Estimation device and estimation method

Abstract

To provide a device and a method capable of more easily estimating quantity of oil contained in cooking materials and derived from cooking.SOLUTION: An estimation device 10 according to an embodiment includes a processor 11 and estimates quantity of oil contained in cooking materials and derived from cooking. The processor 11 acquires temperature information that shows at least one of: temperature of cooking equipment during cooking; temperature of liquid in the cooking equipment during cooking; and change degree in the temperature of the cooking equipment or the temperature of the liquid due to addition of food material into the cooking equipment, and estimates the quantity of oil above on the basis of the acquired temperature information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an estimation device and an estimation method, and more particularly to an estimation device and an estimation method for estimating an amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food. [Background technology]

[0002] Technologies for supporting dietary management have been developed in the past, one example of which is the technology described in Patent Document 1. The technology described in Patent Document 1 acquires purchased food information and dietary information of a subject, extracts nutritional information of the purchased foods from the purchased food information, and estimates the subject's nutritional intake from the nutritional information of the purchased foods and the subject's dietary information. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the nutritional components ingested by the subject. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 044696 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in daily eating habits, excessive intake of lipids may lead to health risks, so as part of health management, it is important to accurately grasp the amount of oil consumed in daily meals. In particular, it is necessary to obtain an accurate value for the amount of oil used in the cooking process, in other words, the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in cooked foods, from the viewpoint of keeping the daily oil intake within an appropriate range.

[0005] On the other hand, sequentially collecting purchased food information and dietary information, as in the technology described in Patent Document 1, is time-consuming and places a burden on users (those who are the subject of dietary management) to collect information. Therefore, there is a need for the development of technology that can more easily estimate the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in cooked foods.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an apparatus and method that can more easily estimate the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above problem is solved by an estimation device of the present invention, which has a processor and estimates the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked item, where the processor acquires temperature information indicating at least one of the following: the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and the degree of change in the cooking utensil temperature or the liquid temperature due to the addition of ingredients into the cooking utensil, and estimates the amount of oil based on the acquired temperature information. According to the above estimation device, the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food can be easily estimated based on the acquired temperature information.

[0008] In the above estimation device, it is preferable that the processor estimates the amount of oil based on temperature information acquired after a change in the cooking area associated with the start of cooking of an item to be cooked is detected. According to the above configuration, the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in the cooked food can be appropriately estimated using temperature information acquired after the cooking start point.

[0009] Furthermore, in the above estimation device, when cooking is taking place in multiple areas of a kitchen, it is more preferable for the processor to estimate the amount of oil for each area and calculate a total value of the amount of oil for each area. In the above configuration, when cooking is performed in multiple areas in a kitchen, the amount of oil in each cooking area is estimated and the total amount is calculated. In this way, when multiple cooking items made in multiple areas are consumed, the total amount (total value) of oil derived from cooking can be obtained and reflected in dietary management.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above estimation device, it is more preferable that the processor receives an output signal from a temperature sensor installed above the cooking utensils in the kitchen and obtains temperature information based on the output signal. According to the above configuration, the temperature information required to estimate the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in the cooked food can be appropriately acquired using the temperature sensor.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above estimation device, it is even more preferable that the processor stores the estimation result of the amount of oil in the storage device in association with the time period during which the food was cooked. According to the above configuration, the result of estimating the amount of oil can be stored in the storage device and used for dietary management.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above estimation device, it is even more preferable if the processor estimates the cooking method of the food based on the acquired temperature information and estimates the amount of oil by identifying the amount of oil corresponding to the estimated cooking method. According to the above configuration, the cooking method of the food is estimated from the temperature information, and the amount of oil derived from the cooking is estimated from the amount of oil corresponding to the cooking method. This makes it possible to obtain information on how the food was cooked and to use the information for dietary management.

[0013] In the above estimation device, the processor may obtain temperature information indicating the temperature of the cookware and the temperature of the liquid, and estimate that the amount of oil is the first oil amount if the temperature of the cookware or the temperature of the liquid is less than a predetermined value. The processor may obtain temperature information indicating the degree of change if the temperature of the cookware or the temperature of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The processor may then estimate that the amount of oil is the second oil amount if the degree of change is equal to or less than a predetermined magnitude, and estimate that the amount of oil is the third oil amount if the degree of change exceeds the predetermined magnitude. According to the above configuration, the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food can be estimated more easily.

[0014] In addition, the above-mentioned problem is solved by the estimation method of the present invention, which is an estimation method for estimating the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked item, in which a processor acquires temperature information indicating at least one of the following: the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and the degree of change in the cooking utensil temperature or the temperature of the liquid due to the addition of ingredients into the cooking utensil, and the processor estimates the amount of oil based on the acquired temperature information. According to the above method, the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in the cooked food can be easily estimated based on the acquired temperature information. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, an estimation device and an estimation method are realized that can more easily estimate the amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an estimation device and peripheral devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of recorded data regarding the estimation result of the oil amount. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of processing executed by an estimation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for detecting the start of cooking. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for estimating an oil amount. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship between temperature information and oil amount. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] <<Regarding an Estimation Device According to an Embodiment of the Present Invention>> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the concept of "device" described in this specification includes a single device that performs a specific function by itself, as well as multiple devices that are distributed and exist independently but work together (in cooperation) to perform a specific function. Furthermore, the reference values, condition values, etc. described in the following description are merely examples, and these values ​​can be changed as appropriate depending on the circumstances when implementing the present invention.

[0018] [Outline of the estimation device according to this embodiment] First, an outline of an estimation device according to this embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as an estimation device 10) will be described. The estimation device 10 is used for the purpose of managing the dietary habits of a user, and in this embodiment, it is used for the purpose of estimating the amount of oil that the user ingests daily, more specifically, the amount of oil derived from cooking contained in a cooked product. The amount of oil derived from cooking contained in a cooked product (hereinafter referred to as the cooking oil amount) is the amount of oil (unit: g) contained in the cooked product out of the amount of edible oil used in the cooking process. Note that the cooking oil amount does not include the amount of oil originally contained in the ingredients that make up the cooked product, i.e., the amount of oil derived from the ingredients.

[0019] The estimation device 10 is used when a user cooks, acquires information indicating the temperature during cooking (hereinafter, temperature information), and estimates the amount of cooking oil using a simple method based on the acquired temperature information. When a user cooks multiple dishes simultaneously in multiple areas (e.g., multiple stoves) in a kitchen, the estimation device 10 estimates the amount of cooking oil for each dish, in other words, for each area. In this case, the estimation device 10 adds up the cooking oil amounts estimated for each area to determine the total amount of cooking oil (total value).

[0020] Furthermore, a user typically cooks multiple times in a day, specifically in the morning, afternoon, evening, and late night. The estimation device 10 estimates the amount of cooking oil for cooking performed in each time period, and also estimates the total amount of cooking oil when multiple dishes are made in each time period.

[0021] Furthermore, the estimation device 10 stores the amount of cooking oil or the total amount of cooking oil in the storage device on a daily basis in association with the time period during which cooking was performed (see FIG. 3). As a result, data indicating the estimation results for the amount of cooking oil consumed by the user each day is accumulated in the storage device. The storage device may be a storage device included in the estimation device 10 (storage device 13 in FIG. 1), or may be a storage device installed in a smartphone, tablet terminal, or other information and communication terminal owned by the user.

[0022] Furthermore, the estimation device 10 monitors the user's daily oil intake status based on data (hereinafter also referred to as recorded data) showing the estimation result of the cooking oil amount stored in the storage device. Specifically, the estimation device 10 identifies the amount of cooking oil consumed by the user per day and its fluctuation tendency (specifically, the amount of change, the slope of the change, etc.), and if these satisfy a predetermined condition, executes a process to encourage the user to review and improve their diet. Specifically, if the amount of cooking oil consumed by the user during a predetermined period (e.g., one week) exceeds a predetermined amount, the estimation device 10 executes a process to send a message or a warning encouraging the user to improve their diet to a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user.

[0023] As described above, by using the estimation device 10, the user can manage the daily intake of cooking oil, and thus practice proper eating habits.

[0024] [Example of the configuration of the estimation device according to this embodiment] Next, a configuration example of the estimation device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. The estimation device 10 is configured by a computer, for example, a home terminal (for example, a home server or a home gateway) installed in a user's home. As shown in FIG. 1, the estimation device 10 has a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage 13, a communication interface 14, an input device 15, and an output device 16.

[0025] The processor 11 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The memory 12 is configured by semiconductor memories such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) and a Random Access Memory (RAM).

[0026] The storage 13 is an example of a storage device, and is configured, for example, by a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), etc. The storage 13 may be built into the computer main body that configures the estimation device 10, or may be attached to the computer main body in an external form, or may be configured by an external server (for example, a database server) present on a network.

[0027] The communication interface 14 is formed of, for example, a network interface card or a communication interface board. The computer constituting the estimation device 10 can communicate with other devices connected to an external network 17 such as the Internet or a mobile communication line through the communication interface 14. Devices capable of communicating with the estimation device 10 include a temperature sensor 30, a pyroelectric sensor 31, a stove sensor 32, and the like.

[0028] The temperature sensor 30 is a non-contact type temperature sensor, for example a known thermosensor, and is installed at a predetermined position in the kitchen, specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, above the cooking utensil R during cooking, and more precisely, directly above the stove K. The temperature sensor 30 outputs a signal according to the temperature of the stove K and its surroundings during cooking. The pyroelectric sensor 31 is provided as a human presence sensor at a predetermined position in the kitchen to detect the presence of a person in the kitchen, and outputs a signal when it detects the presence of a person in the kitchen. The stove sensor 32 is mounted on the stove K, and when an ignition operation is performed on the stove K, outputs a signal in response to the operation.

[0029] The input device 15 is configured with, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc., and accepts input operations performed by a user. Examples of input operations accepted by the input device 15 include operations performed when a user requests to view recorded data. The output device 16 is configured with, for example, a display and a speaker, and outputs various information to the user. The information output by the output device 16 includes a message for improving the dietary habits of a user who has consumed more than a predetermined amount of cooking oil during a predetermined period. The input device 15 and the output device 16 do not have to be provided in the computer constituting the estimation device 10 itself, and may be constituted by, for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by a user.

[0030] In addition, a program for an operating system (OS) and an application program for dietary habit management are installed as software in the computer constituting the estimation device 10. The application program for dietary habit management may be acquired by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium. Alternatively, the application program may be acquired by receiving (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0031] [Functions of the estimation device according to this embodiment] Next, the configuration of the estimation device 10 will be described again from the functional aspect. As shown in Fig. 2, the estimation device 10 has a detection unit 21, an acquisition unit 22, an identification unit 23, an estimation unit 24, a storage unit 25, a management unit 26, and an output unit 27. These functional units are realized by cooperation between hardware devices of a computer constituting the estimation device 10 and the above-mentioned programs installed in the computer. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0032] (Detection unit) When a user starts cooking an item in the kitchen, the detection unit 21 detects a change in the state of the kitchen associated with the start of cooking. To be more specific, the detection unit 21 monitors the state of the kitchen and detects a change in the state of the kitchen associated with the start of cooking, in other words, detects the start of cooking an item. There are no particular limitations on the specific procedure by which the detection unit 21 detects a change in the state of the kitchen (the start of cooking an item), but an example will be described in a later section.

[0033] (Acquisition Department) The acquisition unit 22 receives the output signal of the temperature sensor 30 and acquires temperature information based on the output signal. The temperature information acquired based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 30 indicates the temperature distribution of the stove K and its surroundings, more specifically, the temperature distribution when the stove K is viewed from directly above. Therefore, the temperature information acquired based on the output signal during cooking indicates the temperature of the cooking utensil R during cooking and the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R during cooking. In other words, the acquisition unit 22 acquires temperature information indicating the temperature of the cooking utensil R and the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R during cooking. Here, the cooking utensils R are utensils that are placed on a stove K and used in a heated state, and include, for example, pots and frying pans. The liquids in the cooking utensils R include water, hot water, cooking oil, liquid seasonings, and the like.

[0034] In this embodiment, multiple burners K are placed close to each other in the kitchen, and the temperature sensor 30 is placed directly above the burners K, i.e., the multiple cooking areas. As a result, the temperature information obtained from the output signal of the temperature sensor 30 indicates the temperatures of the multiple cooking areas simultaneously. In order to obtain temperature information indicating the temperatures of the multiple cooking areas, the temperature sensor 30 is preferably installed near a range hood directly above the multiple burners K.

[0035] Furthermore, when ingredients are added to the cookware R during cooking, the temperature of the cookware R or the temperature of the liquid in the cookware R changes, specifically, drops. In this case, the acquisition unit 22 acquires temperature information indicating the degree of change in the temperature of the cookware R or the temperature of the liquid based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 30, that is, the output signal immediately before the ingredients are added and the output signal immediately after the ingredients are added. The degree of change in temperature is the amount of change in the temperature of the cookware R or the temperature of the liquid from the time the ingredients are added to the cookware R until a unit time (for example, one to several seconds) has elapsed.

[0036] (Specific part) During cooking, the identifying unit 23 identifies the temperature of the cooking utensil R indicated by the temperature information acquired by the acquiring unit 22, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R, and the degree of temperature change due to the addition of ingredients into the cooking utensil R. Furthermore, when cooking is being performed in multiple cooking areas (specifically, multiple burners K) in the kitchen, the identifying unit 23 identifies the temperature of the cooking utensil R, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R, and the degree of temperature change due to the addition of ingredients for each area.

[0037] (Estimation Department) The estimation unit 24 estimates the amount of cooking oil based on the temperature information acquired by the acquisition unit 22, and in particular, estimates the amount of cooking oil based on temperature information acquired after the point at which the detection unit 21 detects a change in the cooking area associated with the start of cooking the food (i.e., after the start of cooking). In addition, in this embodiment, the estimation unit 24 estimates the cooking method of the food based on the temperature or the degree of change in temperature identified by the identification unit 23, and estimates the amount of cooking oil by identifying the amount of oil corresponding to the estimated cooking method. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when cooking is performed in multiple cooking areas (specifically, burners K) in the kitchen, the estimation unit 24 estimates the amount of cooking oil for each area (each burner K). In this case, the estimation unit 24 adds up the cooking oil amounts estimated for each area to calculate the total amount of cooking oil (total value).

[0038] The estimation unit 24 estimates the amount of cooking oil and the total amount of cooking oil every time the user cooks in each time period of the day, specifically, for each of the morning, afternoon, evening, and late night. Note that for time periods in which the user did not cook, estimation of the amount of cooking oil is omitted; in other words, the amount of cooking oil in those time periods is estimated to be 0 (zero). The specific procedure for estimating the cooking method and the amount of cooking oil in this embodiment will be described in a later section.

[0039] (Storage part) The memory unit 25 stores the estimation result of the amount of cooking oil or the total amount of cooking oil by the estimation unit 24 in a storage device such as the storage 13 in association with the time period when the food item was cooked. Specifically, as described above, the estimation unit 24 estimates the amount of cooking oil in each time period (morning, noon, evening, and late night) of each day. The memory unit 25 generates the record data shown in FIG. 3 as data for managing the user's diet, and stores it in a storage device such as the storage 13. In Figure 3, the estimated amounts of cooking oil are shown in parentheses.

[0040] The recorded data indicates the estimated cooking oil amount for each time period on each day, and is generated each day. The recorded data for each day is stored in the storage device. As shown in Fig. 3, the recorded data may also include a daily total of the amounts of cooking oil in each time period of the day, i.e., the total amount of cooking oil in a day (in other words, the user's daily intake of cooking oil). Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, the recorded data may also include an estimation result of the cooking method performed in each time period of each day (corresponding to cooking methods "A", "B", and "C" in the figure).

[0041] (Management Department) The management unit 26 manages the user's oil intake. Specifically, the management unit 26 determines whether or not the total amount of cooking oil for each day exceeds a predetermined amount based on the above-mentioned recorded data. Furthermore, the management unit 26 determines whether or not there are a predetermined number of days during a predetermined period (e.g., one week) on which the total amount of cooking oil exceeds a predetermined amount. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the determination result of whether or not the total amount of cooking oil for each day exceeds a predetermined amount (represented by a circle symbol, a cross symbol, and a triangle symbol in the figure) may be added to the above-mentioned recorded data. The above-mentioned judgment is merely an example, and other judgments may be considered. For example, the cumulative estimated amount of cooking oil for a predetermined period (e.g., one week) may be calculated, and it may be judged whether the calculation result exceeds a predetermined amount. The cumulative estimated amount of cooking oil is the sum of all the total amounts of cooking oil for each day included in the predetermined period.

[0042] (Output section) When the total amount of cooking oil exceeds a predetermined value for a predetermined number of days or more, or when the cumulative total of the estimated amount of cooking oil for a predetermined period of time exceeds a predetermined amount, the output unit 27 outputs a message or a warning to the user encouraging the user to improve their diet. Specifically, the output unit 27 transmits data indicating the message or warning to a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user.

[0043] [Processing flow using the estimation device according to this embodiment] Next, an oil amount estimation flow, which is a processing flow using the above-mentioned estimation device 10, will be described. The oil amount estimation flow according to this embodiment employs the estimation method of the present invention, and proceeds along the flow shown in Fig. 4. In other words, each step in the flow shown in Fig. 4 corresponds to each element constituting the estimation method of the present invention. It should be noted that the process flow shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of steps may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0044] At each step of the oil amount estimation flow, processor 11 of the computer constituting estimation device 10 executes processing corresponding to each step. Specifically, processor 11 first executes a cooking start detection step (S001) and determines whether or not a user has started cooking in the kitchen according to the flow shown in FIG. 5. For example, assume that there is a change in temperature information (temperature information) obtained from the output signal of temperature sensor 30 installed in the kitchen (Yes in S011), and that the temperature on stove K among the temperatures indicated by the temperature information exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 50°C) (Yes in S012). In this case, processor 11 determines that the user has started cooking and detects the start of cooking (S013).

[0045] On the other hand, if the above steps S011 and S012 are omitted (No in S011 or S012 in FIG. 5), assume that an ignition operation is performed on stove K and stove sensor 32 outputs a signal in conjunction with the ignition. In this case, processor 11 detects the start of cooking (S013) by receiving the output signal from stove sensor 32 (Yes in S014). Also, when the above step S014 is omitted (No in S014 in FIG. 5), it is assumed that the processor 11 detects a person in the kitchen based on the output signal of the pyroelectric sensor 31 provided in the kitchen (Yes in S015). In this case, if the temperature on the stove K exceeds a predetermined value (Yes in S016), the processor 11 detects the start of cooking (S013). If the results of steps S011, S012, S014, S015, and S016 are all No, the processor 11 determines that the user has not yet started cooking (that is, does not detect the start of cooking).

[0046] When the processor 11 detects the start of cooking (S002), it refers to an internal clock (not shown) and identifies the time period when the cooking started (morning, afternoon, evening, or late night) (S003).

[0047] Thereafter, the processor 11 receives the output signal of the temperature sensor 30 at regular intervals while cooking is being performed, and obtains temperature information at each point in time during cooking based on the received output signal (S004). As described above, the temperature information indicates the temperature of the cooking utensil R and the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R during cooking. Furthermore, when ingredients are added to cooking utensil R during cooking, the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R changes. In this case, processor 11 acquires temperature information indicating the degree of change in the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid based on the output signals of temperature sensor 30 immediately before and after the ingredients are added.

[0048] Processor 11 identifies the temperature of cooking utensil R indicated by the temperature information acquired during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R, and the degree of temperature change due to the introduction of ingredients into cooking utensil R (S005). Processor 11 also performs an estimation step based on the temperature and the degree of temperature change identified in step S005 (S006).

[0049] In the estimation step, processor 11 estimates the cooking method of the food to be cooked and identifies the amount of oil corresponding to the estimated cooking method, thereby estimating the amount of cooking oil. Specifically, in the estimation step, as shown in Fig. 6, first, it is determined whether the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R indicated by the temperature information is below a predetermined value (S021). The value (predetermined value) used as the determination criterion in this step S021 is set to estimate the cooking method, and may be set to, for example, the boiling point of water (100°C) or a value corresponding thereto.

[0050] Then, if the temperature of the cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil R is below a predetermined value, the processor 11 estimates that the cooking method of the food (dish) being cooked is cooking method C, specifically, boiling (S022).

[0051] Meanwhile, cooking methods A to C are each associated in advance with an amount of cooking oil required when cooking with that method. This correspondence is stored in storage 13 of the computer constituting estimation device 10 as table data, for example, as shown in Fig. 7. Processor 11 refers to the table data and identifies the amount of cooking oil corresponding to cooking method C as the first oil amount (S023). As a result, the amount of cooking oil when the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R is less than a predetermined value is estimated to be the first oil amount, and specifically, is estimated to be, for example, 0 (zero).

[0052] In step S022, if the temperature of the cookware R or the temperature of the liquid in the cookware R is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, processor 11 determines whether the degree of change in temperature due to the addition of ingredients is equal to or lower than a predetermined magnitude (S024). The value (predetermined magnitude) used as the judgment criterion in step S024 is set to estimate the cooking method, and may be set to, for example, m°C / sec (m is a real number).

[0053] If the degree of temperature change is equal to or less than a predetermined value, processor 11 estimates that the cooking method of the food (dish) being cooked is cooking method A, specifically, deep-frying (S025). Processor 11 also refers to the above table data and identifies the amount of cooking oil corresponding to cooking method A as the second oil amount (S026). As a result, the amount of cooking oil when the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the degree of temperature change due to the addition of ingredients is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., the temperature is decreasing slowly) is estimated to be the second oil amount. Here, the second oil amount is a value greater than the first oil amount.

[0054] On the other hand, if the degree of temperature change exceeds a predetermined magnitude, processor 11 estimates that the cooking method of the food (dish) being cooked is cooking method B, specifically stir-frying (S027). Processor 11 also refers to the above table data and identifies the amount of cooking oil corresponding to cooking method B as the third oil amount (S028). As a result, the amount of cooking oil when the temperature of cooking utensil R or the temperature of the liquid in cooking utensil R is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the degree of temperature change due to the addition of ingredients exceeds a predetermined magnitude (i.e., there is a sudden drop in temperature) is estimated to be the third oil amount. Here, the third oil amount is a value greater than 0 (first oil amount) and less than the second oil amount.

[0055] Thereafter, processor 11 determines whether cooking is complete based on the temperature of cookware R or the temperature of the liquid in cookware R indicated by the temperature information (S007). In this step S007, processor 11 determines that cooking is complete when, for example, the temperature of cookware R or the liquid in cookware R becomes lower than a predetermined temperature. Processor 11 also specifies the cooking completion time (S008). Furthermore, when food items are cooked using multiple burners K in the kitchen (S009), processor 11 repeats the above steps S004 to S008 for each burner K (S010). In this case, processor 11 adds up the amounts of cooking oil estimated for the cooking performed on each burner K to calculate the total amount of cooking oil (S011). Although not specifically shown, if cooking is performed multiple times on one burner K during the same time period, the amount of cooking oil for each cooking session may be estimated and the estimated results may be added to the total amount of cooking oil.

[0056] Then, the processor 11 stores the estimated amount of cooking oil or the total amount of cooking oil in the storage device in association with the time period during which the cooking was performed (i.e., the time period during which the food was cooked), and specifically, stores the recording data shown in Figure 3 in the storage device (S012). When the above series of steps are completed, the oil amount estimation flow for cooking performed in one time period in one day is completed. Then, when cooking is performed in a different time period or on a different date, the oil amount estimation flow is performed in the above manner each time.

[0057] [Effectiveness of this embodiment] In this embodiment, as described above, the amount of cooking oil is estimated based on the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil, and the degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid due to the addition of ingredients into the cooking utensil. This makes it easier to estimate the amount of cooking oil in this embodiment. As a result, the user can more easily obtain information necessary for dietary management.

[0058] In addition, in this embodiment, the amount of cooking oil is estimated by estimating the cooking method of the cooked food and identifying the amount of oil corresponding to the cooking method. This allows the user to obtain information regarding the method by which the cooked food was consumed (eaten). As a result, rather than simply managing the amount of cooking oil, the estimated amount of cooking oil can be understood as the amount of oil in the cooked food (amount of oil derived from cooking) by what method, and based on this, the user can improve or review their diet.

[0059] <<Other embodiments>> Although one embodiment of the estimation device and estimation method of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the present invention naturally includes its equivalents.

[0060] In the above embodiment, temperature information indicating the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and the degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid due to the addition of ingredients into the cooking utensil is acquired, and the amount of cooking oil is estimated based on the temperature information. However, this is not limited to this, and the acquired temperature information may be information indicating at least one of the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking, the temperature of the liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and the degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid due to the addition of ingredients. For example, temperature information indicating the temperature of the cooking utensil during cooking and the degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil due to the addition of ingredients may be acquired, and the amount of cooking oil may be estimated based on the temperature information.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the estimation device of the present invention is configured by an in-home terminal (computer) installed in a house where a user lives. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the estimation device of the present invention may be configured by a computer that can be indirectly used by a user, for example, a server computer. Here, the server computer constituting the estimation device of the present invention may be, for example, a server computer for cloud services, specifically, a server computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, when necessary information is input at a client terminal, the above server computer performs various processes (calculations) based on the input information, and the calculation results are output on the client terminal side. In other words, the functions of the server computer constituting the estimation device of the present invention can be used on the client terminal side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Estimation device 11 Processors 12. Memory 13. Storage 14 Communication Interface 15 Input Devices 16 Output Devices 21 Detection unit 22 Acquisition Department 23 Specific section 24 Estimation part 25 Memory section 26 Management Department 27 Output section 30 Temperature Sensor 31 Pyroelectric sensor 32 Stove Sensor K stove R Cooking Utensils

Claims

1. An estimation device for estimating an amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food, the estimation device comprising: The processor, Acquire temperature information indicating at least one of a temperature of a cooking utensil during cooking, a temperature of a liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and a degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid due to the introduction of ingredients into the cooking utensil; An estimation device that estimates the oil amount based on the acquired temperature information.

2. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor estimates the amount of oil based on the temperature information acquired after a change in the cooking area associated with the start of cooking the food is detected.

3. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein when cooking is performed in a plurality of areas of a kitchen, the processor estimates the amount of oil for each of the areas and calculates a total value of the amount of oil for each of the areas.

4. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor receives an output signal from a temperature sensor installed above the cooking utensil in a cooking area, and obtains the temperature information based on the output signal.

5. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor stores the estimation result of the amount of oil in a storage device in association with a time period during which the food was cooked.

6. The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor estimates a cooking method of the food based on the acquired temperature information, and estimates the amount of oil by identifying an amount of oil corresponding to the estimated cooking method.

7. The processor, obtaining the temperature information indicative of the temperature of the cooking utensil and the temperature of the liquid; if the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid is less than a predetermined value, then the amount of oil is estimated to be a first amount of oil; When the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the temperature information indicating the degree of change is acquired; When the degree of change is equal to or smaller than a predetermined magnitude, the oil amount is estimated to be a second oil amount, The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein when the degree of change exceeds the predetermined magnitude, the oil amount is estimated to be a third oil amount.

8. A method for estimating an amount of cooking-derived oil contained in a cooked food, comprising: obtaining temperature information indicating at least one of a temperature of a cooking utensil during cooking, a temperature of a liquid in the cooking utensil during cooking, and a degree of change in the temperature of the cooking utensil or the temperature of the liquid due to the introduction of ingredients into the cooking utensil; A method for estimating the oil amount based on the acquired temperature information by a processor.

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