COOKING SYSTEM

• US 20170150841A1
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Published: 06/01/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A cooking system including a kitchen utensil and a household electrical cooking appliance, particularly a cooking hob, such kitchen utensil having sensors that are arranged on the kitchen utensil, wherein the sensors generate information and are selected from the group consisting 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 elaborate the information to access how the kitchen utensil is used and to control the cooking appliance in response thereto.

15. The cooking system according to claim 14, wherein the kitchen utensil has a handle and an end opposite the handle upon which a temperature sensor or an electrical impedance sensor are disposed.

16. The cooking system according to claim 15, 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.

17. The cooking system according to claim 14, wherein the kitchen utensil is in the form of tongs and comprises a strain gauge sensor in a zone of the kitchen utensil opposite a pair of free ends of the tongs.

18. The cooking system according to claim 14, 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.

19. The cooking system according to claim 14, wherein the kitchen utensil comprises a handle portion detachable from a remaining portion of the kitchen utensil.

20. The cooking system according to claim 19, wherein the handle portion is configured to be attached to different ends of the kitchen utensil configured as, for instance, a spoon, a ladle, a pair of tongs, or a needle.

21. The cooking system according to claim 14, wherein the kitchen utensil comprises a handle with a concave seat for receiving a removable cartridge carrying the acceleration sensor, the gyroscopic sensor, or the inclination sensor.

22. A method of controlling a household electrical cooking appliance, particularly a cooking hob, comprising the use of a kitchen utensil having sensors, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

collecting data from a sensor selected from the group consisting of an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, an inclination sensor, or a combination thereof;

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

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

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of elaborating 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.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of controlling the cooking appliance on the basis of such elaboration of data.

25. The method according to claim 22, 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 elaboration of data to assist the user in the execution of a multistep recipe.

26. The method according to claim 25, 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.