Programmable cooking systems

• US 6,660,982 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manitowoc Foodservice Companies Incorporated (The Manitowoc Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Merrychef Limited (Ali Holding Srl)
• Inventors: Thorneywork, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US09/797,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 219/702, 219/714, 219/720, 219/490, 219/506, 219/480, 993/25, 994/51, 700/207, 700/211
• US Class Current: 219/702
• 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

Abstract

A programmable cooking system comprising a plurality of programmable cooking devices and at least one data key. Each data key is provided with a data memory for storing program data corresponding to sequences of cooking operations, and the data memory is divided into a plurality of parts each corresponding to a respective one of said cooking devices. Each programmable cooking device includes a programmable control for controlling the cooking device to carry out sequences of cooking operations each of which may use a different cooking power and cooking time duration. Each programmable cooking device further includes a key aperture adapted to receive one of the data keys and a data reader arranged to read from the data key program data from that part of the data memory corresponding to the cooking device, and pass the program data to the programmable control of the cooking device thus making the appropriate sequences of cooking operations available to the cooking device.

Claims

1. A programmable cooking system comprising a plurality of separate programmable cooking devices and at least one data key,

wherein each data key is provided with a data memory for storing program data corresponding to sequences of cooking operations, and said data memory is divided into a plurality of parts each corresponding to a respective one of said cooking devices,

and wherein each programmable cooking device comprises:

a programmable control means for controlling the cooking device to carry out sequences of cooking operations;

a key aperture adapted to receive one of said data keys; and

a data reader arranged to read from the data key program data from that part of the data memory corresponding to the cooking device, and to pass said program data to the programmable control means of the cooking device, thus making the appropriate sequences of cooking operations available to the cooking device.

2. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said programmable cooking devices is a programmable oven.

3. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of said programmable cooking devices is a microwave oven or microwave combination oven.

4. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said parts of said data memory corresponds to a different type of programmable cooking device, and is adapted to transfer said program data to any cooking device of that type.

5. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each programmable cooking device further comprises a data writer, arranged to write operational data to the data memory of the data keys when located in the key apertures.

6. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said operational data includes data representing the length of time for which the cooking device has been used.

7. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said operational data includes data representing which sequences of cooking operations have been carried out by the cooking devices, and in what numbers.

8. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cooking device can be activated only when one of said data keys is located in its key aperture.

9. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a plurality of such data keys each carrying different program data, thus allowing a user to choose which cooking sequences to make available to the cooking devices, and to make different cooking sequences available at different times.

10. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the data keys are physically connected to each other.

11. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein different data keys carry program data corresponding to menus of food intended to be served at different times.

12. A programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein different data keys are different colours, in order to provide more simple identification to a user.

13. A method of operating a programmable cooking system as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising:

a) downloading said program data to the data memory means of the each data key;

b) inserting at least one of the data keys into the key aperture of selected one of said cooking devices;

c) allowing a user to cook food using the selected cooking device by a selecting a suitable sequence of cooking operations represented by said program data for said selected cooking device;

d) allowing the user to repeat this for other food products if desired.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the cooking devices are located at a cooking site, and the step of downloading said program data is carried out at a data site which is remote from said cooking site.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein each programmable cooking device includes a data writer, arranged to write operational data to the data memory of the data keys when located in the key aperture, and wherein the method further includes the step of the data writer of the selected cooking device writing to the data memory of at least one data key operational data relating to the operation of the selected cooking device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational data includes the numbers of each type of food product to have been cooked by the cooking device.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said operational data representing the numbers of each type of food product cooked is analysed in order to provide stock-control information, and orders for further food products are made on the basis of said stock-control information.

18. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational data includes data representing the total time for which the oven has been used since a given point in time.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said operational data representing the total time for which the selected cooking device has been used is analysed in order to provide usage information, and said usage information is used to determine whether the selected cooking device falls within the terms of a warranty on the selected cooking device provided by a supplier to the selected cooking device user.

20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said operational data includes data representing the manner in which the selected cooking device has been used.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said operational data representing the manner in which the selected cooking device has been used is used to make management decisions affecting the future use of the selected cooking device, including for example a decision that the selected cooking device has been over-used in comparison to another cooking device.

22. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein after use each data key is sent to an analysis site, remote from the cooking site, at which the operational data in said data memory is analysed.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the cooking devices are located at a cooking site, and the step of downloading said program data is carried out at a data site which is remote from said cooking site, and wherein said data and analysis sites are one and the same site.