Rapid cooking oven with broadband communication capability to increase ease of use

• US 7,092,988 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Connell, Bryan, Bogatin, Jeffrey, Caron, Richard, Pryor, Carl, McFadden, David, Pool, James K. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/846,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-229, 709/203, 709/208, 700/83, 700/90, 700/211, 219/702, 219/391, 219/393, 235375-377
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/325 electrically-heated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/666 Safety circuits emergency protective circuits in general H02H
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/687 for cooking

Abstract

An improved oven for use in a residence is described. The oven includes a cooking chamber, a programmable controller for executing program instructions, memory media for recording executable program instructions, and at least one controllable cooking system under control of the programmable controller, which provides a data-processing-controlled high speed cooking process which may be applied to food placed in the oven chamber. A plurality of cooking programs are recorded in the memory media of the oven. These define a plurality of high speed cooking routines available for use with the oven. A gateway server is communicatively coupled to the programmable controller. It manages the communication of digital content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of the improved oven. A broadband communication channel extends from a source of digital content, which is external to the residence, to the residence. The broadband communication channel delivers particular digital content related to the oven through the gateway server for distribution within the residence, including distribution to the programmable controller of the oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing the oven.

Claims

1. For use in a cooking device capable of accessing a communications system, a high speed oven for combining hot air impingement cooking and microwave cooking, said high speed oven comprising:

a cooking chamber;

a programmable controller for executing program instructions;

memory media for recording executable program instructions;

at least one controllable cooking system under control of said programmable controller, providing a data-processing-controlled high speed cooking process for food placed in said cooking chamber;

a plurality of cooking programs recorded in said memory media of said high speed oven, each of said plurality of cooking programs divided into a predetermined duration of states in a cooking cycle which are capable of running for a predetermined percentage of a total cook time, wherein each of said plurality of cooking programs define for defining a plurality of high speed cooking routines for alternating hot air impingement cooking and microwave cooking at fixed increments of capacity for a predetermined time;

a gateway server communicatively coupled to a plurality of household systems and further communicatively coupled to said programmable controller for managing the communication of digital data content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of said high speed oven; and

a broadband communication channel extending from a source of digital data content, which is external to a residence, for delivering particular digital data content to said high speed oven through said gateway server for distribution within said residence including distribution to said programmable controller of said high speed oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing said high speed oven.

2. The high speed oven according to claim 1, wherein said gateway server comprises a data processing device housed in a location external to said high speed oven.

3. The high speed oven according to claim 1, wherein said gateway server comprises at least one data processing device from the following data processing devices:

a home personal computing system;

a set top cable box;

an internet appliance;

a combination television and internet appliance;

a home automation system;

a satellite communication system;

a residential broadband bidirectional communication system.

4. The high speed oven according to claim 1, wherein said gateway server and said programmable controller of said high speed oven communicate through an input/output system which allows at least one of the following types of communication;

serial communication of data;

parallel communication of data;

communication of control signals;

communication of digital data content.

5. The high speed oven according to claim 1, wherein said programmable controller of said high speed oven is communicatively coupled through said gateway server to at least one of the following devices:

a home personal computing system;

a home television system;

a home video display system;

a code reading device; and

a wireless and portable internet appliance.

6. The high speed oven according to claim 1, wherein said programmable controller of said high speed oven operates collaboratively with said gateway server to define a broadband communication system which allows a bi-directional communication of digital data content between a residence and resources external of said residence.

7. The high speed oven according to claim 6, wherein said broadband communication system allows communication speeds as low as a slow modem connection and as high as the highest commercially possible data rates.

8. For use in a cooking device capable of accessing a communications system, a high speed oven for combining hot air impingement cooking and microwave cooking, said high speed oven comprising:

a cooking chamber;

a programmable controller for executing program instructions;

memory media for recording executable program instructions;

a plurality of cooking energy sources, which are different from one another, which are under control of said programmable controller, and which together provide a data-processing-controlled high speed combination cooking process for food placed in said cooking chamber;

a plurality of cooking programs recorded in said memory media of said high speed oven, each of said plurality of cooking programs divided into a predetermined duration of states in a cooking cycle which are capable of running for a predetermined percentage of a total cook time, wherein each of said plurality of cooking programs define a plurality of high speed cooking routines for alternating hot air impingement cooking and microwave cooking at fixed increments of capacity for a predetermined time;

a gateway server communicatively coupled to a plurality of household systems and further communicatively coupled to said programmable controller for managing the communication of digital data content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of said high speed oven; and

a broadband communication channel extending from a source of digital data content, which is external to a residence, for delivering particular digital data content to said high speed oven through said gateway server for distribution within said residence including distribution to said programmable controller of said high speed oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing said high speed oven.

9. The high speed oven according to claim 8, wherein said gateway server comprises a data processing device housed in a location external to said high speed oven.

10. The high speed oven according to claim 8, wherein said gateway server comprises at least one data processing device from the following data processing devices:

a home personal computing system;

a set top cable box;

an internet appliance;

a combination television and internet appliance;

a home automation system;

a satellite communication system;

a residential broadband bi-directional communication system.

11. The high speed oven according to claim 8, wherein said gateway server and said programmable controller of said high speed oven communicate through an input/output system which allows at least one of the following types of communication;

serial communication of data;

parallel communication of data;

communication of control signals;

communication of digital data content.

12. The high speed oven according to claim 8, wherein said programmable controller of said high speed oven is communicatively coupled through said gateway server to at least one of the following devices:

a home personal computing system;

a home television system;

a home video display system; and

a code reading device.

13. The high speed oven according to claim 8, wherein said programmable controller of said high speed oven operates collaboratively with said gateway server to define a broadband communication system which allows a bidirectional communication of digital data content between a residence and resources external of said residence.

14. The high speed oven according to claim 13, wherein said broadband communication system allows communication speeds as low as a slow modem connection and as high as the highest commercially possible data rates.