Optical quality control system

• US 9,538,880 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welbilt Deutschland GmbH (Ali Holding Srl)
• Original Assignee: Convotherm Elektrogerate GMBH (Ali Holding Srl)
• Inventors: Riefenstein, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): STAPLETON, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US13/886,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20130302483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 99324-326, 993/34, 993/41, 382/111, 422/82.05, 392/480, 736/53, 736/55, 738/623.24, 738/626.24, 73/540.8, 73/17.9, 734/90, 219/502, 16/22, 16/27, 16/89, 356/3, 356/4.06, 356/4.07, 356/482, 356/486, 356/492, 356/493, 356/498, 706/20, 706/22, 706/25, 706/31, 706 45- 48, 706 50- 52, 706/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/10 General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/00 Parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels A47J27/00 - A47J33/00 take precedence insofar as these parts, details or accessories are restricted to a particular kind of cooking-vessel provided for in a single one of these groups
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30128 Food products
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6455 the sensors being infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/687 for cooking

Abstract

Disclosed are cooking devices having inspection systems including: a distance sensor and a digital optical recognition device. The distance sensor detects the position of the food product placed in the cooking device and the digital optical recognition device captures a series of images for the purpose of food product recognition. Once the food product is recognized, the operator is provided with the correct cooking cycle/program for the position and type of food product placed in the cooking device. The inspection systems also ensure that the food product has been properly cooked at the end of the cooking cycle/program. The inspection systems ensure: (1) the food product is correctly recognized; (2) the cooking cycle/program is correctly selected; (3) the correct cooking cycle/program is followed to completion and (4) the quality of the cooked food product meets expected standards.

Claims

1. An inspection system for providing a cooking cycle/program for food to be cooked in a cooking device, the cooking device including a cooking chamber having a plurality of vertically spaced-apart levels therein for placing food to be cooked, the inspection system comprising:

a distance sensor;

a digital optical recognition device;

a controller having an associated memory;

a plurality of cooking cycles/programs for each food to be cooked, wherein each of the plurality of cooking cycles/programs includes a plurality of cooking parameters selected from at least one of cooking time, cooking temperature, cooking with hot air, cooking with steam, or cooking with superheated steam, and wherein each of the plurality of cooking cycles/programs also includes each of the plurality of vertically spaced-apart levels as a cooking parameter; and

images of food to be cooked stored in the associated memory,

wherein the distance sensor detects the vertically spaced-apart level where the food to be cooked is to be placed in the cooking chamber and stores the vertically-spaced apart cooking level in the associated memory,

wherein the digital optical recognition device captures images of the food to be cooked and stores the captured images in the associated memory,

wherein the controller accesses the captured images and stored images stored in the memory and compares the captured images to the stored images of food to be cooked,

wherein the controller identifies the food to be cooked based upon the comparison, and

wherein, based upon the stored vertically spaced-apart level and the identification of the food to be cooked, the controller selects a cooking cycle/program for the food to be cooked.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor and digital optical recognition device are disposed above an opening to the cooking chamber.

3. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is disposed below and digital optical recognition device is disposed above an opening to the cooking chamber.

4. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor and digital optical recognition device are disposed in the cooking chamber.

5. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the digital optical recognition device comprises an electronic image sensor.

6. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the digital optical recognition device comprises a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor.

7. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the digital optical recognition device further comprises an optical temperature sensor or IR sensor.

8. An inspection system for determining whether food cooked in a cooking device has been properly cooked, the cooking device including a cooking chamber having a plurality of vertically spaced-apart levels therein for holding cooking food, the inspection system comprising:

a distance sensor;

a digital optical recognition device;

a controller and associated memory, wherein a vertically spaced-apart cooking level for each food cooking in the cooking chamber is stored in the associated memory; and

images of properly cooked food stored in the associated memory,

wherein the distance sensor monitors the verticall spaced-apart level from which the cooked food is removed from the cooking chamber and stores the removed food level in the associated memory,

wherein the controller compares the removed food level to the cooking food level to determine if the correct cooked food is removed from the cooking chamber,

wherein the digital optical recognition device captures images of the cooked food removed from the cooking chamber and stores the captured images in the associated memory,

wherein the controller accesses the captured images and the stored images and compares the captured images to the stored images of cooked food, and

wherein the controller, based upon the comparison, whether the cooked food has been properly cooked.

9. The inspection system according to claim 8, further comprising a signal device, wherein the signal device provides a signal that cooked food can be removed from the cooking chamber.

10. The inspection system according to claim 9, further comprising a display, wherein the display indicates the identity of the cooked food to be removed from the cooking chamber and the level from which the cooked food is to be removed.

11. The inspection system according to claim 8, wherein, if the distance sensor determines that an incorrect food product is being removed from the cooking chamber, a warning device indicates that the incorrect cooked food is being removed.

12. The inspection system according to claim 11, wherein the warning device comprises a visual or audible indicator.