COOKER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120076351A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Yoo-Sool, Lim, Jeong-Hyun, Lee, Koon-Seok
• Application Number:
  US13/376,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20120076351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens

Abstract

Provided is a cooker. An image of the inside of a cooking chamber scanned by an image sensor is displayed to the outside through a display part. Thus, a user may more easily and accurately recognize the inner state of the cooking chamber.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A cooker comprising:

a cooking chamber in which food is cooked;

a door selectively opening and closing the cooking chamber;

a heat source providing heat for heating the food in the cooking chamber;

an image sensor scanning the food in the chamber;

a display part displaying an image of the food scanned by the image sensor; and

a control part determining a cooked degree and whether the cooking is finished from the image of the food scanned by the image sensor to control an operation of the heat source.

21. The cooker according to claim 20, wherein the control part reads a RGB color value of the food from the image of the food scanned by the image sensor to determine the cooked degree of the food according to a variation of the read RGB color value of the food according to an elapsed time.

22. The cooker according to claim 21, wherein the control part controls the heat source to increase heat provided from the heat source into the cooking chamber when the variation of the read RGB color value of the food is less than a preset reference RGB color value variation and to decrease heat provided from the heat source into the cooking chamber when the variation of the read RGB color value of the food exceeds the reference RGB color value variation.

23. The cooker according to claim 21, wherein the control part stops an operation of the heat source when the read RGB color value of the food reaches a preset finish RGB color value.

24. The cooker according to claim 20, further comprising a communication part for transmitting/receiving data into/from an external terminal.

25. The cooker according to claim 24, wherein the data transmitted into the terminal by the communication part comprises an image of the food scanned by at least the image sensor.

26. The cooker according to claim 24, wherein the data received from the terminal by the communication part comprises a manipulation signal for controlling an operation of the heat source.

27. The cooker according to claim 20, wherein control part determines a kind of food cooked in the cooking chamber from the image of the food scanned by the image sensor before an operation of the heat source starts.

28. The cooker according to claim 27, wherein the control part reads a RGB color value of the food from the image of the food scanned by the image sensor to determine a kind of food according to the read RGB color value of the food.

29. The cooker according to claim 27, further comprising:

a data storage part storing data according to a kind of food; and

a communication part transmitting/receiving data into/from an external terminal,

wherein the control part controls the communication part to transmit data corresponding to the determined food of the data stored in the data storage part into the terminal.

30. The cooker according to claim 29, wherein the data stored in the data storage part comprises at least recipe of the food and at least character image changed according to a cooking process of the food.

31. The cooker according to claim 27, wherein the communication part is connected wirelessly to the terminal or connected the terminal through a wired cable.

32. A method of controlling a cooker, the method comprising:

scanning an image of food through an image sensor;

providing heat for heating the food from a heat source;

reading a RGB color value of the food changed by the heat provided by the heat source from the image of the food scanned by the image sensor through a control part;

determining a cooked degree of the food according to a variation of the read RGB color value of the food depending on an elapsed time through the control part; and

controlling an operation of the heat source according to the determined cooked degree of the food through the control part.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the control part controls the heat source to increase heat provided from the heat source into the cooking chamber when the variation of the read RGB color value of the food is less than a preset reference RGB color value variation and to decrease heat provided from the heat source into the cooking chamber when the variation of the read RGB color value of the food exceeds the reference RGB color value variation.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the control part stops an operation of the heat source when the read RGB color value of the food reaches a preset finish RGB color value.

35. The method according to claim 32, further comprising transmitting data comprising the image of the food scanned by at least the image sensor into an external terminal through the communication part.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising scanning an image of the food in a cooking chamber through the image sensor before the heat source is operated.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising transmitting data comprising the image of the food scanned by the image sensor into an external terminal through a communication part.

38. The cooker according to claim 37, wherein the data transmitted into the terminal through the communication part comprises at least recipe of the food and at least character image changed according to a cooking process of the food.