Cooking system and cooking method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of cooking and provides a cooking system and a cooking method. The cooking system includes a cooker, a camera, a guide assembly, and a controller. The camera is used to capture images inside the cooker. The guide assembly includes a guide plate and a driver. The guide plate is arranged inside the cooker. The controller analyzes the images captured by the camera to determine the maturity difference value of different parts of food. When the difference value is greater than a preset value, the controller controls the driver to drive the guide plate to move relative to the cooker, guiding the airflow in the cooker to gather or approach the less mature part of the food, thereby improving the efficiency of heat exchange in this part, improving the uniformity of food maturity, and improving the cooking effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of cooking, and in particular to a cooking system and a cooking method. Background Art

[0002] In traditional steamers, ovens, pressure cookers and other cookware, the pressure inside the pot is basically evenly distributed above the liquid surface, and the liquid surface is basically horizontal. Even when the water is boiling, the liquid surface is basically horizontal, making the entire pressure field inside the pot balanced and stable. The following is an example of a steamer. Figure 1 By heating, the liquid water at the bottom of the pot 1' is vaporized to produce high-temperature steam. Figure 1 The liquid level 41' is represented by a wavy pattern, the airflow 42' generated by the heating in the pot is represented by a dotted line with an arrow, and the air mass 43' formed by the airflow 42' is represented by a solid line with an arrow.

[0003] 1. The stable pressure field in the pot cannot fully heat and cook unevenly distributed food. For example, the final cooked state, such as the surface color and internal tenderness, will be different in areas where more food is piled up and areas where less food is piled up.

[0004] 2. Different parts of the same food can reach different levels of doneness. For example, the body and tail of a fish have different textures and thicknesses. Under the same pressure and time, they reach different levels of maturity, making it impossible to achieve the desired level of doneness. For example, when the tail is cooked, the body may not be cooked due to its thickness. When the body is cooked to the desired level of doneness, the tail may be overcooked.

[0005] 3. Because of the above 1 and 2, the cooking effect is not good, the cooking efficiency is relatively low, the cooking intelligence is low, and adaptive cooking cannot be performed according to the portion distribution and maturity of the food in the pot. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cooking system and a cooking method in order to overcome the defect of poor uniformity of food maturity during cooking in the prior art.

[0007] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A cooking method comprises capturing an image of the interior of a cooker via a camera and transmitting the image to a controller. The controller determines, based on the image, a maturity difference between different portions of food within the cooker. When the maturity difference is greater than a preset difference, the controller controls a guide plate in a guide assembly to move and / or rotate relative to the cooker to guide the airflow within the cooker so that the airflow within the cooker is concentrated on or close to portions of the food that are less mature.

[0009] In this solution, the airflow within the cooker is guided by the movement of the guide plates in the guide assembly, transforming the stable static high pressure within the traditional cooker into a dynamic high pressure. This allows the airflow to converge or approach the less mature parts of the food, improving the efficiency of heat exchange in these less mature parts and thus reducing the differences in maturity between different parts of the food. This not only ensures more uniform maturity across different parts of the food, but also accelerates the cooking efficiency of the less mature parts, thereby improving overall cooking efficiency. This, in turn, enhances the intelligence and efficiency of cooking.

[0010] Preferably, the controller determines the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food according to the color difference of different parts in the image.

[0011] Preferably, the controller obtains the maturity values ​​corresponding to different parts of the food according to the image, and then obtains the maturity difference value according to the maturity values ​​corresponding to the different parts of the food.

[0012] Preferably, the controller obtains the lowest and highest maturity values ​​of the food according to the image, and then obtains the maturity difference value according to the lowest or highest maturity value.

[0013] Preferably, the controller divides the image into N areas according to a preset division method to correspond to N different parts of the food, where N is an integer greater than 1;

[0014] In this solution, the image is divided into different parts of the food by a preset division method, which can simplify the process of judging the maturity difference of different parts of the food.

[0015] Preferably, there are a plurality of different preset division methods, and the controller identifies the type of food through the image and selects the preset division method according to the type;

[0016] In this solution, the selected preset division method can be adapted to the type of food, thereby improving the accuracy of judging the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food.

[0017] Preferably, there are a plurality of different preset division methods, and the food type is manually identified and input to the controller, and the controller selects the preset division method according to the type;

[0018] In this solution, the selected preset division method can be adapted to the type of food, thereby improving the accuracy of judging the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food.

[0019] Preferably, there are a plurality of different preset division methods, and the preset division method is manually selected and input to the controller.

[0020] In this solution, the selected preset division method can be adapted to the type of food, thereby improving the accuracy of judging the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food.

[0021] Preferably, before cooking, the controller determines whether the food is placed in the cooker according to a preset placement method based on the image, and the preset placement method corresponds to the preset division method. If it is determined that the food is not placed according to the preset placement method, the controller controls the prompter to send a prompt signal.

[0022] In this solution, the food is placed in a preset manner so that the arrangement of the food corresponds to the preset division method. On the one hand, this can simplify the process of judging the maturity differences of different parts of the food based on the image; on the other hand, it can improve the accuracy of judging the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food.

[0023] Preferably, the cooker is provided with a shelf for holding food, and the shelf is provided with an identification mark. The controller determines whether the food is placed in the cooker according to the preset arrangement by determining whether the identification mark is located at a preset position in the image.

[0024] A cooking system, comprising a cooker, further comprising:

[0025] Camera;

[0026] a flow guide assembly, comprising a flow guide plate and a driver, wherein the flow guide plate is located in the cooker;

[0027] A controller electrically connected to the camera and the driver;

[0028] The camera captures an image of the interior of the cooker and transmits the image to the controller, which determines a maturity difference value of different parts of the food in the cooker based on the image. When the maturity difference value is greater than a preset difference value, the controller controls the driver to drive the guide plate to move and / or rotate relative to the cooker to guide the airflow in the cooker so that the airflow in the cooker is gathered or approaches the less mature part of the food.

[0029] In this solution, the camera and the controller are electrically connected, and the captured image information containing food information can be sent to the controller. The controller can judge the maturity difference of different parts of the food based on the image information, and control the driver to drive the guide plate to move to guide the airflow in the cooker, so as to change the pressure distribution inside the cooker, so that the airflow gathers or approaches the less mature part of the food, thereby accelerating the heat exchange efficiency of the less mature part of the food, thereby reducing the maturity difference of different parts of the food.

[0030] Preferably, the guide plate is rotatably arranged relative to the cooker, and the controller controls the guide plate to rotate to different angles so that the airflow in the cooker is gathered or approaches different parts in the cooker.

[0031] In this solution, by changing the rotation angle of the guide plate, the direction of the airflow guided by the guide plate can be changed, thereby guiding the airflow in the cooker to or near the position where the less mature part of the food is located. This is simple, efficient and reliable.

[0032] Preferably, there are multiple guide plates dispersedly arranged in the cooker, and the controller controls the movement of different guide plates to gather the airflow in the cooker at different positions in the cooker.

[0033] In this solution, multiple guide plates are provided, and the airflow in the cooker is guided to different positions in the cooker by controlling the movement of different guide plates. On the one hand, the requirements for the arrangement of a single guide plate can be reduced; on the other hand, the accuracy of guiding the airflow in the cooker can be improved.

[0034] Preferably, the controller controls the guide plate to extend toward a less mature portion of the food.

[0035] In this solution, by controlling the guide plate to extend toward the less mature portion of the food, the airflow in the cooker can be guided to or close to the location of the less mature portion of the food.

[0036] Preferably, a plurality of guide plates are dispersedly arranged in the horizontal direction in the cooker to face different horizontal directions.

[0037] In this solution, by setting multiple guide plates facing different horizontal directions, on the one hand, the rotation angle range of the guide plates can be reduced, and the difficulty of setting the guide plates and the driver can be reduced; on the other hand, the guide plates are dispersedly set in the horizontal direction in the cooker to face different horizontal directions, so that different guide plates can guide the airflow to different horizontal directions in the cooker, thereby improving the accuracy of airflow guidance.

[0038] Preferably, the cooker has a plurality of corners in the horizontal direction, the number of the guide plates is consistent with the number of the corners, and the plurality of guide plates are dispersedly arranged in the horizontal direction to face the plurality of corners respectively.

[0039] In this solution, the gas flowability at the corners is poor. By arranging the guide plate toward the corners in the horizontal direction of the cooker, the airflow at the corners can be guided, thereby improving the guiding effect of the guide plate.

[0040] Preferably, the guide plate is rotatably arranged in a vertical plane.

[0041] Preferably, the guide plate is arranged in the middle of the cooker in the horizontal direction and in the upper part in the vertical direction;

[0042] In this solution, the deflector is positioned horizontally in the middle of the cooker. Changing the deflector's position significantly changes the direction of the airflow. Positioning the deflector vertically above the cooker prevents interference with food. Secondly, changing the deflector's position significantly changes the direction of the airflow. Thirdly, it facilitates the use of a driver located outside the cooker to operate the deflector.

[0043] Preferably, the guide plate comprises a plurality of connected guide blades, and the connection between two adjacent guide blades is convex;

[0044] Preferably, the air guide assembly further comprises a fan, an air outlet of the fan is in communication with the interior of the cooker, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan;

[0045] In this solution, by setting up a fan to blow air, on the one hand, the air flow in the cooker can be accelerated, thereby improving cooking efficiency; on the other hand, more air flow can be accelerated or concentrated on the less mature parts of the food, thereby increasing the speed at which the food becomes evenly mature.

[0046] Preferably, the controller controls the rotation speed of the fan according to a difference or a multiple of the maturity difference value relative to a preset difference value, and the difference or the multiple is proportional to the rotation speed.

[0047] In this solution, the greater the difference in maturity, the greater the fan speed, which facilitates the rapid reduction of maturity differences and improves the accuracy of controlling the uniformity of food maturity.

[0048] Preferably, the air outlet faces the guide plate.

[0049] In this solution, the air outlet of the fan faces the guide plate, which makes it easier to blow the airflow toward the guide plate and enhance the drainage effect of the guide plate.

[0050] Preferably, the air outlet faces horizontally, and the fan and the guide plate are located in the same height range.

[0051] In this solution, the air outlet is facing horizontally, the guide plate is arranged to rotate in a vertical plane, and the position where the fan blows air into the cooker and the guide plate are located in the same height range. By changing the rotation angle of the guide plate, the direction of the airflow in the cooker can be significantly changed.

[0052] Preferably, the number of the fans is at least one pair, and the two fans in the pair are arranged at opposite ends of the cooker.

[0053] In this solution, fans are arranged in pairs, which can improve the accuracy of airflow guidance.

[0054] Preferably, the cooker has multiple corners in the horizontal direction, the number of the guide plates is consistent with the number of the corners, the multiple guide plates are dispersed in the horizontal direction to face the multiple corners respectively, and each of the guide plates is rotatably arranged in a vertical plane; and / or, the guide assembly also includes two fans, which are electrically connected to the controller and are respectively located at opposite ends of the cooker in the horizontal direction, with the air outlet of the fan facing the horizontal direction, and the fan and the guide plate are located in the same height range.

[0055] The positive progress effect of the present invention is:

[0056] The guide plate in the guide assembly moves to guide the airflow within the cooker, transforming the stable static high pressure within the traditional cooker into a dynamic high pressure. This allows the airflow to concentrate or approach the less mature parts of the food, improving the efficiency of heat exchange in these less mature parts and thus reducing the maturity differences between different parts of the food. This not only ensures more uniform maturity across different parts of the food, but also speeds up the cooking of the less mature parts, improving overall cooking efficiency. This, in turn, enhances the intelligence and efficiency of cooking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the pressure field in an existing steamer;

[0058] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cooking system in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the middle structure without the lid;

[0060] Figure 4 This is a top view of the guide plate, fan, and pot body in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the guide plate in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 6 The preset division method provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a placement rack 13 provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 8 This is a flowchart provided for Example 3 of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the angle adjustment of the guide plate in Example 3 of the present invention.

[0066] Description of reference numerals:

[0067] Cooking system 1000;

[0068] Cooker 1, pot body 11, pot cover 12, placement rack 13, identification protrusion 131, corner 14;

[0069] Camera 21, camera bracket 22;

[0070] Guide assembly 3, guide plate 31, guide vane 311, driver 32, fan 33;

[0071] Liquid surface 41, air flow 42, air mass 43;

[0072] Length direction L, width direction W, height direction H. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The present invention is further described below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the examples.

[0074] Example 1

[0075] This embodiment provides a cooking system. Figure 2-Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram provided for this embodiment.

[0076] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 , the cooking system 1000 includes:

[0077] Cooking vessel 1, for holding and cooking food;

[0078] The camera 21 is used to capture images inside the cooking device 1. When there is food in the cooking device 1, the images captured by the camera 21 contain image information of the food.

[0079] The guide assembly 3 includes a guide plate 31 and a driver 32. The guide plate 31 is located within the cooker 1. The driver 32 is used to drive the guide plate 31 to rotate relative to the cooker 1. The guide plate 31 is used to guide the movement of airflow within the cooker 1. By changing the position of the guide plate 31 within the cooker 1, the movement and distribution of the airflow within the cooker 1 can be changed.

[0080] The controller is electrically connected to the camera 21 and the driver 32. The image captured by the camera 21 can be sent to the controller. The controller can analyze the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food based on the image, and then control the driver 32 to drive the guide plate 31 to rotate according to the size of the maturity difference value and the location of the less mature part of the food, so as to guide the airflow in the cooker 1 to the location of the less mature part of the food.

[0081] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 In this embodiment, the cooker 1 includes a pot body 11, a pot lid 12, and a placing rack 13, and food is placed on the placing rack 13. It is understood that when the cooker 1 is placed flat on the ground, the length direction L and the width direction W of the cooker 1 are substantially parallel to the horizontal direction, and the height direction H of the cooker 1 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 2 、 Figure 3 The camera 21 is mounted on the pot cover 12 via a camera bracket 22 and is located at the upper portion of the cooker 1 along the H direction. The camera has a wide shooting range and can cover the area where food is placed.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 2 、 Figure 3 The deflector 31 is positioned in the middle of the cooker 1 along the L and W directions. Changing the position of the deflector 31 significantly changes the direction of the airflow. The deflector 31 is positioned at the upper portion of the cooker 1 along the H direction. First, it prevents interference with food. Second, changing the position of the deflector 31 significantly changes the direction of the airflow. Third, it facilitates the actuator 32, which is located outside the cooker 1, to drive the deflector 31.

[0084] In a preferred embodiment, the guide plate 31 is rotatably arranged in a vertical plane, which can be understood as rotating in a plane perpendicular to the L direction and the W direction, or rotating around a direction perpendicular to the H direction.

[0085] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 3-Figure 5 There are multiple guide plates 31, which are dispersed along the horizontal direction in the cooker 1 to face different horizontal directions. On the one hand, the rotation angle range of the guide plates 31 can be reduced, and the difficulty of setting the guide plates 31 and the driver 32 can be reduced; on the other hand, the guide plates 31 are dispersed along the horizontal direction in the cooker 1 to face different horizontal directions, so that different guide plates 31 can guide the airflow to different horizontal directions in the cooker 1, thereby improving the accuracy of airflow guidance.

[0086] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 4The number of guide plates 31 is at least four, and the four guide plates 31 are dispersed in the horizontal direction and respectively face the four corners 14 of the cooker 1 in the horizontal direction. The air flow at the corners 14 is poor, and by arranging the guide plates 31 toward the corners 14 of the cooker 1 in the horizontal direction, the air flow at the corners 14 can be guided, thereby improving the guiding effect of the guide plates 31. In other embodiments,

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 4 The air guide assembly 3 also includes a fan 33. The air outlet of the fan 33 is connected to the interior of the cooker 1. A controller is electrically connected to the fan 33, and the controller can control the operation of the fan 33. Specifically, the fan 33 can be located inside the cooker 1, or it can be located outside the cooker 1, with a duct connecting the air outlet of the fan 33 and the interior of the cooker 1. When the fan 33 is located outside the cooker 1, the internal structure of the cooker 1 is simplified. The air flow of the fan 33 can, on the one hand, accelerate the flow of air within the cooker 1, thereby improving cooking efficiency; on the other hand, it can accelerate or concentrate more airflow on the less mature parts of the food, thereby increasing the speed at which the food matures.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 3 The air outlet of the fan 33 faces the guide plate 31, so as to blow the airflow toward the guide plate 31 and enhance the drainage effect of the guide plate 31.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment, the air outlet of the fan 33 faces horizontally, the guide plate 31 is arranged to rotate in a vertical plane, and the fan 33 and the guide plate 31 are located at the same height range. By changing the rotation angle of the guide plate 31, the air flow direction in the cooker 1 can be significantly changed. It can be understood that when the airflow generated by heating in the cooker 1 is ignored, the fan 33 blows air in a horizontal direction and can blow it to the guide plate 31, that is, the fan 33 and the guide plate 31 are located at the same height range. Figure 4 In this embodiment, the air outlet of the fan 33 is directed toward the L direction, and the guide plate 31 is set toward the corner 14. When the guide plate 31 can be rotated to extend upward and can also be rotated to extend downward, the air flow can be blown toward any guide plate 31 by rotating the guide plate 31.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 4 The number of fans 33 is two, and the two fans 33 are arranged at both ends of the cooker 1 along the L direction, which can improve the accuracy of air flow guidance. Figure 4 In the embodiment, when the left guide plate 31 is needed to guide the airflow, the left fan 33 can be turned on and the right fan 33 remains turned off.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 4 、 Figure 5 The guide plate 31 includes two connected guide pieces 311, and the connection between the two adjacent guide pieces 311 is convex. This arrangement can enhance the guide effect.

[0092] In this embodiment, the four deflectors 31 are separated and can move independently. The overall shape formed by the four deflectors 31 resembles an umbrella, which can be moved closer together to fold and farther apart to open. In other embodiments, a mounting plate can be provided, and the multiple deflectors 31 can be mounted at different positions on the mounting plate to prevent interference between the movement of the deflectors 31.

[0093] In other embodiments, the specific shape of a single deflector 31 can be flexibly adjusted. In other embodiments, only one deflector 31 can be provided, and the airflow within the cooker 1 can be directed to different locations within the cooker 1 by adjusting the rotation angle range of the deflector 31. When only one deflector 31 is provided, the number of deflectors 31 required is reduced, simplifying the structural configuration of the cooking system 1000 and the control program of the controller.

[0094] In this embodiment, the airflow is directed to different locations within the cooker 1 by varying the rotation angle of the deflector 31 relative to the cooker 1, which is simple and reliable. In other embodiments, the deflector 31 may be configured to move relative to the cooker 1, or to be capable of both movement and rotation relative to the cooker 1 to direct the airflow. Regarding how the actuator 32 drives components to rotate and / or move, such as the deflector 31, there is extensive documentation in the prior art, and reference is made to the prior art for details.

[0095] In this embodiment, the cooking device 1 is a steamer for steaming food. In other embodiments, the cooking device 1 can be a steamer, an oven, a steaming oven with steaming and baking integrated, a pressure cooker, etc. A pressure cooker is commonly known as a pressure cooker.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] This embodiment provides a cooking method for a cooking system. Figure 6 、 Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram provided for this embodiment.

[0098] The cooking system includes:

[0099] Cooking vessels, used for holding and cooking food;

[0100] a camera, used to capture images inside the cooking container. When food is inside the cooking container, the images captured by the camera contain image information of the food;

[0101] The guide assembly includes a guide plate, which is arranged in the cooker and can rotate relative to the cooker. The guide plate is used to guide the flow of air in the cooker. When the position of the guide plate changes, the gas flow in the cooker can also be changed accordingly.

[0102] The controller is electrically connected to the camera. The images captured by the camera can be sent to the controller. The controller is also used to control the movement of the guide plate.

[0103] The cooking system utilizes the following method: a camera captures an image of the cooking chamber and transmits it to a controller. Based on the image, the controller determines the maturity differences between different parts of the food within the chamber. When the maturity differences exceed a preset value, the controller controls the movement of a deflector plate to alter the air flow within the chamber, concentrating the airflow toward or near less mature portions of the food. This improves heat exchange efficiency in these less mature portions and reduces variations in maturity between different portions of the food. This results in more uniform maturity across the food, improving cooking quality. Furthermore, it accelerates the cooking of less mature portions, improving overall cooking efficiency. This results in improved intelligence and efficiency in cooking.

[0104] It can be understood that making the airflow in the cooker gather or approach the less mature part of the food means that the airflow generated by cooking and heating in the cooker gathers relatively more or approaches the less mature part of the food, and relatively less or approaches the more mature part of the food; parts of the food with a larger accumulation volume than other parts, or parts that are less likely to cook than other parts, or parts that absorb heat slower than other parts are likely to show a lower maturity value.

[0105] In a preferred embodiment, the controller controls the guide plate to extend toward the less mature portion of the food, so as to guide the airflow in the cooker to or near the location of the less mature portion of the food.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, the air guide assembly further includes a fan disposed within the cooker. A controller is electrically connected to the fan to control the fan's airflow. This, on the one hand, accelerates airflow within the cooker, thereby improving cooking efficiency; and on the other hand, accelerates or focuses more airflow on less mature portions of food, thereby increasing the rate at which the food becomes evenly cooked. In other embodiments, the fan may be located outside the cooker, blowing air into the cooker.

[0107] In a preferred embodiment, the wind blown by the fan is directed toward the guide plate, so as to facilitate blowing the airflow to the guide plate and improve the guide effect of the guide plate.

[0108] In a preferred embodiment, the controller controls the fan speed based on the difference or multiple of the maturity difference relative to a preset maturity difference. This difference or multiple is proportional to the fan speed. The greater the maturity difference, the faster the fan speed, facilitating rapid reduction of maturity differences and improving the precision of food maturity uniformity control. For example, if the preset maturity difference is X, and the maturity difference is 1.5X, the controller controls the fan speed to n; if the maturity difference is 2X, the controller controls the fan speed to 2n.

[0109] In a preferred embodiment, there are multiple guide plates dispersedly arranged in the cooker, and the controller controls the movement of different guide plates to gather the airflow in the cooker at different positions in the cooker.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment, the deflector is arranged to rotate within a vertical plane, and multiple deflector plates are horizontally dispersed within the cooker to face different horizontal orientations. The controller controls the rotation of different deflector plates to direct the airflow within the cooker to different locations within the cooker. It will be appreciated that controlling the rotation of different deflector plates can involve controlling the movement of a single deflector plate or multiple deflector plates simultaneously. In other embodiments, the controller can control the deflector plates to change their rotation angles, or simultaneously control the movement of different deflector plates to control the rotation of the deflector plates to direct the airflow within the cooker to different locations within the cooker. Providing multiple deflector plates to guide the airflow within the cooker to different locations can, on the one hand, reduce the requirements for the placement of individual deflector plates, and on the other hand, improve the accuracy of airflow guidance within the cooker. In other embodiments, only one deflector plate can be provided, reducing the number of deflectors required and simplifying the cooking system's structural configuration and the controller's control program.

[0111] In a preferred embodiment, the controller divides the image into N areas according to a preset division method to correspond to N different parts of the food, where N is an integer greater than 1, which can simplify the process of judging the maturity difference of different parts of the food.

[0112] One or more preset division methods can be set. When multiple preset division methods are set, the controller can recognize the image to determine the type of food and select a preset division method based on the type; or the user can identify the type of food and input it to the controller, which then selects a preset division method based on the type; or the controller can manually select a preset division method and input it to the controller. In addition, a custom preset division method can be set, which the user can customize and input to the controller. For example, the preset division method can be drawn on the touch screen, or defined by selecting and setting parameters. By selecting a preset division method that matches the type of food, the accuracy of determining the difference in maturity values ​​of different parts of the food can be improved. Figure 6 Several preset division methods are provided; when the food is distributed more evenly or concentrated in the middle, you can choose ① or ④, such as when making pizza or flatbread; when the food is in long strips, you can choose ② or ⑤, such as when making fish; when the food is more scattered, you can choose ③ or ④, such as when making steamed buns, biscuits and other foods.

[0113] In a preferred embodiment, before cooking, the controller can perform image analysis to determine whether the food is placed in the cooking device according to the preset placement method. The preset placement method corresponds to the preset division method. For example, when steaming fish, Figure 6 In the preset division method shown in FIG2 , the preset placement method is to place the fish along the L direction. If the controller determines that the food is not placed according to the preset placement method, the controller controls the indicator to issue a prompt signal to remind the user to place the food according to the preset placement method. The prompt signal can be issued by a buzzer, a flashing warning light, a microphone voice prompt, or a pop-up window on the display. Placing the food according to the preset placement method so that the food placement corresponds to the preset division method can not only simplify the process of determining the maturity difference of different parts of the food based on the image, but also improve the accuracy of determining the maturity difference value of different parts of the food.

[0114] In a preferred embodiment, a food rack is provided in the cooking device, and an identification mark is provided on the rack. The controller determines whether the food is placed in the cooking device in a preset manner by determining whether the identification mark is located at a preset position in the image. Specifically, in this embodiment, if Figure 7The identification mark on the shelf 13 is specifically an identification protrusion 131. The height of the protrusion is between 0.2 and 0.5 mm. The dimensions in the L direction are 64 mm and in the W direction are 180 mm, corresponding to the maximum dimensions of a rectangular steaming tray. Two identification protrusions 131 are located at both ends of the L direction, and two fans are also located at both ends of the L direction. The indication direction of the identification protrusions 131 is consistent with the placement direction of the fans. On the one hand, it can indicate the placement direction of rectangular food. On the other hand, it can prevent the steaming tray from slipping when used with the matching steaming tray.

[0115] In other embodiments, the controller may identify the outline of the food based on the image, and compare the position of the food outline with the outline positions of N preset divided areas to determine whether the food is placed in a preset manner.

[0116] In a preferred embodiment, the controller determines the maturity difference of different parts of the food based on the color difference of different parts in the image. Judging the maturity difference based on the color difference is simple and reliable. Regarding how to judge the maturity of food by color, reference can be made to the existing technology.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment, the controller obtains maturity values ​​corresponding to different parts of the food based on the image, and then determines maturity differential values ​​based on the maturity values ​​of the different food parts. This allows the maturity values ​​to better reflect the maturity of each food part. For example, the highest, lowest, or average color value within a single region of N regions in the image can be used as the maturity value for that region, or the difference between the highest and lowest color values ​​within a single region and the average color value can be calculated according to a predetermined formula to determine the maturity value for that region. The maturity differential value can then be determined by comparing the maturity values ​​of the N regions. It is understood that color values ​​can be based on parameters such as brightness, pigment ratio, and color depth.

[0118] In other embodiments, the controller obtains the lowest and highest maturity values ​​of the food according to the image, and then obtains the maturity difference value according to the lowest or highest maturity value.

[0119] The specific structure of the cooking system in this embodiment can refer to Example 1 and other embodiments.

[0120] Example 3

[0121] This embodiment takes steaming fish as an example to illustrate the cooking system and cooking method provided by the present invention. Figure 8 、 Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram provided for this embodiment.

[0122] Combine Figure 9The principle of how the pressure and temperature fields within the cooker change when the deflector changes direction is explained. When the deflector is horizontal, the gas / pressure field within the cooker is stable. Above the liquid surface, the gas pressure direction remains perpendicular to the liquid surface. By adjusting the angle between the deflector and the vertical, the airflow direction is changed, directing it to areas with thicker food or less mature food. This compresses the gas in these areas, increasing the local pressure and facilitating heat penetration, which in turn aids cooking. Furthermore, air masses with smaller airflow volumes expand, creating a different pressure field for other parts of the food. This transient change in the pressure field caused by the deflector's turbulence creates dynamic high pressure. Combined with the food's heat absorption during cooking, the dynamic high pressure phenomenon and its effects become even more pronounced.

[0123] like Figure 9 , divide the image into three areas A, B, and C according to the preset division method, corresponding to the fish head, fish body, and fish tail respectively. Figure 9 The figure shows the top view and front view of the pot corresponding to situations I, II, III and IV. In situations II, III and IV, a wavy pattern is used to represent the liquid surface 41, a dotted line with an arrow represents the path of the airflow 42 in the pot when the fan blows, and a solid line with an arrow represents the air mass 43 formed by the airflow 42.

[0124] like Figure 8 、 Figure 9 , the cooking process is as follows:

[0125] Place the food, and then the controller identifies the placement position based on the image captured by the camera, and determines whether the placement position of the placement rack is correct, that is, whether it is placed according to the preset placement method corresponding to the fish. If it is not correct, a prompt signal is issued;

[0126] At the beginning of cooking, normal heating is performed. At this time, the left and right guide plates are placed horizontally, that is, the angles α and β with the vertical direction are both 90°, as in Case I, to reduce the impact on the airflow in the cooker;

[0127] In the early stages of cooking, the controller identifies the maturity of food based on the image information sent by the camera and determines the maturity of the three parts of the food.

[0128] If A<B<C, and the difference M>10%, the controller adjusts the deflector angle to α=120° and β=0°. The left deflector extends toward area A, directing the airflow to area A, enhancing convective heat transfer and facilitating heat penetration. The difference M is calculated by comparing the color depths: the difference between the maturity values ​​of the darker area C and the lighter area A.

[0129] If B < A ≈ C, and the difference M > 10%, the controller controls the actuator to adjust the angles of the left and right guide plates to α = 60° and β = 60°. As in Case II, the left and right guide plates extend toward area B. At this time, the airflow is directed to area B, enhancing convective heat transfer in area B, which is beneficial for heat penetration and improves the maturity of food in area B, thereby reducing the maturity difference between area B and areas A and C.

[0130] If A < B ≈ C, and the difference M > 10%, the controller controls the actuator to adjust the angles of the left and right guide plates to α = 120° and β = 90°. As in Case III, the left guide plate extends toward area A. This directs the airflow into area A, enhancing convective heat transfer in area A and facilitating heat penetration, improving the maturity of food in area A and reducing the maturity difference between area A and areas B and C.

[0131] If A≈C<B, and the difference M>10%, the controller controls the driver to adjust the angles of the left and right guide plates to make α=120° and β=120°. As in Case IV, the left guide plate extends toward area A, and the right guide plate extends toward area C. At this time, the airflow is directed to areas A and C, strengthening the convective heat exchange in areas A and C, which is beneficial to heat penetration and improves the maturity of food in areas A and C, thereby reducing the maturity difference with area B.

[0132] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the height difference between the guide plate and the placement rack 13 can be changed so that the corresponding relationship between the guide plate angle and the area the guide plate faces is different from that in this embodiment.

[0133] The relevant structure of the cooking system in this embodiment can refer to Example 1 and other embodiments.

[0134] Embedding the cooker of the present invention in whole or in part within the cooktop of a stove creates a built-in cooker. The surface of the cooker can be flush with the cooktop, extend beyond it, or be positioned within it. The cooker of the present invention can be a steamer, oven, pressure cooker, or other similar device. A micro-pressure cooker offers superior cooking performance. A micro-pressure cooker is one in which the pressure difference between the airflow inside the cooker and the ambient air pressure during cooking is within a few kPa; further, a pressure difference of 2 kPa to 3 kPa provides even better results.

[0135] The present invention has the following advantages as a whole:

[0136] Provides a dynamic pressure solution inside the cooker, different from the traditional static high pressure;

[0137] Solve the problem of poor local cooking effect caused by uneven distribution of food in the pot;

[0138] Solve the problem of not being able to balance the good cooking effects of different parts of food at the same time (such as when steaming);

[0139] Improve cooking efficiency and increase intelligence.

[0140] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are merely illustrative and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, and such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooking method, characterized in that: An image inside the cooker is captured by a camera and transmitted to a controller, which determines a maturity difference value among different parts of the food in the cooker based on the image. When the maturity difference value is greater than a preset difference value, the controller controls a guide plate in a guide assembly to move and / or rotate relative to the cooker to guide the airflow in the cooker so that the airflow in the cooker is gathered or approaches a less mature part of the food.

2. The cooking method according to claim 1, wherein The controller determines the maturity difference values ​​of different parts of the food according to the color difference of different parts in the image; And / or, the controller obtains maturity values ​​corresponding to different parts of the food based on the image, and then obtains the maturity difference value based on the maturity values ​​corresponding to the different parts of the food; or, the controller obtains the lowest and highest maturity values ​​of the food based on the image, and then obtains the maturity difference value based on the lowest or highest maturity value; And / or, the controller divides the image into N areas according to a preset division method to correspond to N different parts of the food, where N is an integer greater than 1.

3. The cooking method according to claim 2, wherein There are many different ways of dividing the preset; The controller identifies the type of food through the image and selects the preset division method according to the type; or, manually identifies the type of food and inputs it to the controller, and the controller selects the preset division method according to the type; or, manually selects the preset division method and inputs it to the controller.

4. The cooking method according to claim 3, wherein Before cooking, the controller determines whether the food is placed in the cooker according to a preset placement method based on the image. The preset placement method corresponds to the preset division method. If it is determined that the food is not placed according to the preset placement method, the controller controls the prompter to send a prompt signal.

5. The cooking method according to claim 4, wherein The cooker is provided with a shelf for holding food, and the shelf is provided with an identification mark. The controller determines whether the food is placed in the cooker according to the preset placement by judging whether the identification mark is located at a preset position in the image.

6. A cooking system comprising a cooking device, characterized in that: The cooking system further comprises: Camera; a flow guide assembly, comprising a flow guide plate and a driver, wherein the flow guide plate is located in the cooker; A controller electrically connected to the camera and the driver; The camera captures an image of the interior of the cooker and transmits the image to the controller, which determines a maturity difference value of different parts of the food in the cooker based on the image. When the maturity difference value is greater than a preset difference value, the controller controls the driver to drive the guide plate to move and / or rotate relative to the cooker to guide the airflow in the cooker so that the airflow in the cooker is gathered or approaches the less mature part of the food.

7. The cooking system according to claim 6, wherein: The guide plate is rotatably arranged relative to the cooker, and the controller controls the guide plate to rotate to different angles so as to make the airflow in the cooker gather or approach different parts in the cooker; And / or, there are a plurality of guide plates, which are dispersedly arranged in the cooker, and the controller controls the movement of different guide plates to gather the airflow in the cooker at different positions in the cooker; And / or, the controller controls the guide plate to extend toward a less mature portion of the food.

8. The cooking system according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of guide plates are dispersedly arranged in the horizontal direction in the cooker to face different horizontal directions; And / or, the cooker has a plurality of corners in a horizontal direction, the number of the guide plates is consistent with the number of the corners, and the plurality of guide plates are dispersedly arranged in a horizontal direction to face the plurality of corners respectively.

9. The cooking system according to claim 6, wherein: The guide plate is rotatably arranged in a vertical plane; And / or, the guide plate is arranged in the middle of the cooker in the horizontal direction and in the upper part in the vertical direction; And / or, the guide plate includes a plurality of connected guide vanes, and a connection between two adjacent guide vanes is convex; And / or, the air guide assembly further includes a fan, an air outlet of the fan is communicated with the interior of the cooker, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan.

10. The cooking system according to claim 9, wherein: The controller controls the rotation speed of the fan according to a difference or a multiple of the maturity difference value relative to a preset difference value, wherein the difference or the multiple is proportional to the rotation speed; and / or, the air outlet faces the guide plate; And / or, the air outlet is oriented horizontally, and the fan and the guide plate are located within the same height range; And / or, the number of the fans is at least one pair, and the two fans in the pair are arranged at opposite ends of the cooker.

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