Cooking system and method for controlling the same

• US 6,584,374 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Won-woo, Hyun, Young-min
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWINDELL, WALTER R
• Application Number:
  US09/805,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 352/85, 700/207, 700/211, 219/391, 219/386, 993/236
• US Class Current: 700/211
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing

Abstract

Disclosed is a cooking system comprising a cooking apparatus having a main body formed with a cooking chamber and a cooker driver cooking food within the cooking chamber; an aroma generator provided in the cooking apparatus, selectively diffusing at least one food aroma; an external unit connected to the cooking apparatus via an interface; and a controller controlling the aroma generator provided in the cooking apparatus, to allow the food aroma according to the selected cooking menu through the external unit to be diffused. With this configuration, if a cooking menu is selected through an external unit accessible to the Internet, data on the selected cooking menu is supplied to a cooking apparatus, and a food aroma and a smell remover are generated according to the selected cooking menu, thereby providing a user with complete information on a cooking menu.

Claims

1. A cooking system comprising:

a cooking apparatus having a main body formed with a cooking chamber and a cooker driver cooking food within the cooking chamber;

an aroma generator provided in the cooking apparatus, selectively diffusing at least one food aroma;

an external unit connected to the cooking apparatus via an interface; and

a controller controlling the aroma generator provided in the cooking apparatus, to allow the food aroma according to a selected cooking menu through the external unit to be diffused.

2. The cooking system according to claim 1, further comprising a computer aroma generator producing a food aroma outside of the external unit, wherein the controller activates the computer aroma generator, to diffuse the food aroma according to the cooking menu selected through the external unit.

3. The cooking system according to claim 2, wherein the external unit is comprised of a computer system accessible to Internet.

4. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer aroma generator is comprised of a computer aroma storage unit storing therein a food aroma according to the cooking menu, and a computer aroma diffuser to diffuse the food aroma from the computer aroma storage unit.

5. The cooking system according to claim 4, wherein at least one smell remover corresponding with the food aroma is stored in the computer aroma storage unit.

6. The cooking system according to claim 2, wherein the computer aroma generator is comprised of a computer aroma storage unit storing therein a plurality of aroma substances to be mixed to produce a food aroma, and a computer aroma diffuser diffusing the food aroma produced by mixture of the aroma substances.

7. The cooking system according to claim 6, wherein a smell remover is produced by mixture of the aroma substances stored in the computer aroma storage unit.

8. The cooking system according to claim 4, wherein the computer aroma diffuser is provided with at least one computer diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma.

9. The cooking system according to claim 6, wherein the computer aroma diffuser is provided with at least one computer diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma.

10. The cooking system according to claim 5, wherein the computer aroma diffuser is provided with at least one computer diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma or the smell remover.

11. The cooking system according to claim 7, wherein the computer aroma diffuser is provided with at least one computer diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma or the smell remover.

12. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the aroma generator is comprised of an aroma storage unit storing therein at least one food aroma, and an aroma diffuser diffusing the food aroma from the aroma storage unit.

13. The cooking system according to claim 11, wherein at least one smell remover corresponding to the food aroma is stored in the aroma storage unit.

14. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the aroma generator is comprised of an aroma storage unit storing therein a plurality of aroma substances to be mixed to produce a food aroma corresponding with the selected cooking menu, and an aroma diffuser diffusing the food aroma produced by mixture of the aroma substances.

15. The cooking system according to claim 14, wherein a smell remover is produced by mixture of the aroma substances stored in the aroma storage unit.

16. The cooking system according to claim 10, wherein the aroma diffuser is comprised of at least one diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma.

17. The cooking system according to claim 16, wherein the diffusing nozzle diffuses the food aroma either to the outside of the main body or to the inside of the cooking chamber.

18. The cooking system according to claim 12, wherein the aroma diffuser is comprised of at least one diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma.

19. The cooking system according to claim 18, wherein the diffusing nozzle diffuses the food aroma either to the outside of the main body or to the inside of the cooking chamber.

20. The cooking system according to claim 11, the aroma diffuser is comprised of at least one diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma or the smell remover.

21. The cooking system according to claim 20, wherein the diffusing nozzle diffuses the food aroma or the smell remover either to the outside of the main body or to the inside of the cooking chamber.

22. The cooking system according to claim 13, the aroma diffuser is comprised of at least one diffusing nozzle diffusing the food aroma or the smell remover.

23. The cooking system according to claim 22, wherein the diffusing nozzle diffuses the food aroma or the smell remover either to the outside of the main body or to the inside of the cooking chamber.

24. The cooking system according to claim 10, wherein the food aroma is diffused for a predetermined period of time after the cooking menu is selected.

25. The cooking system according to claim 12, wherein the food aroma is diffused for a predetermined period of time after the cooking menu is selected.

26. The cooking system according to claim 11, wherein the smell remover is diffused when the selected cooking menu is completely cooked.

27. The cooking system according to claim 13, wherein the smell remover is diffused when the selected cooking menu is completely cooked.

28. A method for controlling a cooking system including a cooking apparatus having a main body formed with a cooking chamber, and a cooker driver cooking the food accommodated within the cooking chamber, comprising the steps of:

connecting the cooking apparatus to an external unit through an interface;

selecting a cooking menu through the external unit; and

diffusing a food aroma according to a selected cooking menu to the inside or outside of the cooking apparatus.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of diffusing the food aroma outside of the external unit.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the food aroma is produced by mixture of a plurality of aroma substances.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the food aroma is produced by mixture of a plurality of aroma substances.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the food aroma is diffused for a predetermined period of time after the cooking menu is selected.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the food aroma is diffused for a predetermined period of time after the cooking menu is selected.

34. The method according to claim 28, wherein the food aroma is diffused increasingly.

35. The method according to claim 28, wherein the food aroma is diffused intermittently.

36. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of diffusing a smell remover corresponding with the food aroma when cooking is finished.

37. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of diffusing a smell remover corresponding with the food aroma when cooking is finished.