Domestic appliance

• US 6,559,882 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Atleos Corp.
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Kerchner, Lynn L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): An, Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US09/388,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/156, 348/705, 348/135, 219/730, 219/679, 219/720, 219/506, 340/638, 340/825, 345/184
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A domestic cooking or defrosting appliance including a heating region and a camera for obtaining images of food cooking or defrosting within the heating region, wherein the camera outputs video signals to a processor that drives a display means associated with the appliance and/or controls the cooking or defrosting operation of the appliance. The display means is conveniently situated on the appliance to show an easily-viewable image of the food obtained by the camera. The camera is sensitive to infra-red radiation and outputs video signals representative of the heat of the food. The processor can therefore convert infra-red information received from the camera into visible information to create a display on the display means representative of the infra-red information. Such a display is preferably color-coded in accordance with the local temperature of the food. The appliance (1) is adapted for interaction with a communications network (75) such as the Internet by the addition of a substantially self-contained discrete communications module (12) connectable to the communications network (75), the communications module (12) including display means (20) and command entry means that optionally interact with the appliance (1).

Claims

1. A cooking or defrosting appliance (1) including a heating region (69) and a camera (68) for obtaining images of food (70) cooking or defrosting within the heating region (69), wherein

i) the camera (68) outputs video signals to a processor (24) that drives a display means (20) associated with the appliance (1) and/or controls the cooking or defrosting operation of the appliance (1);

ii) the camera (68) is sensitive to infra-red radiation and outputs video signals representative of the heat of the food (70); and

iii) the processor (24) compares food (70) temperature represented by the infra-red image with a stored model and, depending upon variance with the model, sends control outputs to the appliance (1) to vary heating power and/or exposure time to heat.