Encoding a custom cooking program

• US 10,331,102 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sebastian Thrun
• Original Assignee: Sebastian Thrun
• Inventors: Thrun, Sebastian, St. Martin, David, Kani, Arash
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan K
• Application Number:
  US16/020,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20180307190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2643 Oven, cooking
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors

Abstract

In various embodiments, a method of encoding a custom cooking program includes receiving at least one sensor reading associated with food, determining at least one characteristic of the food based on the at least one sensor reading, generating cooking instructions for the food based on the at least one characteristic, and storing data that associates the cooking instructions with the food.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least one sensor reading associated with food;

determining at least one characteristic of the food based on the at least one sensor reading;

generating cooking instructions for the food based on the at least one characteristic;

instructing a packager to package the food based at least in part on the generated cooking instructions, wherein the food is packaged into a container including a metal layer adapted to heat the food and a membrane layer adapted to absorb or release a substance; and

storing data that associates the cooking instructions with the food.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooking instructions includes a sequence of cooking phases, including at least one of:

duration of each of the cooking phases;

an energy level for each of the cooking phases; and

a response to an event that occurs during at least one of the cooking phases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes at least one of:

spectroscopy, image analysis, fluorescence, Mill, and X-ray.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes at least one of:

terahertz radiation and thermal radiation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes at least one of:

a chemically-sense reading and gas analysis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor reading includes at least one of:

a mechanical, a sonic, and an ultrasonic reading.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one characteristic of the food includes at least one of:

maturity and freshness.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one characteristic of the food includes at least one of:

water content, nitrogen content, and protein content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one characteristic of the food includes at least one of:

fat content, sugar content, and acidity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one characteristic of the food includes at least one of:

size, volume, weight, and shape.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one characteristic of the food includes a type of the food and the generation of the cooking instructions is adapted to the type of food.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the cooking instructions is adapted to at least one characteristic of the food.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the cooking instructions includes sending the instructions to a server.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the cooking instructions includes encoding the instructions in an electronic tag.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the substance is water.

16. The method of claim 1, determining a quantity of the substance to inject into the membrane layer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when to release a substance during at least one cooking phase corresponding to the cooking instructions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when to release the substance during at least one cooking phase corresponding to the cooking instructions.

19. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive at least one sensor reading associated with food;

determine at least one characteristic of the food based on the at least one sensor reading;

generate cooking instructions for the food based on the at least one characteristic;

instruct a packager to package the food based at least in part on the generated cooking instructions, wherein the food is packaged into a container including a metal layer adapted to heat the food and a membrane layer adapted to absorb or release a substance; and

store data that associates the cooking instructions with the food; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

20. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving at least one sensor reading associated with food;

determining at least one characteristic of the food based on the at least one sensor reading;

generating cooking instructions for the food based on the at least one characteristic;

instructing a packager to package the food based at least in part on the generated cooking instructions, wherein the food is packaged into a container including a metal layer adapted to heat the food and a membrane layer adapted to absorb or release a substance; and

storing data that associates the cooking instructions with the food.