Cooking utensil and water injection control method for cooking utensil

Abstract

The invention provides a cooking utensil and a water injection control method for the cooking utensil. The water injection control method comprises the steps that images of an inner pot of the cooking utensil and food materials placed in the inner pot are shot through a camera device; determining the weight of the food material based on the pixel number of the food material in the image; calculating the volume of the food material based on the weight and density of the food material; determining a target water injection weight at least according to the weight of the food materials; determining a target water injection volume according to the target water injection weight; determining a target total volume of the food material and water based on the volume of the food material and the target water injection volume; water is injected into the inner pot, and the total volume of the food materials and water is monitored in the water injection process; and in response to monitoring that the total volume reaches the target total volume, stopping water injection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of kitchen appliances, and more particularly to a cooking appliance and a water injection control method for the cooking appliance. Background Art

[0002] Cooking utensils are one of the important kitchen appliances in many countries. Although cooking utensils (e.g., rice cookers or electric pressure cookers, etc.) have been available for many years, it is still difficult for consumers, especially beginners, to consistently achieve good cooking results using existing cooking utensils. One of the reasons is that for ordinary consumers, adding the right amount of water according to the type and weight of ingredients is a tedious and challenging task. Many consumers are not sure how much water should be added to get a satisfactory result. Usually, they just add it based on experience or guesswork, and the process is relatively random. Therefore, the quality of cooking cannot be guaranteed.

[0003] In order to achieve precise cooking, some cooking utensils are designed to embed a mechanical weighing system at the bottom. The mechanical weighing system obtains a certain amount of deformation through contact with the bottom of the inner pot, and then converts the deformation into more accurate weight information, thereby obtaining the weight of the ingredients in the pot and determining the amount of water that needs to be added. However, as the number of uses increases, the surface of the mechanical weighing system will wear out due to constant friction with the bottom of the inner pot, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of subsequent weighing. On the other hand, the mechanical weighing system itself is heavy and occupies a large volume, which will significantly increase the weight and volume of the entire electric heating appliance, making it appear bulky as a whole.

[0004] CN 209090777U discloses another intelligent cooking utensil, which omits the weighing device, and sets a camera device at the lower end of the upper cover assembly to collect image data to determine the volume of the food in the pot, and then further calculates the weight of the food. However, the food in the cooking utensil is formed after being piled up, and there are gaps between the food, and the gaps vary according to the shape of the food. Therefore, the volume of the food determined by the image data in the cooking utensil actually includes the sum of the real volume of the food and the gaps. In other words, although the volume of the food after being piled up can be measured based on the image alone, the error between the measured volume and the actual volume (the gaps need to be removed) is large. Summary of the invention

[0005] This disclosure is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that will be further described in the following detailed description. This disclosure is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] One of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a cooking utensil and a water injection control method therefor. The method is based on an image in the cooking utensil taken by a camera device, firstly obtains the weight of the food material according to the number of pixels of the food material through a conversion function, and then converts the weight of the food material into the volume of the food material. The method removes the gaps between the food materials and obtains the actual volume of the food materials. On the other hand, during the water injection process, the total volume of the food materials and water is monitored in real time, and compared with the determined target total volume of the food materials and water, so as to obtain the required water injection amount.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a water injection control method for a cooking appliance is provided, the water injection control method comprising: photographing an image of an inner pot of the cooking appliance and the food placed therein by a camera device; determining the weight of the food based on the number of pixels of the food in the image; calculating the volume of the food based on the weight and density of the food; determining the target water injection weight at least according to the weight of the food; determining the target water injection volume according to the target water injection weight; determining the target total volume of the food and water based on the volume of the food and the target water injection volume; injecting water into the inner pot, and monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the water injection process; and stopping the water injection in response to monitoring that the total volume reaches the target total volume. Since the method determines the weight of the food by the number of pixels of the food and then obtains the volume of the food, the obtained volume of the food can remove the gaps between the food, and is the actual volume of the food, so the target total volume determined thereby is more accurate. In addition, the total volume of the food and water is monitored in real time by the camera device, so that the appropriate amount of water injection can be obtained.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, determining the weight of the food based on the number of pixels of the food in the image further includes: determining the weight of the food by a conversion function, wherein the conversion function indicates a corresponding relationship between the number of pixels of the food and the weight of the food. By constructing the conversion function, the weight of the food can be accurately determined based on the number of pixels of the food.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the water injection control method further includes: identifying the type of food according to the captured image; and further determining the target water injection weight according to the identified type of food. The method takes into account that different types of food require different amounts of water injection, thereby more accurately determining the target water injection weight.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the density of the food material is determined based on the type of the identified food material. Similarly, different types of food materials have different densities, and the volume of the food material obtained based on this variable is more targeted.

[0011] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the target water injection weight is further determined based on the user's taste preference. Taking the user's taste preference into consideration when determining the target water injection weight can provide a better user experience.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, determining the target total volume of the food and water by the volume of the food and the target water injection volume further includes: adjusting the target total volume according to the expansion phenomenon of the food after soaking in water. Considering the factor that the volume of the food soaked in water causes expansion, a target total volume closer to the actual value is obtained.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the water filling process further includes: identifying the number of pixels of the water surface in the inner pot in the image captured by the camera device; and determining the total volume of the food and water based on the number of pixels of the water surface. Estimating the total volume of the food and water by the number of pixels of the water surface during the water filling process is simple and convenient.

[0014] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the water filling process further includes: determining the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line based on the image captured by the camera device, wherein the marking line is a horizontal mark arranged on the side wall of the inner pot and located above the water surface; and calculating the total volume of the food and water based on the determined distance. It is simple and convenient to estimate the total volume of the food and water by the distance between the marking line and the water surface.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, determining the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line based on the image captured by the camera device further includes: identifying the number of pixels of a calibration pattern in the image captured by the camera device, wherein the calibration pattern is provided on the side wall of the inner pot; determining the correspondence between the number of pixels and the real size based on the number of pixels of the calibration pattern and the real size of the calibration pattern; and calibrating the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line based on the correspondence between the number of pixels and the real size. Considering the situation that the position of the camera device is not fixed, the actual measured distance is obtained through calibration.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cooking appliance is provided, comprising an inner pot, a pot cover, and a water injection device. The cooking appliance further comprises: a camera installed above the inner pot, for taking images of the inner pot and the food placed therein; a processing unit; and a storage unit, in which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit executes the water injection control method described in the present disclosure to control the water injection device. The solution has a simple structure and is easy to operate. It determines a more accurate target water volume on the basis of removing the gaps between the food, and monitors the water injection process in real time, thereby ensuring the cooking effect.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cooking appliance is provided, comprising an inner pot, a pot cover, and a water injection device. The cooking appliance further comprises: a communication unit for communicating with a user terminal to receive images of the inner pot and the food placed therein taken by a camera device of the user terminal; a processing unit; and a storage unit, in which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit executes the water injection control method described in the present disclosure to control the water injection device. The solution has a simple structure, can omit the camera device fixed in the appliance, saves manufacturing costs, and realizes water injection control in a more flexible way.

[0018] These and other features and advantages will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and by reference to the associated drawings.It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and are not restrictive of the aspects of what is claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to understand in detail the manner in which the above features of the present disclosure are used, the above briefly summarized contents may be described in more detail with reference to various embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only show certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered to limit its scope, as the description may allow for other equally effective aspects.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A flow chart of a water injection control method for a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a conversion function between the number of rice grain pixels and the weight of rice grains according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an image captured in an inner pot according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 5a An enlarged view of the change in liquid level after rice grains are soaked in water according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 5b A schematic diagram showing the volume change of rice grains after being soaked in water according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 6 A flow chart of a water injection control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 7A flow chart of a water injection control method according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 8a A schematic diagram of an inner pot according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 8b A schematic diagram of a calibration image according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 9a and 9b A schematic diagram of an inner pot according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, which are instead provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0032] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0033] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of the present disclosure. In the description of the present disclosure, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cooking utensil according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cooking utensil includes an inner pot 102, a pot cover 104, and a water injection device (not shown). In addition, the cooking utensil also includes a camera device 106 installed above the inner pot 102, and the camera device 106 can be used to capture images of the inner pot 102 and the food 110 placed therein. The locations where the camera device 106 can be installed include, but are not limited to, the pot cover 104, the upper part of the inner wall of the inner pot 102, and the like. The above installation locations are to place the camera device 106 at the top of the cooking utensil so that the pictures or videos taken by it can clearly reflect the distribution of food and water in the inner pot 102. In addition, the cooking utensil also includes a processing unit and a storage unit (not shown), and a computer program is stored in the storage unit, and when the computer program is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit can execute the following reference Figures 2 to 9b The water injection control method is used to control the water injection device.

[0037] In another embodiment, the camera 106 may not be a part of the cooking appliance. For example, the camera may be a camera included in the user's mobile communication device. Accordingly, the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 9 may alternatively have a communication unit without a camera, in addition to the inner pot 102, the pot cover 104, and the water injection device (not shown). The communication unit may be used to communicate with a user terminal to receive images of the inner pot 102 and the ingredients placed therein taken by the camera of the user terminal. In addition, the cooking appliance further includes a processing unit and a storage unit (not shown), in which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by the processing unit, may cause the processing unit to perform the following reference Figures 2 to 9b The water injection control method is used to control the water injection device.

[0038] Figure 2FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a water injection control method for a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 starts at step 202, and the inner pot of the cooking appliance (such as Figure 1 The inner pot 102 shown in FIG. 1 and the ingredients placed therein (such as Figure 1 An image of the food material 110) shown in FIG.

[0039] In a non-limiting embodiment, a device capable of recording or photographing can be installed on the top of the cooking utensil, and the installation position of the camera device includes but is not limited to the pot cover, the upper side of the inner pot, etc. The above installation positions are to place the camera device on the top of the cooking utensil so that the pictures or videos taken by it can clearly reflect the distribution of the ingredients, water, or both in the inner pot. In another non-limiting embodiment, the camera device may be non-fixed in the cooking utensil. For example, the required images can be collected by placing the camera device or other terminal containing the camera device on the top of the cooking utensil.

[0040] As a non-limiting example, the cooking appliance may include but is not limited to a rice cooker or an electric pressure cooker, or any cooking appliance with a heating function, etc. The shooting may include filming or photographing the food and / or water in the inner pot, thereby acquiring corresponding images.

[0041] In step 204, the weight of the food may be determined based on the number of pixels of the food in the image. The food may be identified in the captured image, and then the number of pixels thereof may be obtained, and then the weight of the food may be determined based on the number of pixels of the food.

[0042] In a non-limiting embodiment, the weight of the food material can be determined by a conversion function, wherein the conversion function indicates the corresponding relationship between the number of pixels of the food material and the weight of the food material. For example, the conversion function can be pre-established.

[0043] Taking rice grains as an example, the conversion function can be established in the following manner: using a camera device to capture images of different amounts of rice grains in the inner pot, collecting the corresponding number of pixels, and weighing different amounts of rice grains to obtain different weights.

[0044] For example, some sampling data obtained through experiments can be seen in Table 1.

[0045] Image number Rice grain weight (g) Rice pixel count DSC08588 90 408695 DSC08594 150 441829 DSC08600 250 521112 DSC08606 350 532680 DSC08612 450 565499 DSC08618 550 589723 DSC08624 650 608618 DSC08630 750 620874 DSC08636 850 644236 DSC08642 950 674886 DSC08645 1000 686776

[0046] Table 1

[0047] According to the data in Table 1, the corresponding relationship between the number of rice grain pixels and the weight of rice grains is constructed, such as Figure 3 As shown, the conversion function is constructed. It can be understood that Figure 3The functional formula in is only exemplary and is constructed based on the fitting graphs of the number of rice grain pixels and the weight of rice grains (where R 2 It is an indicator of the degree of fit of the trend line. Its value can reflect the degree of fit between the estimated value of the trend line and the corresponding actual data. The higher the degree of fit, the higher the reliability of the trend line. Other conversion functions that can be used to indicate the corresponding relationship between the number of rice grain pixels and the weight of rice grains can also be used, namely:

[0048] Rice grain weight = f (number of rice grain pixels)

[0049] In a non-limiting embodiment, the constructed conversion function can be further verified. Taking rice grains as an example, images of rice grains of different weights can be taken, such as Figure 4 The actual rice grain weight is compared with the rice grain weight predicted by the conversion function, and some verification results are shown in Table 2.

[0050]

[0051] Table 2

[0052] As can be seen from Table 2, the weight of rice grains in the range of 90g-1000g can be estimated by the conversion function, and the relative error obtained is 7.1%. The predicted weight is within the acceptable error range, so it is feasible to determine the weight of rice grains by the conversion function. It can be appreciated that the verification method can also be used to verify the conversion function of the number of pixels and weight constructed by other methods, and the conversion function can be adjusted when the error is large to make the predicted weight more accurate.

[0053] It should also be noted that the above method of constructing a rice grain conversion function is also applicable to constructing a conversion function for indicating the correspondence between the number of pixels of other ingredients and the weight of the ingredients, so that the weight of the ingredient can be determined based on the number of pixels of the ingredient in the image.

[0054] In another non-limiting embodiment, the weight of the food can also be converted by matching the actual height value of the food (for example, the number of pixels of the food in the vertical direction) with a database. The database can be implemented by collating and storing actual experimental data.

[0055] In step 206, the volume of the food material may be calculated based on the weight and density of the food material. For example, the volume of the food material may be calculated by the following formula:

[0056] V 食材 = weight / density

[0057] Combined with step 204, the method can first obtain the weight of the food based on the number of pixels of the photographed food through a conversion function, and then convert the volume of the food through the weight. This determination process avoids the problem of directly determining the volume of the food by the number of pixels, which causes the obtained volume to include the gaps between the food. Therefore, the volume of the food determined by this solution is closer to the actual value and more accurate.

[0058] In a non-limiting embodiment, in order to obtain a more accurate volume of ingredients, different densities can be set according to different types of ingredients. Accordingly, the type of ingredients can be identified based on the image captured by the camera device, so that the corresponding density can be determined according to the identified type of ingredients. The volume of the ingredients is obtained by the determined density and the weight of the ingredients obtained in step 204. However, it can be understood that according to actual needs, for example, when too precise values ​​are not required, only a fixed density can be set without considering the type of ingredients. As an example, the density value of rice grains can be 1.4-1.7g / cm 3 For example, 1.452 g / cm 3 , 1.67g / cm 3 as the density value.

[0059] In step 208, the target water injection weight may be determined based at least on the weight of the food. For example, the target water injection weight may be calculated using the following formula:

[0060] W 水 =W 食材 ×n

[0061] Wherein n indicates the corresponding relationship between food and water, which may be preset, for example.

[0062] In a non-limiting embodiment, n may depend on the type of food, and the type of food may be determined by identifying the food image as described above. That is, the target water injection weight may be determined based on the type of food identified and the weight of the food obtained in step 204. For example, taking rice grains as an example, according to empirical data, the value range of the rice-water ratio n may be 0.9-2.0 (the data covers glutinous rice, glutinous rice, northeastern rice, brown rice, etc.).

[0063] In another non-limiting embodiment, the target water injection weight can also be determined based on the user's taste preference. The adjustment parameter n can be selected and / or set by the user, for example, to provide a better user experience. For example, in the case of user selection, several gear options can be provided instead of directly providing the above-mentioned numerical values ​​such as 0.9-2.0, so as to facilitate the user's understanding and operation.

[0064] In step 210 , the target water injection volume may be determined according to the target water injection weight. For example, the target water injection volume may be determined according to the density of water (which may be a preset parameter) and the target water injection weight obtained in step 208 .

[0065] In step 212, the target total volume of the food and water can be determined based on the volume of the food and the target water injection volume. For example, the target total volume of the food and water can be determined based on the volume of the food obtained in step 206 and the target water injection volume obtained in step 210, that is: V 总目标 =V 食材 +V 水 .

[0066] In a non-limiting embodiment, the target total volume can be adjusted according to the swelling phenomenon of the food after soaking in water. Take rice grains as an example, put 50g of rice grains and 80g of water in a cup, and take pictures every 10 seconds. The experimental results are as follows: Figure 5a and Figure 5b As shown, it can be seen that the liquid level rises slightly within 1 minute and then remains stable until 40 minutes. Accordingly, the target total volume can be adjusted based on the expansion phenomenon of rice grains after being soaked in water. For example: V' 总目标 =(1+m)·V 总目标 , where m can be set to 1-2%.

[0067] In step 214, water may be poured into the inner pot, and the total volume of the food and water may be monitored during the water pouring process. For example, the inner pot may be photographed by a camera device to monitor the volume below the water surface in real time.

[0068] In a non-limiting embodiment, the number of pixels of the water surface in the inner pot can be identified in the image captured by the camera device, and then the total volume of the food and water can be determined based on the number of pixels of the water surface. Figure 6 As described.

[0069] In another non-limiting embodiment, the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line can be determined based on the image captured by the camera device, and then the total volume of the food and water can be calculated based on the determined distance. The marking line is a horizontal mark set on the side wall of the inner pot above the water surface. Figure 7 It can be appreciated that the identification line can be one or more horizontal lines actually engraved on the side wall of the inner pot, or can be a virtually set horizontal mark, for example, it can be pre-set on the top of the inner pot.

[0070] In another non-limiting embodiment, an image calibration step may be further added to identify the number of pixels of a calibration pattern in the image captured by the camera device, wherein the calibration pattern is disposed on the side wall of the inner pot. Then, the correspondence between the number of pixels and the real size of the calibration pattern is determined based on the number of pixels of the calibration pattern and the real size of the calibration pattern. Next, the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line is calibrated based on the correspondence between the number of pixels and the real size. For details, refer to the following reference Figure 8a , 8b and Figure 9a , 9b As described.

[0071] In step 216, the water injection may be stopped in response to monitoring that the total volume has reached the target total volume. For example, once the volume below the liquid level in the inner pot has reached the target total volume, the water injection may be stopped.

[0072] Figure 6 A flow chart of a water injection control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 A flow chart of a water injection control method according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8a , 8b and Figure 9a , 9b FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a water injection control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that: Figures 6 to 9b The example of rice grains as ingredients is only for ease of description. Those skilled in the art will understand that the method and improvements disclosed herein are not only applicable to rice grains, but can be applied to any ingredients that can be placed in an inner pot for cooking.

[0073] exist Figure 6 In the process of water filling, the total volume of rice grains and water can be estimated by the number of pixels in the area where the water surface is located. The specific steps are as follows:

[0074] In step 602, rice grains are placed in the inner pot 102, and the inner pot 102 is photographed using the camera device 106 (refer to Figure 2 The type of rice grains can be further identified by image analysis. The weight of the rice grains is estimated based on the number of pixels of the rice grains in the image (refer to Figure 2 Specifically, the rice grain region can be segmented from the image, and a conversion function can be further established to associate the weight of the rice grain with the area size of the rice grain region in the image (i.e., the number of pixels of the rice grain). The volume of the rice grain is calculated (refer to Figure 2 206 in step 206).

[0075] In step 604, the required amount of water is calculated by the weight of the rice grains (refer to Figure 2 Step 208 in the above example) to obtain the target water injection volume (reference Figure 2 Then, the target total volume of rice grains and water is calculated (refer to step 210 in FIG. Figure 2 In step 212), further, considering that the total volume after immersion may increase slightly, the target total volume can be adjusted by adding 1-2%, and the target water level 610 can be determined accordingly.

[0076] In step 606, water is poured into the inner pot 102, and the amount of water poured is monitored in real time by the camera device 106. Specifically, a conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the number of pixels on the water surface can be established: volume = f (number of pixels on the water surface). Then, during the water pouring process, the area where the water is located is segmented in the captured image, and the number of pixels in the area where the water is located is identified. The actual volume under the water surface is calculated by the established conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the number of pixels on the water surface. Once the actual volume reaches the target total volume determined in step 602, that is, the actual water surface reaches the target water surface 610, the water addition is stopped.

[0077] As a non-limiting example, the conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the number of pixels on the water surface (volume = f (number of pixels on the water surface)) can be established in the following manner: after the cooking utensil (e.g., the size, shape, and position of the inner pot 102, the position and parameters of the camera 106, etc.) is determined, a series of images of the water surface from low to high are taken, and the number of pixels on the water surface in each image is analyzed, thereby establishing a conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the number of pixels on the water surface, and the conversion function is related to the design of the specific cooking utensil. It can be appreciated that it is also feasible to establish a conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the number of pixels on the water surface by other means.

[0078] exist Figure 7 In the process of water filling, the total volume of meters and water can be estimated by the distance between the marker line A (which can be real or virtual) and the water surface (which can be represented by the number of pixels in the vertical direction). The specific steps are as follows:

[0079] In steps 702 and 704, the same method as described above may be used. Figure 6 The target total volume of rice grains and water can be determined in a similar manner to steps 602 and 604 in the flowchart, and the target water level 610 can be determined accordingly.

[0080] In step 706, water is poured into the inner pot 102, and the amount of water poured is monitored in real time by the camera device 106. Specifically, a mark A located at the top of the inner pot 102 (i.e., located above the water level after water is poured into the inner pot 102) may be pre-set. Figure 7As an example, a horizontal mark A is set, and multiple horizontal marks or virtual marks (i.e., there is no real scale on the inner wall of the inner pot 102) can also be set according to actual needs. The distance ab between the actual water surface B and the mark A is identified in the captured image, that is, the number of pixels in the vertical direction between the two. It can be understood that during the water filling process, the actual water surface B is lower than the target water surface 610 at the beginning, and then gradually rises.

[0081] A conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the distance ab can be established: volume = f(ab), so as to calculate the actual volume under the water surface by the distance ab. Once the actual volume reaches the target total volume determined in step 704, that is, the actual water surface B reaches the target water surface 610, the water addition is stopped.

[0082] As a non-limiting example, the conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the distance ab (volume=f(ab)) can be established in the following manner: after the cooking utensil (e.g., the size, shape, and position of the inner pot 102, the position and parameters of the camera 106, etc.) is determined, a series of images of the water surface from low to high are taken, and the vertical distance from the mark A to the water surface (i.e., the number of pixels occupied by the vertical line from the mark A to the water surface) is analyzed to establish the conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the distance ab, and the conversion function is also related to the design of the specific cooking utensil. It can be appreciated that it is also feasible to establish the conversion function between the volume of rice grains and water and the distance ab in other ways.

[0083] In the above reference Figure 7 In the embodiment, the position of the camera device 106 is fixed. When the position of the camera device 106 is not fixed (for example, when a movable camera device is used for shooting or the present solution is applied to different cooking utensils, etc.), the relationship between the number of pixels from the scale line A to the liquid surface B and the actual distance from A to B in this embodiment depends on the position of the camera (for example, height, angle, etc.). In this case, this embodiment may not be able to directly use the number of pixels to calculate the volume under the liquid surface. A calibration figure is designed below, and the vertical height from the mark line A to the liquid surface B can be obtained more accurately through the calibration figure, thereby obtaining the volume under the liquid surface.

[0084] like Figure 8a As shown, in order to convert the real length-width ratio from the captured picture or video, the relevant calibration pattern 802 can be engraved on the side wall of the inner pot 102 (generally above the water surface). It can be appreciated that the shape of the calibration pattern can be composed in a variety of ways, as long as the pixels in the captured picture or video can be converted into real length, including but not limited to Figure 8b 5 shapes shown.

[0085] For the sake of explanation, this paper Figure 8a Taking the length and width calibration pattern shown as an example, the horizontal length and vertical height of the length and width calibration pattern are both fixed values, and the horizontal length is W (mm) and the vertical height is H (mm). When the camera device recognizes that the horizontal length of the length and width calibration pattern is X pixels and the vertical length is Y pixels, the actual horizontal length corresponding to each pixel can be converted to W / X (mm), and the actual vertical length corresponding to each pixel is H / Y (mm).

[0086] In addition, as a non-limiting example, four marking lines 804 may be provided on the side wall of the inner pot 102, and the height values ​​from the bottom of the pot are Hl1, Hl2, Hl3 and Hl4, in units of mm, such as Figure 8a and Figure 9a shown.

[0087] During the water injection process, the food height line and the water level height line (i.e., water surface) can be Figure 9b As shown, the food and water will submerge part of the identification line 804. It can be understood that Figure 9b This is only indicative. In actual operation, the ingredients and water may be mixed together. Generally, the higher water level line is used as the total height of the ingredients and water. Figure 9b The actual height of the food and water can be marked as Hwater.

[0088] Specifically, the captured picture or video information is identified to count the number of pixels between Hwater and Hl2 in the vertical direction, and then the actual length of each pixel in the vertical direction corresponding to the length and width calibration graph 802 obtained above can be converted into the actual height value (Hl2-Hwater) between the water level height lines Hwater and Hl2 by multiplication, that is, Figure 7 The distance ab between the actual water surface B and the marker A in step 706. Then, we can refer to Figure 7 The subsequent steps of step 706 are used to control when to stop water injection.

[0089] It can be appreciated that the calibration method can also be used to calculate distance information in other inner pots, such as Figure 2 The height of the food in the image captured in step 202, etc.

[0090] It should be noted that in actual use, multiple height scale lines 804 can be printed in the vertical direction. Thus, after multiple rounds of calibration, the weight of the food, the weight of the water, the ratio of rice to water and other information calculated later can be made more accurate. However, when the accuracy of the weight calculation result is not too high, only one height scale line 804 can be retained at the highest point, or even the height scale line 804 can be removed, and a horizontal figure on the length and width calibration figure 802 can be used as the height scale line. Therefore, the required design accuracy can be used as a reference for design in specific applications.

[0091] What has been described above includes examples of various aspects of the claimed subject matter. Of course, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for the purpose of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Thus, the disclosed subject matter is intended to encompass all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water injection control method for a cooking appliance, It is characterized in that The water injection control method comprises: Taking an image of the inner pot of the cooking utensil and the food placed therein by a camera device; determining a weight of the food based on the number of pixels of the food in the image; Calculating the volume of the food based on the weight and density of the food; Determining a target water injection weight based at least on the weight of the food material; Determining a target water injection volume according to the target water injection weight; Determining a target total volume of the food and water based on the volume of the food and the target water injection volume; Filling the inner pot with water and monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the filling process; and In response to monitoring that the total volume reaches the target total volume, water injection is stopped.

2. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Determining the weight of the food based on the number of pixels of the food in the image further includes: The weight of the food is determined by a conversion function, wherein the conversion function indicates a corresponding relationship between the number of pixels of the food and the weight of the food.

3. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The water injection control method further comprises: Identifying the type of the food according to the captured image; and The target water injection weight is further determined according to the type of the identified food.

4. The water injection control method according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The density of the food material is determined based on the type of the identified food material.

5. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The target water fill weight is further determined based on the user's taste preference.

6. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Determining the target total volume of the food and water by the volume of the food and the target water injection volume further comprises: The target total volume is adjusted according to the swelling phenomenon of the food after being soaked in water.

7. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the water injection process further includes: Identifying the number of pixels of the water surface in the inner pot in the image captured by the camera device; and The total volume of the food and water is determined based on the number of pixels of the water surface.

8. The water injection control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Monitoring the total volume of the food and water during the water injection process further includes: determining the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and a marking line based on the image captured by the camera device, wherein the marking line is a horizontal mark disposed on the side wall of the inner pot above the water surface; and The total volume of the food material and water is calculated based on the determined distance.

9. The water injection control method according to claim 8, It is characterized in that Determining the distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line based on the image captured by the camera device further includes: identifying the number of pixels of a calibration pattern in an image captured by a camera device, wherein the calibration pattern is disposed on a side wall of the inner pot; Determining a correspondence between the number of pixels and the actual size based on the number of pixels of the calibration pattern and the actual size of the calibration pattern; and The distance between the water surface in the inner pot and the marking line is calibrated based on the corresponding relationship between the number of pixels and the actual size.

10. A cooking utensil comprising an inner pot, a pot cover and a water injection device, It is characterized in that The cooking appliance further comprises: A camera device installed above the inner pot, used to take images of the inner pot and the food placed therein; a processing unit; and A storage unit, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage unit, and when the computer program is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit executes the water injection control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to control the water injection device.

11. A cooking utensil comprising an inner pot, a pot cover and a water injection device, It is characterized in that The cooking appliance further comprises: a communication unit, configured to communicate with a user terminal to receive an image of the inner pot and the food placed therein taken by a camera of the user terminal; a processing unit; and A storage unit, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage unit, and when the computer program is executed by the processing unit, the processing unit executes the water injection control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to control the water injection device.

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