HEATING COOKER, COOKING SYSTEM, ARITHMETIC DEVICE, AND COOKING SUPPORT METHOD

• US 20160283822A1
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: IMAI, Hirohisa, NOMURA, Hiroyoshi, YAMASHITA, Koichiro
• Granted Patent: US 11,055,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6402 Aspects relating to the microwave cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6455 the sensors being infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6473 combined with convection heating H05B6/6485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6479 using steam
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6485 further combined with convection heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/68 for monitoring or control

Abstract

A heating cooker includes a heating chamber that houses food, a heating unit that heats the food in the heating chamber, an imaging unit that acquires image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber, a setting unit that accepts a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation, a storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other, a heating start button that orders the start of the heating operation, and a storage update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the storage unit, when the setting unit accepts the user input and then the heating start button orders the start of the heating operation.

Claims

1. A heating cooker comprising:

a heating chamber that houses food;

a heating unit that heats the food in the heating chamber;

an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber;

an acceptance unit that accepts a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation of the heating unit;

a first storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other;

a start order unit that orders start of the heating operation to the heating unit; and

an update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the first storage unit, when the acceptance unit accepts the user input and then the start order unit orders start of the heating operation.

2. The heating cooker according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification unit that specifies the heating control content associated with resembling image data resembling the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit, based on the control information stored in the first storage unit; and

a presentation unit that presents the heating control content specified by the specification unit,

wherein the start order unit orders start of the heating operation defined by the heating control content presented by the presentation unit.

3. The heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein

the specification unit determines whether or not the resembling image data is stored in the first storage unit to specify the heating control content associated with the resembling image data, based on the control information stored in the first storage unit in a case where the resembling image data is determined to be stored in the first storage unit, and

the acceptance unit accepts the user input in a case where the specification unit has determined that the resembling image data is not stored in the first storage unit.

4. The heating cooker according to claim 2, further comprising:

a stop order unit that orders stoppage of the heating operation to the heating unit after start of the heating operation defined by the heating control content presented by the presentation unit has been ordered by the start order unit,

wherein the update unit deletes from the first storage unit the heating control content presented by the presentation unit and the image data associated with the heating control content in a case where stoppage of the heating operation has been ordered by the stop order unit.

5. The heating cooker according to claim 2, further comprising an image averaging processing unit that calculates average image data in which the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit and the resembling image data stored in the first storage unit are averaged and that stores the average image data in the first storage unit in association with the heating control content, after start of the heating operation defined by the heating control content presented by the presentation unit has been ordered by the start order unit.

6. The heating cooker according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second storage unit that stores the heating control content and a plurality of types of image data associated with the heating control content;

an extraction unit that extracts a plurality of types of resembling image data that resemble each other from the plurality of types of image data; and

a registration unit that registers the heating control content and the plurality of types of resembling image data in the first storage unit after associating the heating control content and the plurality of types of resembling image data with each other in a case where an acquisition frequency of the plurality of types of resembling image data exceeds a predetermined value.

7. The heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein the registration unit calculates a count value representing the number of the extracted plurality of types of resembling image data and, in a case where the count value exceeds a predetermined value, registers the heating control content and the plurality of types of resembling image data in the first storage unit after associating the heating control content and the plurality of types of resembling image data with each other.

8. The heating cooker according to claim 1, further comprising:

a feature quantity calculation unit that calculates a feature quantity of the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit,

wherein the update unit associates the feature quantity calculated by the feature quantity calculation unit and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the first storage unit.

9. A cooking system comprising:

a heating cooker that heats food; and

an arithmetic device connected to the heating cooker to be able to communicate therewith,

the heating cooker including

a heating chamber that houses food,

a heating unit that heats the food in the heating chamber,

an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber,

an acceptance unit that accepts a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation of the heating unit,

a start order unit that orders start of the heating operation to the heating unit, and

a transmission unit that transmits the image data and the heating control content to the arithmetic device, when the acceptance unit accepts the user input and then the start order unit orders start of the heating operation, and

the arithmetic device including

a reception unit that receives the image data and the heating control content,

a storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other, and

an update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the storage unit.

10. An arithmetic device connected to a heating cooker that heats food to be able to communicate therewith,

the arithmetic device comprising:

a reception unit that receives image data on the food acquired after the food has been housed in a heating chamber and heating control content defining a heating operation that have been transmitted by the heating cooker;

a storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other; and

an update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the storage unit.

11. A cooking support method for a heating cooker that heats food,

the cooking support method comprising:

an image data acquisition step of acquiring image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber;

an acceptance step of accepting a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation;

a start order step of ordering start of the heating operation;

a heating step of heating the food in the heating chamber; and

an update step of associating the image data and the heating control content with each other and updating control information within a storage unit, when the user input is accepted in the acceptance step and then start of the heating operation is ordered in the start order step.