초록 ▼

A select-fill dispensing system and method for a dispenser assembly utilizes a camera to sense a desired fill level based on the location of a user's finger with respect to a container. In use, a consumer places his or her finger along a container to indicate the desired fill level of the container.

A select-fill dispensing system and method for a dispenser assembly utilizes a camera to sense a desired fill level based on the location of a user's finger with respect to a container. In use, a consumer places his or her finger along a container to indicate the desired fill level of the container. Image data from the camera is transmitted to a controller and processed for distortion correction, edge based image segmentation and morphological operations are carried out to remove background noise. The processed image data is utilized to detect the presence of the container, as well as the shape of the container, the position of the container opening, and the top and bottom points of the container. The controller provides a means for controlling the dispensing operation, including a fill rate, based on the desired fill level and the shape of the container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet;at least one refrigerated compartment arranged within the cabinet;a door mounted to the cabinet for selectively providing access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; anda dispenser assembly for selectively releasing at least one of a liquid and ice in

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet;at least one refrigerated compartment arranged within the cabinet;a door mounted to the cabinet for selectively providing access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; anda dispenser assembly for selectively releasing at least one of a liquid and ice into a container during a dispensing operation, said dispenser assembly including: a dispenser well including a base section and an upstanding wall section;a controller for regulating the dispensing operation of the dispenser assembly; andan optical sensing system in communication with the controller, the optical sensing system comprising: a camera exposed to the dispenser well and configured to send image data from the dispenser well to the controller of an indicating object placed in the dispensing well in pointing to a desired fill level for the at least one of the liquid and ice in the container, with the controller regulating the dispensing operation based, at least in part, on the desired fill level. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the controller utilizes image distortion and edge based image segmentation processing of the image data. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to determine a shape of the container based on the image data and control the dispensing operation based, at least in part, on the shape of the container. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the image data is employed to sense a consumer's finger as the indicating object. 5. A dispenser assembly for selectively releasing at least one of a liquid and ice into a container during a dispensing operation, said dispenser assembly including: a dispenser well;imaging means for sensing image data used to ascertain a desired fill level for the at least one of the liquid and ice in the container; anda controller for regulating the dispensing operation of the dispenser assembly based, at least in part, on the desired fill level, wherein the controller for regulating the dispensing operation utilizes image distortion and edge based image segmentation processing of image data. 6. The dispenser assembly according to claim 5, wherein the dispenser assembly further comprises means for detecting a shape of the container. 7. The dispenser assembly according to claim 5, wherein the imaging means comprises an optical sensing system including a camera exposed to the dispenser well and adapted to send image data from the dispenser well to the controller. 8. A method of dispensing a product into a container positioned within a dispenser well of a dispenser assembly, the method comprising: selecting a desired fill level for the container by introducing an indicating object into the dispensing well;utilizing image data obtained from a camera exposed to the dispenser well to detect a presence of the indicating object and ascertaining with the image data the desired fill level for a dispensing event;initiating the dispensing event to dispense the product into the container;utilizing image data from the camera to monitor a height of the product within the container during the dispensing event; andterminating the dispensing event when the height of the product within the container reaches the desired fill level. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining a top point of the indicating object based on the image data to determine the desired fill level. 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: mapping dimensions of the indicating object based, at least in part, by a top point of the indicating object. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: detecting alignment of an opening of the container within the dispenser well based on the image data. 12. A method of dispensing a product into a container positioned within a dispenser well of a dispenser assembly, the method comprising: selecting a desired fill level for the container by introducing an indicating object into the dispensing well;utilizing image data obtained from a camera exposed to the dispenser well to detect a presence of the indicating object and ascertaining with the image data the desired fill level for a dispensing event;initiating the dispensing event to dispense the product into the container;transmitting a first set of image data from the camera mounted in the dispenser well to a controller;detecting a presence of the container within the dispenser well; andinitiating the dispensing event only after the presence of the container is detected. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining top and bottom points on the container based on the first set of image data received from the camera. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: processing the first set of image data to separate a container image from any background images to obtain processed image data, wherein the top and bottom points on the container are determined based on the processed image data. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: mapping dimensions of the container based, at least in part, by the top and bottom points of the container. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining container opening edge points based on the processed image data, wherein the mapping dimensions of the container are based, at least in part, by the container opening edge points. 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting a second set of image data from the camera to the controller, wherein the presence of the indicating object is determined based on the second set of image data. 18. A method of dispensing a product into a container positioned within a dispenser well of a dispenser assembly, the method comprising: selecting a desired fill level for the container by introducing an indicating object into the dispensing well, wherein the indicating object is a user's finger;utilizing image data obtained from a camera exposed to the dispenser well to detect a presence of the indicating object and ascertaining with the image data the desired fill level for a dispensing event; andinitiating the dispensing event to dispense the product into the container.