JP2001317862A - Automatic refrigerating system for food and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator with an automatic refrigerating system for a food with a non-contact IC tag and a refrigerator with a non-contact IC tag reader. SOLUTION: In one executing form of an automatic refrigerating system according to this invention, it is featured that a food is refrigerated on the optimum condition of the food by reading information regarding a package 22 of a food 21, the centent of a food, and a preservation condition, recorded at the IC memory of a non-contact type IC tag 11 annexed to a container, by a refrigerator 31. In other executing form, by reading information regarding the content of the food, a sell-by date, and a shelf life recorded at the IC memory of the IC tag 11, by the refrigerator, an alarm is issued in the case of a sell-by date and a shelf life being close at hand. Further, a menu proposal on cooking and a buying proposal on purchases are practicable. The refrigerator according to this invention is featured to have the reader for a non-contact type IC tag, a display part, and a data base regarding food information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an automatic food refrigeration system and a refrigerator used for the system. For more information,
By recording and attaching to the non-contact IC tag data relating to the expiration date and storage conditions of the contents in a food container or package, the contents of the data are read out and stored by a reader, and refrigerated under optimal storage conditions. In addition, the present invention relates to an automatic refrigeration system that issues a warning regarding the expiration date or the expiration date, a non-contact IC tag reader and display unit used in the system, and a refrigerator having a food information database.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the contents, expiration date, expiration date, storage conditions, and the like are displayed on food packages and containers, but the contents are always stored and stored in a refrigerator. Because they don't, they often end up with expiration dates or best-before dates, and often save them under the wrong conditions. Therefore, the consumer enters the expiration date information displayed on the food package into the refrigerator,
Refrigerators that already display the expiration date on a liquid crystal display to ensure that no mistakes exist already exist. Also, a technique has been proposed in which a refrigerator reads a barcode display and similarly displays a time limit (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-31665).

[0003] However, existing refrigerators have a problem in that information must be manually input one by one before arriving at a purchased product, which is time-consuming, and the food remains exposed to room temperature during that time. . In the case of barcode reading, it is not possible to automatically read all refrigerated foods, so it is necessary to read each food individually, which takes time and effort, and the barcode is limited to the amount of information recorded. Due to limitations, it is not possible to record all the information required for refrigeration. Furthermore, the function of simply issuing an alarm on the expiration date or the scheduled use date is not enough to achieve convenience of life and reduce waste.

[0004]

Therefore, in the present invention, non-contact IC tags (generally referred to as "non-contact IC", "non-contact IC label", and "non-contact data carrier") are attached to food containers and packages. ), The information on the contents of the food, the expiration date, the expiration date, the storage conditions, the storage capacity, etc. is recorded and read in the IC memory of the non-contact IC tag, and the information is read by the refrigerator. It is intended to solve such a problem by utilizing the above.
In addition, the refrigerator that stores food has a built-in reader for non-contact IC tags, and when food is stored in the refrigerator, the refrigerator automatically reads this data. It is intended to save labor to do. Still another object of the present invention is to construct the database in the refrigerator from the read information on the stored food, and to transmit necessary information and display the information on the display unit of the refrigerator.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is to provide a package of food, a food content recorded in an IC memory of a non-contact IC tag attached to a container, An automatic food refrigeration system characterized in that a refrigerator reads information on storage conditions to cool food under optimal conditions. Because of this automatic refrigeration system, food can always be refrigerated under optimal conditions.

A second aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a non-contact IC attached to a food package or container.
The refrigerator reads information on the content, expiration date, and expiration date of the food recorded in the IC memory of the tag, and issues a warning when the expiration date or expiration date is approaching. Refrigeration system. Because of such an automatic refrigeration system, food is not wasted due to expiration date or expiration date of food.

A third aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a non-contact IC attached to a food package or container.
An automatic refrigeration system for food, wherein the refrigerator reads information on the contents of food, expiration date, expiration date, and contents recorded in the IC memory of the tag, and proposes a menu for cooking or a shopping purchase. ,It is in.
Because of such an automatic refrigeration system, cooking and shopping can be performed with an appropriate menu.

A fourth aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a refrigerator for refrigerated food under optimum conditions, which comprises a package of content food and a non-contact IC tag attached to a container. A reader for a non-contact IC tag for reading information on food recorded in an IC memory, a display unit for displaying information on the content food, and a function of setting optimal refrigeration conditions based on the read information A refrigerator. Because of such a refrigerator, food can always be refrigerated under optimal conditions.

A fifth aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a refrigerator for displaying information on the contents of a food, wherein the non-contact IC tag is attached to a package or a container of the food. Non-contact IC tag reader for reading the information of food recorded in the IC memory of the above, a display unit for displaying the information on the expiration date and expiration date of the content food, and when the expiration date and expiration date are approaching A refrigerator having a function of issuing a warning. Because it is a refrigerator, food is not wasted due to expiration date or expiration date of food.

A sixth aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a refrigerator for making a proposal relating to the contents of food, which is a non-contact IC tag attached to a package or container of the contents. A non-contact IC tag reader for reading food information recorded in an IC memory, a database for storing the read food information, and a cooking menu proposal and a food purchase proposal based on the database. Refrigerator, which is characterized. Such a refrigerator allows cooking and shopping with an appropriate menu.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an automatic refrigeration system and a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The automatic refrigeration system of the present invention utilizes a non-contact IC tag that will be attached to various foods, especially cooked frozen foods (HMR (Home Meal Replacement) foods), other processed foods, fresh foods, and the like. About the system. The refrigerator with a reader for non-contact IC tags of the present invention is a refrigerator suitable for use in the above-mentioned system, and includes a reader for non-contact IC tags, a display unit, and a database on stored foods.

<Regarding Automatic Refrigerating System> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an automatic refrigerating system of the present invention. The case of processed food is taken as an example. When the food package 22 of the processed food 21 to be refrigerated by the system of the present invention is shipped from the food factory 2, the non-contact IC tag 11 is mounted on the package 22 or a container and shipped. The food 21 is purchased by the consumer 3 through distribution and retail processes. At the time of shipment from the food factory 2, the non-contact IC tag 11 records the product item (kind), the display of the manufacturer, the date of manufacture, the manufacturing lot, and the like in the same manner as attached to general processed food. In the refrigerator 31 at the home of the consumer 3, storage conditions suitable for storing food, expiration date, expiration date, content, and the like are recorded. The same content is usually displayed on the food package 22, but the display content is limited in relation to the displayable area. On the other hand, the information recording amount of the non-contact IC tag 11 can be increased arbitrarily by the memory capacity.

Although the processed food 21 purchased by the consumer 3 may be cooked immediately, it is usually stored in the refrigerator 31 once. In the automatic refrigeration system of the present invention, a non-contact IC tag reader (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “antenna”) provided in the refrigerator when the food is stored in the refrigerator or periodically after storage. An object of the present invention is to automatically or artificially read information on a non-contact IC tag 11 attached to food. In addition, based on the read result, the refrigerator condition is adjusted to the refrigeration condition suitable for the storage condition, a warning is issued when the storage condition is not appropriate, and the display unit is displayed even when the expiration date or the expiration date of the food is approaching. , A warning is issued, a cooking menu is proposed based on the content of the food in the refrigerator, the inventory status in the refrigerator is reported, and a food purchase proposal is made.

Specific examples of input information read by a non-contact IC tag reader of a refrigerator are generally as follows. (1) warehousing date (year / month / day), (2) manufacturer name (coded), (3) food name (character string),
(4) Contents (how many people) (numerical value), (5) Cooking method,
(6) Storage temperature range (coded), (7) Expiration date (year /
Month / day), (8) expiration date (year / month / day), (9) nutritional components (character string <calories, fats, vitamins, etc.>),
(10) Repellent components (character strings <allergy, sick food>) and the like. The storage temperature zone can be coded and input as frozen = A, soft freezing = B, ..., refrigerated / vegetable = E.

[0015] In the above, the expiration date is a preferable period of consumption mainly applied to fresh food, and often indicates a short period of 2 to 3 days. In addition, the expiration date refers to a canned or retort-packed food product that can be stored for a relatively long period of time, but for which a preferable expiration date is specified. In the case of general cans, it is like two years.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where the inside of the refrigerator is opened. The state where the front door 31d of the refrigerator 31 is opened is illustrated. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 denotes a food protected by a package and a container, and a non-contact IC tag 11 is attached to each package and the container. In addition, a label (not shown) for displaying the content of the food according to the provisions of the Food Sanitation Law and the like, and a shelf life and storage conditions are separately displayed on each package and container. Non-contact IC tag 11
, Data of display contents such as the label is recorded in principle, and contents to be added thereto are usually further recorded.

A non-contact IC for reading information of a non-contact IC tag is provided inside or outside the main body of the refrigerator 31 or both.
C tag reader 12 and the contents read on the outer surface of the door,
A display unit (not shown in FIG. 2) for displaying a warning or the like is provided. In addition, the refrigerator 31 includes a database that stores information on the read food. Since the amount of food to be stored is not enormous, it is sufficient that the food is not stored in the database of the major device but is stored in the memory of the integrated circuit.

In a large-sized refrigerator (as is the case with a general household refrigerator), since it is normal to store in a plurality of temperature zones, a non-contact IC tag reader 12 is also provided for each section and is optimal for each area. It is preferable to find a condition and set the condition. In general-purpose refrigerators, for example, wine (about 6 to 12 ° C.), refrigerated / vegetables (about 0 to 6 ° C.), chilled (about −2 to 2 ° C.), partial (about −1 to −5 °)
C), temperature zones such as soft freezing (about -5 to -9 ° C), freezing (about -17 to -21 ° C), etc., and foods of different conditions are stored in these areas. In such a case, it is preferable to issue a warning. For example, if fruit is soft-freezing, it will leave a raw taste, but in the freezer it will tickle and umami will disappear.

Tuna sashimi can be stored for about one month when frozen, but can be stored for about 14 months under soft freezing.
For days and chilled partials, it is about 4 to 5 days. Therefore, it is also preferable to issue a warning when the expiration date of the preservation period is approaching, considering the conditions of the preservation area from the day when these foods are stored. The warning is given by, for example, displaying in red letters on a display unit made of liquid crystal. In general, the expiration date of food is not displayed on a label, but is often indicated by a date stamp etc. on the side or bottom of the container, but information on these expiration dates is also recorded on a non-contact IC tag and read by a reader, It can be displayed on the display unit of the refrigerator to notify that the expiration date is approaching.

Refrigeration of food under optimal conditions is determined based on the content of the food and the function of the refrigerator. For example,
When storing only fruits, soft conditions are required instead of frozen conditions. Dairy products and fruits can be stored under chilled conditions to preserve umami without freezing, but if the refrigerator does not have a chilled storage area, it must be stored under other conditions. Further, it is necessary to change the refrigeration conditions for the same food depending on the desired storage period. As with the above-mentioned tuna sashimi, thinned meat is also frozen for one month, soft freezing for 20 days, and partial for one day.
4-6 days, chilled 7-8 days. In this way, storage conditions vary depending on the function of the refrigerator and the storage period,
Optimal conditions are determined in consideration of those conditions.

A reader / writer for a non-contact IC tag is necessary when writing to a non-contact IC tag. For example, a householder who has purchased food can set a desired storage period or prohibit other uses before storing it in a refrigerator. It is for recording. This is also required when manually inputting fresh fish or vegetable fresh food without a non-contact IC tag. The reader / writer for a non-contact IC tag is preferably provided on a front door or the like of a refrigerator for convenience of use, and can read and enter the non-contact IC tag 11 when storing food. For this, it is only necessary to write at a close distance, so even a non-contact IC tag with a long communication distance may be written with a weak output.

When the data of the non-contact IC tag 11 is read by the reader / writer when the food is stored, the data is duplicated with the data read by the reader 12 in the refrigerator after the storage, but in principle, the data is not duplicated. Since the ID code is given, data with the duplicate ID code is deleted, so that the refrigerator does not mistakenly recognize the same food as a plurality of foods. Therefore, it is preferable to have different ID codes for different packages even if they are of the same production date for avoiding duplication of food.

The refrigerator is not different from a normal refrigerator except that an optimum refrigeration condition is set based on the read condition or a warning is displayed when the refrigeration condition is inappropriate. Here, setting the optimum condition is a specific case, and when setting a condition suitable for the food in a case where the stored food is to store a certain single item at a predetermined place in the refrigerator. Corresponds to.

In the case of an ordinary household refrigerator, a plurality of foods are stored in a place set to specific storage conditions, so that the storage conditions may not be suitable for all the foods. In this case, it is appropriate to display a warning on the food under the unsuitable condition. It is considered necessary to provide a system system in which the refrigerator is divided into storage sections and storage conditions are set with priority and fixed, or storage conditions are made variable depending on food, whichever is superior.

[0025] Proposals for cooking menus and food purchases
This is based on the food content stored in the refrigerator. For example, if there is a canned food or retort food with a near expiration date, a cooking menu including its use is proposed. In addition, if the number and amount of eggs and milk used regularly are reduced, the purchase is suggested.

<Regarding Non-Contact IC Tag> The non-contact IC tag 11 receives and responds to radio waves of a certain frequency by forming an LC resonance circuit with an antenna unit and a capacitor provided on a base material such as plastic. be able to. Generally, 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 2.45 GHz,
It is used by selecting from a frequency band of 5.8 GHz (microwave).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a non-contact IC tag. The non-contact IC tag 11 is made of a base material 11 such as plastic.
The antenna pattern 112 is formed at 0, a resonance circuit is formed by the antenna coil and the capacitive element, a radio wave of a certain frequency is received, and the information of the non-contact IC tag can be transmitted to the transmission source and returned. In the case of the illustrated example, the antenna pattern 112 forms a jumping circuit on the back surface of the base 110 by the conductive member 114 and is connected to the pump on the back surface of the IC chip 111 by the coil connection terminal 112C. The capacitance element is built in the IC chip 111. Such a non-contact IC tag 11 forms an antenna pattern 112 by etching a metal foil such as an aluminum foil laminated on a resin substrate 110 by photo-etching or resist printing, mounting an IC chip, and coating a protective coating. It can be formed by providing. The size is 30mm × 3
The size can be about 0 mm or less.

Resin substrate 1 used for non-contact IC tag 11
As the material 10, various materials such as PET, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and nylon can be used, and in some cases, paper may be used. The thickness is 1
Although 5 to 300 μm can be used, 20 to 100 μm is more preferable in terms of strength, workability, cost, and the like. As the metal foil to be laminated, a copper foil, an aluminum foil or an iron foil can be used, but an aluminum foil is preferable in terms of cost and workability, and its thickness is preferably about 6 to 50 μm.

FIG. 4 shows a non-contact IC tag according to another embodiment. Although the non-contact IC tag shown in FIG. 3 is also a general-purpose form, the non-contact IC tag used for a food package may have a simpler form. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, an antenna pattern (antenna portion) 11 is directly formed on a package base material with conductive printing ink.
2 can be sufficiently put to practical use even if the IC chip 111 is mounted on the antenna section. Such a non-contact IC tag 11 has a package base 210
The antenna pattern 112 is directly printed by silk screen, offset, gravure printing, etc.
12 can be manufactured by mounting the tack-processed IC chip 111.

Further, the non-contact IC tag 11 is prepared by tack-processing a non-contact IC tag in which an antenna / memory is integrated in advance and pasting it to a paper container or a soft packaging material, or loading the IC tag in a molding die. Then, by performing in-mold molding, a form mounted on a molded product can be obtained.

<Refrigerator> FIG. 5 is a view showing the appearance of the refrigerator of the present invention. The refrigerator 31 includes the non-contact IC tag antenna 12 inside the refrigerator or at the front door 31d, or both. In the case of FIG. 5, the non-contact IC tag reader / writer 13 for the non-contact IC tag is provided on the front door.
And a display unit 14 are provided. The display unit 14 is preferably a display such as a liquid crystal display, and is configured to be able to display the contents of the preserved food, the expiration date, necessary warnings, and the like. The reader / writer 13 is used for both reading and writing.
Data can also be recorded on the C tag 11.
In this case, it is more preferable to provide a numeric keypad for inputting a date or the like.

The operator simply puts the package 22 with the non-contact IC tag 11 into the refrigerator or, when the reader / writer 13 for the non-contact IC tag is on the front of the refrigerator, simply touches the front of the refrigerator. good. Thereby, data is input and stored in the database. The antenna 12 includes a scanner device that transmits a radio wave, which is the resonance frequency of the non-contact IC tag, to the non-contact IC tag and searches for a response wave from food with the corresponding non-contact IC tag. The function as the tag reader 12 is performed. Depending on the communication method to be used, the antenna can be selected from the “electromagnetic induction method”, the “electromagnetic coupling method”, and the “electrostatic induction method” or can be a decoding method.

In the case of an antenna in a refrigerator, 50 cm to 1
Since a communication distance of about m is required, a microwave type or a proximity type (ISO / IEC15693) is required. When installing the antenna in the refrigerator, process it so that the metal part is not exposed by in-mold molding in a plastic molded product, laminating it with a plastic film, etc.
Treat to prevent rust from being generated by the moisture in the refrigerator.

Since many kinds and many foods are stored in the refrigerator, it is necessary to provide a non-overlapping ID code in the non-contact IC tag 11 attached to the food. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-36623 discloses a method in which data collision (collision) occurs when a large number of non-contact IC tags respond at the same time, but the collision is avoided to sequentially communicate with a specific non-contact IC tag. Various proposals have been made.

[0035]

[Example] <Application example 1: Expiration date alarm> Paperboard (26
0g / m ² ), normal package printing, and when the package is assembled into a paper container, the antenna pattern is printed on the inner surface by silk screen printing using conductive ink with carbon pigment and dried. did. On the IC chip connection end of the antenna pattern, a tack-processed IC chip "Bistastat" manufactured by Motorola Co., Ltd.
(1 kBits) to complete a package with a non-contact IC tag.

[0036] Frozen food was placed in the above package and written on the non-contact IC tag as "000715" so that the expiration date means July 15, 2000. When the frozen food was put into the refrigerator, it was held over a reader / writer on the front door, the data was read, the information was stored in a database, and the expiration date was displayed on the display unit 14. From this application example, the consumer can prevent food poisoning beforehand and reduce food loss due to forgetting to use it by not cooking foods whose expiration date has passed.

<Application Example 2: Inventory Management> A package with a non-contact IC tag was completed in the same manner as in Application Example 1. Put the chilled food in this package and put the manufacturer name "DN food", item "gratin", content "two servings", cooking method "range heating, 5 minutes", storage temperature band "frozen", The expiration date “000812” was recorded. When the chilled food was stored in the refrigerator, the written information was read by a non-contact reader / writer, and the date of storage was written by a clock function of the refrigerator. The information content of chilled food is stored in the refrigerator database,
The content of the food and the expiration date are displayed on the display. From this application example, the consumer can collectively display the above information from the database and use the information as a “grab of stock” or “information source when creating a shopping list” in the refrigerator.

<Application Example 3: Instruction of Storage Temperature> In the same manner as in Application Example 1, a package with a non-contact IC tag was completed.
Put the chilled food in this package and put the manufacturer name "DN food", item "gratin", content "two servings", cooking method "range heating, 5 minutes", storage temperature band "frozen", The expiration date “000812” was recorded. When this chilled food was stored in the refrigerator, the written information was read by a non-contact reader / writer and stored in the refrigerator under the refrigerator / vegetable condition drawer, and an alarm indicating incorrect storage was displayed on the display unit. From the example of the application example 3, even if the consumer enters the food in an incorrect manner, the alarm immediately recognizes the error, so that the food is not stored and wasted for a long time.

[0039]

As described above, in the automatic refrigeration system and the refrigerator of the present invention, refrigeration is performed by effectively utilizing information recorded on a non-contact IC tag mounted on a food package or a container. There is no failure due to the error of the setter,
Food can always be refrigerated under optimal conditions. Also,
Since the content of the food that has been stored is stored in the database,
The contents of inventory can always be accurately grasped, and the expiration date can be reliably grasped, so that unnecessary food is less often purchased or discarded without being used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an automatic refrigeration system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the inside of the refrigerator is opened.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a non-contact IC tag.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a non-contact IC tag according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the appearance of the refrigerator of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Food Factory 3 Consumer 11 Non-Contact IC Tag 12 Non-Contact IC Tag Reader or Antenna 13 Non-Contact IC Tag Reader / Writer 14 Display Unit 20 Food 21 Processed Food 22 Food Package 31 Refrigerator 31d Front Door 110 Base Material 111 IC Chip 112 Antenna pattern or antenna part 112C Connection end of antenna pattern 114 Conductive member 210 Package base material

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C005 MA33 MB10 NA09 PA01 PA04 TA22 5B035 BB09 BC00 CA23 5B058 CA17 KA02 KA06 KA08 YA20

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator that reads information on food contents and storage conditions recorded in an IC memory of a non-contact IC tag attached to a package or a container of a food so that the food is refrigerated under optimal conditions. Automatic refrigeration system for food. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator has a function of issuing a warning when the storage conditions are not satisfied.
Automatic refrigeration system as described. 3. The refrigerator reads the information on the content, expiration date, and expiration date of the food recorded in the IC memory of the non-contact IC tag attached to the package or the container of the food, so that the expiration date or expiration date is obtained. An automatic refrigeration system for food, wherein a warning is issued when the food is approaching. 4. A cooking menu by reading information on food contents, expiration date, expiration date, and contents recorded in an IC memory of a non-contact IC tag attached to a food package or a container. Automatic food refrigeration system characterized by making suggestions and shopping purchase suggestions. 5. A refrigerator for refrigerating food under optimal conditions, comprising a non-contact IC tag attached to a package of a content food and a container, and a non-contact IC tag for reading food information recorded in an IC memory. A refrigerator having a reader for a contact IC tag, a display unit for displaying information on the content food, and a function of setting optimum refrigeration conditions based on the read information. 6. A refrigerator for displaying information related to the contents of a food, wherein the refrigerator reads information of the food recorded in an IC memory of a non-contact IC tag attached to a package or a container of the contents. A refrigerator having a reader for a non-contact IC tag, a display unit for displaying information on a shelf life and a consumption expiration date of the content food, and a function of issuing a warning when the shelf life and the consumption expiration date are approaching. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a database relating to stored foods. 8. A refrigerator for making a proposal relating to the contents of food, comprising: a non-contact IC tag of a non-contact IC tag attached to a package or container of the contents for reading food information recorded in an IC memory. A refrigerator comprising: a contact IC tag reader; a database for storing the read food information; and a cooking menu proposal and a food purchase proposal based on the database. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a reader / writer for a non-contact IC tag for additionally recording data on the non-contact IC tag.