Cooking device with system for controlling cooking of foods

• US 6,137,095 A
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shigeo, Kashimoto, Takashi, Shibuya, Makoto, Yoshino, Koji, Yoshimura, Yasuo, Nomura, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/242,593
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 219/702, 219/678, 219/714, 219/679, 219/720, 364/131, 340/638, 340/310.01, 340/870.02, 99/419, 99/484
• US Class Current: 219/702
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0266 Cooktops
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A cooking appliance performs cooking which is remotely controlled, based on information relating to the object to be heated, as the information is transmitted to the appliance'"'"'s computer from a management'"'"'s computer. The cooking appliance can also cook any part of food in the cooking chamber locally.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

an appliance control system for cooking food; and

a management system coupled to said appliance control system via a communication pathway for remotely controlling the cooking of said food;

said appliance control system comprising;

1) a heating space;

2) heating means for cooking said food placed in said heating space;

3) heating progression detecting means for detecting physical change of said food; and

4) an appliance controller comprising i) appliance'"'"'s reading means for reading information transmitted from said communication pathway and ii) appliance'"'"'s control means for processing the information,

and, said management system comprising;

5) management'"'"'s reading means for reading the information transmitted from said communication pathway; and

6) management'"'"'s control means for processing the information,

wherein, said appliance control system transmits to said appliance control system via said communication pathway (a) cooking information for controlling said heating means correspondingly to a cooking recipe selected by a user and (b) information corresponding to physical changes of said food, and, controls said heating means by receiving (c) information for remotely controlling the cooking from said management system via said communication pathway, and

said management system transmits to said appliance control system via said communication pathway the remote control information based on said cooking information and said information corresponding to physical changes of said food received via said communication pathway, so as to cook said food under the remote control of said management system while exchanging the information bidirectionally between said appliance control system and said management system via said communication pathway.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s storage means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s storage means, and

wherein said appliance'"'"'s storage means stores said information received from said management system, and

said management'"'"'s storage means stores said information received from said appliance control system.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s digital recording medium with in said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s digital recording medium, and

wherein said appliance control system is remotely controlled of the cooking by said management system by way of transmitting to said management system (a) the cooking information corresponding to said cooking recipe selected by said user and that is read among the cooking information previously stored in said appliance'"'"'s digital recording medium, together with (b) the information of physical changes of said food, and

said appliance control system receives new cooking information originally recorded in said management'"'"'s digital recording medium, and stores the information in said appliance'"'"'s storage means.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance control system further comprises at least one of an appliance'"'"'s display means and an appliance'"'"'s notification means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises at least one of a management'"'"'s display means and a management'"'"'s notification means,

and wherein the cooking information and the information corresponding to physical changes of said food are displayed and/or announced respectively.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said management system further comprises a sequential operation controller for executing instructions due at a time in response to requirements set by the user during the cooking.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s modification means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a magement'"'"'s modification means,

and wherein said appliance control system and said management system execute a modification requirement by interrupting cooking when the user inputs a command requiring a modification of the initially established cooking information.

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 6, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s second storage means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s second storage means,

and wherein said appliance'"'"'s second storage means stores modified information of said appliance'"'"'s modification means, and said management'"'"'s second storage means stores modified information of said management'"'"'s modification means.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 7, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s learning function means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s learning function means, and

wherein said appliance'"'"'s learning function means stores a preferable cooking information in said appliance'"'"'s storage means, based on a frequency of use of the cooking information stored in said appliance'"'"'s storage means and a frequency of use of the modified information stored in said appliance'"'"'s second storage means, and

said management'"'"'s learning function means stores said preferable cooking information in said management'"'"'s storage means, based on a frequency of use of the cooking information stored in said management'"'"'s storage means and a frequency of use of the modified information stored in said management'"'"'s second storage means.

9. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s cooking time setting means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s cooking time setting means, each for storing at least one of a starting time and an ending time, and

wherein the cooking is carried out with a remote control according to at least one of said starting time and said finishing time.

10. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance control system further comprises an appliance'"'"'s forced termination means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises a management'"'"'s forced termination means, and

wherein the cooking is terminated by said appliance'"'"'s and management'"'"'s forced termination means if an abnormality occurs in the cooking.

11. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said appliance controller is detachable from said appliance control system, and said appliance'"'"'s reading means and said appliance'"'"'s control means are coupled with wireless communication.

12. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 further comprising a localized cooking system for locally cooking at least a portion of said food.

13. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said localized cooking system comprises an attachment for restricting position of said food.

14. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said appliance control system further comprises a history storage means for storing a history of physical changes of said food.

15. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said appliance control system further comprises payment means for accomplishing payment.

16. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said appliance control system controls a plurality of cooking appliances.

17. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said appliance control system controls a plurality of appliances.

18. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise memory means for storing information obtained through a medium including at least one of a public communication line, a television, satellite broadcasting, and a surface wave.

19. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise security means for encrypting and decrypting when communicating with each other.

20. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise backup means for backing up the cooking information stored in the memory means.

21. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein said management system comprises a billing means for charging a fee when communicating.

22. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein said appliance control system further comprises at least one of an appliance'"'"'s display means and an appliance'"'"'s notification means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises at least one of a management'"'"'s display means and a management'"'"'s notification means,

and wherein the cooking information and the information corresponding to physical changes of said food are displayed and/or announced respectively.

23. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein said appliance control system further comprises at least one of an appliance'"'"'s display means and an appliance'"'"'s notification means within said appliance controller, and said management system further comprises at least one of a management'"'"'s display means and a management'"'"'s notification means,

and wherein the cooking information and the information corresponding to physical changes of said food are displayed and/or announced respectively.

24. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said appliance control system further comprises a history storage means for storing a history of physical changes of said food.

25. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said appliance control system further comprises payment means for accomplishing payment amount.

26. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said appliance control system controls a plurality of cooking appliances.

27. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said appliance control system controls a plurality of appliances.

28. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise memory means for storing information obtained through a medium, including at least one of a public communication line, a television, satellite broadcasting, and a surface wave.

29. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise security means for encrypting and decrypting when communicating with each other.

30. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said management system and said appliance control system further comprise backup means for backing up the cooking information stored in the memory means.

31. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said management system comprises a billing means for charging a fee when communicating.