Electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions and cooking method

Abstract

The present application discloses an electric rice cooker and a cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions. The electric rice cooker cooking method identifies the shape, smell and temperature of the bottom of the inner pot of the food in each cooking step. If the shape, smell or bottom temperature of the food in a certain step of the entire cooking process fails to reach the standard range, the heating power and cooking time of the electric rice cooker can be adjusted to ensure that the food can reach the standard range in each step. In this way, the cooking effect of the food can be guaranteed throughout the entire cooking process. In addition, in the boiling step, water overflow can be avoided by real-time adjustment of the heating power of the electric rice cooker to avoid safety accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of electric rice cookers, and in particular relates to an electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions and a cooking method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, electric rice cookers are unable to accurately adjust the amount of water added based on the type and weight of rice. Furthermore, they can only detect the temperature inside the rice cooker based on temperature sensors located on the bottom or top of the cooker, adjusting the heater's heating power and duration. This inability to directly monitor the process of rice turning into cooked rice prevents ideal cooking results. Furthermore, the boiling of the rice soup in the rice cooker cannot be directly monitored during cooking, making it prone to overflowing during cooking. This results in a poor user experience and the potential for personal injury or property damage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (1) Purpose of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above shortcomings, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electric rice cooker and a cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions, so as to solve the technical problems that existing electric rice cookers cannot automatically adjust the power according to the current state of food, cannot cook the food to the desired effect, and water is easily boiled out during the cooking process, causing safety accidents.

[0005] (2) Technical solution

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions, comprising: a housing, a heater disposed in the housing, an inner pot disposed in the housing and having its bottom surface abutting the heater, a visual recognition device disposed on the top of the housing for recognizing the shape of food in the inner pot, a taste sensor for recognizing an odor emitted by the food into the inner pot, and a temperature sensor disposed in the housing and abutting the bottom surface of the inner pot for detecting the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot;

[0008] By arranging a visual recognition device, a taste sensor and a temperature sensor on the rice cooker, the shape, smell and current temperature of the bottom of the inner pot of the food in the rice cooker can be identified in real time, and the heating power and cooking time of each step of the rice cooker can be adjusted in time to ensure that the food can reach the standard cooking state in each step, thereby ensuring the cooking effect of the food throughout the entire cooking process.

[0009] In some embodiments, the invention further comprises: a sealing ring provided on the top opening of the shell, for the visual recognition device to pass through, and the lower end of which extends out of the sealing ring and extends above the inner shell, and a driving assembly connected to the upper end of the visual recognition device and capable of driving the visual recognition device to rotate circumferentially in the sealing ring, wherein the driving assembly comprises: a motor, a turntable provided on the motor, and an eccentric shaft provided at an eccentric position of the turntable, and further comprises: a first connecting rod having one end hinged to the visual recognition device and the other end rotatably connected to the eccentric shaft;

[0010] Driven by the driving component, the visual recognition device rotates to scan the food in the cooking utensil, identifies the changes in the shape of the food, and then accurately controls the heating temperature according to the changes in the shape of the food to improve the cooking effect.

[0011] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the sealing ring forms a serrated structure that abuts against the inner edge of the top opening of the housing;

[0012] By providing a serrated structure on the outer wall of the sealing ring, the serrated structure can increase the friction between the sealing ring and the inner edge of the opening of the cooking utensil and the pressure of the interference fit, so that the sealing ring and the opening of the cooking utensil fit tightly, avoiding the visual recognition device causing the sealing ring to loosen when rotating, resulting in steam leakage.

[0013] On the other hand, the present application provides a rice cooker cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions, comprising:

[0014] A visual recognition device identifies the type of food;

[0015] Starting a corresponding cooking program based on the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction;

[0016] During the cooking process, the heating power of the rice cooker is adjusted based on the food shape identified by the visual recognition device, the food smell identified by the taste sensor, and the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor;

[0017] The electric rice cooker cooking method of the present application identifies the shape, smell and temperature of the bottom of the inner pot of the food in each cooking step. If the shape, smell or temperature of the bottom of the inner pot of the food in a certain step fails to reach the standard range during the entire cooking process, the heating power and cooking time of the electric rice cooker can be adjusted to ensure that the food reaches the standard range in each step. In this way, the cooking effect of the food can be guaranteed throughout the entire cooking process. In addition, in the boiling step, the heating power of the electric rice cooker can be adjusted in real time to prevent rice soup from overflowing and avoid safety accidents.

[0018] In some embodiments, starting a corresponding cooking program based on the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: if the identified food type is rice, issuing an instruction to the user to cook rice or porridge;

[0019] Since rice can be cooked in a variety of ways, when the visual recognition device recognizes that it is rice, it will issue an instruction to the user to cook rice or porridge. The user can choose to cook rice or porridge by himself to avoid errors in the cooking process.

[0020] In some embodiments, after the food type is identified and / or the user input instruction is obtained and before the corresponding cooking program is started, the method further includes: injecting a predetermined amount of water into the pot according to the food type identified and / or the user input instruction obtained;

[0021] The standard amount of water is automatically injected for different types of food and different cooking methods. Users do not need to add water manually, resulting in different amounts of water added and affecting the cooking effect.

[0022] In some embodiments, after the food type is identified and / or the user input instruction is obtained and before a predetermined amount of water is injected into the pot according to the identified food type and / or the user input instruction, the method further includes:

[0023] The weight sensor detects the weight of the current food;

[0024] Injecting a predetermined amount of water into the inner pot according to the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: adjusting the amount of water injected into the rice cooker according to the current weight of the food.

[0025] In some embodiments, the visual recognition device identifies the type of food including: if rice is identified, continuing to identify the current variety of rice;

[0026] Injecting a predetermined amount of water into the inner pot according to the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: adjusting the amount of water injected into the rice cooker according to the current variety of rice;

[0027] Since different varieties of rice absorb different amounts of water, the rice varieties can be further classified through a visual recognition device, which can more accurately determine the amount of water to be injected, further ensuring the cooking effect.

[0028] In some embodiments, if the food is identified as rice, adjusting the heating power of the rice cooker during the cooking process based on the food shape identified by the visual recognition device, the food smell identified by the taste sensor, and the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor includes:

[0029] During the low-temperature water absorption stage, the heater generates heat at a first heating power, and the visual recognition device identifies the expansion coefficient of the rice within a predetermined time. If the expansion coefficient of the rice reaches a first threshold value within the predetermined time, the heating stage begins. Otherwise, the heater generates heat at the current first heating power and the low-temperature water absorption stage is extended until the visual recognition device detects that the expansion coefficient of the rice reaches the first threshold value.

[0030] In the heating stage, the heater generates heat at a second heating power, which is greater than the first heating power. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot within a predetermined time. If the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot reaches a second threshold value within the predetermined time, the high-temperature heating stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater increases the heating power until the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot reaches the second threshold value.

[0031] In the high-temperature heating stage, the heater generates heat at a third heating power, which is greater than the second heating power. The visual recognition device detects the distance between the rice soup or bubbles in the rice cooker and the rice soup within a predetermined time. If the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is less than a third threshold, the heating power of the heater is reduced to 30%-70% of the third heating power, or the heater stops generating heat until the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is greater than the third threshold, and then continues to generate heat at the third heating power. If the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is continuously equal to or greater than the third threshold and the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot is greater than the second threshold, the rice enters the first stewing stage, in which the rice is cooked to form cooked rice after the high-temperature heating stage.

[0032] In the first rice-cooking stage, the heater generates heat at a fourth heating power, which is lower than the third heating power. The taste sensor detects the concentration of a first type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker within a predetermined time. If the concentration of the first type of odor detected in the rice cooker is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold value within the predetermined time, the second rice-cooking stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater continues to generate heat at the fourth heating power until the concentration of the first type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value.

[0033] In the second rice-simmering stage, the heater generates heat at a fifth heating power, which is less than the fourth heating power. The visual recognition device identifies the color and gloss of the rice within a predetermined time. If the color and gloss of the rice are detected to match a pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than a fifth threshold within the predetermined time, the heat preservation stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater continues to generate heat at the fifth heating power until the color and gloss of the rice match the pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than the fifth threshold.

[0034] In some embodiments, the hold phase includes:

[0035] During the first heat preservation stage, the heater generates heat at a sixth heating power, which is less than the fifth heating power. The visual recognition device continuously identifies the color and gloss of the rice. If the degree of match between the identified color and gloss of the rice and a pre-stored image is less than a fifth threshold, a water replenishment reminder is issued and heating is stopped.

[0036] If the color and gloss of the rice during the heat preservation stage match the pre-stored image to a degree less than a fifth threshold, indicating that a large amount of water in the rice cooker has evaporated and the rice has become dry and hard, a water replenishment prompt is issued to the user to add water to prevent the rice from burning and heating is stopped. After the visual recognition device recognizes that water has been added to the inner pot, the heater is heated again at the sixth heating power;

[0037] In the second heat preservation stage, the taste sensor continuously detects the concentration of the second type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker. If the concentration of the second type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than a sixth threshold, the heater stops heating and issues an alarm.

[0038] If rice is left in the rice cooker for a long time, it will deteriorate and emit a chemical odor. By detecting the odor of the rice through the taste sensor, it can be determined whether the rice is currently deteriorating, preventing the user from accidentally eating the deteriorated rice. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of an electric rice cooker and a cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the continuous recognition process of the visual recognition device, taste sensor and temperature sensor during the entire cooking process of an electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present invention.

[0042] The present invention provides an electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions, comprising: a shell, a heater arranged in the shell, an inner pot arranged in the shell and with its bottom surface abutting against the heater, a visual recognition device arranged on the top of the shell for identifying the shape of food in the inner pot, a taste sensor for identifying the odor emitted by the food into the inner pot, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot.

[0043] Specifically, the rice cooker is provided with a main control board, and a visual recognition device, a taste sensor and a temperature sensor are all connected to the main control board for communication. The visual recognition device, the taste sensor and the temperature sensor send sensed signals to the main control board. The main control board determines whether to increase or decrease the heating power, and whether to increase or decrease the heating time based on the sent signals to ensure the cooking effect.

[0044] Preferably, the present application opens multiple holes on the top of the shell, and respectively installs a visual recognition device, a taste sensor, and a temperature sensor on the bottom surface of the shell inner container. Specifically, a sealing ring is inserted into the opening corresponding to the visual recognition device, and the visual recognition device passes through the sealing ring, with the lower end extending out of the sealing ring and extending above the inner container. The upper end of the visual recognition device is connected to a drive assembly, which can drive the visual recognition device to rotate circumferentially in the sealing ring. Specifically, the drive assembly includes: a motor, a turntable provided on the motor, and an eccentric shaft provided at an eccentric position of the turntable, and also includes: a first connecting rod with one end hinged to the visual recognition device and the other end rotatably connected to the eccentric shaft.

[0045] Preferably, the present application forms a serrated structure on the outer wall of the sealing ring that abuts against the inner edge of the opening at the top of the shell, so that the sealing ring fits tightly with the opening of the cooking utensil, avoiding the visual recognition device causing the sealing ring to loosen when rotating, resulting in steam leakage.

[0046] Preferably, a water injection pipe is further provided on the outer shell, and the water injection pipe is connected to an external water storage container, and water can be injected into the inner tank through a water pump.

[0047] Preferably, a weight sensor is also provided on the bottom surface of the inner pot in the shell, and the weight sensor is communicated with the main control board. When food is placed in the inner pot, the weight sensor can weigh the weight of the food, thereby controlling the amount of water injected into the inner pot.

[0048] On the other hand, the present application provides an electric rice cooker and a cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions, characterized by comprising:

[0049] A visual recognition device identifies the type of food;

[0050] Starting a corresponding cooking program based on the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction;

[0051] During the cooking process, the heating power of the rice cooker is adjusted based on the food shape recognized by the visual recognition device, the food smell recognized by the taste sensor, and the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor.

[0052] Specifically, the rice cooker pre-stores pictures of various types of food. The visual recognition device includes a camera arranged at the end and a visual sensor connected to the camera. When the visual recognition device identifies the type of food, the camera takes a picture of the food in the inner pot, and then compares it one by one with the pre-stored food pictures to determine the type of food currently.

[0053] Specifically, after identifying the type of food, the rice cooker will select the corresponding cooking program according to the type of food, determine the heating power, and automatically cook the food.

[0054] Specifically, the user can also manually input instructions to start the corresponding cooking program.

[0055] Specifically, when the identified food type is rice, the rice cooker will send an instruction to the user to choose whether to cook rice or porridge. The user inputs the corresponding instruction, and the rice cooker can cook rice or porridge according to the user's input instruction.

[0056] Preferably, a water injection pipe is provided on the outer shell, which is connected to an external water source. After the visual sensor identifies the type of food, before starting the corresponding cooking program, the rice cooker will inject a predetermined amount of water into the pot according to the identified type of food and / or the user input instructions obtained.

[0057] Specifically, the rice cooker can also adjust the amount of water injected according to the user's input instructions. For example, when the visual sensor recognizes that the food type is rice, the rice cooker will send an instruction to the user to choose whether to cook rice or porridge. When the user inputs the corresponding instruction, the rice cooker can inject different amounts of water according to whether the user is cooking rice or porridge.

[0058] A weight sensor is provided in the rice cooker. The weight sensor is located below the inner pot and abuts against the inner pot, and can weigh the weight of the food.

[0059] Preferably, in addition to adjusting the water injection amount according to the food type and the user input instruction, the rice cooker also adjusts the amount of water injected into the rice cooker according to the weight of the current food after identifying the food type or obtaining the corresponding user input instruction. When the food weight is large, the water injection amount is increased, and when the food weight is small, the water injection amount is reduced.

[0060] Furthermore, because different varieties of rice absorb different amounts of water during cooking, once the visual sensor identifies the type of food, it can also identify the specific type of food. For example, if the food is identified as rice, the visual sensor will continue to identify the current rice variety. The rice cooker will adjust the amount of water injected into the rice cooker based on the current rice variety. If the rice variety absorbs more water, the water injection amount will be increased, and vice versa. Specifically, because different varieties of rice have different shapes, the visual sensor can identify the rice variety by photographing the rice's appearance and comparing it with pre-stored images of different rice varieties, thereby identifying different varieties of rice.

[0061] Preferably, before cooking, the visual recognition device, the taste sensor, and the temperature sensor respectively identify whether the shape and smell of the current food, as well as the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot of the rice cooker, are within the normal range. If one or more of the shape, smell, and temperature of the inner pot of the rice cooker are outside the normal range, cooking is stopped. For example, if it is detected in the early stages of cooking that the temperature of the inner pot is too high and exceeds the normal range, or if the visual recognition device identifies that the color of the rice exceeds the normal range (discolored and burnt), or if the odor sensor identifies that the rice has gone bad and has an odor outside the normal range, cooking is stopped immediately. This eliminates spoiled food and abnormal heater operation at the source, ensuring the cooking effect. Specifically, the values ​​within the normal range are pre-set.

[0062] See also Figure 2 The following is a detailed description of the rice cooker's cooking process, which consists of six stages: low-temperature water absorption, temperature rise, high-temperature heating, first simmering, second simmering, and heat preservation. Each sensor has multiple different discrimination indicators. The preferred level column selects the corresponding discrimination indicator as the judgment parameter for each step. Throughout the cooking process, the visual recognition device, taste sensor, and temperature sensor continuously monitor and identify the ingredients. However, some parameters are only present in previous steps or are present in low concentrations and cannot be detected. They can only be detected and identified in the predetermined step. Undetected parameters are indicated by a horizontal line (-) in the table.

[0063] Cooking process:

[0064] During the low-temperature water absorption stage, the heater generates heat at a first heating power and is controlled by a power-on ratio of 24 / 32 (with a 32-second cycle, power is continuously on for 24 seconds and then off). The preferred level in this stage is the expansion coefficient, that is, the expansion coefficient is used alone as the judgment parameter in this stage. The expansion coefficient can be obtained by comparing the volume of rice taken by the visual recognition device before and after. During the low-temperature water absorption stage, the visual recognition device continuously identifies the expansion coefficient of the rice for a predetermined time (at least 10 minutes). During this stage, the rice continuously absorbs water and expands. If the expansion coefficient of the rice reaches a first threshold value within the predetermined time, it indicates that the rice has fully absorbed water, and the main control board controls the rice cooker to enter the heating stage. Otherwise, the heater continues to heat at the current heating power until the expansion coefficient of the rice detected by the visual recognition device reaches the first threshold value. During the low-temperature water absorption stage, the temperature should not be too high, otherwise it will affect the taste of the rice. This stage ensures that the rice fully absorbs water and maintains the taste of the rice.

[0065] During the heating phase, the heater generates heat at a second heating power. During this phase, the heater is controlled by a power-on ratio of 26 / 32 (with a 32-second cycle, power is continuously on for 26 seconds and then off). The second heating power is greater than the first heating power. The preferred level in this phase is the inner pot bottom temperature, that is, only the inner pot bottom temperature is used as the judgment parameter in this phase. The bottom temperature sensor detects whether the inner pot bottom temperature reaches a second threshold (125±5°C) within a predetermined time (determined by the amount of rice). If the inner pot bottom temperature reaches the second threshold within the predetermined time, the high-temperature heating phase is entered. Otherwise, the heating power is increased (the power-on ratio is increased, the specific power-on ratio is determined by the amount of rice), and heating is continued at the increased heating power until the inner pot bottom temperature sensor detects that the inner pot bottom temperature reaches the second threshold. This phase ensures that the inner pot temperature reaches the standard temperature, preventing the rice from being undercooked due to excessively low temperature.

[0066] In the high-temperature heating stage, the preferred level of this stage is the distance from the rice soup or bubbles to the sensor, that is, in this stage, only the distance from the rice soup or bubbles to the sensor is used as a judgment parameter. In this stage, the heater generates heat at a third heating power, which is greater than the second heating power. In this stage, the power-on ratio is controlled by 32 / 32 (32 seconds as a cycle, continuous power-on for 32 seconds). The visual recognition device detects the distance between the rice soup or bubbles in the rice cooker and the sensor within a predetermined time (determined by the amount of rice). If the distance between the rice soup or bubbles and the sensor is detected to be less than the third threshold, the heating power of the heater is reduced to the third heating power. 30%-70% to prevent the rice soup from overflowing, or the heater stops heating until the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles and it is greater than the third threshold value, and then continues to heat at the third heating power, and then starts heating after the rice soup or bubbles drop; if the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles and it is continuously equal to or greater than the third threshold value and the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot is greater than the second threshold value, it means that the rice has been cooked and will not boil again, and the rice cooker enters the first stewing stage. The purpose of this stage is to ensure that the rice soup does not overflow when the rice cooker boils. Specifically, the rice is cooked to form rice after the high-temperature heating stage;

[0067] During the first rice-cooking stage, the heater generates heat at a fourth heating power, which is lower than the third heating power. During this stage, the heater is controlled by a power-on ratio of 8 / 32 (with a 32-second cycle and 8-second continuous power). The preferred level for this stage is odor. Rice cooking can unlock the nutritional value of rice and impart a unique flavor to the food. Since rice emits a large amount of a first odor (indole and 4-vinylphenol, with varying amounts depending on rice varieties) during the first rice-cooking stage, the concentration of the first odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker can be detected by the taste sensor within a predetermined time (determined by the amount of rice, but requiring 5 minutes after entering the first rice-cooking stage to ensure sufficient odor concentration). If the concentration of the first odor detected within the rice cooker is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold within the predetermined time, the first rice-cooking stage is completed and the second rice-cooking stage begins. Otherwise, the heater continues to generate heat at the fourth heating power until the concentration of the first odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold.

[0068] In the second rice-cooking stage, the heater generates heat at the fifth heating power, which is lower than the fourth heating power. In this stage, the heater is controlled by a power-on ratio of 8 / 32 (32 seconds as a cycle, and continuous power-on for 8 seconds). The preferred level in this stage is the color and gloss of the rice, that is, only the color and gloss of the rice are used as judgment parameters. The visual recognition device identifies the color and gloss of the rice within a predetermined time (determined by the amount of rice, but 5 minutes after entering the second rice-cooking stage). If the color and gloss of the rice are detected to match the pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than the fifth threshold within the predetermined time, it indicates that the second rice-cooking stage is completed and enters the heat preservation stage. Otherwise, the heat is continuously generated at the fifth heating power until the color and gloss of the rice match the pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than the fifth threshold.

[0069] Specifically, in the heat preservation stage, the heater generates heat at the sixth heating power, which is less than the fifth heating power. In this stage, the heating power of the rice cooker is reduced by controlling the power-on ratio of 4 / 32 (32 seconds as a cycle, continuous power-on for 4 seconds). In the heat preservation stage, the moisture in the rice cooker will gradually be evaporated.

[0070] Preferably, the heat preservation stage is divided into two small stages, a first heat preservation stage and a second heat preservation stage. In the first heat preservation stage, the heater is in a heating state and is controlled by a power-on ratio of 4 / 32 (32 seconds as a cycle, continuous power-on for 4 seconds). The visual recognition device continuously identifies the color and gloss of the rice. If the degree of match between the recognized color and gloss of the rice and the pre-stored image is less than a fifth threshold, it indicates that the rice has a tendency to burn, and the heater stops heating and issues a water replenishment prompt. After detecting that the user has added water, the visual recognition device continues to heat according to the power-on ratio of 4 / 32 (32 seconds as a cycle, continuous power-on for 4 seconds). Specifically, after the rice deteriorates, it will emit a large amount of the second type of odor (amine content). Preferably, in the second heat preservation stage, the taste sensor continuously detects the concentration of the second type of odor (amine content) emitted by the rice into the rice cooker. If it is detected that the concentration of the second type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than the sixth threshold, it can be determined that the heat preservation time is too long and the rice has deteriorated. At this time, the heater stops heating and an alarm is issued.

[0071] It should be understood that the above-described specific embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative or illustrative of the principles of the present invention and do not constitute limitations of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications that fall within the scope and metes and bounds of the appended claims, or equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A cooking method of an electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions, characterized in that: include: A visual recognition device identifies the type of food; Starting a corresponding cooking program based on the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction; During the cooking process, the heating power of the rice cooker is adjusted based on the food shape identified by the visual recognition device, the food smell identified by the taste sensor, and the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor; wherein, If the food is identified as rice, adjusting the heating power of the rice cooker based on the food shape identified by the visual recognition device, the food smell identified by the taste sensor, and the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor during the cooking process includes: During the low-temperature water absorption stage, the heater generates heat at a first heating power, and the visual recognition device identifies the expansion coefficient of the rice within a predetermined time. If the expansion coefficient of the rice reaches a first threshold value within the predetermined time, the temperature rise stage begins. Otherwise, the heater generates heat at the current first heating power and the low-temperature water absorption stage is extended until the visual recognition device detects that the expansion coefficient of the rice reaches the first threshold value. In the heating stage, the heater generates heat at a second heating power, which is greater than the first heating power. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot within a predetermined time. If the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot reaches a second threshold value within the predetermined time, the high-temperature heating stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater increases the heating power until the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot reaches the second threshold value. In the high-temperature heating stage, the heater generates heat at a third heating power, the third heating power being greater than the second heating power, and the visual recognition device detects the distance between the rice soup or bubbles in the rice cooker and the rice soup within a predetermined time. If the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is detected to be less than a third threshold, the heating power of the heater is reduced to 30%-70% of the third heating power, or the heater stops generating heat until the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is greater than the third threshold, and then continues to generate heat at the third heating power. If the visual recognition device detects that the distance between the rice soup or bubbles is continuously equal to or greater than the third threshold and the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot is greater than the second threshold, the rice enters the first rice stewing stage, wherein the rice is cooked to form cooked rice after the high-temperature heating stage. In the first rice-cooking stage, the heater generates heat at a fourth heating power, which is lower than the third heating power. The taste sensor detects the concentration of a first type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker within a predetermined time. If the concentration of the first type of odor detected in the rice cooker is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold value within the predetermined time, the second rice-cooking stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater continues to generate heat at the fourth heating power until the concentration of the first type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value. In the second rice-cooking stage, the heater generates heat at a fifth heating power, which is lower than the fourth heating power. The visual recognition device identifies the color and gloss of the rice within a predetermined time. If the color and gloss of the rice detected within the predetermined time match a pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than a fifth threshold, the heat preservation stage is entered. Otherwise, the heater continues to generate heat at the fifth heating power until the color and gloss of the rice match the pre-stored image to a degree equal to or greater than the fifth threshold. The insulation stage includes: In the first heat preservation stage, the heater generates heat at a sixth heating power, which is lower than the fifth heating power. The visual recognition device continuously identifies the color and gloss of the rice. If the degree of match between the identified color and gloss of the rice and a pre-stored image is less than a fifth threshold, a water replenishment prompt is issued and heating is stopped. After the visual recognition device identifies that water has been added to the inner pot, the heater again generates heat at the sixth heating power. In the second insulation stage, the taste sensor continuously detects the concentration of the second type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker. If it is detected that the concentration of the second type of odor emitted by the rice into the rice cooker is equal to or greater than the sixth threshold, the heater stops heating and issues an alarm.

2. The electric rice cooker cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The starting of the corresponding cooking program based on the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: if the identified food type is rice, issuing an instruction to the user to cook rice or porridge.

3. The electric rice cooker cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the method is based on the identified food type and / or the obtained user input instruction and before starting the corresponding cooking program, it also includes: injecting a predetermined amount of water into the pot according to the identified food type and / or the obtained user input instruction.

4. The electric rice cooker cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 3, characterized in that: After the food type is identified and / or the user input instruction is obtained and before a predetermined amount of water is injected into the pot according to the identified food type and / or the user input instruction, the method further includes: The weight sensor detects the weight of the current food; The injecting a predetermined amount of water into the inner pot according to the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: adjusting the amount of water injected into the rice cooker according to the weight of the current food.

5. The electric rice cooker cooking method with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The visual recognition device identifies the type of food including: if the food is identified as rice, continuing to identify the current rice variety; The injecting a predetermined amount of water into the inner pot according to the identified food type and / or the acquired user input instruction includes: adjusting the amount of water injected into the rice cooker according to the current variety of rice.

6. An electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions, which is cooked using the cooking method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The invention comprises: an outer shell, a heater arranged in the outer shell, an inner pot arranged in the outer shell and with its bottom surface abutting against the heater, a visual recognition device arranged on the top of the outer shell for identifying the shape of food in the inner pot, a taste sensor for identifying the smell emitted by the food into the inner pot, and a temperature sensor arranged in the outer shell and abutting against the bottom surface of the inner pot, for detecting the temperature of the bottom surface of the inner pot.

7. The electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: A sealing ring is arranged on the opening at the top of the outer shell, for the visual recognition device to pass through, and the lower end extends out of the sealing ring to the top of the inner liner, and is connected to the upper end of the visual recognition device, and is capable of driving the visual recognition device to rotate circumferentially in the sealing ring. The driving assembly includes: a motor, a turntable arranged on the motor, and an eccentric shaft arranged at an eccentric position of the turntable, and also includes: a first connecting rod with one end hinged to the visual recognition device and the other end rotationally connected to the eccentric shaft.

8. The electric rice cooker with visual and taste recognition functions according to claim 7, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the sealing ring forms a sawtooth structure (801) that abuts against the inner edge of the opening at the top of the housing.

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