Magnetic card control microwave oven

• US 4,968,864 A
• Filed: 12/27/1978
• Issued: 11/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Keiichiro Doi, Masaaki Kowada, Minoru Makita
• Original Assignee: Keiichiro Doi, Masaaki Kowada, Minoru Makita
• Inventors: Makita, Minoru, Doi, Keiichiro, Kowada, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip
• Application Number:
  US06/974,037
• Time in Patent Office: 4,332 Days
• Field of Search: 219/486, 219/489, 219/490, 219/491, 219/492, 219/493, 219/499, 219/509, 219/510, 219/10.55 B, 219/10.55 R, 219/10.55 E, 219/506, 200/46, 235/400, 235/419, 235/449, 99/325, 99/327, 99/332, 99/342, 99/335, 236/46 D, 236/46 F, 236/46 R, 340/782
• US Class Current: 219/714
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/102 for input of programme steps, i.e. setting up sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/16 using magnetic record carriers G05B19/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6438 allowing the recording of a program of operation of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6452 the sensors being in contact with the heated product

Abstract

A cooking utensil comprises a reading member responsive to a recording medium containing a cooking program which is carried out in the cooking utensil, and a control circuit responsive to the cooking program read by the reading member, thereby conducting the cooking program through properly energizing an energization circuit for the cooking utensil. The cooking program may be desirably recorded on the recording medium through input keys of the cooking utensil. The recorded cooking program can be checked whether or not it is recorded with accuracy. Cooking information of the cooking program is indicated by an indicator for representing conditions of the cooking utensil. The cooking program may be modified according to total weight of a foodstuff to be cooked.

Claims

1. A cooking utensil for conducting cooking operations on a foodstuff placed therein for a first cooking time period according to a cooking program, said program being stored on a removable memory device, comprising:

storing means for storing an amendment equation in said cooking utensil, said equation being capable of obtaining a second new time period based on said first cooking time period and a unit weight of said foodstuff, said amendment equation being,

T2=(x+yz)T1 where T2 is said second new cooking time period, T1 is said first time period, x and y are weight control coefficients related to the cooking program, and z is the total weight of the foodstuff; and

modifying means for modifying the cooking program stored on said memory device, said modifying means calculating said second new cooking time period based on said unit weight of said foodstuff and said first cooking time period using said amendment equation stored in said storing means, said modifying means modifying the cooking program by substituting said second new cooking time period for said first cooking time period in said cooking program.

2. The cooking utensil as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooking utensil is a microwave oven.

3. The cooking utensil as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory device is a magnetic card, said utensil further comprising;

card reader means for reading the cooking program information stored on the magnetic card.

4. The cooking utensil as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooking utensil is energized by a cooking power source, and wherein said means for modifying comprises:

first memory means for storing at least a first portion of the cooking time period related to the unit weight of the foodstuff for at least one cooking step of the cooking program information,

second memory means for storing the weight control coefficients,

third memory means for storing the microwave output energy information, representative of the microwave output energy produced by the cooking power source, when the cooking program is being executed,

input means for introducing information concerning the total weight of the foodstuff to be cooked by said cooking utensil, and

calculation means responsive to operation of the input means for modifying the cooking time period stored in the first memory means utilizing the weight control coefficients contained in the second memory means and the amendment equation stored in the storing means.

5. The cooking utensil as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fourth memory means comprises a read only memory (ROM).

6. A heating appliance capable of cooking a foodstuff by operating in accordance with a series of programmed instructions, comprising:

key input means for introducing said series of programmed instructions into said heating appliance;

a recording medium for storing said series of programmed instructions thereon, said recording medium being capable of insertion into and removal from said heating appliance;

processor unit means responsive to actuation of a set of keys on said key input means for sequentially storing each of the instructions of said series of instructions therein and for generating a plurality of output signals indicative of respective ones of said series of instructions, said processor unit means comprising a central processing unit for receiving said series of instructions and a first storage means for storing said series of instructions therein, said series of instructions including an old cooking time;

recording means responsive to said plurality of output signals from said processor unit means for recording each of said series of instructions onto said recording medium in response to said output signals from said processor unit means, said programmed instructions being recorded onto said recording medium at the same time said recording medium is removed from said heating appliance;

said processor unit means including error detection means responsive to said output signals for determining if said recording medium has been improperly removed from said heating appliance prior to the complete recordation of said output signals onto said recording medium and for generating an error signal indicative of the improper removal in response thereto;

said error signal indicating that said series of instructions should be reintroduced into said heating appliance via said key input means;

a second storage means for storing an amendment equation therein, said equation being used to recalculate a new cooking time based on a new weight of said foodstuff cooked within said heating appliance;

calculating means within said central processing unit and responsive to actuation of a numeral key on said key input means for recalculating said new cooking time for said foodstuff placed within said heating appliance, said calculating means utilizing said amendment equation stored in said second storage means to recalculate said new cooking time based on the value of said numeral key actuated on said key input means, said new cooking time replacing said oil cooking time within said first storage means; and

means for operating said heating appliance and cooking said foodstuff for a time period equal to said new cooking time stored in said first storage means;

said amendment equation comprising

T2=[x+y(z)] T1

where,

T2 represents said new cooking time,

T1 represents said old cooking time,

x and y represent weight control coefficients, and

z represents the new weight of said foodstuff.

7. A heating appliance in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

said recording medium comprises a magnetic card having said series of instructions recorded thereon,

said card introducing said series of instructions into said heating appliance by the insertion of said card into said heating appliance and the proper removal of said card from said heating appliance;

said heating appliance cooks said foodstuff in accordance with said series of instructions introduced via said key input means or introduced via said magnetic card in response to the actuation of a key on said key input means.

8. A heating appliance in accordance with claim 7, wherein said series of instructions includes an end code indicative of the end of said series of instructions;

and

wherein said error detection means comprises preliminary memory means for storing said end code;

means for moving said end code to said preliminary memory means when said recording medium has been improperly removed from said heating appliance,

comparator means responsive to said plurality of output signals from said processor unit means and to the movement of said end code to said preliminary memory means for developing a comparator output signal when said end code is moved into said preliminary memory means, and

means responsive to said comparator output signal for developing said error signal in response thereto.

9. A heating appliance capable of operating in accordance with a series of programmed instructions, comprising:

key input means for introducing said series of programmed instructions into said heating appliance, said series of instructions having a first form;

a recording medium for storing said series of instructions, said recording medium having said series of instructions recorded thereon;

processor unit means responsive to said series of instructions introduced via said key input means for converting said series of instructions in said first form into said series of instructions in a second form, said second form for each instructions including a plurality of bits in binary form representing the individual digits of said instructions and a parity check code associated with each of said plurality of bits, said processor unit means storing the second form of said series of instructions therein in the form of a matrix arrangement, said matrix arrangement including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows,

each of said columns including said plurality of bits and said parity check code, each of said rows including,

a set of bits corresponding to one of said plurality of bits of said instructions; and

a set of said parity check codes corresponding to each of said digits of said instructions,

said processor unit means generating a plurality of output signals, each of said plurality of output signals being indicative of a first corresponding one of said plurality of bits for a first digit of said instructions and said parity check code associated with said corresponding one of said plurality of bits;

first storage means responsive to said plurality of output signals for storing said first corresponding one of said plurality of bits and the associated parity check code therein, said first storage means developing output signals indicative of said first corresponding one of said plurality of bits and said associated parity check code;

first exclusive OR means responsive to said output signals from said first storage means for determining the number of 1'"'"'s in the binary form of said first corresponding one of said plurality of bits and said associated parity check code and for developing a first output signal if the number of 1'"'"'s determined falls within a first numerical category and for preventing the development of a first output signal if the number of 1'"'"'s falls within a second numerical category;

second exclusive OR means for receiving the individual bits associated with said first corresponding one of said plurality of bits with said associated parity check code and the individual bits associated with a second corresponding one of said plurality of bits with the associated parity check code and for performing a second exclusive OR operation thereto, and developing output signals representative of the results of said second exclusive OR operation;

second storage means responsive to the output signals from said second exclusive OR means for storing the results of said second exclusive OR operation.

said second exclusive OR means repeatedly performing said second exclusive OR operation on the remaining ones of said corresponding one of said plurality of bits representing each digit of said series of instructions and the associated parity check codes;

said second storage means storing the final results of the repeatedly performed second exclusive OR operation;

means for determining if said final results of the repeatedly performed, second exclusive OR operation stored in said second storage means comprises a series of zeros and for developing a second output signal if said series of zeros is stored in said second storage means; and

means responsive to said first and second output signals for operating said heating appliance when said first output signal and said second output signal are both developed;

whereby the development of said first and second output signal indicates that said series of instructions have been accurately recorded onto and read from said recording medium.

10. A cooking utensil capable of operating in accordance with a cooking program storable on an insertable and removable memory device, comprising:

input means for introducing said cooking program into said utensil;

memory device writing means for recording said cooking program introduced via said input means onto said memory device;

memory device reading means for reading said cooking program from said memory device;

an energization circuit for energizing said cooking utensil; and

control means responsive to the cooking program read from said memory device by the memory device reading means for energizing said energization circuit of the cooking utensil in accordance with said cooking program read by said memory device reading means;

said cooking program being recorded on said memory device in the form of binary codes having redundant codes added thereto; and

said control means of said cooking utensil further comprising,

regularly checking means for checking the regularity of the binary codes of the cooking program by counting the number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s of said binary codes including said redundant codes and developing a go-ahead signal when an accurate number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s are counted, said go-ahead signal energizing said cooking utensil, said regularity checking means including,

memory means for storing the binary form of said cooking program in a matrix arrangement, said matrix arrangement including rows and columns of binary numerals, each said row and column including one of said redundant codes, and

circuit means for counting the number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s in each said column and each said row of said matrix and developing said go-ahead signal when said accurate number of 1'"'"'s and o'"'"'s are counted;

said circuit means of said regularity checking means comprising,

a first and second storage means responsive to the cooking program from the memory means for storing the binary numerals of each of said rows and columns, respectively;

first calculation means for performing an exclusive OR calculation on the binary numerals in the first storage means;

second calculation means for performing an exclusive OR calculation on the binary numerals between the first storage means and the second storage means, respectively,

a first and second detection circuit means responsive to the results of the first calculation means and the second calculation means, respectively, for providing an output when the results of the first and second calculation means indicates that said accurate number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s are counted, and

an AND gate means responsive to the output from the first detection circuit means and the second detection circuit means for developing the go-ahead signal for energizing said cooking utensil.

11. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cooking utensil is a microwave oven.

12. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first calculation means comprises gate means for checking the number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s for each of the binary numerals in the rows of said matrix arrangement, and said second calculation means includes gate means for checking the number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s for each of the binary numerals in the columns of said matrix arrangement.

13. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 10, further comprising announcement means responsive to the presence of said go-ahead signal from said AND gate means for providing an announcement indicating the presence of an error in the cooking program stored on the magnetic card, the output of said AND gate means indicating an inaccurate number of 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s counted by said regularity checking means when said go-ahead signal is not developed.

14. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a cooking power source for energizing said cooking utensil;

relay means for controlling the energization of said cooking power source; and

restricting means responsive to the presence of the go-ahead signal from said AND gate means for preventing the relay means from controlling said cooking power source when said go-ahead signals are not developed by said AND gate means.

15. A cooking utensil in accordance with claim 10, further comprising indicator means for providing an indication of the cooking operations being performed by said utensil according to said cooking program stored therein and recorded on said memory device, said indicator means sequentially displaying the individual steps of the cooking program in a predetermined order, said order of the sequential display on said indicator means corresponding to the order in which the cooking steps of the program are sequentially executed by said cooking utensil.

16. A cooking utensil in accordance with claim 15, wherein said indicator means comprises numeral display means for indicating a cooking time information portion of the cooking program, the cooking time information being representative of a time duration during which a cooking power source is energized for energizing said cooking utensil, and

operation indicator display means for indicating a microwave output energy information portion of the cooking program, the microwave output energy information being representative of the output energy conditions of the cooking power source while the cooking program is being executed by the cooking utensil.

17. A cooking utensil in accordance with claim 15, wherein said indicator means further comprises:

first memory means for storing the cooking program therein,

timing control means for developing timing signals to energize the first memory means,

second memory means for successively receiving the individual steps of the cooking program from the first memory means in response to the development of each of said timing signals, and

driver means responsive to the contents of said second memory means for driving said indicator means to display the individual steps of the cooking program contained within said second memory means.

18. A cooking utensil capable of operating in accordance with a cooking program storable on an insertable and removable memory device, comprising:

input means for introducing said cooking program into said utensil;

memory device writing means for recording said cooking program introduced via said input means onto said memory device;

memory device reading means for reading said cooking program from said memory device;

an energization circuit for energizing said cooking utensil; and

control means responsive to the cooking program read from memory device by the memory device reading means for energizing said energization circuit of the cooking utensil in accordance with said cooking program read by said memory device reading means;

said cooking utensil conducting cooking operations on a foodstuff placed therein for a first cooking time period according to said cooking program, said program being stored on said removable magnetic card;

wherein said cooking utensil further comprises;

storing means for storing an amendment equation therein, said amendment equation including a means for calculating a second new cooking time period based on said first cooking time period and a unit weight of said foodstuff; and

modifying means for modifying the cooking program stored on the magnetic card, said modifying means re-calculating said second new cooking time period as a function of said unit weight of said foodstuff and said first cooking time period using said amendment equation and recording said second new cooking time period on said magnetic card, said amendment equation comprising

T2=(x+y×

z) T1

where T2 is said second new cooking time period, T1 is said first time period, x and y are weight control coefficients related to the cooking program, and z is the total weight of the foodstuff.

19. A cooking utensil as claimed in claim 18, wherein said cooking utensil is a microwave oven.

20. The cooking utensil as claimed in claim 18, wherein said cooking utensil is energized by a cooking power source, said cooking power source producing microwave output energy;

and wherein said modifying means comprises;

first memory means for storing at least a first portion of the cooking time period related to the unit weight of the foodstuff for at least one cooking step of the cooking program,

second memory means for storing the weight control coefficients,

third memory means for storing the microwave output energy associated with the cooking power source which is energizing the cooking utensil when the cooking program is being executed,

means for introducing information concerning the total weight of the foodstuff to be cooked by said cooking utensil, and

calculation means responsive to the means for introducing for modifying the cooking time period stored in the first memory means utilizing the weight control coefficients contained in the second memory means and the amendment equation stored in the storing means.

21. A cooking utensil in accordance with claim 18, wherein said control means further comprises:

processor unit means responsive to the introduction of the cooking program via the input means for sequentially storing said cooking program therein and for generating a plurality of output signals indicative of the individual instructions of said cooking program;

means responsive to said plurality of output signals from said processor unit means for recording each of said output signals onto said memory devices; and

said processor unit means including error detection means responsive to said output signals for determining if said memory device has been improperly removed from said cooking utensil prior to the complete recordation of said output signals onto said memory device and for generating an error signal indicative of the improper removal in response thereto,

said error signal indicating that said cooking program should be reintroduced into said cooking utensil via said input means.

22. A cooking utensil capable of cooking a foodstuff for a first cooking time period in accordance with a cooking program stored on a removable magnetic card, comprising:

input means for introducable said cooking program into said utensil;

magnetic card writing means for recording said cooking program introduced via said input means onto said magnetic card in the form of binary codes having redundant codes added thereto;

magnetic card reading means for reading said cooking program from said magnetic card;

an energization circuit for energizing said cooking utensil;

control means responsive to the cooking program read from said magnetic card by the magnetic card reading means for energizing said energization circuit of the cooking utensil in accordance with said cooking program read by said magnetic card reading means, said cooking means including,

regularity checking means for checking the regularity of the binary codes and the redundant codes of the cooking program and developing a go-ahead signal when an accurate check of the regularity of the binary and redundant codes is obtained, said go-ahead signal energizing said energization circuit;

display means for sequentially displaying the individual steps of said cooking program in a predetermined order, the predetermined order corresponding to the order in which the individual steps of the cooking program are sequentially executed by said cooking utensil;

means for calculating a second cooking time period based on the first cooking time period and on a unit weight of said foodstuff; and

means for modifying the cooking program on said magnetic card to include said second cooking time period in lieu of said first cooking time period.