Custom cooking program based on feedback

• US 10,101,035 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sebastian Thrun
• Original Assignee: Silicon Valley Factory LLC
• Inventors: Thrun, Sebastian, St. Martin, David, Kani, Arash
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/489,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20180299136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 219494, 219497, 219506, 219441, 219412-414, 219490, 219714, 219713
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes

Abstract

In various embodiments, a method of decoding and executing a custom coding program based on feedback includes using a heating apparatus to execute a first phase of a plurality of heating phases, the first phase having an associated prescribed time to perform the first phase, and receiving at least one sensor reading associated with the first phase. If the at least one sensor reading indicates that the first phase is complete, proceeding to a next phase of the plurality of heating phases. If the at least one sensor reading indicates that the first phase is incomplete, instructing the heating apparatus to extend the prescribed time to perform the first phase.

Claims

1. A method of heating food, comprising:

using a heating apparatus to execute a first phase of a plurality of heating phases, the first phase having an associated prescribed time to perform the first phase, wherein the heating apparatus is adapted to receive the food in a package, the package including;

an electrically conductive structure adapted to receive electromagnetic energy from an electromagnetic source and produce heat, and

a membrane below and thermally coupled to the electrically conductive structure, the membrane containing moisture and adapted to provide controlled flow of moisture through the membrane when heated;

determining a state of the food based at least in part on at least one sensor reading of the food associated with the first phase;

if the determined state indicates that the first heating phase is completed, proceeding to a next phase of the plurality of heating phases;

if the at least one sensor reading indicates that the first heating phase is not completed, instructing the heating apparatus to extend the prescribed time to perform the first phase, and

using the membrane to introduce moisture into the heating apparatus based at least in part on the determined state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading heating instructions encoded in an electronic tag; and

determining a sequence of heating phases based on the read instructions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading the heating instructions includes scanning the electronic tag.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic tag is an RFID tag.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic tag includes a link to instructions stored in a remote server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating apparatus includes the electromagnetic source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating phases includes at least one of:

a number phases, a duration of each of the phases, and an energy level of each of the phases.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating apparatus is part of a system including a plurality of heating apparatuses;

and further comprising executing the plurality of heating phases in a manner determined to coordinate with other ones of the heating apparatuses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising executing the plurality of heating phases in a manner determined to cause the heating apparatus and at least one of the other ones of the heating apparatuses to complete cooking at substantially the same time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes data collected by a camera.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes a sound indicating a Maillard reaction based at least in part on data collected by a microphone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes data collected by a thermometer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes data collected by a barometer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes data collected by a hygrometer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes data collected by a radar.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing the heating apparatus to extend a time to perform the first phase is subject to a pre-defined limit.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input during a cooking process; and

modifying the plurality of heating phases based on the received user input.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the plurality of heating phases based on historical user preferences.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first phase includes dry heat and the next phase includes introducing moisture into the heating apparatus.