Food processor with a face recognition software

• US 9,968,221 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Inventors: Koetz, Hendrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooley, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Howell, Marc C
• Application Number:
  US14/647,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150305566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 366145, 366206
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/07 Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0716 for machines with tools driven from the lower side A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0761 for machines with tools driven from the lower side
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2035/99 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/06 Mixing of food ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/00 Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/22 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2206 Use of stored recipes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or composition in mixing plants B01F33/846 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2207 Use of data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or compounding in mixing plants B01F33/848 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrically operated food processor with a mixing bowl and a mixer in the mixing bowl, wherein the mixing bowl can be heated, is provided with a camera, in particular an electronic camera, which is potentially directed towards the user of the food processor, and with stored face recognition software, as well as a face data bank, it being possible to use face recognition to cause the food processor to carry out a routine task.

Claims

1. An electrically operated food processor with:

a mixing bowl;

a mixer in the mixing bowl;

a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;

an acoustic transducer; and

a computer comprising a computer processor, having a face recognition software and a face data bank both stored on the computer, and configured to receive images captured by the camera and an audio signal from a spoken word captured by the acoustic transducer; and

wherein at least one of a speech control software and a gesture control software is further stored on the computer;

wherein the face recognition software is programmed to use an image captured by the camera and the face data bank to perform face recognition;

wherein the computer processor is programmed to activate at least one of the speech control software and the gesture control software when a positive face recognition is achieved via the face recognition, the speech control software performing speech recognition using the audio signal and/or the gesture control software performing gesture recognition using a plurality of images captured by the camera; and

wherein the computer processor is programmed to cause the food processor to operate when a positive speech recognition is achieved via the speech recognition or when a positive gesture recognition is achieved via the gesture recognition.

2. The food processor according to claim 1, wherein the computer processor is programmed to activate the food processor when the positive speech recognition is achieved via the speech control software or when the positive gesture recognition is achieved via the gesture control software.

3. The food processor according to claim 1, wherein the food processor is configured so that turning on the food processor activates the computer, the camera, and the face recognition software.

4. The food processor according to claim 1, wherein the face recognition software can be deactivated only by turning off the food processor.

5. The food processor according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a voice command captured by the acoustic transducer and processed via the speech control software.

6. The food processor according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a gesture captured by the camera in the plurality of images and processed via the gesture control software.

7. The food processor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor; and

an input device selected from the group consisting of a button and a switch;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via an input into the input device.

8. A food processing system comprising:

an electrically operated food processor with;

a mixing bowl;

a mixer in the mixing bowl;

a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;

an acoustic transducer; and

a first computer comprising a first computer processor and configured to receive images captured by the camera and to receive an audio signal from a spoken word captured by the acoustic transducer; and

a second computer comprising a second computer processor, the second computer being located externally to the electrically operated food processor, wherein a face recognition software, a face data bank, and at least one of a speech control software and a gesture control software are stored on the second computer;

wherein the first computer is configured to transmit a first image captured by the camera and the audio signal to the second computer;

wherein the second computer processor is configured to use the face recognition software, the first image, and the face data bank to perform face recognition;

wherein the second computer is configured to transmit a positive face recognition signal to the first computer when the face recognition achieves a positive face recognition;

wherein the first computer is programmed so that when a positive face recognition signal is received by the first computer, the first computer causes the acoustic transducer to capture the spoken word or causes the camera to capture a plurality of images, and the first computer transmits the audio signal or the plurality of images to the second computer;

wherein the second computer is programmed to activate the speech control software or the gesture control software when the second computer receives the audio signal or the plurality of images from the first computer, respectively, and the speech control software performs speech recognition using the audio signal or the gesture control software performs gesture recognition using the plurality of images; and

wherein when the speech recognition at the second computer achieves a positive speech recognition or when the gesture recognition at the second computer achieves a positive gesture recognition, the second computer sends an activation signal to the first computer, and the first computer processor is programmed to cause the food processor to operate when the first computer receives the activation signal.

9. The food processing system according to claim 8, wherein the first computer processor is programmed to activate the food processor when the first computer receives the activation signal.

10. The food processing system according to claim 8, wherein the food processor is configured so that turning on the food processor activates the first computer, the camera, and the second computer.

11. The food processing system according to claim 8, wherein the face recognition software can be deactivated only by turning off the food processor.

12. The food processing system according to claim 8, further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a voice command captured by the acoustic transducer and processed via the speech control software.

13. The food processing system according to claim 8, further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a gesture captured by the camera and processed via the gesture control software.

14. The food processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor; and

an input device selected from the group consisting of a button and a switch;

wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via an input into the input device.

15. A food processing system comprising:

an electrically operated food processor with;

a mixing bowl;

a mixer in the mixing bowl;

a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;

an acoustic transducer; and

a computer comprising a computer processor and a memory input receiving device, wherein the computer is configured to receive an image captured by the camera and to receive an audio signal from a spoken word captured by the acoustic transducer; and

a memory storage device configured to be inserted into the memory input receiving device, wherein a face recognition software and a face data bank and at least one of a speech control software and a gesture control software are stored on the memory storage device;

wherein the face recognition software is programmed to use the image captured by the camera and the face data bank to perform face recognition, and the computer processor is configured to execute the face recognition software when the memory storage device is inserted into the memory input receiving device of the computer;

wherein the computer processor is programmed to execute at least one of the speech control software and the gesture control software when a positive face recognition is achieved via the face recognition software, the speech control software performing speech recognition using the audio signal and/or the gesture control software performing gesture recognition using a plurality of images captured by the camera; and

wherein the computer processor is programmed to cause the food processor to operate when a positive speech recognition is achieved via the speech recognition or when a positive gesture recognition is achieved via the gesture recognition.

16. The food processing system according to claim 15, wherein the memory storage device is a USB flash drive.