System for automating cooking steps

• US 9,572,361 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icookit Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Icookit Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Bordin, Domenic
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US14/127,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20140170275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 993/25, 993/26, 993/27, 993/31, 993/32, 219/209, 219/483
• 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: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/045 using logic state machines, consisting only of a memory or a programmable logic device containing the logic for the controlled machine and in which the state of its outputs is dependent on the state of its inputs or part of its own output states, e.g. binary decision controllers, finite state controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/30 Automatic controllers with an auxiliary heating device affecting the sensing element, e.g. for anticipating change of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0263 Ovens

Abstract

A cooking system for automating cooking steps of a recipe on a stove comprising a stove including a plurality of cooking elements; power controller for controlling the operation of each one of the cooking elements; and computer system in communication with the power controller, said computer system including a processor, computer readable data storage, and a visual display unit. The processor causes the computer system to perform the steps of: for each automated step of said recipe, generates a control signal for actuating at least one of the cooking elements and sends said control signal to the power controller; and for each manual or user step of said recipe, generates data representing user readable instructions for performing the user step and displays said data on the visual display unit. The power controller is adapted to actuate the cooking elements in accordance with each control signal received from the computer system.

Claims

1. A cooking system for automating cooking steps of a recipe on a stove, said system comprising:

a stove including a plurality of cooking elements;

a power controller for controlling the operation of each one of the cooking elements; and

a computer system in communication with the power controller, said computer system including a processor, computer readable data storage, and a visual display unit,

wherein the computer readable data storage includes stored there on a computer program including a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform, the steps of;

for each automated step of said cooking steps of the recipe, generating a control signal for actuating at least one of the cooking elements and sending said control signal to the power controller of the stove; and

for each user step of said recipe to be performed by a person, generating data representing user readable instructions for performing the user step and displaying said data representing user readable instructions on the visual display unit for viewing by the user,

wherein the power controller actuates the cooking elements in accordance with each control signal received from the computer system,

wherein the computer system includes a user input device for receiving user input indicating when each successive user step of said cooking steps has been completed, and

wherein, on receipt of said user input, the computer system performs the step of generating data representing user readable instructions for performing the next successive user step and displaying said data representing user readable instructions on the visual display unit for viewing by the user.

2. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein for each automated step of said cooking steps, the control signal includes:

data identifying at least one of said cooking elements;

data representing an actuation period for said one of said cooking elements; and

data representing a cooking intensity for said one of said cooking elements.

3. The cooking system claimed in claim 2, wherein the data representing the cooking intensity is represented as a number on a scale of 1 to 100.

4. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein for each user step of said cooking steps to be performed by a person, the data representing user readable instructions indicates:

the action needs to be performed by the user;

the cooking utensils needed by the user;

the ingredients needed by the user; and

the time when the action needs to be performed by the user.

5. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the user readable instructions appear in the form of text on the visual display unit.

6. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual display unit is a touch screen and the user input device is a button on said touch screen.

7. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the user input device is a keyboard in electrical communication with the computer system.

8. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a recipe input port for receiving data representing cooking steps of a recipe for storage as a recipe in said data storage.

9. The cooking system claimed in claim 8, wherein the recipe input port is adapted to communicate with a portable data storage unit so as to receive said data representing cooking steps of a recipe from a portable data storage device.

10. The cooking system claimed in claim 9, wherein the recipe input port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for receiving said data representing cooking steps of a recipe from the portable data storage device.

11. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system is adapted to receive data representing cooking steps of a recipe from a remote computer device over a communications network using standard communication protocols.

12. The cooking system claimed in claim 11, wherein the computer system communicates with the remote computer device using a wireless communication protocol.

13. The cooking system claimed in claim 12, wherein the wireless communication protocol is Bluetooth™

.

14. The cooking system claimed in claim 12, wherein the wireless communication protocol is Zigbee™

.

15. The cooking system claimed in claim 11, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

16. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system is adapted to create a recipe including a set of automated cooking steps and user cooking steps.

17. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system is embodied in a portable computer device that is in communication with the power controller using a wireless communication protocol.

18. The cooking system claimed in claim 17, wherein the wireless communication protocol is Bluetooth™

.

19. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system is embodied in a portable computer device that is electrically couplable to the power controller using a data cable.

20. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooking elements include gas burners.

21. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooking elements include one or more gas burners of a gas oven.

22. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooking elements include one or more electric elements of an electric oven.

23. The cooking system claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooking elements include induction cooking elements.