmitting means 19 Internal temperature distribution means 20 Internal material quantity measuring means 30 Reception Means 31 Statistical processing means 32 Output means 33 Database means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shigeo Yoshida 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tomoaki Iruji 4-5-2, Takaida Hondori, Higashi Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture No. Matsushita Refrigerator Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Katsumi Endo 4-5-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashiosaka City, Osaka

Claims (9)

[Claims] An apparatus for comparing usage of a refrigerator connected to a plurality of refrigerators, a center device, and a communication line such as a public line network, wherein the refrigerator comprises: a power usage measuring means for measuring the power usage of the refrigerator; A usage status recording unit that records an output from the amount measurement unit as usage status data of the refrigerator; and a transmission unit that is connected to a communication line and transmits the usage status data to the center device. A receiving unit connected to the communication line to receive usage data from a plurality of refrigerators, a statistical processing unit that aggregates the usage data, statistically processes and compares the data, and an output unit that outputs the statistical processing result. Comparison system for how to use the refrigerator provided. 2. The statistical processing means tabulates and statistically processes usage data and averages or medians the usage data.
2. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to claim 1, wherein a standard deviation or the like is obtained and compared with specific refrigerator usage data. 3. The center device includes a database unit having device information such as a model number of a refrigerator in each home, and the statistic processing unit transmits usage data in a plurality of refrigerators in which at least a part of the device information has the same condition. 3. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system is totalized, statistically processed and compared. 4. The center device includes database means having user information such as a family structure and a place of residence of each household, and the statistical processing means is used in a plurality of refrigerators in which at least a part of the user information has the same condition. 3. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to claim 1, wherein the situation data is totaled, statistically processed and compared. 5. The refrigerator has a refrigerator temperature measuring means for measuring the refrigerator temperature, and the use status recording means is configured to measure the refrigerator temperature and the power consumption from the power consumption measuring means from the refrigerator temperature measuring means. 5. The usage data is combined with
A comparison system for using a refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims. 6. The refrigerator includes a door opening / closing measuring means for detecting an opening state of the door and measuring a door opening time and the number of times of opening / closing, and a use state recording means for detecting a door opening time from the door opening / closing measuring means. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the usage data is obtained by combining the power usage amount and the power usage amount from the power usage amount measurement unit. 7. The refrigerator is provided with an internal temperature distribution measuring means for measuring an internal temperature distribution, and the use status recording means is an internal temperature distribution and an electric power consumption measuring means from the internal temperature distribution measuring means. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the data is used as usage data together with the amount of electric power used from the refrigerator. 8. The refrigerator is provided with an in-compartment quantity measuring means for measuring a bottom area and a mass of an object placed in the compartment, and the use status recording means is a quantity of the in-compartment quantity from the in-compartment quantity measuring means. The refrigerator usage comparison system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the usage data is obtained by combining the power usage amount and the power usage amount from the power usage amount measurement unit. 9. A refrigerator transmitting means for transmitting usage data to a wireless receiving device using wireless communication, wherein the wireless receiving device is connected to a communication line and transmits the usage data to a center device. In the usage comparison system,
The refrigerator usage comparison system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transmission means is configured as a separate housing from the refrigerator and can be retrofitted or replaced with the refrigerator body.