A rice cooking control method and apparatus based on water vapor discharge rate

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of rice cooking technology, and provides a method and apparatus for controlling rice cooking based on the steam emission rate. A steam sensor detects the rate of steam emitted during rice cooking; when the corresponding steam rate rises to a first value and remains at that value for more than a first time, the first value is recorded as V1; when the steam sensor detects that the corresponding steam rate continuously falls below a second value V2, the heating power is immediately adjusted to a first target power value; when the steam sensor detects that the corresponding steam rate further decreases to a third value V3, heating is cut off. This invention provides a novel cooking control method that adjusts the cooking time and heating power at each stage of rice cooking based on the steam evaporation rate, achieving more precise and intelligent rice cooking control, improving rice quality, shortening cooking time, and saving energy.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rice cooking technology, and in particular to a rice cooking control method and apparatus based on the steam discharge rate. [Background Technology]

[0002] The cooking of rice is a complex physicochemical process, mainly involving high-temperature starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, grain expansion and restructuring, and flavor compound formation. Heat control is crucial in this complex process. Excessive temperature at any stage can lead to starch dehydration and scorching, while insufficient temperature results in undercooked rice and a lack of flavor. To address this need, rice cooker cooking control programs have been developed. These programs regulate the heating during the cooking process to ensure the quality of the rice.

[0003] These cooking control programs mainly include two types: Scheme A and Scheme B.

[0004] Option A uses a time reference axis and has preset the heating power for different time periods. Regardless of the state of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker, the cooking program will continue to execute the preset program. Therefore, it is a completely passive execution option.

[0005] Option B uses one or more temperature sensors to monitor temperature changes in real time. When the temperature at a certain point on the heating plate or in the rice container reaches a preset value, a preset heating program is triggered. This can be considered a partially passive execution option. For example, many rice cookers divide the cooking process into four stages. The first stage is the rice soaking and water absorption stage, with a preset temperature of 30-55℃ and a duration of approximately 5-15 minutes; the second stage is the rapid heating stage, lasting approximately 4-6 minutes; the third stage is the boiling stage, with an indefinite duration; and the fourth stage cuts off the heating and enters the keep-warm mode.

[0006] It is evident that both of the above methods control the rice based on indirect indicators of its state (time or local temperature), rather than directly on the actual state of the rice during cooking. This results in imprecise control of the rice's cooking process, delayed response, and a tendency for the rice to burn, cook unevenly, and consequently, a decline in taste, flavor, and color. For example, mainstream method A completely ignores the state of the rice mixture, while mainstream method B only considers the impact of temperature changes during cooking. The temperature only rises and the program is only triggered when the moisture content is insufficient, clearly indicating a delayed operation and consequently, a decline in rice quality.

[0007] As we all know, cooking rice involves the rice grains absorbing water and gradually boiling, with the water gradually being released, until the rice fully absorbs water and the starch gelatinizes and forms solids. During this process, the amount of steam released constantly changes. For example, when the rice-water mixture first boils, there is plenty of water, and the amount of steam released is large; however, as most of the water is absorbed by the rice grains or released later, the amount of steam released gradually decreases. If the heating power is not adjusted in time according to the rice-water mixture, the quality of the cooked rice will decline.

[0008] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a new method for cooking rice based on the steam discharge rate, building upon the indirect control of traditional cooking control programs. Through a more scientific control program, intelligent cooking of rice is achieved. [Summary of the Invention]

[0009] The technical problem that this invention aims to solve is that current rice cooking control programs are all passive and indirect controls based on temperature as a single indicator. This makes it difficult to respond in real time to the actual needs of the rice-water mixture, resulting in control lag. Consequently, the quality of the rice cannot be fully realized, or even deteriorates, such as poor taste, dull flavor, and dark color.

[0010] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0011] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling rice cooking based on steam exhaust rate, comprising:

[0012] The rate of water vapor emitted during the rice cooking process is detected using a water vapor sensor.

[0013] When the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and remains at the first value for a period of time exceeding a first time, the first value is recorded as V1;

[0014] When the water vapor rate detected by the water vapor sensor is continuously lower than the second value V2, the heating power is immediately adjusted to the first target power value.

[0015] When the steam sensor detects that the corresponding steam rate has further decreased to the third value V3, the heating is cut off.

[0016] Preferably, the step of detecting the rate of water vapor emitted during the rice cooking process using a water vapor sensor specifically includes:

[0017] The steam sensor activates to detect steam when rice cooking begins; or,

[0018] The steam sensor activates when the rice enters a large boil during cooking.

[0019] Preferably, when the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and remains at the first value for a period exceeding a first time, recording the first value as V1 specifically includes:

[0020] The water vapor sensor collects the water vapor rate according to a preset acquisition cycle;

[0021] The first value is determined based on the fact that the collected water vapor rate rises to a relatively stable value and maintains the relatively stable value for a period of time exceeding a first time.

[0022] The first time is obtained by multiplying the acquisition period and the preset number of acquisitions to maintain the relatively stable value.

[0023] Preferably, when the steam sensor starts detecting when rice cooking begins, and when the rice cooking process includes preparation, soaking, and heating, the method further includes:

[0024] During the preparation, soaking, and heating process, one or more initial values ​​will be obtained;

[0025] When the size of the newly obtained first value exceeds the size of the stored first value, update the stored first value;

[0026] After entering the boiling stage, the value is updated to the final first value.

[0027] Preferably, the processor is also used to record the type of rice being cooked, the amount of rice being cooked, and the amount of water being added. The method further includes:

[0028] Record the parameter values ​​of each version during the first numerical update process and feed them back to the processor;

[0029] The processor combines its own temperature control process during rice cooking with the first value under each version of parameter values ​​to generate a graph showing the relationship between temperature control and water vapor rate changes over time.

[0030] Based on the target relationship graph for optimal taste selected historically, the target rice type, the target amount of rice to be cooked, and the target amount of water to be placed, temperature control adjustments are made for the current rice type to be cooked, the amount of rice to be cooked, the amount of water to be placed, and the real-time generated relationship graph.

[0031] Preferably, the temperature control adjustment, based on the historically selected optimal taste template relationship graph, template rice type, amount of rice cooked in the template, and amount of water placed in the template, and considering the current rice type, amount of rice cooked, amount of water placed, and the real-time generated relationship graph, specifically includes:

[0032] The amount of rice cooked has changed compared to the amount of rice cooked using the template recorded at the optimal taste, and the amount of water added has been adjusted proportionally accordingly.

[0033] During temperature control, the processor compares the real-time generated relationship graph with the template relationship graph. When the inflection point of the corresponding real-time recorded first value deviates from the template relationship graph, it uses timely methods such as accelerating the heating, decelerating the heating, or slowly cooling to ensure that the deviation between the real-time generated relationship graph and the template relationship graph is less than a preset range.

[0034] Preferably, for japonica rice, V2 = 0.7V1, V3 = 0.4V1, and W1 = 0.3W; for indica rice, V2 = 0.6V1, V3 = 0.3V1, and W1 = 0.4W.

[0035] Among them, japonica rice includes one or more of Northeast Pearl Rice, Long Grain Fragrant Rice, and Daohua Fragrant Rice; indica rice includes one or more of Silky Rice, Jingshan Bridge Rice, and Cat Tooth Rice.

[0036] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a rice cooking method based on steam exhaust rate, using the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate as described in the first aspect, comprising:

[0037] Pour the weighed 500g of rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear; pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3 and start the cooking program.

[0038] The rice cooker starts heating. When the temperature T1 reaches 55℃, it stops heating and maintains this temperature for 10 minutes (during which the temperature of the rice-water mixture is about 40℃).

[0039] The rice cooker heats continuously at full power for 6-8 minutes; when the T1 temperature reaches about 110℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃ and enters the boiling stage.

[0040] The boiling phase lasts for about 10 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to keep T1 at 130℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded by a steam sensor every 3 seconds. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the change in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continues to heat and monitors the steam flow rate in real time.

[0041] During the cooking process, when the real-time steam flow rate V is lower than 0.7V1 twice consecutively, adjust the temperature T1 to 120℃.

[0042] When the real-time steam flow rate is below 0.4V1, heating is stopped. The residual heat is used to continue evaporating the steam in the pot. The steam flow rate is gradually reduced until the rice is completely evaporated, completing the rice cooking process, which lasts for 6-10 minutes. After that, the rice automatically enters the rice keeping and freshness preservation stage.

[0043] The rice keeping temperature is preset to 70-80℃ and is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at 0.3W. When T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process is repeated to keep the rice warm and fresh.

[0044] A third aspect is a rice cooking method based on steam exhaust rate, characterized in that it uses the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate as described in any one of claims 1-7, comprising:

[0045] Pour the weighed 500g of rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear; pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3 and start the cooking program.

[0046] The rice cooker starts heating. When the temperature T1 reaches 60℃, it stops heating and maintains this temperature for 8 minutes (during which the temperature of the rice-water mixture is approximately 45℃).

[0047] The rice cooker continues to heat at full power for 6-10 minutes. When the T1 temperature reaches about 115℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃ and enters the boiling stage.

[0048] The boiling phase lasts for 12 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to keep T1 at 125℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded by a steam sensor every 3 seconds. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the change in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continuously heats and monitors the steam flow rate in real time.

[0049] During the cooking process, when the real-time monitoring shows that the steam flow rate is less than 0.6V1 twice in a row, adjust the temperature T1 to 115℃.

[0050] When the real-time steam flow rate is below 0.3V1, heating is stopped. The residual heat is used to continue evaporating the steam in the pot. The steam flow rate is gradually reduced until the rice is completely dried, completing the rice cooking process, which lasts for 8-10 minutes. After that, the rice automatically enters the rice keeping and freshness preservation stage.

[0051] The rice keeping temperature is preset to 70-80℃ and is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at 0.4W. When T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process is repeated to keep the rice warm and fresh.

[0052] Fourthly, the present invention also provides a rice cooking control device based on steam exhaust rate, used to implement the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate described in the first aspect, the device comprising:

[0053] At least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor for performing the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate as described in the first aspect.

[0054] Fifthly, the present invention also provides a non-volatile computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that are executed by one or more processors to perform the rice cooking control method based on steam discharge rate described in the first aspect.

[0055] This invention provides a novel cooking control method that adjusts the cooking time and heating power of rice at each stage based on the steam evaporation rate, thereby achieving more precise and intelligent rice cooking control, improving rice quality, shortening cooking time, and saving energy. [Attached Image Description]

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a rice cooking control method based on water vapor discharge rate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an electric rice cooker structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which can be used for a rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate;

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a rice cooking control method based on water vapor discharge rate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the temperature and rate changes during the implementation of a rice cooking control method based on steam discharge rate, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the changes in steam rate during different cooking processes in the implementation of a rice cooking control method based on steam discharge rate provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a rice cooking control method based on water vapor discharge rate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a rice cooking control device based on the steam discharge rate provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0064] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0065] In the description of this invention, the terms "inner", "outer", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and do not require that this invention must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0066] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0067] Example 1:

[0068] Embodiment 1 of this invention provides a method for controlling rice cooking based on steam exhaust rate. It should be noted that the method proposed in this invention does not represent the entire rice cooking process, but rather describes the core innovative parts of the cooking process. For example, processes such as soaking and heat preservation in the usual cooking process are not described in steps 201-204 of the following embodiments, but will be exemplarily described in subsequent specific embodiments. This is a compromise considering factors such as avoiding the introduction of conventional existing operating procedures from adversely restricting the scope of protection of the method of this invention. Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0069] In step 201, the rate of water vapor emitted during the rice cooking process is detected by a water vapor sensor.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, a device structure that can be used to implement the method of the present invention is provided, which is a typical water vapor sensor. Figure 2 The layout of the sensors (marked in the middle) is as follows: Figure 2 The steam sensor is directly placed on the outlet side of the steam valve. This ensures a uniform steam rate and avoids inaccurate results that might occur if the sensor is placed in other locations due to airflow caused by heating inside the liner. This airflow is often caused by uneven heating of the liner. Figure 2The diagram also includes annotations of the standard structures that make up the rice cooker, including the cooker body, control panel, inner pot, bottom of the inner pot, lid opening button, etc.

[0071] In step 202, when the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and is maintained at the first value for a period of time exceeding a first time, the first value is recorded as V1.

[0072] It should be noted that the first value is not a parameter that needs to be confirmed in advance. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first value is a value obtained during the actual cooking process based on conditions, namely, "maintaining the first value for a period of time exceeding a first time". The advantage of this approach is that the rice cooker (e.g., a rice cooker or a larger cooking cabinet) implementing the method of the present invention can be used in environments with different altitudes without needing to pre-set or adjust this first value.

[0073] Considering that most rice cookers provide multi-stage cooking processes in practice, the first value here will have multiple versions depending on the cooking stage. As for the technical solution of this invention, the first value V1 on which the subsequent steps are based is the maximum value generated during the normal heating process of the rice cooker.

[0074] In step 203, when the water vapor rate is continuously lower than the second value V2 as detected by the water vapor sensor, the heating power is immediately adjusted to the first target power value W1.

[0075] In the implementation of this invention, the second value V2 is obtained by weighting relative to the first value V1. For japonica rice, V2 = 0.7V1 and W1 = 0.3W; for indica rice, V2 = 0.6V1 and W1 = 0.4W. Japonica rice includes one or more of Northeast Pearl Rice, Long Grain Fragrant Rice, and Daohua Fragrant Rice; indica rice includes one or more of Silky Rice, Jingshan Bridge Rice, and Cat Tooth Rice.

[0076] In step 204, when the water vapor sensor detects that the corresponding water vapor rate has further decreased to the third value V3, the heating is cut off.

[0077] In the implementation of this invention, the second value V3 is obtained by weighting relative to the first value V1. For japonica rice, V3 = 0.4V1; for indica rice, V3 = 0.3V1.

[0078] Thus, the rice cooking control method proposed in this invention has completed the rice cooking process, while subsequent processes such as preservation are not within the scope of this embodiment.

[0079] This invention provides a novel cooking control method that adjusts the cooking time and heating power at each stage of rice cooking based on the steam evaporation rate, thereby achieving more precise and intelligent rice cooking control, improving rice quality, shortening cooking time, and saving energy.

[0080] In this embodiment of the invention, considering the differences from existing intelligent rice cookers, the detection of the rate of water vapor emitted during rice cooking using a water vapor sensor specifically includes the following two methods:

[0081] Method 1: The steam sensor starts detecting when rice cooking begins. This method is suitable for existing steamers that do not have strict temperature sensing and use a near-uniform temperature heating process, with cooking time determining completion. Method 1 is suitable for retrofitting steamers in this situation.

[0082] Method 2: The steam sensor activates when the rice reaches a high boil during cooking. This method is suitable for intelligent steam cookers whose processors are already configured to divide the cooking process into stages such as soaking, heating, high boil, low boil, simmering, and safety. Conventional intelligent steam cookers control each stage differently based on time and temperature. For retrofitting this type of steam cooker, Method 2 is suitable, allowing for more focused and efficient use of the processor's computing resources.

[0083] In this embodiment of the invention, for step 202, when the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and is maintained at the first value for a period exceeding a first time, the first value is recorded as V1. This embodiment of the invention provides a relatively detailed implementation process, specifically including:

[0084] The water vapor sensor collects the water vapor rate according to a preset collection cycle.

[0085] The first value is determined based on the collected water vapor rate rising to a relatively stable value and maintaining the relatively stable value for a period of time exceeding a first time; wherein, the first time is obtained by multiplying the collection period and the preset number of collections to maintain the relatively stable value.

[0086] The relative stability value here can be comprehensively set based on the average water vapor value and the water vapor difference at each stage of rice cooking during actual testing. That is, the fluctuation range set by the relative stability value can effectively distinguish the differences in water vapor rate at each stage. As a preferred implementation, it is also necessary to subdivide the possible water vapor change inflection points in each stage as much as possible (this preferred implementation lays the groundwork for the extended implementation scheme later).

[0087] As one of the methods listed above, and based on the steaming stages listed above, when the steam sensor starts detecting at the beginning of rice steaming, and when the rice steaming process includes preparation, soaking, and heating, the method further includes:

[0088] During the preparation, soaking, and heating process, one or more initial values ​​will be obtained;

[0089] When the size of the newly obtained first value exceeds the size of the stored first value, update the stored first value;

[0090] After entering the boiling stage, the value is updated to the final first value.

[0091] As an extended implementation scheme for the above-mentioned further application of further subdividing the possible inflection points of water vapor change within each stage, in the scenario where the corresponding rice cooker has a processor, the processor is also used to record the type of rice being cooked, the amount of rice being cooked, and the amount of water added, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the method also includes:

[0092] In step 301, the parameter values ​​of each version during the first numerical update process are recorded and fed back to the processor.

[0093] refer to Figure 4 The graph showing the collected data was generated based on the data from Example 2. Considering that in practical applications, without special adjustments, the detection cycle of the water vapor rate sensor is much higher than the actual rate of change of water vapor generated in the rice cooker, that is, under normal circumstances, such as... Figure 4 The inflection points shown (inflection point 1-inflection point 8) will all be effectively recorded by the recording method proposed in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0094] In step 302, the processor combines its own temperature control process during rice cooking with the first value under each version parameter value to generate a graph showing the relationship between temperature control and water vapor rate changes over time.

[0095] by Figure 4 For example, the corresponding relationship graph, although Figure 4 The curves for water vapor rate are simply fused together by relating them to the time axis; the vertical axis is not compatible with temperature T, but this does not affect the visual intuitiveness.

[0096] by Figure 5 For example, in continuing Figure 4 The water vapor rate change curve in (in) Figure 5The curve is labeled as water vapor rate change curve 1). Another reference water vapor rate change curve 2 is also introduced. The difference between the two is that the water vapor rate change curve 2 has less water and less rice. Therefore, the most intuitive advantage of the method of the present invention compared with the existing method can be shown, that is, it can capture the cooking process of different amounts of rice, so that the process with different cooking efficiency can maintain better consistency after introducing the factor of water vapor rate. This is because with more water and rice, the rate of saturated steam during the sustained low-boiling stage naturally increases. However, it's well known that, under the same temperature control, existing technologies typically need to accommodate both large and small rice quantities, setting the cooking process according to the maximum rice amount (as seen in our everyday rice cookers, whether you add half a spoonful or three spoonfuls of rice, the heating time is the same). This is actually a very energy-inefficient method because many families of three may only need one and a half to two spoonfuls, leading to energy waste during cooking. With the solution of this invention, the difference in the time to enter the steaming stage is clearly visible depending on the amount of water and rice. Figure 5 Curve 1 represents the rice cooking stage, and curve 2 represents the rice cooking stage.

[0097] In step 303, based on the target relationship graph of the best taste selected in history, the target rice type, the target amount of rice to be cooked, and the target amount of water to be placed, the temperature is adjusted according to the current rice type to be cooked, the amount of rice to be cooked, the amount of water to be placed, and the relationship graph generated in real time.

[0098] The temperature control adjustment at point 303 here differs from the intuitive changes observed in the rice-cooking stage analyzed in step 302 above. As is well known, during the steaming process, for household smart rice cookers (typically characterized by the ability to directly select steaming / cooking modes, such as porridge, rice, and reheat modes), the most critical stages are as follows: Figure 5 The length from inflection point 6 to inflection point 7 is significant because this is the period when free moisture is almost depleted, and the rice begins to absorb moisture from the grains. The duration of this process has a substantial impact on the final texture of the rice. As a key advantage of step 303 of this invention, once the optimal texture curve is selected based on user feedback, the processor records the duration of inflection point 6 to inflection point 7. If the historical duration is insufficient for inflection point 6 to 7, a temperature adjustment is made to match the changes in inflection points 6 and 7 of the optimal curve. At this point, a question might arise: how does the processor determine which historical curve the current batch belongs to? This requires relying on… Figure 5The inflection points 1-5 in the previous section were pre-matched for confirmation. This is also because, in different cooking processes, as long as the rice variety, water quantity, and rice quantity do not differ significantly, the matching of inflection points 1-5 can achieve a high degree of consistency, thereby identifying the relationship between the current curve and the historical curve.

[0099] This also shows that the adjustment in step 303 is a retroactive process, meaning that it requires at least one historical cooking test and matching with the selected optimal cooking curve before its role and advantages can be demonstrated in subsequent cooking processes.

[0100] Regarding the implementation process of step 303 above, this embodiment of the invention also provides relatively detailed procedures, including:

[0101] The amount of rice cooked has changed compared to the amount of rice cooked using the template recorded at the optimal taste, and the amount of water added has been adjusted proportionally accordingly.

[0102] During temperature control, the processor compares the real-time generated relationship graph with the template relationship graph. When the inflection point of the corresponding real-time recorded first value deviates from the template relationship graph, it uses timely methods such as accelerating the heating, decelerating the heating, or slowly cooling to ensure that the deviation between the real-time generated relationship graph and the template relationship graph is less than a preset range.

[0103] Example 2:

[0104] This invention is based on the implementation method of Embodiment 1. Focusing on the core part of Embodiment 1 (related extensions in Embodiment 1 are not described in detail here), it utilizes a rice cooker with a rice cooking control program based on the steam exhaust rate to complete the cooking process of japonica rice. (Refer to...) Figure 4 The curve shown, and Figure 6 The process shown includes the following steps:

[0105] Ingredients: 500g of Northeast long-grain fragrant rice.

[0106] 1. Preparation stage: Pour 500g of weighed rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear. Then pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3.

[0107] 2. Soaking Stage: This stage is for the rice grains to soak and absorb water. The preset temperature is 40℃, and the duration is approximately 10 minutes. Start the rice cooking equipment and execute the traditional cooking program (temperature control program). The rice cooker starts heating. When the T1 temperature reaches 55℃, heating stops and is maintained for 10 minutes.

[0108] 3. Heating Stage: This is the rapid heating stage, where the rice cooker continues to heat at full power for approximately 6-8 minutes. When the temperature T1 reaches approximately 110℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃, entering the boiling stage.

[0109] 4. Boiling stage: This stage is the boiling stage, which lasts for about 10 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to keep T1 at 130℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded by a steam sensor every 3 seconds. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the change in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continues to heat and monitors the steam flow rate in real time.

[0110] 5. Small Boiling Stage: Throughout the process, the steam flow rate in the pot tends to rise, stabilize, and then decrease until it remains essentially unchanged. During the cooking process, when the real-time monitoring shows that the steam flow rate V is below 0.7V1 twice consecutively, adjust the temperature T1 to 120℃ to enter the small boiling stage.

[0111] 6. Steaming Stage: When the real-time steam flow rate V is lower than 0.4V1, heating is stopped, and the rice steaming stage begins. The residual heat is used to continue evaporating the steam in the pot, and the steam flow rate gradually decreases to complete the steaming process. This stage lasts for 6-10 minutes, after which the rice automatically enters the rice keeping and preservation stage.

[0112] 7. Warmth and Freshness Preservation Stage: The preset temperature for keeping the rice warm is 70-80℃, and it is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at a power of 0.3W; when T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process of warming and freshness preservation is repeated.

[0113] Example 3:

[0114] This invention is based on the implementation method of Embodiment 1. Focusing on the core part of Embodiment 1 (related extensions in Embodiment 1 are not described in detail here), it utilizes a rice cooker with a rice cooking control program based on the steam exhaust rate to complete the cooking process of indica rice. (Refer to...) Figure 6 The process shown includes the following steps:

[0115] Ingredients: 500g of fragrant rice.

[0116] 1. Preparation stage: Pour 500g of weighed rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear. Then pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3.

[0117] 2. Soaking stage: This stage is for the rice grains to soak and absorb water. The preset temperature is 45℃ and the duration is about 8 minutes. Start the rice cooking equipment and execute the traditional cooking program (temperature control program). The rice cooker starts heating. When the T1 temperature reaches 60℃, heating stops and is maintained for 8 minutes.

[0118] 3. Heating Phase: This phase is a rapid heating phase, lasting approximately 6-10 minutes. The rice cooker continues heating, and when the T1 temperature reaches approximately 115℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃, entering the boiling phase.

[0119] 4. Boiling Stage: This stage is the boiling stage, lasting 12 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to maintain T1 at 125℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded every 3 seconds by a steam sensor. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the changes in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continuously heats and monitors the steam flow rate in real time.

[0120] 5. Small Boiling Stage: Throughout the process, the steam flow rate inside the pot tends to rise, stabilize, and eventually decrease to a point where it remains essentially unchanged. During the cooking process, when the real-time monitoring shows that the steam flow rate is less than 0.6V1 twice consecutively, adjust the T1 temperature to 115℃ to enter the small boiling stage.

[0121] 6. Cooking stage: When the real-time steam flow rate is lower than 0.3V1, stop heating and enter the cooking stage. Use the residual heat to make the steam in the pot continue to evaporate. The steam flow rate will continue to decrease until it is completely dried, completing the cooking process. The duration is 8-10 minutes. After that, it will automatically enter the rice keeping and freshness preservation stage.

[0122] 7. Warmth and Freshness Preservation Stage: The preset temperature for keeping the rice warm is 70-80℃, and it is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at a power of 0.4W; when T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process is repeated to keep the rice warm and fresh.

[0123] Example 4:

[0124] This invention provides an index system that can be used to verify the results in two scenarios, Example 2 and Example 3, including:

[0125] Record the entire cooking time from when the rice is put into the pot until the cooking is completely finished;

[0126] The energy consumption of rice cooking is calculated using the formula W = Pt (power is in kilowatts and time is in hours).

[0127] A rough record of the color and flavor of the rice was made through sensory observation;

[0128] The moisture content of cooked rice was determined according to the method for determining the moisture content of solid samples in section 5.1 of GB 5009.3—2016, Method 1.

[0129] Testing Procedure: Take a clean, flat aluminum or glass weighing bottle and place it in a drying oven at 101℃~105℃, with the cap tilted against the side of the bottle. Heat for 1.0 hour, remove and cap, then cool in a desiccator for 0.5 hours. Weigh the bottle and repeat the drying process until the difference between two weighings does not exceed 2 mg, which is considered constant weight. Weigh 2g~10g of sample (accurate to 0.0001g) into this weighing bottle, ensuring the sample thickness does not exceed 5mm (10mm for porous samples). Cap the bottle, weigh accurately, and place it in a drying oven at 101℃~105℃ for 2h~4h. Cap the bottle, remove it, and cool in a desiccator for 0.5 hours before weighing. Then place it in a drying oven at 101℃~105℃ for approximately 1 hour, remove it, cool in a desiccator for 0.5 hours, and weigh again. Repeat the above steps until the difference between two weighings does not exceed 2mg, which is considered constant weight.

[0130] The moisture content in the sample is calculated using the following formula:

[0131] A texture analyzer was used to detect multiple properties of cooked rice.

[0132] Testing Procedure: Place an appropriate amount of cooked rice in a disposable plastic petri dish. Before measurement, press the surface of the rice with a 500g weight for 10 seconds to ensure a flat surface and consistent internal porosity. Then remove the weight and place the dish on the texture analyzer stage for measurement. After each measurement, clean the probe with lens paper and repeat the test. Prepare 10 parallel samples for each test, discard the maximum and minimum values, and take the average.

[0133] The texture analyzer probe is a P / 36R cylindrical compression probe. The test mode is TPA, and the parameters are: pre-test speed: 5.00 mm / s; test speed: 1.00 mm / s; post-test speed: 5.00 mm / s; trigger force: 5.0 g; compression ratio: 50.0%; and the interval between two compressions: 5.00 s.

[0134] After testing, it was found that rice cooked using this control program required less time and energy. Compared to rice cooked using a single temperature control program, the rice was slightly whiter and had a better flavor. In terms of texture, the measured properties of the cooked rice, such as hardness, elasticity, chewiness, and resilience, were also more optimal. This indicates that adding a rice cooking control program based on the steam exhaust rate to the existing temperature control effectively avoids temperature control lag during the later stages of cooking and simmering, reducing the flavor degradation caused by the direct evaporation of moisture at high temperatures.

[0135] Determination of total volatile components in cooked rice: Volatile flavor components in cooked rice were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction / gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME / GC-MS). The detection conditions were as follows:

[0136] After steaming, the entire pot was stirred and dispersed. A sample was taken from the center of the pot, and (30±0.01) g of steamed rice was accurately weighed into a sample vial. 2 L of 0.555 g / L 1,2-dichlorobenzene was added as a standard. The vial was quickly sealed and labeled accordingly. The samples were pretreated in a boiling water bath for 10 min before extraction. The vials were then placed in a constant-temperature water bath containing an appropriate amount of liquid on a heated magnetic stirrer. The SPME extraction head was inserted into the headspace of the vial, adjusted, and fixed in position, ensuring a distance of 1.5 cm between the extraction head and the sample surface. After extraction and adsorption at 70℃ for 30 min, the extraction head was carefully removed and quickly inserted into the injection port of the GC-MS instrument. Desorption took 7 min. The SPME extraction head was then carefully removed again for GC-MS analysis.

[0137] The indicator detection is the same as in Example 2, measuring and recording various indicators.

[0138] Based on the experiments in Examples 2 and 3 and the traditional cooking control program, six indicators were measured, including overall cooking time, cooking energy consumption, rice moisture content, rice color, rice texture, and rice flavor. The results are shown in Table 1 below for comparison.

[0139] Table 1: Comparison of the effects of the cooking method of the present invention with traditional cooking procedures

[0140]

[0141] *Note: Chewiness: In TPA (Texture Apparatus) testing, this describes the solid test sample and represents the energy required to chew the solid sample into a stable state for swallowing. It is numerically expressed as the product of adhesiveness and elasticity (hardness × cohesiveness × elasticity), and the unit is force, or no unit is used.

[0142] Example 5:

[0143] like Figure 7 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the architecture of a rice cooking control device based on steam exhaust rate according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment of the rice cooking control device based on steam exhaust rate includes one or more processors 21 and a memory 22. Figure 7 Take a processor 21 as an example.

[0144] Processor 21 and memory 22 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 7 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0145] The memory 22, as a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-volatile software programs and non-volatile computer-executable programs, such as the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate in Embodiment 1. The processor 21 executes the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate by running the non-volatile software program and instructions stored in the memory 22.

[0146] Memory 22 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, memory 22 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to processor 21, which can be connected to processor 21 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0147] The program instructions / modules are stored in the memory 22. When executed by one or more processors 21, they perform the rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate described in Embodiment 1 above. For example, they perform the above-described... Figure 1 and Figure 3 The steps shown.

[0148] It is worth noting that the information interaction and execution process between the modules and units in the above-mentioned device and system are based on the same concept as the processing method embodiment of the present invention. For details, please refer to the description in the method embodiment of the present invention, and will not be repeated here.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may include: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk, etc.

[0150] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling rice cooking based on steam exhaust rate, characterized in that, include: The rate of water vapor emitted during the rice cooking process is detected using a water vapor sensor. When the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and remains at the first value for a period of time exceeding a first time, the first value is recorded as V1; When the water vapor rate detected by the water vapor sensor is continuously lower than the second value V2, the heating power is immediately adjusted to the first target power value. When the steam sensor detects that the corresponding steam rate has further decreased to the third value V3, the heating is cut off.

2. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of detecting the rate of water vapor emitted during rice cooking using a water vapor sensor specifically includes: The steam sensor activates to detect steam when rice cooking begins; or, The steam sensor activates when the rice enters a large boil during cooking.

3. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the corresponding water vapor rate rises to a first value and remains at that first value for a period of time exceeding a first time, the first value is recorded as V1, specifically including: The water vapor sensor collects the water vapor emission rate according to a preset acquisition cycle; The first value is determined based on the fact that the collected water vapor rate rises to a relatively stable value and maintains the relatively stable value for a period of time exceeding a first time. The first time is obtained by multiplying the acquisition period and the preset number of acquisitions to maintain the relatively stable value.

4. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the steam sensor starts detecting when rice cooking begins, and when the rice cooking process includes preparation, soaking, and heating, the method further includes: During the preparation, soaking, and heating process, one or more initial values ​​will be obtained; When the size of the newly obtained first value exceeds the size of the stored first value, update the stored first value; After entering the boiling stage, the value is updated to the final first value.

5. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to claim 4, characterized in that, The processor is also used to record the type of rice being cooked, the amount of rice being cooked, and the amount of water being added. The methods also include: Record the parameter values ​​of each version during the first numerical update process and feed them back to the processor; The processor combines its own temperature control process during rice cooking with the first value under each version of parameter values ​​to generate a graph showing the relationship between temperature control and water vapor rate changes over time. Based on the target relationship graph for optimal taste selected historically, the target rice type, the target amount of rice to be cooked, and the target amount of water to be placed, temperature control adjustments are made for the current rice type to be cooked, the amount of rice to be cooked, the amount of water to be placed, and the real-time generated relationship graph.

6. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The process involves adjusting the temperature based on the historically selected optimal taste template relationship graph, template rice type, amount of rice cooked in the template, and amount of water placed in the template, taking into account the current rice type, amount of rice being cooked, amount of water placed, and the real-time generated relationship graph. Specifically, this includes: The amount of rice cooked has changed compared to the amount of rice cooked using the template recorded at the optimal taste, and the amount of water added has been adjusted proportionally accordingly. During temperature control, the processor compares the real-time generated relationship graph with the template relationship graph. When the inflection point of the corresponding real-time recorded first value deviates from the template relationship graph, it uses timely methods such as accelerating the heating, decelerating the heating, or slowly cooling to ensure that the deviation between the real-time generated relationship graph and the template relationship graph is less than a preset range.

7. The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, For japonica rice, V2 = 0.7V1, V3 = 0.4V1, W1 = 0.3W; for indica rice, V2 = 0.6V1, V3 = 0.3V1, W1 = 0.4W. Among them, japonica rice includes one or more of Northeast Pearl Rice, Long Grain Fragrant Rice, and Daohua Fragrant Rice; indica rice includes one or more of Silky Rice, Jingshan Bridge Rice, and Cat Tooth Rice.

8. A method for cooking rice based on steam exhaust rate, characterized in that, The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate as described in any one of claims 1-7 includes: Pour the weighed 500g of rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear; pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3 and start the cooking program. The rice cooker starts heating. When the temperature T1 reaches 55℃, it stops heating and maintains this temperature for 10 minutes. The rice cooker heats continuously at full power for 6-8 minutes; when the T1 temperature reaches about 110℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃ and enters the boiling stage. The boiling phase lasts for about 10 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to keep T1 at 130℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded by a steam sensor every 3 seconds. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the change in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continues to heat and monitors the steam flow rate in real time. During the cooking process, when the real-time steam flow rate V is lower than 0.7V1 twice consecutively, adjust the temperature T1 to 120℃. When the real-time steam flow rate is below 0.4V1, heating is stopped. The residual heat is used to continue evaporating the steam in the pot. The steam flow rate is gradually reduced until the rice is completely evaporated, completing the rice cooking process, which lasts for 6-10 minutes. After that, the rice automatically enters the rice keeping and freshness preservation stage. The rice keeping temperature is preset to 70-80℃ and is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at 0.3W. When T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process is repeated to keep the rice warm and fresh.

9. A method for cooking rice based on steam exhaust rate, characterized in that, The rice cooking control method based on steam exhaust rate as described in any one of claims 1-7 includes: Pour the weighed 500g of rice into distilled water and rinse twice until the rice water is slightly clear; pour the rinsed rice into the rice cooker at a rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.3 and start the cooking program. The preset temperature is 45℃, and the duration is approximately 8 minutes; The rice cooker starts heating. When the temperature T1 reaches 60℃, it stops heating and maintains this temperature for 8 minutes. The rice cooker continues to heat at full power for 6-10 minutes. When the T1 temperature reaches about 115℃ and stabilizes, the rice-water mixture heats up to 99-100℃ and enters the boiling stage. The boiling phase lasts for 12 minutes. The heating components are switched on and off to keep T1 at 125℃. The steam flow rate of the rice-water mixture in the rice cooker is recorded by a steam sensor every 3 seconds. The average steam flow rate V1 is determined based on the change in steam flow rate during the short boiling process and stored in the system. The system continuously heats and monitors the steam flow rate in real time. During the cooking process, when the real-time monitoring shows that the steam flow rate is less than 0.6V1 twice in a row, adjust the temperature T1 to 115℃. When the real-time steam flow rate is below 0.3V1, heating is stopped. The residual heat is used to continue evaporating the steam in the pot. The steam flow rate is gradually reduced until the rice is completely dried, completing the rice cooking process, which lasts for 8-10 minutes. After that, the rice automatically enters the rice keeping and freshness preservation stage. The rice keeping temperature is preset to 70-80℃ and is kept warm continuously. When the temperature T1 drops to 78℃, heating is restarted at 0.4W. When T1 is detected to be greater than 90℃, heating is stopped, and this process is repeated to keep the rice warm and fresh.

10. A rice cooking control device based on steam discharge rate, characterized in that, The device includes: At least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor for performing any one of the rice cooking control methods based on steam exhaust rate as described in 1-7.

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