Cooking system

• US 10,448,776 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Johncock, James, Morandotti, Alberto, Pastore, Cristiano Vito
• Primary Examiner(s): Becker, Drew E
• Application Number:
  US15/358,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20170150841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 426231-233, 99325-338, 99342-344
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/10 General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/002 Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/28 Other culinary hand implements, e.g. spatulas, pincers, forks or like food holders, ladles, skimming ladles, cooking spoons; Spoon-holders attached to cooking pots
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/281 Cooking spoons; Ladles table spoons A47G21/02, A47G21/04
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/282 Spoons for serving ice-cream
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/283 Tongs; Devices for picking, holding or rotating food
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/288 Spatulas; Scrapers; Multi-purpose hand implements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/06 for preparation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A cooking system includes a kitchen utensil and a cooking hob, wherein the kitchen utensil is provided with one or more sensors arranged on the kitchen utensil. The sensors include acceleration sensors, gyroscopic sensors, and inclination sensors. The cooking appliance is provided with a control unit configured to receive data from the sensors and to elaborate information on how the kitchen utensil is being used, and to control the cooking appliance accordingly.

Claims

1. A cooking system including a kitchen utensil and a household electrical cooking appliance, such kitchen utensil having one or more sensors that are arranged on the kitchen utensil, wherein the sensors generate position and/or acceleration information are selected from the group consisting essentially of an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, an inclination sensor, or a combination thereof, the cooking appliance being provided with a control unit configured to receive data from the sensors in order to evaluate the information to assess how the kitchen utensil is used and to control the cooking appliance in response thereto;

and

wherein the kitchen utensil comprises a handle with a concave seat for receiving a removable cartridge carrying a battery, a microcomputer, a radio transmitter, and at least one sensor chosen from the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, and the inclination sensor, wherein the cartridge is provided with an unlock sliding button which may be operated to unlock the cartridge from the concave seat and the concave seat is provided with a spring urging the removable cartridge out of the concave seat upon activation of the sliding button.

2. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the kitchen utensil further comprises an end opposite the handle upon which a temperature sensor or an electrical impedance sensor are disposed, and wherein the concave seat further comprises electrical contacts electrically connecting the cartridge to the kitchen utensil and configured to cooperate with corresponding contacts of the cartridge to assure electrical connection from sensors on the tip of the kitchen utensil to cartridge.

3. The cooking system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to process data from the temperature sensor or the impedance sensor conditional upon data received from the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, or the inclination sensor.

4. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the kitchen utensil is in the form of tongs and further comprises a strain gauge sensor in a zone of the kitchen utensil opposite a pair of free ends of the tongs.

5. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance comprises a user interface configured to provide instructions to the user on the basis of information derived from data captured by the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, or the inclination sensor.

6. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the removable cartridge is configured to be attached to the handle of the kitchen utensil configured as a spoon, a ladle, a pair of tongs, or a needle.

7. The cooking system according to claim 2, wherein the removable cartridge carrying the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, or the inclination sensor further comprises electrical contacts and the concave seat further comprises corresponding electrical contacts configured to cooperate with the electrical contacts of the removable cartridge in order to provide electrical connection with the temperature sensor or an electrical impedance sensor disposed on the end of the kitchen utensil opposite the handle.

8. A method of controlling a household electrical cooking appliance comprising the use of a kitchen utensil having an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, or an inclination sensor disposed within a removable cartridge, the removable cartridge being removably mountable within a concave seat in a handle of the kitchen utensil, wherein the removable cartridge carries a battery, a microcomputer, a radio transmitter, and at least one sensor chosen from the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, and the inclination sensor, wherein the cartridge is provided with an unlock sliding button which may be operated to unlock the cartridge from the concave seat and the concave seat is provided with a spring urging the removable cartridge out of the concave seat upon activation of the sliding button, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

collecting position and/or acceleration data from the at least one sensor chosen from the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, and the inclination sensor, or a combination thereof;

communicating such data to a control unit of the cooking appliance; and

evaluating such data in order to assess how the utensil is used by the user.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of evaluating such data in order to assess how the kitchen utensil is used by the user comprises the step of recognizing the position and/or movement of the kitchen utensil.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling the cooking appliance on the basis of such evaluation of data.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of assisting the user by providing instructions though a graphical user interface, wherein actions are suggested to the user on the basis of the above evaluation of data to assist the user in the execution of a multistep recipe.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

measuring the temperature through the kitchen utensil; and

further associating the temperature to the detected position and/or movement of the cooking utensil.