100 may implement the user device 160. In some examples, more than one controller is provided. For example, the controller 140 may detect the closing of the door(s) 104 and/or 105, while another controller controls a sequence of illumination, and picture or image capture. The other controller may be, for example, the communication hub, multiplexer, switch, etc. discussed above. Other combination(s) of other controllers may be used.

It is contemplated that any number and/or type(s) of wired and/or wireless communication device(s), network(s), technology(-ies), method(s), etc. may be used to communicatively couple the refrigerator 100, the server 145, the network 155, and the consumer user device 160. Thus, the example shown in FIG. 1 is intended to merely represent example logical couplings between the various elements. Moreover, it should be understood that the example content cameras and methods of operating the same may be implemented using any of these various implementations. Further, while an antenna 165 of the refrigerator 100 is shown as external, it may be partially or fully internal depending on implementation.

In the example of FIG. 1, the ACU 140 sends images to the server 145 as each image is captured. That is, the ACU 140 waits to capture an image until transmission of a previous image has been initiated or completed. The ACU 140 notifies the server 145 of a first in a sequence of images, and then notifies the server 145 when all the images in a group have been sent. The group reflecting, in aggregate or collectively, a representation of substantially all of the compartment 102. Other methods of transmitting images may be used. For example, a group of images or pictures can be captured and stored in the refrigerator 10 (e.g., in the ACU 140), and then subsequently or later transmitted to the server 145 sequentially or in bulk. FIG. 6 discussed below depict example manners of implementing the example ACU 140 of FIG. 1.

When a new group of pictures has been received at the server 145, the example server 145 of FIG. 1 sends a notification to the user device 160 that a new group of pictures is available. Depending on the user device 160, a user of the user device 160 may be notified of the new group of pictures. Alternatively, the user interacts with the user device 160 to determine if/when a new group of pictures is available. Further still, the user may operate a program executing on the user device 160 to check for the group of pictures. In some examples, such a program is a web browser, or a custom-built program provided by the manufacture of the refrigerator 100, or a designee thereof. The custom-built program may additionally allow the user to monitor and/or control other aspects of the refrigerator 100 and/or other appliances associated with that user. In some alternatives, the user device 160 can directly interact with the ACU 140 locally and/or remotely to directly obtain the group of pictures.

Turning to FIG. 6, an example control platform 600 for the example refrigerator 100 of FIG. 1 is shown. The example control platform 600 of the instant example includes the ACU 140 having at least one programmable processor 605. For example, the processor 605 can be implemented by one or more Atmel®, Intel®, AMD®, and/or ARM® microprocessors. Of course, other processors from other processor families and/or manufacturers are also appropriate. The processor 605 executes coded instructions 610 present in main memory of the processor 605 (e.g., within a volatile memory 615 and/or a non-volatile memory 620), or stored on a storage device 625, a removable computer-readable storage medium such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a FLASH drive, etc.

The processor 605 is in communication with the main memory including the non-volatile memory 620 and the volatile memory 615, and other storage devices via a bus 630. The volatile memory 615 may be implemented by, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory (RDRAM) and/or any other type of RAM device(s). The non-volatile memory 620 may be implemented by, for example, flash memory(-ies), flash memory device(s) and/or any other desired type of memory device(s). Access to the memory 615 and 620 may be controlled by a memory controller, not shown.

The control platform 600 also includes an interface circuit 635. Any type of interface standard, such as an external memory interface, serial port, general-purpose input/output, as an Ethernet interface, a USB interface, and/or a peripheral component interface (PCI) express interface, etc., may implement the interface circuit 635.

One or more input devices 640 are connected to the interface circuit 635. The input device(s) 640 permit a user to enter data and commands into the processor 605. The input device(s) 640 can be implemented by, for example, a door closure sensor, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a track-pad, a trackball, a proximity sensor, and/or a voice recognition system.

One or more output devices 645 are also connected to the interface circuit 635. The output devices 645 can be implemented, for example, by display devices (e.g., a display, indicators, light emitting diodes, and/or speakers. The example lighting sources 131, 132 of FIG. 1 may be implemented by the output devices 645. The example cameras 121, 122 of FIG. 1 may be implemented as input devices 640 and output devices 645.

The interface circuit 635 may also include one or more communication device(s) 650 and/or antennae such as a network interface card or module to facilitate exchange of data with other appliances, devices, computers, nodes and/or routers of a network. For example, the interface circuit 635 may implement a Wi-Fi module 655 and/or the example antenna 165 of FIG. 1.

The example control platform 600 includes a communication device 660 implementing any wired and/or wireless protocol, signal, component, switch, hub, router, etc. In some non-limiting examples, the communication device 660 implements a USB hub or switch, as shown in FIG. 6.

To control the illumination generated by the lighting sources 131, 132, the example control platform 600 includes a modulator, such as a pulse-width modulator 665.

The Wi-Fi module 655, the communication device 660, and/or the modulator 665 may be co-located with the ACU 140, or implemented elsewhere in the refrigerator 100. That is, they may be disposed on any number of printed circuit board(s) located at any number of location(s). For example, the modulator 665 may be implemented on the same PCB as the ACU 140, with the communication device 660 and the Wi-Fi module 655