Refrigerator appliances and methods for tracking stored items

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a scanner module, and a controller operably coupled to the scanner module. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The scanner module may be mounted to the cabinet. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include initiating a scan sequence at the scanner module, identifying a barcode capture for a product barcode of a stored item based on the scan sequence, processing barcode data for the barcode capture according to one or more predetermined user preferences, establishing an item identifier based on the processed barcode data, and directing an update to a user list with the established item identifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;   a scanner module mounted to the cabinet; and   a controller operably coupled to the scanner module, the controller being configured to initiate an operation routine comprising
 initiating a scan sequence at the scanner module, 
 identifying a barcode capture for a product barcode of a stored item based on the scan sequence, 
 processing barcode data for the barcode capture according to one or more predetermined user preferences, 
 establishing an item identifier based on the processed barcode data, and 
 directing an update to a user list with the established item identifier. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the scanner module comprises a beam emitter or a camera directed to the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein processing barcode data comprises decoding the barcode capture. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 3 , wherein processing barcode data comprises transmitting the decoded barcode data to a remote server. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein establishing an item identifier comprises recording a two-dimensional image of the stored item. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein directing the update to the user list comprises initiating storage of the two-dimensional image on the user list. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the operation routine further comprises capturing the two-dimensional image during the scan sequence. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein establishing an item identifier comprises receiving product data relating to the stored item. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , wherein directing the update to the user list comprises initiating storage of one or more portion of the received product data on the user list. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a refrigerator appliance, the method comprising:
 initiating a scan sequence at the scanner module;   identifying a barcode capture for a product barcode of a stored item based on the scan sequence;   processing barcode data for the barcode capture according to one or more predetermined user preferences;   establishing an item identifier based on the processed barcode data; and   directing an update to a user list with the established item identifier.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the scanner module comprises a beam emitter or a camera directed to the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein processing barcode data comprises decoding the barcode capture. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing barcode data comprises transmitting the decoded barcode data to a remote server. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein establishing an item identifier comprises recording a two-dimensional image of the stored item. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein directing the update to the user list comprises initiating storage of the two-dimensional image on the user list. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising capturing the two-dimensional image during the scan sequence. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein establishing an item identifier comprises receiving product data relating to the stored item. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein directing the update to the user list comprises initiating storage of one or more portion of the received product data on the user list.