AUTOMATED COOKING CONTROL VIA ENHANCED COOKING EQUIPMENT

• US 20160051078A1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meyer Intellectual Properties Limited
• Original Assignee: Next Play Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Jenkins, Jonathan A., Vengroff, Darren Erik, Goyer, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,092,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F24C 3/12 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/126 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/065 using coordinated control of multiple induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1209 induction cooking plates or the like and devices to be used in combination with them

Abstract

Techniques are described for automated control of portions of a cooking process, such as to control activation and heating for a cooking location having a piece of cooking equipment. Such automated control may include executing an automated control recipe having defined instructions used to automatically control at least some aspects (e.g., surface temperature) of the cooking equipment piece (e.g., a pan on a stove cooking surface) as part of a cooking episode to prepare one or more dishes, and may further include coordinating actions of a human user who is participating in the cooking episode by providing instructions or other information to the user. Related food preparation systems and cookware devices and components are also provided in connection with which the described automated cooking control techniques and methods may be used.

Claims

1. A food preparation system comprising:

an implement having at least one temperature sensor integrated therein to sense temperature information indicative of a temperature of a food item during a cooking episode and having a wireless communication module to transmit the temperature information from the implement;

a control knob provided to adjust a characteristic of a cooking environment in a vicinity of the implement during the cooking episode, the control knob being controllably adjustable via a drive motor contained within the control knob while also remaining manually adjustable by a user; and

a cooking control system configured to receive the temperature information from the implement and to provide cooking adjustment information for adjusting the control knob during the cooking episode based at least in part on the received temperature information.

2. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the implement is a piece of cooking equipment or a temperature probe.

3. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob is coupled to a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a cooking apparatus, and wherein the cooking control system is configured to selectively rotate the shaft via the drive motor of the control knob in response to the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system.

4. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob is coupled to a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a cooking apparatus and includes a display unit for communicating information to a user to facilitate manual adjustment of the control knob during the cooking episode.

5. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further comprises a position sensor communicatively coupled to the cooking control system to communicate data indicative of a position of the control knob upon manual adjustment thereof.

6. The food preparation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera positioned to observe and communicate information to the cooking control system, and wherein the cooking adjustment information is based at least in part on said information.

7. The food preparation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a supplemental sensor integrated into the implement to sense supplemental non-temperature information associated with the food item and communicate said supplemental non-temperature information to the cooking control system.

8. The food preparation system of claim 7 wherein the supplemental sensor comprises one of the following:

a moisture sensor to sense moisture characteristics of the food item;

a color sensor to sense a color of the food item; and

a chemical sensor to sense acidity, alkalinity and/or other properties related to flavor of the food item.

9. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further comprise a printed circuit board assembly and a power source concealed therein to implement at least some aspects of the cooking control system.

10. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further includes a wireless communication module concealed therein to receive the temperature information from the implement for controllably adjusting a rotational position of the control knob.

11. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob includes a drive gear for rotating a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a cooking apparatus, and wherein the control knob remains manually adjustable by a user while the drive motor of the control knob is engaged with the drive gear.

12. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob includes a base assembly, a cover rotatably supported by the base assembly, and a coupler attached to the cover which is configured to interface with a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a cooking apparatus, and wherein the drive motor is operatively coupled to the coupler to enable selective rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly via the coupler in response to the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

13. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the implement is a piece of cooking equipment comprising:

a base defining at least a portion of a receptacle to receive the food item, the at least one temperature sensor being integrated into the base to sense the temperature information indicative of the temperature of the food item during the cooking episode; and

a handle for manipulating the piece of cooking equipment in the cooking environment, the wireless communication module being located in the handle.

14. The food preparation system of claim 13,

wherein the base of the piece of cooking equipment includes a base passage that extends between a first location underlying a cooking surface thereof and a second location at or near a periphery of the receptacle,

wherein the handle includes a handle passage in communication with the base passage of the base,

wherein the at least one temperature sensor is a thermocouple having a lead end positioned at the first location and an intermediate portion that extends through the base passage and the handle passage to a cold junction located near the wireless communication module, and

wherein the thermocouple is communicatively coupled to the wireless communication module to enable temperature information sensed by the thermocouple to be transmitted from the piece of cooking equipment by the wireless communication module.

15. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the implement is a temperature probe including a handle and an elongated probe member extending from the handle, and wherein the wireless communication module is sealed within the handle along with a power source.

16. A control knob operable with a cooking control system to prepare a food item during a cooking episode, the control knob comprising:

a base assembly;

a cover rotatably supported by the base assembly;

a coupler removably coupleable to the cover and being configured to interface with a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a cooking apparatus; and

a drive motor contained within the control knob and operatively coupled to the coupler to enable, during operation, selective rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly via the coupler in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

17. The control knob of claim 16 wherein the base assembly includes a base housing portion fixable to the cooking apparatus, and wherein the coupler is rotatable relative to the base housing portion via the drive motor to enable controlled rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly.

18. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

19. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

an audio input device configured to receive audio signals for adjusting the control knob in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

20. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

an audio output device configured to output an audible signal containing cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

21. The control knob of claim 16 wherein the coupler is manually adjustable about a rotation axis by a user in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode by manipulating the cover relative to the base assembly.

22. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

a position sensor concealed within control knob for sensing and tracking a rotational position of the cover upon manual adjustment of the control knob by a user.

23. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly and a power source concealed within the control knob to implement at least some aspects of the cooking control system.

24. The control knob of claim 16, further comprising:

a wireless communication module concealed within the control knob for receiving information from which to adjust a rotational position of the cover.

25. The control knob of claim 16 wherein the drive motor is operatively coupled to the coupler via a drive gear, and wherein the cover of the control knob is manually adjustable by a user while the drive motor is engaged with the drive gear.

26. A kit to assist in the preparation of food items during one or more cooking episodes, the kit comprising:

the control knob of claim 16; and

one or more additional couplers removably coupleable to the cover, each additional coupler being configured to interface with a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of a different respective cooking apparatus for coupling the control knob to one of a variety of different cooking apparatuses.

27. The kit of claim 26, further comprising:

a temperature probe including a handle and an elongated probe member extending from the handle, and further including a wireless communication module and a power source sealed within the handle for transmitting temperature information from the temperature probe to the control knob.

28. The kit of claim 27, further comprising:

a probe mounting device, the probe mounting device including a body defining an aperture sized to receive the elongated probe member extending from the handle of the temperature probe and including opposing arm members rotationally biased to, in conjunction with the body, clamp the temperature probe to a piece of cooking equipment.

29. A cooking apparatus to prepare food items during one or more cooking episodes, the cooking apparatus comprising:

a cooking unit that defines a cooking environment and has at least one cooking location or surface within or upon which to prepare food items; and

at least one control knob that is coupled to the cooking unit, the at least one control knob including a drive motor concealed therein which is configured to adjust at least one characteristic of the cooking environment in the vicinity of the at least one cooking location or surface in response to temperature information derived from one or more temperature sensing implements, and the control knob remaining manually adjustable by a user.

30. The cooking apparatus of claim 29 wherein the cooking unit comprises a cooktop with a plurality of gas burners corresponding to each of a plurality of control knobs, and wherein each of the plurality of control knobs are configured to automatically adjust a gas flow rate to the respective gas burner in response to temperature information derived from the one or more temperature sensing implements.

31. The cooking apparatus of claim 29 wherein the cooking unit comprises a cooktop with a plurality of induction or radiant electric cooking locations corresponding to each of a plurality of control knobs, and wherein each of the plurality of control knobs are configured to automatically adjust a heat output of the respective induction or radiant electric cooking location in response to the temperature information derived from the one or more temperature sensing implements.

32. The cooking apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

a display associated with the cooking unit which is configured to display information that is based at least in part on temperature information derived from the one or more temperature sensing implements.

33. The cooking apparatus of claim 29 wherein the cooking unit comprises a grille and at least one gas burner operable via the at least one control knob to define the at least one cooking location or surface on the grille.

34. The cooking apparatus of claim 33 wherein the cooking unit further comprises a sensor that is configured to sense a characteristic of a gas fuel source of the at least one gas burner, and wherein the at least one control knob is configured to automatically adjust a gas flow rate to the at least one gas burner based at least in part on said characteristic of the gas fuel source.

35. The cooking apparatus of claim 29 wherein the cooking unit comprises a charcoal, wood, wood pellet or other heat source cooking unit with at least one adjustable air flow device, and wherein the control knob is coupled to the at least one adjustable air flow device to enable adjustment of the temperature of the cooking environment of the cooking unit in response to the temperature information derived from the one or more temperature sensing implements.

36. The cooking apparatus of claim 29 wherein the one or more temperature sensing implements are integrated with the cooking unit.