Cooker and control method thereof

• US 8,660,297 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Yoo-Sool, Lim, Jeong-Hyun, Lee, Koon-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, RAPHAEL M
• Application Number:
  US13/376,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20120076900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens

Abstract

Provided are a cooker and a method of controlling the cooker. An image of food scanned by an image sensor is corrected, and thus, can be free from distortion due to vapor generated while cooking the food in a cooking chamber. Accordingly, a user can more accurately recognize a cooking state of the food.

Claims

1. A cooker comprising:

a cooking chamber in which food is cooked;

a heat source heating the food in the cooking chamber;

a lighting device that illuminates the inner portion of the cooking chamber;

an image sensor scanning an inner portion of the cooking chamber and the food; and

a control part to control the heat source, the lighting device and the image sensor,

wherein the control part is configured to operate the image sensor and the lighting device to obtain an inner image of the cooking chamber scanned by the image sensor before the heat source is operated and to determine a first RGB color value based on the scanned inner image of the cooking chamber before the heat source is operated,

wherein the control part is configured to operate the image sensor and lighting device to obtain an inner image of the cooking chamber scanned by the image sensor after the heat source is operated and to determine a second RGB color value based on the scanned inner image of the cooking chamber after the heat source is operated, and

wherein the control part is configured to correct an image of the food scanned by the image sensor on the basis of a difference between the first and second RGB color values.

2. The cooker according to claim 1, wherein at least one inner portion of the cooking chamber has a color or a material not to reflect light from the lighting device.

3. The cooker according to claim 1, wherein at least one inner portion of the cooking chamber is painted flat gray.

4. The cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a display part that displays an image of the food scanned by the image sensor.

5. The cooker according to claim 4, wherein the display part displays, in real time, an image of the food corrected by the control part.

6. A cooker comprising:

a cooking chamber in which food is cooked;

a heat source heating the food in the cooking chamber;

a reference disposed in the cooking chamber;

a lighting device that illuminates the inner portion of the cooking chamber;

an image sensor scanning the reference and the food in the cooking chamber;

a control part to control the heat source, the lighting device and the image sensor, the control part being configured;

to operate the image sensor and the lighting device to obtain a first image of the reference scanned by the image sensor before the heat source is operated and to determine a first RGB color value based on the scanned first image of the reference,

to operate the image sensor and lighting device to obtain a second image of the reference scanned by the image sensor after the heat source is operated and to determine a second RGB color value based on the scanned second image of the reference, and

to correct an image of the food scanned by the image sensor on the basis of a difference between the first and second RGB color values; and

a display part displaying the image corrected by the control part.

7. The cooker according to claim 6, wherein the reference has a color or a material not to reflect light from the lighting device.

8. The cooker according to claim 6, wherein the reference is painted flat gray, and constitutes the cooking chamber.

9. A method of controlling a cooker comprising:

operating a lighting device and scanning a first inner image of a cooking chamber or a reference before a heat source is operated;

determining a first RGB color value based on the scanned first image;

operating the heat source to cook the food in a cooking chamber;

operating the lighting device and scanning an image of the food and a second image of the cooking chamber or the reference during operating of the heat source;

determining a second RGB color value based on the scanned second image; and

correcting, by a control part, the image of the food scanned by the image sensor on the basis of a difference between the first and second RGB color values.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the reference is painted flat gray, and constitutes the cooking chamber.