Chef open process system, client and method based on automatic cooking equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cook open process system based on an automatic cooking device, comprising: a user interface module configured to provide an interface allowing a cook to log in; the process library module is configured to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, one dish can correspond to one or more processes, one process comprises one or more processing steps, and one processing step comprises one or more processing conditions; a process design module configured to allow a chef to input one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps of cooking a dish corresponding to one or more food materials and one or more processing conditions of the dish to generate a process of the dish; and a device interface module configured to issue the process to a cook-specified automatic cooking device. The invention further comprises a chef opening process client based on the automatic cooking equipment and a chef opening process providing method based on the automatic cooking equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic cooking, and in particular to a chef open process system, client and method based on automatic cooking equipment. Background Art

[0002] Automatic cooking equipment has increasingly become a corresponding object of widespread attention and key choice for families and catering providers (such as restaurants). Take the cooking machine as an example. As an emerging kitchen equipment, it has many advantages over the traditional manual cooking method. The cooking machine can realize automatic cooking without human participation, which greatly reduces the labor intensity and oil fume impact of users during the cooking process. The cooking machine is equipped with a precise temperature control system and stir-frying mechanism, which can ensure the taste and consistency of the dishes to a certain extent and reduce the impact of human operation on quality. More importantly, the cooking machine can significantly improve cooking efficiency, especially in scenarios where large quantities of dishes need to be made, showing convenience that traditional cooking methods cannot achieve. These advantages have made cooking machines widely used in home and commercial scenarios.

[0003] However, existing cooking machines have significant deficiencies in flexibility and process complexity, making it difficult to meet the diverse needs of users.

[0004] For household cooking machines, existing cooking machines can usually only implement simple parameter settings, such as selecting cooking temperature and time, or operating through preset programs. Although this design can help chefs complete basic cooking tasks, it lacks the function of fine customization of process steps and cannot meet the chefs' needs for making complex or personalized dishes. For example, the user's request to set multiple temperature control operations, flexibly adjust the frequency of stir-frying, or insert other auxiliary steps (such as stewing or seasoning) in the processing steps of a dish cannot be realized. This greatly limits the chef's cooking creativity and ability to make diversified dishes.

[0005] In the commercial field, the process design of cooking machines is more single, and it only focuses on completing large-scale food production with high efficiency, lacking flexibility. Chefs can only operate according to established procedures and cannot adjust or customize the process according to specific needs. This model that relies entirely on preset programs ignores the initiative and creativity of chefs, not only limiting the variety of dishes, but also making it difficult for a single process to adapt to diverse taste preferences. More importantly, this rigid design means that commercial cooking machines can only rely on cooking machine manufacturers when facing complex dishes or developing new dishes. This makes it impossible for the development speed of dishes and their processes to keep up with demand, which greatly affects the promotion of commercial cooking machines.

[0006] Based on the above problems, there is an urgent need for an open chef platform that can support cooking process customization and give full play to the initiative and creativity of chefs. It can not only meet the personalized needs of users in home scenarios, but also provide effective support for dish innovation and efficiency improvement in commercial scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a chef open process system based on automatic cooking equipment, comprising: a user interface module, which is configured to provide an interface allowing chefs to log in; a process library module, which is configured to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish can correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions; a process design module, which is configured to allow the chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, to generate a process for the dish; and an equipment interface module, which is configured to send the process to the automatic cooking equipment specified by the chef.

[0008] Optionally, the automatic cooking device is a cooking machine, which includes one or more heating chambers, and the heating chambers are configured to heat one or more ingredients contained in a closed lunch box.

[0009] Optionally, the automatic cooking device heats the one or more ingredients contained in the closed lunch box by electromagnetic heating.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes an ingredient library module configured to store attributes of one or more ingredients.

[0011] Optionally, the properties of the food material include one or more of the following groups: thermal conductivity, texture, moisture content, protein content, fat content, and fiber content.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes a simulated cooking module, which is configured to provide a simulated cooking result based on one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and the process input by the chef.

[0013] Optionally, the simulated cooking module is configured to provide pictures corresponding to the simulated cooking results.

[0014] Optionally, the simulated cooking module is configured to determine the heating conditions and heating time according to the processing conditions included in one or more processing steps of the process specified by the chef and the auxiliary materials input by the chef, estimate the changes of the one or more ingredients during the heating time, and obtain a simulated cooking result.

[0015] Optionally, the simulation cooking module is configured to obtain the simulated cooking results from the first moment to the second moment in the processing step of the process through the following steps: obtaining the one or more ingredients and auxiliary materials and quantities; obtaining the heating method between the first moment and the second moment; determining the temperature change of the one or more ingredients from the first moment to the second moment according to the heat transfer mode; obtaining the properties of the one or more ingredients at the second moment; and updating the one or more ingredients and auxiliary materials and quantities and the heat transfer mode.

[0016] Optionally, the heating method remains unchanged from the first moment to the second moment.

[0017] Optionally, it includes: estimating the texture, specific heat capacity and water content of the one or more ingredients at the second moment by utilizing the properties of the one or more ingredients and the temperature change from the first moment to the second moment.

[0018] Optionally, the simulated cooking module is configured to generate images of the one or more ingredients at a second moment by means of a first artificial intelligence model.

[0019] Optionally, the simulated cooking module is configured to utilize a trained second artificial intelligence model to obtain a video of simulated cooking of the process of the dish, wherein the trained second artificial intelligence model is based on a video of actual cooking of the dish.

[0020] Optionally, the method further comprises a cooking module configured to receive the identity information of the automatic cooking device, verify whether the process matches the automatic cooking device, and start the process under the automatic cooking device.

[0021] Optionally, the cooking module is configured to receive cooking data from the automatic cooking device.

[0022] Optionally, the cooking module is configured to send cooking data of the automatic cooking device to the simulation cooking module for improving the simulation result of the simulation cooking module.

[0023] Optionally, a process verification module is further included, which is configured to check the process of the dish from the chef and make suggestions.

[0024] The present invention further includes a chef-open process client based on automatic cooking equipment, including: a client interface module, which is configured to provide an interface allowing chefs to log in; a process library module, which is configured to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish can correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions; a process design module, which is configured to allow the chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to a dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, and generate a process for the dish; and a system interface module, which is configured to upload the process to the chef-open process system based on automatic cooking equipment as described above.

[0025] The present invention further includes a chef-open process providing method based on automatic cooking equipment, comprising: logging into a system, the system being configured to display an interface for inputting one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps of a dish; wherein a dish may correspond to one or more processes, a process includes one or more processing steps, and a processing step includes one or more processing conditions; inputting one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking the dish to generate a process for the dish; uploading the process of the dish to the system; and receiving a first feedback from the system regarding the process of the dish.

[0026] Optionally, the method further includes: acquiring identity information of an automatic cooking device; downloading the process of the dish to the automatic cooking device; and executing the process of the dish using the automatic cooking device.

[0027] Optionally, the method further includes: obtaining the free time of one or more automatic cooking devices in an area; and reserving the free time of one of the one or more automatic cooking devices.

[0028] Optionally, the method further comprises: sending to the system a second feedback obtained based on the process of executing the dish using the automatic cooking device.

[0029] Optionally, said first and / or second feedback of said process comprises an image of cooking said dish.

[0030] Optionally, the method further comprises: modifying the process according to the first feedback or the second feedback. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0032] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an Internet environment to which the present invention is applied;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a chef open process system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a chef open process client based on an automatic cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a household cooking machine in the prior art;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a commercial cooking machine in the prior art;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart of simulated cooking according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a method for generating multiple frames of continuous video by using an artificial intelligence model according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a chef-opened process providing method based on an automatic cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figures 9A-9C is a schematic diagram of a client interface according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0041] Figures 10A-10E is a schematic diagram of a client interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] In the following detailed description, reference may be made to the various specification drawings that are part of the present application and are used to illustrate specific embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals describe substantially similar components in different figures. The various specific embodiments of the present application are described below in sufficient detail so that a person of ordinary skill in the art with relevant knowledge and skills in the art can implement the technical solutions of the present application. It should be understood that other embodiments may also be used or structural, logical or electrical changes may be made to the embodiments of the present application.

[0044] In the present application, a "chef" is a user of an automatic cooking device, including owners and users of household and commercial automatic cooking devices, as well as innovators who are interested in developing dishes or cooking techniques for automatic cooking devices.

[0045] In this application, "chef open" means that there is no restriction on the identity of the chefs who participate in developing dishes or dish crafts; or, although the identity of the chefs who participate in developing dishes or dish crafts is restricted to a specific group, it is open to participating chefs within the group.

[0046] Therefore, the present invention proposes a chef open platform, which includes a chef open process system running on a server and a chef open process client running on a client device. The chef uses the client to log in to the system and develop the process of the dish through customized processing steps and processing conditions.

[0047] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an Internet environment in which the present invention is applied, which includes one or more client devices 102 on a communication network, an application server 104, a web server 106, a server load balancer 108, and a cloud load balancer 110. The application server 104, the web server 106, the server load balancer 108, and the cloud load balancer 110 are communicatively coupled to one or more databases 112.

[0048] The communication network can be any multi-level network covering a region, a country, a continent, or a combination thereof. Examples of communication networks can include: cellular networks, such as 3G networks, 4G networks, long term evolution (LTE) networks; acoustic communication networks; satellite networks; wide area networks, such as the Internet; or a combination thereof. Application server 104, web server 106, server load balancer 108, cloud load balancer 110 can be communicatively coupled to the communication network via connection 114. Connection 114 can be a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination thereof.

[0049] The Chef Open Process System or part thereof can include a computing cloud (such as Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Baidu Cloud, Windows Azure TMCloud, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) TM , Google App Engine TM or a combination thereof) as a web page and / or mobile application hosted by a host. For example, the chef open process system can include a web page and / or mobile application running on a virtual machine hosted by one or more application servers 104, web servers 106, or a combination thereof. In one variation, the chef open process system can include one or more application servers 104, web servers 106, databases 112, server load balancers 108, cloud load balancers 110, portions thereof, or a combination thereof. In one variation, the chef open process system can include one or more servers for edge computing.

[0050] The cloud load balancer 110 can provide traffic load balancing and distribute client requests between multiple web servers 106. The web servers 106 can include HTTP servers or rely on a computing cloud to process HTTP requests. The web servers 106 can also be instantiated and managed by a computing cloud.

[0051] The server load balancer 108 can balance the interaction between the web servers 106 and one or more application servers 104. The application servers 104 can process application logic and interact with the database 112 to store data and application state. The web servers 106, application servers 104, or a combination thereof can include rack-mounted servers, clustered servers, blade servers, mainframes, dedicated desktops or laptops, or a combination thereof.

[0052] Database 112 can be one or more SQL databases. Application server 104 can interact with one or more SQL servers that manage SQL databases. Application data and application state can be stored in a cloud-managed SQL database. In other variations, database 112 can be a document-oriented database, including such as NoSQL database for databases.

[0053] The client device 102 can include a portable computing device, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a smart watch, a personal entertainment device, or a combination thereof. In other variations, the client device 102 can also include a desktop computer. The chef open process client (or simply the client) runs on the client device 102. In some embodiments, the client includes but is not limited to an APP running on an IOS system, an Android system, a Window system, or other systems, a web page (Web) terminal, a WeChat client or a WeChat applet, an independent or non-independent program embedded in other third-party applications, etc. The client provides a graphical interactive interface (GUI) to the user, obtains information from the user, and displays content and results to the user.

[0054] Figure 2 2 is a schematic diagram of a chef open process system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the chef open process system 200 includes: a user interface module 202, a process library module 204, a process design module 206, and an equipment interface module 208. The user interface module 202 provides an interface that allows the chef to log in. In one implementation, the client provides a user-friendly interactive interface to the chef. After obtaining the user information, the client submits the user identity information through the user interface module 202. After verification, the chef is allowed to log in and use the chef open process system. In some embodiments, the chef is allowed to log in through a variety of methods, such as username and password login, biometric information login, etc.

[0055] The process library module 204 stores one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish may correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions. The so-called "dish" refers to the name of the dish: for example, Kung Pao Chicken, Fried Pork with Chili, Shredded Pork with Fish Flavor, etc. The so-called "process" refers to the combination of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish. A dish may correspond to multiple different processes, thereby providing dishes with different flavors. The so-called "processing step" refers to the process of cooking a dish. Usually, in a process, there are the same or regularly changing processing conditions and they will last for a period of time. As understood, the so-called process is artificially divided. The same process may have different division methods, and there are also different processing steps. For example: the processing steps may include: process 1: heating on high heat for 2 minutes; process 2: heating on medium heat for 5 minutes; process 3: stopping the fire and keeping warm for 2 minutes. The so-called "processing conditions" refer to the cooking conditions in a processing step or process. For example: heating at a temperature of 200°C, lasting for 2 minutes, flipping to the left twice and then flipping to the right once, etc. Depending on the automatic cooking equipment, the processing conditions that the chef can customize are also different. Alternatively, different processing conditions may be chosen depending on the chef.

[0056] The process design module 206 allows the chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to a dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, and generates a process for the dish. In one implementation, the client provides a user-friendly interactive interface to the chef, allowing the chef to first input one or more ingredients used to cook the dish, and then prompts the chef to customize the processing steps and select the processing conditions for each processing step. The client combines the ingredients and processing steps input by the chef to form a process for the corresponding dish, and sends it to the process design module 206. The process design module 206 stores the received dishes and corresponding processes in the process library module 204.

[0057] The device interface module 208 can send the process of the dish stored in the process library module 204 to the automatic cooking device specified by the chef. In one embodiment, the device interface module 208 receives the identity information of the automatic cooking device specified by the chef, identifies the automatic cooking device specified by the chef, and then establishes a connection to the automatic cooking device specified by the chef, and sends the process of the dish selected by the chef to the specified automatic cooking device. In this way, the chef can quickly see the cooking results of the dish process in the actual application of the dish in the automatic cooking device specified by the chef, which is generally available around him, and make corresponding improvements.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chef process development system further includes a food material library module, which includes a food material library for storing one or more food materials. When developing the process of a dish, the chef can select one or more corresponding food materials from the food material library. If the corresponding food material library does not exist, the chef can add new food materials by himself. For example, the chef can write the name of the food material and further fill in the properties of the food material. For example, the properties of the food material include one or more of the following groups: thermal conductivity, texture, moisture content, protein content, fat content, and fiber content, wherein the so-called "texture" mainly refers to the hardness and / or degree of maturity of the food material, and also includes indicators such as tenderness, firmness, and fluffiness.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the food library of the food library module includes an auxiliary material library, which is used to store one or more auxiliary materials, including:

[0060] 1. Seasonings, mainly used to adjust the taste and flavor of dishes, including but not limited to:

[0061] Salty seasonings: salt, soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, bean paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc.

[0062] Sweet seasonings: white sugar, rock sugar, brown sugar, honey, maltose, etc.

[0063] Sour seasonings: vinegar (rice vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar), lemon juice, sour plum sauce, etc.

[0064] Umami seasoning: MSG, chicken essence, chicken powder, mushroom essence, kelp powder, dried shrimp powder, etc.

[0065] Spicy seasonings: chili (chili powder, chili sauce, chopped pepper), pepper (white pepper, black pepper), Sichuan pepper, mustard, turmeric powder, etc.

[0066] Other seasonings: black beans, fermented bean curd, chili garlic sauce, sesame paste, shacha sauce, tomato sauce, yellow paste, etc.

[0067] 2. Fats and oils used for frying, cooking or seasoning, including but not limited to:

[0068] Vegetable oil: peanut oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, olive oil, sesame oil (sesame oil), sunflower oil, etc.

[0069] Animal oil: lard, butter, chicken fat, tallow, etc.

[0070] Seasoning oil: chili oil, scallion oil, garlic oil, pepper oil, etc.

[0071] 3. Spices, used to enhance fragrance and flavor, including but not limited to:

[0072] Dried spices: star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, fennel, cassia bark, cloves, angelica, licorice, etc.

[0073] Fresh spices: ginger, scallions, garlic, onions, coriander, green onions, lemongrass, etc.

[0074] Other spices: dried chili, tangerine peel, basil, rosemary, thyme, lemongrass, cumin, etc.

[0075] 4. Thickeners and gums, used to adjust the thickness of dishes or give a smooth taste, including but not limited to: starch (corn starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch), flour (ordinary flour, glutinous rice flour, orange flour), egg white, gelatin sheets, agar, etc.

[0076] 5. Fermentation and pickling products, used for pickling or fermentation seasoning, including but not limited to: soy sauce, vinegar, wine lees, fermented bean curd, fermented black beans, fermented tofu, sauerkraut, pickles, pickled peppers, pickled ginger, pickled plums, etc.

[0077] 6. Alcoholic beverages, used for removing fishy smell, enhancing flavor or seasoning, including but not limited to: cooking wine, yellow wine, rice wine, white wine, red wine, beer, etc.

[0078] 7. Nuts and dried fruits increase the taste and flavor of dishes, including but not limited to: peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pine nuts, raisins, red dates, dried longan, wolfberry, dried lychees, etc.

[0079] 8. Fragrance-enhancing decorations, used to enhance visual beauty or increase aroma, including but not limited to: sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, chopped green onions, coriander, mint leaves, basil leaves, etc.

[0080] Figure 3 3 is a schematic diagram of a chef open process client based on an automatic cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the client includes: a client interface module 302, a client process library module 304, a client process design module 306, and a system interface module 308. The client interface module 302 is used to provide an interface allowing the chef to log in, such as a user-friendly login interface. The chef enters the user name and password or identity information such as biometrics to log in to the chef open process system. The client interface module 302 sends the obtained identity information to the chef open process system. After verification, the user is allowed to log in. The client process library module 304 is used to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish can correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions. In one embodiment, the client process library module 304 is only used to temporarily store the complete or incomplete process of the dish. When the client is connected to the system, it keeps synchronization with the information in the system process library module. In another embodiment, the client process library module 304 uploads the selected dish process to the process library module of the chef open process system according to the chef's instructions. In either case, when the chef chooses not to make the dish process public, the system will ensure that the dish process uploaded by the chef is kept confidential. The client process design module 306 provides an interface including multiple controls to allow the chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to a dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, thereby generating a dish process. As will be appreciated, the client process design module 306 can provide existing dish processes for the chef to modify and improve. The system interface module 308 provides a connection with the chef's open process system to upload the dish process obtained by the client to the system interface module 308. Figure 2 The chef's open process system based on automatic cooking equipment is shown.

[0081] In the following content of this application, a cooking machine is used as an example to introduce the technical solution of the present invention in detail, especially the part of simulated cooking, so as to facilitate those skilled in the art to further understand the essential content of the present invention. As understood, the present invention is not limited to being applied to cooking machines, other cooking robots or automatic cooking equipment, such as multi-function food processors, ovens or air fryers, microwave ovens, induction cookers, steam-bake machines, automatic steaming machines, automatic frying machines, etc.

[0082] Figure 4It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a household cooking machine in the prior art, which includes a heating chamber for heating one or more ingredients contained in a closed lunch box. As understood, the so-called "closed lunch box" means that during the entire heating process, the lunch box will not be opened and the ingredients will remain in the lunch box. In some embodiments, the lunch box is made of metal, such as aluminum foil, or other high thermal conductivity materials; the lunch box includes one or more pores to exhaust the gas in the lunch box during the heating process. In some embodiments, the heating method of the heating chamber is electromagnetic heating or electric heating. The following are multiple patent applications for household cooking machines, which are incorporated into this application by reference in their entirety:

[0083] 1. Utility model patent application with application number 202122750199.8, title “cooking machine”, and application date 2021.11.10; and

[0084] 2. Utility model patent application with application number 202122751459.3, name “cooking machine”, and application date 2021.11.10.

[0085] Figure 5 The following is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a commercial cooking machine in the prior art, which includes multiple heating chambers for heating one or more ingredients contained in a closed lunch box. The following are multiple patent applications related to commercial cooking machines, all of which are incorporated into this application by reference in their entirety:

[0086] 1. Utility model patent application with application number 202121958049.X, title “cooking machine”, and application date 2021.08.19;

[0087] 2. Utility model patent application with application number 202121960086.4, title: Automatic cooking machine, and application date: August 19, 2021;

[0088] 3. Utility model patent application with application number 202121974252.6, titled heating chamber, heating chamber and cooking machine, and application date 2021.08.19; and

[0089] 4. Utility model patent application with application number 202121960858.4, title: Cooking Cabin and Automatic Cooking Machine, and application date: August 19, 2021.

[0090] In order to facilitate the chef to evaluate the process he has developed, the chef development process system of the present invention provides a simulated cooking function. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chef development process system further includes a simulated cooking module, which can provide a simulated cooking result based on one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and the process input by the chef. The simulated cooking result can be provided in the form of a table and / or a chart with relevant text descriptions. The chef evaluates the cooking result based on the data in the table and / or the chart.

[0091] For non-professionals, it is difficult to intuitively obtain information about cooking results from the data in the table and / or chart. Especially for users of home cooking machines, such simulation results are not friendly. In some embodiments, the simulation cooking module further provides pictures corresponding to the simulated cooking results, so that the chef can intuitively obtain information about the cooking results.

[0092] Simulation cooking example 1

[0093] In this embodiment, the changes of various properties of various ingredients under different temperature conditions (such as the property change curves of each ingredient stored in the simulation cooking module) are used to simulate the changes of various ingredients, thereby obtaining the results of simulated cooking. The method of this embodiment is roughly described as follows: First, the cooking time is divided into different time periods, and the temperature and heat transfer mode can be roughly considered to be unchanged during the time period. For example, the length of the time period can be 10 seconds, 20 seconds or longer. Generally speaking, the higher the water content of the ingredient, the shorter the divided time period will be.

[0094] In one embodiment, since the metal lunch box used in the cooking machine is generally closed, its heat transfer mode mainly includes two types: (1) heat conduction from the metal lunch box to the food and liquid in the metal lunch box, and between the liquid and the food and between the food and the food; and (2) convection caused by the gas in the metal lunch box and heat exchange between the gas and the food. For the heat conduction part, it is assumed that the liquid and the food are homogeneous materials, and the heat conduction equation of the temperature gradient from the heating chamber to the liquid and the food is directly established according to their respective specific heat capacities. For the convection part, it is necessary to consider the heat conduction between the gas and the food and the heat exchange caused by the condensation heat of the gas. According to the amount of food in the metal lunch box and the content of the liquid, the two methods are comprehensively considered to estimate the heat transfer mode during the period, such as the degree to which the food is heated up by the heat conduction method and the degree to which the food is heated up by the convection method, so that the temperature changes of various food materials during the period can be obtained.

[0095] In another embodiment, the heat transfer pattern in the metal lunch box is estimated by the law of conservation of energy to obtain the temperature changes of various ingredients. First, the energy consumed by the heating chamber during the period is obtained, which can be estimated by the power and heating time of the heating chamber. Then, the heat dissipation of the heating chamber, the heat dissipation of the metal lunch box, the energy consumed by the vaporization of the liquid in the metal lunch box, and the heat taken away by the discharged gas are estimated to obtain the heat obtained by the various ingredients and the liquid in the metal lunch box. Next, this heat is distributed according to the quantity of various ingredients and liquids to obtain the temperature changes of various ingredients and liquids. Finally, the temperature changes of various ingredients and liquids are corrected by the heat conduction model to obtain the actual temperature changes of various ingredients.

[0096] As can be understood, the above are estimates of the temperature change of food materials under the heat transfer modes of two different embodiments. Those skilled in the art can fully establish other heat transfer modes based on the knowledge and ability they have mastered, and then obtain the temperature change of various food materials during the period. These contents are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0097] In one embodiment, the texture, moisture content, protein content, fat content and other properties of each ingredient at the end of the period are determined based on the change curve of each ingredient property. Further, the amount of ingredients and liquid in the metal lunch box and the heat transfer mode are updated according to the change of specific heat capacity and water content.

[0098] Next, in the next period, the updated amount of ingredients and liquid in the metal lunch box and the heat transfer mode are used to obtain the temperature changes of various ingredients and the changes in the heat transfer mode at the end of the next period. It should be noted that even if the temperature of the ingredients remains unchanged, the amount of ingredients and liquid in the metal lunch box also needs to be updated as the heating time increases, so the heat transfer mode may also be different. In this cycle, the temperature changes of various ingredients in each period and the changes in the texture, moisture content, protein content, fat content and other properties of various ingredients are estimated to obtain simulated cooking results.

[0099] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart of a simulated cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the simulated cooking method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0100] In step 610, the ingredients and auxiliary materials of the dish from the chef are received, and the types and quantities of the ingredients and the types and quantities of the auxiliary materials are determined. In the chef open process system, the simulation cooking module obtains the dish and process from the chef, thereby determining the types and quantities of the ingredients and auxiliary materials of the dish.

[0101] In step 620, a process of a dish from a chef is received, the process comprising one or more processing steps, wherein each processing step comprises one or more processing conditions. For a cooking machine, different processing steps may mean different heating powers, different heating times, and different flipping frequencies.

[0102] In step 630, each processing step is divided into a plurality of time periods. In order to accurately simulate the cooking process, each processing step is divided into a plurality of time periods. In each time period, it can be generally assumed that the processing conditions do not change, so that the heat transfer mode of the time period can be determined.

[0103] In step 640, according to the processing conditions corresponding to the first time period of the first processing step and the types and quantities of the ingredients and auxiliary materials, the heating conditions and heat transfer modes in the first time period are determined, and the temperature changes of various ingredients in the first time period are estimated. For electromagnetic and electric heating, the heating chamber indirectly heats the ingredients in the metal lunch box by heating the metal lunch box. Therefore, the heating condition can be the temperature of the heating chamber or the work of the heating chamber, so that the temperature of the metal lunch box in this time period can be obtained. As mentioned above, there are different estimation methods for the heat transfer mode. According to the types and quantities of the ingredients and auxiliary materials and the problem of the metal lunch box, the temperature changes of various ingredients in the first time period can be obtained by selecting an appropriate heat transfer mode.

[0104] In step 650, the property changes of various ingredients at the end of the first period are determined. The property change curves of various ingredients at different temperatures are stored in the chef open process system. For example, there are five change curves of celery moisture content relative to heating time at 80°C, 120°C, 150°C, 200°C, and 250°C, and three change curves of specific heat capacity relative to heating time at 80-120°C, 120-150°C, and 150-250°C. There are eight change curves of pork (50% fat) moisture content and fat content relative to heating time at 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, and 250°C. Based on these change curves, through mathematical methods such as interpolation algorithms, it is possible to obtain the change of a certain property of a certain ingredient after being heated at a certain temperature for a period of time.

[0105] Generally, texture changes are a concern for simulated cooking, which can determine the degree of maturity of ingredients. However, different ingredients have very different texture descriptions. For example, for plant ingredients, softness and hardness are usually used to indicate texture changes, while for meat ingredients, maturity is usually used to indicate texture changes, and softness and hardness can only partially reflect the changes in texture. Of course, there are other indicators for texture changes of other ingredients, such as tenderness, firmness, fluffiness, etc. In addition, changes in properties that deserve attention include changes in specific heat capacity and water content.

[0106] In step 660, the quantity of various ingredients and auxiliary materials at the end of the first time period is determined, and the heat transfer mode is updated. Changes in these properties are useful for updating the heat transfer mode. For some ingredients, heating will also cause changes in quantity. For example, after heating some ingredients, part of the protein will decompose and lose weight. Of course, more important is the water loss caused by heating. After obtaining the change in the quantity of ingredients and auxiliary materials (including water) after heating in the first time period, the increase in the amount of liquid in the metal lunch box can also be obtained, which may affect the heat transfer mode. Therefore, when simulating cooking for the second time period, it is necessary to update the heat transfer mode to ensure the accuracy of the simulation.

[0107] In step 670, the simulated cooking of all time periods of the first processing step is completed in the manner of steps 640-660. After the simulation of all time periods is completed, the simulation of the first processing step is completed. Then, in step 680, the simulated cooking of the second step, the third step, etc., is completed in the manner of steps 640-670 until all processing steps. By iterating in this manner, the simulated cooking of the entire dish process can be completed.

[0108] After the simulated cooking is finished, the changes in the properties of the various ingredients in all time periods are organized into charts for easy storage and viewing. In some embodiments, the results of the simulated cooking can be evaluated and suggestions can be made according to predetermined regulations.

[0109] As mentioned above, providing simulated cooking images is conducive to lowering the threshold for users and improving the user experience. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the simulated cooking module generates simulated cooking images through the first artificial intelligence model to facilitate the chef to understand the results of the simulated cooking more intuitively.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first artificial intelligence model uses a diffusion model (e.g., Stable Diffusion), which supports text or numerical condition input, and can generate high-quality images of ingredients. First, a set of images of different ingredients is obtained, and the attribute values ​​of each image are annotated, such as texture, color, water content and other features, so as to establish a high-quality training set. Then, the diffusion model is fine-tuned using the high-quality training set, that is, the image set of ingredients with attributes annotated is used for training. In this way, by inputting the attribute conditions during reasoning, the corresponding ingredient images can be generated. In some embodiments, the type and quantity of auxiliary materials also have an impact on the attributes of the ingredients, such as texture, color, etc. Therefore, when establishing a training set, the conditions of auxiliary materials of different types and quantities should also be considered. Thus, images of various ingredients under different attribute conditions can be obtained.

[0111] In some embodiments, if the simulated cooking dish includes two or more ingredients, after obtaining high-quality images of various ingredients under different attribute conditions, the diffusion model can be used again, using the images of various ingredients as the initial input (initial image), using tools such as the Inpainting mode of Stable Diffusion to guide the generation of results, and outputting the final cooking effect image of two or more main ingredients through text prompt control. The diffusion model is easy to fine-tune and expand, and can quickly generate a series of high-quality images of ingredients.

[0112] As will be appreciated, the above is only an exemplary method for providing images of simulated cooking. Those skilled in the art can generate images of simulated cooking in other ways based on data of changes in various attributes of various ingredients using artificial intelligence tools. These methods are also within the scope of this application.

[0113] Simulation cooking example 2

[0114] In this embodiment, the video of the actual cooking process is used as a training set, and the artificial intelligence model is directly used to obtain the simulated cooking video of the dish process. In one embodiment, the TGAN (Temporal GAN) model is selected. TGAN is a generative adversarial network for video generation, which is suitable for generating continuous time series data. It can generate multiple frames of continuous video according to the input conditions (temperature, time, etc.). The specific implementation method includes the following steps:

[0115] In the data preparation step 710, first, collect videos of different ingredients being cooked under different temperature and time conditions; then, each video should be clearly labeled with the corresponding temperature, time, heating method (such as flipping frequency, etc.); divide the video into multiple time segments according to key frames. Each video also needs to be labeled with its corresponding conditions (temperature, heating time, heating method, etc.). For example: a video clip of "beef fried at 200°C for 10 seconds"; a video clip of "celery fried at 150°C for 5 seconds", etc.

[0116] In the data preprocessing step 720, the video is converted into a single-frame image sequence. Usually, a fixed frame rate (such as 30 frames per second) is selected, and the temperature, time label and other information corresponding to each frame or each video segment are ensured to be clear.

[0117] In the model training step 730, the structure of the video generation model of this embodiment includes: a generator (Generator): its input is specified conditions (such as temperature, time) and latent variables (random noise), and its output is a series of continuous video frames; a discriminator (Discriminator), its input is a real or generated video sequence, and its output is a true or false discrimination, which is used to supervise the generator to learn to generate high-quality continuous videos that meet the heating conditions.

[0118] In one embodiment, the specific training process is as follows: the heating conditions (temperature, time) corresponding to the video are used as conditional inputs of the generator. For each frame, the additional conditional information helps the generator capture the changes in the appearance of the ingredients during the heating process. A typical GAN ​​loss function is used, and a temporal consistency constraint is added to ensure that the generated video frames are smooth in time series. Perceptual Loss is used to ensure the visual quality and authenticity of the generated video. Through adversarial training, the generator and discriminator are continuously adjusted to improve the quality of the generated video and the accuracy of the conditional control, and finally a usable simulated cooking video artificial intelligence model is obtained.

[0119] In a specific example, the dish proposed by the chef is stir-fried pork with peppers. The ingredients include 150 grams of peppers, 100 grams of pork belly, and the auxiliary ingredients are salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ginger and garlic. The processing steps are: the temperature of the heating chamber is 250°C, the turning frequency is 1 circle per second, and the heating time is 1.5 minutes. The above content is input as input conditions into the simulated cooking video artificial intelligence model, and a 30-second video of stir-fried pork with peppers can be obtained.

[0120] As will be appreciated, the above is only an exemplary method for providing a simulated cooking video. Those skilled in the art can generate a simulated cooking video in other ways using artificial intelligence tools. These ways are also within the scope of this application.

[0121] Offline actual cooking

[0122] For the chef open platform, simulated cooking cannot replace the actual cooking results, especially simulated cooking cannot obtain actual taste feedback. Therefore, the chef open process system of the present invention also provides support for offline actual cooking, and can also use the feedback of offline actual cooking to further optimize the results of simulated cooking.

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chef open process system further includes a cooking module, which is configured to receive the identity information of the automatic cooking device, verify whether the process selected by the chef matches the automatic cooking device, and start sending the chef-selected process to the automatic cooking device.

[0124] In the home scenario, the chef can use the client to input the identification information of the home cooking machine, such as scanning the QR code of the home cooking machine. The client will send the identification information of the home cooking machine to the chef's open process system. The chef's open process system then verifies whether the process selected by the chef matches the cooking machine. If the two match, the chef's open process system will send the chef's selected process to the home cooking machine. In this way, the chef can actually cook on the home cooking machine and check the cooking results.

[0125] In the commercial scenario, the chef can reserve a time slot for a commercial cooking machine that is available near a specified geographic location. The chef can actually arrive at the reserved commercial cooking machine during the time slot, and can actually cook by sending the selected process to the reserved commercial cooking machine to check the cooking results.

[0126] Of course, the chef can modify and improve the cooking process of the dish on the cooking machine, and then verify the feasibility of the modified and improved cooking process through actual cooking.

[0127] In some embodiments, the cooking module of the chef's open process system receives cooking data from the automatic cooking device. Most cooking machines have data acquisition devices such as temperature sensors, so that data collected during the actual cooking process can be obtained. The cooking machine can send this data to the cooking module of the chef's open process system. On the other hand, the chef can also take photos of the actual cooked dishes and upload them to the chef's open process system. In some embodiments, the cooking data obtained by the cooking module is sent to the simulation cooking module for improving the simulation results of the simulation cooking module.

[0128] Rapid process validation

[0129] After accumulating a large amount of dish process data, especially with the support of the simulated cooking module, the chef open platform of the present invention can check the process of the dishes submitted by the chef, find out the unreasonable parts in the process, and put forward suggestions for modification.

[0130] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chef open process system further includes a process verification module, which is used to check the dish process from the chef and make suggestions. In some embodiments, the process verification module performs checks based on a series of predetermined rules. For example, heating at too high a heating temperature for too long can easily cause damage to the metal lunch box or the heating chamber; or heating an ingredient at a specific temperature for too long will destroy the ingredient, etc. The process verification module detects the dish process developed by the chef and makes suggestions based on these predetermined rules.

[0131] Figure 81 is a schematic diagram of a chef-opened process providing method based on an automatic cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the method includes the following steps:

[0132] In step 810, the chef open process system is logged in. The chef open process system displays an interface for inputting one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps of a dish through a client; one dish may correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions.

[0133] In step 820, one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking the dish are input to generate a process for the dish.

[0134] In step 830, the process of the dish is uploaded to the system.

[0135] In step 840, first feedback from the system regarding the process of the dish is received.

[0136] Figures 9A-9C Schematic diagram of a client interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9A As shown in the figure, when the chef logs in to the chef open process system, the cooking machine equipment interface will be displayed on the client. The chef can select the equipment used for the dish process to be developed in this interface, such as K1 commercial cooking machine or F1 household cooking machine.

[0137] In step 820, the chef inputs one or more ingredients and auxiliary materials corresponding to the dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking the dish, and generates a process for the dish.

[0138] In one embodiment, Fig. 9B As shown in the figure, the chef can customize the process by selecting it in the process development interface; the chef can name the process by editing the process name. The dish process type uses a user-friendly method to facilitate the chef to select processing conditions. Slow stir-fry, quick stir-fry, stew, fry and roast, and stir-fry and stew actually include specific heating temperatures and flipping frequencies. By selecting the stir-frying time, the chef can choose the desired taste of the dish. Then, the chef can generate the stir-fry process with one click through the "Generate Stir-frying Process" button.

[0139] Figures 10A-10E FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a client interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the chef selects a commercial cooking machine. Fig. 10A Although the interface and options are more complicated, the chef can still customize the process in a manner similar to that shown in the embodiment of FIG. 9. Fig. 10BOn the interface, users can select the heating chamber for offline cooking. Figures 10C-10E On the interface, the chef can customize the processing conditions in more detail, such as the heat (heating temperature and power), combined rotation mode, and detailed editing of advanced rotation mode processing conditions.

[0140] In step 830, the dish process is uploaded to the chef open process system. In step 840, the first feedback from the chef open process system on the dish process is received. In one embodiment, the first feedback may come from the process verification module of the chef open process system, including suggestions for checking the dish process itself developed by the chef. In another embodiment, the first feedback may come from the simulation cooking module of the chef open process system, including the cooking result of simulated stir-frying according to the dish process developed by the chef.

[0141] If the chef does not have a cooking machine, the chef can make an appointment for an idle cooking machine to cook offline. In some embodiments, the method of this embodiment also includes a step 850 of making an appointment for offline cooking, which includes: obtaining the idle time of one or more automatic cooking devices in an area; and making an appointment for the idle time of one of the one or more automatic cooking devices. Whether it is the equipment manufacturer or seller of the cooking machine, or the owner of the cooking machine, the chef can use the idle time of the cooking machine to cook the developed dish process.

[0142] In some embodiments, the method of this embodiment also includes step 860 of supporting offline cooking, which includes: obtaining identity information of the automatic cooking equipment; downloading the process of the dish to the automatic cooking equipment; and using the automatic cooking equipment to execute the process of the dish.

[0143] Fig. 9C The embodiment of the invention shows a method for a chef to develop a process. After the dish process is produced, the chef can conveniently perform actual cooking in an offline cooking machine through the digital code corresponding to the dish process. Specifically, after uploading the dish process developed by the chef, the QR code of the dish process developed by the chef is scanned on the cooking machine, and the cooking machine automatically requests the dish process corresponding to the digital code of the dish process corresponding to the QR code from the chef open process system, and downloads it to the cooking machine.

[0144] In some embodiments, the method of this embodiment further includes step 870, sending a second feedback obtained based on the actual execution of the dish process using the automatic cooking device to the chef's open process system. In some embodiments, the second feedback of this embodiment includes an image of the dish being cooked. In one embodiment, the second feedback is data collected by the cooking machine during the actual cooking process, including but not limited to temperature, humidity, etc. In one embodiment, the second feedback is that after the cooking is completed, the chef takes a photo of the actual cooking result of the dish process and uploads it to the chef's open process system.

[0145] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. Ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chef open process system based on automatic cooking equipment, comprising: A user interface module configured to provide an interface allowing a chef to log in; A process library module, which is configured to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish may correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions; A process design module, which is configured to allow a chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to a dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, and generate a process for the dish; as well as The equipment interface module is configured to send the process to the automatic cooking equipment designated by the chef.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automatic cooking device is a stir-frying machine, which includes one or more heating chambers, and the heating chambers are configured to heat one or more ingredients contained in a closed meal box.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the automatic cooking device heats the one or more ingredients contained in the closed meal box by electromagnetic heating. 4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an ingredient library module configured to store attributes of one or more ingredients. 5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the properties of the food material include one or more of the following group: thermal conductivity, texture, moisture content, protein content, fat content, and fiber content. 6 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a simulated cooking module configured to provide a simulated cooking result based on one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and a process input by the chef. 7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the simulated cooking module is configured to provide a picture corresponding to the simulated cooking result.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the simulation cooking module is configured to determine the heating conditions and the heating time according to the processing conditions included in one or more processing steps of the chef-specified process and the auxiliary materials input by the chef, estimate the changes of the one or more ingredients during the heating time, and obtain a simulated cooking result.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the simulated cooking module is configured to obtain the simulated cooking result from the first moment to the second moment in the processing step of the process by the following steps: Obtaining the one or more ingredients and auxiliary materials and quantities; Obtaining a heating mode between the first moment and the second moment; determining a temperature change of the one or more food materials from a first moment to a second moment according to the heat transfer pattern; Obtaining properties of the one or more ingredients at a second moment; as well as The one or more ingredients and auxiliary materials and quantities and heat transfer modes are updated.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the heating mode remains unchanged from the first moment to the second moment.

11. The system according to claim 9, comprising: The texture, specific heat capacity and water content of the one or more ingredients at the second moment are estimated by using the properties of the one or more ingredients and the temperature change from the first moment to the second moment.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the simulated cooking module is configured to generate images of the one or more ingredients at a second moment by using a first artificial intelligence model.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the simulated cooking module is configured to obtain a video of simulated cooking of the process of the dish using a trained second artificial intelligence model, wherein the trained second artificial intelligence model is based on a video of actual cooking of the dish.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cooking module configured to receive identity information of the automatic cooking device, verify whether the process matches the automatic cooking device, and initiate the process to flow to the automatic cooking device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cooking module is configured to receive cooking data of the automatic cooking device. 16 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the cooking module is configured to send cooking data of the automatic cooking device to the simulation cooking module for improving a simulation result of the simulation cooking module.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a process verification module configured to check the process of the dish from the chef and make recommendations.

18. A chef open process client based on automatic cooking equipment, comprising: a client interface module configured to provide an interface allowing a chef to log in; A process library module, which is configured to store one or more processes corresponding to one or more dishes, wherein one dish may correspond to one or more processes, one process includes one or more processing steps, and one processing step includes one or more processing conditions; A process design module, which is configured to allow a chef to input one or more ingredients corresponding to a dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking a dish, and generate a process for the dish; as well as A system interface module, which is configured to upload the process to the chef open process system based on the automatic cooking device as described in any one of claims 1-21.

19. A chef-opened process providing method based on automatic cooking equipment, comprising: Log into the system, the system being configured to display an interface for inputting one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps of a dish; A dish may correspond to one or more processes, a process includes one or more processing steps, and a processing step includes one or more processing conditions; Input one or more ingredients corresponding to the dish and one or more processing conditions of one or more processing steps for cooking the dish, to generate a process for the dish; Uploading the process of the dish to the system; as well as Receive first feedback from the system regarding the process of the dish.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: Obtaining identity information of automatic cooking equipment; Downloading the process of the dish into the automatic cooking device; as well as The process of cooking the dish is performed using the automatic cooking device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising: Get the idle time of one or more automatic cooking devices in a zone; as well as A free time of one of the one or more automatic cooking devices is reserved.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: Second feedback obtained based on the process of executing the dish using the automatic cooking device is sent to the system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and / or second feedback of the process comprises an image of cooking the dish.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: The process is modified based on the first feedback or the second feedback.

Images