Heating cooker

Abstract

To improve precision of a cooking condition for a cooking object without the use of a physical device for detecting the position of a cooking container.SOLUTION: A heating cooker 10 comprises: a main body 11; a cooking chamber (a grill chamber 22) which is housed inside the main body 11; a heating element (a heater 26) which heats a cooking object inside the cooking chamber; imaging means (a camera 18) which is disposed on the inside of the main body, i.e., the lateral surface of the cooking chamber, so as to capture an image of the cooking object; a cover glass 18h which is provided on the lateral surface of the cooking chamber so as to protect the imaging means; and a control part 70 which sets the cooking condition for the cooking object on the basis of image information on the captured image thus captured by the imaging means. The control part changes the magnification of the captured image depending on the type of a cooking container on which the cooking object is placed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device. [Background technology]

[0002] Among cooking appliances, there is a device called an "IH cooking heater." In addition to a heating coil that performs electromagnetic induction heating, an IH cooking heater has a grill unit that performs cooking using a heater or the like as a heat source. Incidentally, some microwave ovens, which are one type of cooking appliance, have a weight sensor installed at the bottom of the cooking chamber, which detects the weight of ingredients and automatically adjusts the heating time according to the weight of the ingredients. It is desirable for an IH cooking heater to detect the weight of ingredients and automatically adjust the heating time according to the weight of the ingredients, just like a microwave oven. However, an IH cooking heater has a problem that this is difficult to do for the following reasons. For example, an IH cooking heater is installed at a lower position in the kitchen than a microwave oven, so the height of the grill chamber (cooking chamber) is lower than that of a microwave oven. In addition, the grill unit of an IH cooking heater is structured to move cooking containers, such as corrugated plates and flat plates, stored in the grill chamber (cooking chamber) in parallel back and forth to make it easier to remove them. Unlike microwave ovens, it is difficult to install a weight sensor at the bottom of the grill (cooking) chamber of such an IH cooking heater, and therefore, unlike microwave ovens, IH cooking heaters cannot detect the weight of ingredients and automatically adjust the heating time according to the weight of the ingredients.

[0003] Therefore, attempts have been made to install a camera inside the grill chamber, recognize the size of the food inside the grill chamber from the image information of the image captured by the camera, and set the cooking time based on the size of the food (see, for example, Patent Document 1).The conventional cooking device (IH cooking heater) described in Patent Document 1 determines the area of ​​the food from the image captured by the camera by determining the distance from the camera to the food by controlling the position of a top plate placed inside the grill chamber by on / off control of a limit switch, corrects the area of ​​the food according to the distance, and performs cooking based on the corrected area value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-240446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional cooking device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to determine the distance from the camera to the food by controlling the on / off of a limit switch. In other words, the conventional cooking device is configured to use a physical device to detect the position of the cooking container. Therefore, in the conventional cooking device, a gap is formed between the movable part of the limit switch and the inner wall of the grill chamber, and smoke and oil may enter the inside of the main body through the gap during cooking, causing a malfunction. In addition, in the conventional cooking device, hot air escapes from the gap to the outside of the grill chamber, which may increase the cooking time.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable for conventional cooking devices to improve the accuracy of the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked without using a physical device for detecting the position of the cooking container, as described below.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main object is to provide a heating cooker that improves the accuracy of the cooking conditions for the food being cooked without using a physical device to detect the position of the cooking container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a heating cooker comprising a main body, a cooking chamber contained within the main body, a heating element for heating the food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber, an imaging means arranged inside the main body and on a side of the cooking chamber for imaging the food to be cooked, a cover glass provided on the side of the cooking chamber for protecting the imaging means, and a control unit for setting cooking conditions for the food to be cooked based on image information of the image captured by the imaging means, and the control unit is configured to change the magnification of the image depending on the type of cooking container in which the food to be cooked is placed. Other means will be described later. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the accuracy of cooking conditions for food to be cooked can be improved without using a physical device for detecting the position of a cooking vessel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a system kitchen incorporating a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cooking device at the center. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a camera mounted on the cooking appliance. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a camera mounted on the cooking appliance. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a cooking appliance and a mobile terminal (external device). [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking device of a comparative example during grill cooking (heat cooking). [Figure 7]4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking device according to the embodiment during grill cooking (heat cooking). [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a method for recognizing an ingredient region. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an ingredient region of each ingredient. [Figure 10A] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram (1) of a method for determining the doneness of food ingredients. [Figure 10B] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (2) of a method for determining the doneness of food ingredients. [Figure 10C] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a method for determining the doneness of food ingredients. [Figure 10D] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for determining the doneness of food ingredients. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing another operation during grill cooking (heat cooking) of the cooking device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a method for determining the degree of dirt buildup inside the grill chamber (cooking chamber). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to only the illustrated examples. In addition, in each drawing, common or similar components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0012] This embodiment is also intended to provide a cooking device that can solve the following problems. For example, the cooking device performs grill cooking by specifying a cooking container such as a wavy plate or a flat plate through a menu operation. The height of the bottom surface of the cooking container varies depending on the type (shape). Therefore, the distance from the camera to the food placed in the cooking container varies depending on the type of cooking container. However, since conventional cooking devices do not support such changes in distance, there is a problem that correction errors are likely to occur when setting cooking conditions for the food to be cooked. This embodiment is also intended to provide a cooking device that reduces the occurrence of correction errors when setting cooking conditions for the food to be cooked.

[0013] <Configuration of cooking device> Hereinafter, the configuration of the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Note that in the present embodiment, a built-in type IH cooking heater, which is an induction cooking device, will be described as an example of the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment, but the cooking device 10 may be a free-standing type IH cooking heater or other types of cooking devices as long as it has a built-in grill unit.

[0014] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a system kitchen incorporating a cooking device 10 according to this embodiment. The cooking device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a built-in type IH cooking heater incorporated in a system kitchen, and is equipped with a grill unit 20 on the left side of the front. The grill unit 20 is also sometimes called a roaster or an oven.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a top plate 12 made of a material with high heat resistance, such as crystallized glass, is placed on the upper surface of a main body 11 of a cooking device 10. Pot placement sections 13a, 13b, and 13c are provided on the upper surface of the top plate 12. Hereinafter, the pot placement sections 13a, 13b, and 13c may be collectively referred to as the "pot placement section 13". The pot placement section 13 indicates the placement location of an object to be heated, such as a pot. Heating coils 14a, 14b, and 14c are provided below each of the pot placement sections 13. Hereinafter, the heating coils 14a, 14b, and 14c may be collectively referred to as the "heating coil 14". The heating coil 14 applies a high-frequency current output from an inverter circuit to generate a high-frequency magnetic field, which inductively heats the object to be heated placed on the pot placement section 13. An upper surface operation section 15 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the top plate 12. The upper operation section 15 has upper operation keys 15a for selecting and setting menus related to the pot mounting section 13, and an upper display section 15b for displaying these. Upper exhaust ports H2 are provided on the left and right sides at the back of the upper surface. The upper exhaust ports H2 function as an outlet for the air passage.

[0016] Furthermore, a grill unit 20 for grilling food is provided on the left front side of the main body 11. The grill unit 20 includes a box-shaped grill chamber 22 (cooking chamber) for storing cooking containers 23 (FIG. 2) on which food is placed and for heating the food. The grill chamber 22 can be pulled out forward by pulling a handle provided on the door 21.

[0017] A front operation unit 17 is provided on the right front side of main body 11. Front operation unit 17 includes front operation keys 17a mainly for selecting and setting the menu of grill unit 20, and a front display unit 17b for displaying information related thereto. A power switch 17c for turning on and off the power of grill unit 20 is provided above front operation unit 17.

[0018] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cooking device 10 at the center. As shown in FIG. 2, an intake opening H1 for taking in air from the outside is provided on the rear side of the main body 11. The air taken in from the outside (cooling air) flows over the control unit 70 provided inside the main body 11 and flows toward the heating coils 14a, 14b, and 14c downstream. The control unit 70 is a component that controls various operations of the cooking device 10. The air that has flowed over the control unit 70 cools the heating coils 14a, 14b, and 14c as cooling air, and then proceeds toward the upper exhaust port H2 at the rear of the main body 11 and is discharged to the outside from the upper exhaust port H2.

[0019] The grill unit 20 includes an upper heater 26a below the top surface 22b of the grill chamber 22 (cooking chamber) as a heating element for heating the food (food to be cooked) placed in the cooking container 23, and a lower heater 26b at the bottom of the grill chamber 22. The upper heater 26a is an upper heating element provided on the upper side of the grill chamber 22, and the lower heater 26b is a lower heating element provided on the lower side of the grill chamber 22. Hereinafter, the upper heater 26a and the lower heater 26b may be collectively referred to as "heater 26". In this embodiment, a sheath heater is used as the heater 26, but an electric heater or a gas heater may be used as the heater 26 as long as a heating temperature (for example, 580°C or higher) sufficient to heat the food to be cooked can be ensured. A flat heater such as a mica heater may also be used.

[0020] Further, a front air intake 16a is provided at the lower rear of the door 21 to supply outside air to the grill chamber 22. The air supplied from the front air intake 16a into the grill chamber 22 passes through the ventilation passage 16c and the connecting air passage 16d in this order, enters the exhaust duct 16e, and is exhausted from the upper exhaust port H2 together with the exhaust air passing through the relay duct 16f.

[0021] A camera 18 is provided on a side surface 22d of the grill chamber 22 (cooking chamber) for monitoring the doneness of ingredients stored in the grill chamber 22. The camera 18 is an imaging means for imaging the cooking state of ingredients in the cooking container 23. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the camera 18 is installed on the side surface 22d of the grill chamber 22 at a position higher than the upper end of the cooking container 23, with the imaging direction facing downward. The cooking appliance 10 also includes an image processing board 19 inside the main body 11 for processing the captured image captured by the camera 18.

[0022] Cooking appliance 10 may include an exhaust fan 57 in exhaust duct 16e. Exhaust fan 57 is connected to a motor 54 that drives it. Motor 54 is installed below relay duct 16f. Motor 54 drives when grill unit 20 is turned on with power switch 17c, and stops when power is turned off. In this manner, grill unit 20 can efficiently exhaust air that has been deodorized and desmoked by upper heater 26a and an air purification catalyst (not shown) from upper exhaust port H2 through exhaust duct 16e.

[0023] If an exhaust fan 57 is provided to forcibly exhaust the air from within the grill chamber 22, it is desirable to increase the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 57 and forcibly exhaust the air from within the grill chamber 22 before capturing an image with the camera 18. This is because it is possible to capture a clear image with steam and smoke removed from within the grill chamber 22.

[0024] <Camera 18> Next, a configuration example of the camera 18 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the camera 18 mounted on the cooking appliance 10. Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of the camera 18.

[0025] 3, a window 100 is provided on a side surface 22d of the grill chamber 22 of the cooking device 10, and a camera 18 is disposed behind the window 100. The window 100 has a transparent cover glass 18h. The cover glass 18h is a transparent window member that allows reflected light from the food to pass through to the camera 18 (imaging means).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the camera 18 has a lens unit 18a, a camera board 18b, a board case 18c, a shielding material 18d, an insulating case 18e, an LED 18f, a partition plate 18g, and a cover glass 18h. The lens unit 18a is a component that collects reflected light from the food to be cooked, and is arranged so that the imaging direction faces the grill chamber 22. The camera board 18b is an imaging board equipped with an imaging element (not shown) and an image processing circuit (not shown). The camera board 18b is arranged so that the surface on which the lens unit 18a is provided faces diagonally downward so that the imaging direction of the lens unit 18a faces the grill chamber 22. The board case 18c is a lower case arranged below the camera board 18b arranged diagonally downward, and is made of a resin material to hold and insulate the camera board 18b. The shielding material 18d is a member for reducing noise from the heating coil 14, the inverter circuit, etc., and is made of a metal material (aluminum plate, aluminum seal, etc.). The insulating case 18e is an upper case arranged above the camera board 18b arranged diagonally downward, and is made of a resin material to hold and insulate the metallic shielding material 18d. The LED 18f is a lighting device that irradiates light toward the grill chamber 22. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the two LEDs 18f are mounted on the camera board 18b so as to be arranged on both sides of the lens unit 18a. The partition plate 18g is a member that prevents the light irradiated from the LED 18f from directly entering the lens unit 18a, and is arranged between the LED 18f and the lens unit 18a.

[0027] 4, the cover glass 18h is a transparent window member that transmits light and protects the LEDs 18f and the lens portion 18a. The cover glass 18h has a first window portion 101 that transmits the light reflected from the food to the lens portion 18a and a second window portion 102 that transmits the light emitted from the LEDs 18f to the grill chamber 22.

[0028] <How to display image data from camera 18> Next, a method of displaying the image data captured by the camera 18 in the cooking device 10 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the cooking device 10 and the mobile terminal 30 (external device). The cooking device 10 can display the image data captured by the camera 18 on the front display unit 17b or on the mobile terminal 30 such as a smartphone. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cooking device 10 is configured such that the image processing unit 19a that processes a signal output from the camera board 18b mounted on the camera 18 to generate image data, and the wireless communication unit 19b that transmits the generated image data to the mobile terminal 30 are provided on the image processing board 19. Although not shown, the camera 18 and the image processing board 19 are connected by a power cable, and power is supplied from the image processing board 19 to the camera 18.

[0029] The mobile terminal 30 acquires the image data of the camera 18 via the wireless communication unit 31, and displays the image data on an image display unit 32 such as a liquid crystal display. This allows the user of the cooking device 10 to check the cooking state of the ingredients in the grill unit 20 via his or her own mobile terminal 30.

[0030] In addition, although Fig. 5 illustrates a configuration in which imaging data is directly transmitted from the cooking appliance 10 to the mobile terminal 30, the same data may be transmitted via a server (not shown). In this case, the cooking appliance 10 transmits imaging data to the server, and the mobile terminal 30 acquires the imaging data from the server. In addition, in Fig. 5, a configuration in which imaging data of the camera 18 is displayed on the mobile terminal 30 is illustrated, but the cooking appliance 10 may also be configured to display the imaging data of the camera 18 on a display device built into the cooking appliance 10. For example, the cooking appliance 10 may be configured to display the imaging data of the camera 18 on the upper display section 15b of the upper operation section 15 or the front display section 17b of the front operation section 17.

[0031] The image processing board 19 may output image information of the captured image taken by the camera 18 to the front display unit 17b for display. In this embodiment, the image processing board 19 outputs the image information of the captured image to the control unit 70. As a result, the control unit 70 analyzes the amount of food to be cooked, etc. based on the image information of the captured image, and automatically sets cooking conditions such as heat and heating time according to the amount of food. The control unit 70 drives the heater 26 under the set cooking conditions.

[0032] The control unit 70 also instructs the image processing unit 19a of the image processing board 19 to change the magnification of the captured image depending on the type of cooking vessel 23 (FIG. 2) on which the food to be cooked is placed. At this time, the control unit 70 instructs the image processing unit 19a of the image processing board 19 to fix the magnification of the captured image when the type of cooking vessel 23 is a corrugated plate, and to increase the magnification of the captured image when the type of cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate. The type of cooking vessel 23 is determined based on a user's specification through a menu operation.

[0033] Furthermore, the control unit 70 can drive not only the heater 26 but also the heating coil 14. Furthermore, the control unit 70 can output any information to the front display unit 17b and the top display unit 15b to display it.

[0034] <Operation of cooking device> The operation of the cooking device 10 will be described below. The cooking device 10 according to this embodiment automatically sets cooking conditions such as heat and heating time based on image information of an image captured by the camera 18. Here, in order to easily explain the operation of the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment, first the operation of a comparative cooking device (not shown) will be described using FIG. 6, and then the operation of the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment will be described using FIG. 7.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of a comparative cooking device during grill cooking (heat cooking). Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment during grill cooking (heat cooking). The operation of the comparative cooking device (not shown) shown in Fig. 6 is an operation that does not use captured images. On the other hand, the operation of the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment shown in Fig. 7 is an operation that uses captured images. The operations in the flow charts shown in Figs. 6 and 7 include the user's actions.

[0036] In the comparative example shown in FIG. 6, the instruction manual of the cooking device describes the approximate weight of ingredients to be used for automatic cooking, and the user prepares ingredients close to the approximate weight and operates the menu. At this time, the user selects a menu and presses the start button. When the weight of the ingredients to be cooked is large or small, the user sets the heat at his / her own discretion. Even if the ingredients are close to the approximate weight, when the ingredients are fish, the browning of the surface varies depending on the size and fat of the fish, the temperature of the fish, the amount of salt sprinkled on the fish, and the like. Therefore, ultimately, the user looks at the browning after cooking and decides whether additional grilling is necessary, and if additional grilling is necessary, manually sets the heating time to perform additional grilling. The comparative example shown in FIG. 6 is designed to accommodate such user operations.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, in the comparative example, first, when a user turns on the power of the cooking device, a control unit (not shown) of the cooking device of the comparative example detects this (step S105). Next, when the user manually selects an arbitrary menu through menu operation, the control unit detects this (step S110). Here, a case will be described in which the user selects grill cooking and the type of cooking container 23 through menu operation. After step S110, the control unit determines whether or not the user has selected a heat value (step S115).

[0038] If it is determined in step S115 that the user has selected a heating power (if "Yes"), the control unit stores the selected heating power value in a memory unit (not shown) to set the heating power (step S120), and drives the heater 26 at the selected heating power value to start grill heating (step S125). In this case, the cooking device performs grill heating at the set heating power value. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S115 that the user has not selected a heating power (if "No"), the control unit drives the heater 26 at the default heating power value previously stored in the memory unit (not shown) to start grill heating (step S125).

[0039] After step S125, when the heating time ends (step S130), the control unit stops the heater 26 to stop grill heating (step S135). After step S135, the user visually checks the doneness of the food ingredients (step S140) and determines whether the food ingredients are insufficiently heated (step S145).

[0040] If the user determines in step S145 that the heating is insufficient (if "Yes"), the user manually sets the heating time and instructs the cooking device to perform additional grill heating, and the control unit drives the heater 26 in accordance with the instruction to perform additional grill heating (step S150). Then, when the set heating time has elapsed, the control unit stops the heater 26 to stop the grill heating (step S155). On the other hand, if the user determines in step S145 that the heating is not insufficient (if "No"), the control unit stops the heater 26 to stop the grill heating (step S155). This causes the cooking device of the comparative example (not shown) to end the series of routine operations shown in FIG. 6.

[0041] In contrast to the operation of the cooking device (not shown) of the comparative example shown in FIG. 6, the operation of the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment is as shown in FIG.

[0042] In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the type of cooking vessel 23 (flat plate or wavy plate) used for grill cooking is determined for each menu selected by menu operation. Cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment corrects the captured image by changing (switching) the magnification of the captured image captured by camera 18 in image processing unit 19a (FIG. 5) according to the type of cooking vessel 23. Cooking device 10 then outputs the captured image or screen information of the captured image from image processing unit 19a (FIG. 5) to control unit 70 (FIG. 5). Control unit 70 recognizes the food area (area or volume) based on the image information, and estimates the approximate amount of food based on the food area (area or volume).

[0043] Specifically, since the inside of the grill chamber and the cooking vessel 23 are painted with black paint, the control unit 70 judges the non-black area of ​​the captured image captured by the camera 18 as the food area. The bottom surface of the flat plate is lower than that of the wavy plate, is farther from the camera 18, and appears small, so the control unit 70 may mistakenly recognize the food placed on the flat plate as a small food. To prevent this, when the cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate, the magnification of the captured image is increased and the captured image is corrected so that the size of the food placed on the flat plate is equivalent to the size of the food placed on the wavy plate. Then, the control unit 70 automatically sets cooking conditions such as heat and heating time according to the recognized food area and starts grill heating. During grill heating, the cooking device 10 displays the captured image captured by the camera 18 on an operation unit (for example, the front display unit 17b of the front operation unit 17 or the image display unit 32 of the mobile terminal 30, etc.) so that the user can see the change in the degree of doneness of the food. Then, at the end of the heating time, the control unit 70 judges the doneness of the ingredients based on the color ratio of the ingredients, determines whether additional grilling is necessary, and if additional grilling is necessary, automatically sets the heating time to perform additional grilling. The present embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is adapted to such user operations.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, first, when a user turns on the power of the cooking appliance, the control unit 70 (FIG. 5) of the cooking appliance 10 according to this embodiment detects this (step S105).

[0045] After step S105, the control unit 70 activates the camera 18 and the LED 18f (step S106) and acquires image information of the captured image (step S107). Then, the control unit 70 displays the captured image or image information of the captured image (for example, the black and white converted image shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, the image of the food area shown in FIG. 8, or others) on the operation unit (for example, the front display unit 17b of the front operation unit 17 or the image display unit 32 of the mobile terminal 30, etc.) (step S108). If the color of the food or the cooking vessel inside the grill chamber 22 cannot be accurately determined due to the influence of the light from the heater 26 or the performance of the camera, the image captured by the camera 18 is displayed on the operation unit after the color ratio is corrected. For example, if the RGB ratio in the image captured by the camera when cooking starts (cooking time 0 seconds) is different from the ratio stored in the storage unit in advance (for example, if the RGB ratio is significantly biased toward R), the control unit corrects the RGB ratio of the captured image before displaying it on the operation unit. The RGB ratio is stored in the storage unit in a predetermined state for each cooking menu.

[0046] Next, when the user manually selects an arbitrary menu through menu operation, the control unit 70 detects this (step S110). Here, it is assumed that the user selects grill cooking and the type of cooking container 23 through menu operation. After step S110, the control unit 70 determines whether the user has selected a menu that uses a flat plate as the type of cooking container 23 (step S116). In step S110, the control unit may analyze the image captured by the camera, allowing automatic selection of a cooking menu.

[0047] If it is determined in step S116 that the user has selected a menu that uses a flat plate as the type of cooking vessel 23 (if "Yes"), the control unit 70 changes (switches / corrects image magnification) the magnification of the captured image according to the type of cooking vessel 23 (step S117) and acquires image information of the captured image (step S118). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S116 that the user has not selected a menu that uses a flat plate as the type of cooking vessel 23 (if "No"), the control unit 70 acquires image information of the captured image (step S118) without going through the process of step S117 (i.e., without changing (correcting) the magnification of the captured image).

[0048] In the process of step S117, a flat plate has a deeper bottom than a wavy plate. With such a flat plate, the distance from camera 18 to the food to be cooked (ingredients) is greater than with a wavy plate. Therefore, when cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate, the size of the food to be cooked shown in the captured image is smaller than when cooking vessel 23 is a wavy plate. Therefore, when cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate, control unit 70 changes (switches) the magnification of the captured image to increase, thereby increasing the size of the food to be cooked. This makes it easier for control unit 70 to analyze the captured image.

[0049] Supplementing the process of step S117, the wavy plate has a wavy bottom and is a raised bottom. Therefore, the wavy plate has a shallower bottom than the flat plate. The distance between the camera 18 and the food to be cooked is closer in such a wavy plate than in the flat plate. Therefore, when the type of the cooking vessel 23 is a wavy plate, the size of the food to be cooked shown in the captured image is larger than when the type of the cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate. When performing image analysis of the food to be cooked, it is easier to analyze the food to be cooked that is larger in size shown in the captured image. In other words, when performing image analysis of the food to be cooked, it is preferable to analyze the food to be cooked that is smaller in size in accordance with the food to be cooked that is larger in size. Therefore, image analysis of the food to be cooked can be performed well by using the captured image of the wavy plate, in which the size of the food to be cooked is larger, as a reference image with a fixed magnification, and the captured image of the flat plate, in which the size of the food to be cooked is smaller, as a variable image with an increased magnification. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 70 fixes the magnification of the captured image when the type of cooking container 23 is a corrugated plate, while increasing (correcting) the magnification of the captured image to increase the size of the food being cooked when the type of cooking container 23 is a flat plate.

[0050] After step S118, the control unit 70 recognizes the food material region (step S119). The recognition of the food material region will be described later with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.

[0051] After step S119, the control unit 70 analyzes the amount of ingredients (area or volume) based on the recognized ingredient area, and automatically sets cooking conditions such as heat and heating time corresponding to the analyzed ingredient amount (step S121). The cooking conditions are set by storing cooking conditions such as heat and heating time corresponding to the ingredient amount in a storage unit (not shown).

[0052] After step S121, the control unit 70 drives the heater 26 with the heating power and heating time of the set values ​​to start grill heating (step S125).

[0053] After step S125, when the heating time ends (step S130), the control unit 70 analyzes the color ratio of the surface of the food material (step S136) and judges the doneness of the food material based on the analyzed color ratio of the surface of the food material (step S141). The doneness judgment of the food material will be described later with reference to Figures 10A to 10D.

[0054] After step S141, the control unit 70 determines whether additional heating is necessary based on the doneness of the ingredients (step S146). If it is determined in step S146 that additional heating is necessary (if "Yes"), the control unit 70 automatically sets the heating time and performs additional grill heating (step S151). Then, when the set heating time has elapsed, the control unit 70 stops the heater 26 to stop the grill heating (step S155). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S146 that additional heating is not necessary (if "No"), the control unit 70 stops the heater 26 to stop the grill heating (step S155).

[0055] After step S155, the control unit 70 ends the display of the captured image or image information of the captured image on the operation unit (step S160). As a result, the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment ends the series of operations of the routine shown in FIG.

[0056] <Recognition of food ingredients> Hereinafter, the recognition of the ingredient region will be described with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a method for recognizing an ingredient region. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the ingredient region of each ingredient.

[0057] In the example shown in Fig. 8, first, the control unit 70 converts the captured image to black and white (or grayscale) when recognizing the food material area. The grill chamber interior and cooking container 23 are painted black. Therefore, the control unit 70 determines the area other than black in the captured image as the food material area. The control unit 70 determines the amount of food from the size of the food material area (area or volume).

[0058] The food area can be set for various food ingredients. In Fig. 9, examples of food ingredients are shown as "Pacific saury", "grilled with bait", "pizza" and "chicken".

[0059] <Judging the doneness of ingredients> The analysis of the color ratio of the surface of the food material will be described below with reference to Figures 10A to 10D. Figures 10A to 10D are explanatory diagrams of a method for determining the doneness of a food material.

[0060] The doneness of ingredients is judged by storing (saving) the captured image of the ingredients before cooking and the RGB values ​​(red, green, blue values) of the colors at any position in the captured image as initial values ​​in a memory unit (not shown), and recognizing how much the RGB values ​​have changed from before cooking during cooking. The rate of change for an ingredient's finished quality to pass is determined for each menu item, and if the rate of change in the RGB values ​​of the ingredient exceeds that value (the rate of change for pass), the control unit 70 judges it to pass.

[0061] FIG. 10A is a table showing, as an example, captured images of toast as an ingredient for each cooking time from 0 seconds to 600 seconds, as well as the R value (red value), G value (green value), and B value (blue value) at any position in each captured image.

[0062] In the captured images in Fig. 10A where the cooking time is 0 seconds, the circled areas indicate the positions where the RGB values ​​are detected. Also, in Fig. 10A, captured image example T10 is the area where the rate of change in the RGB values ​​of the ingredients exceeds the pass rate (same below). Captured image example T20 is the area after captured image example T10 where the rate of change in the RGB values ​​of the ingredients falls below the pass rate (same below).

[0063] Fig. 10B is a graph showing the relationship between the cooking time and the RGB values ​​shown in Fig. 10A. In Fig. 10B, the arrows indicate the magnitude of the rate of change in the RGB values ​​of the ingredients (the average rate of change in the RGB values). FIG. 10C is a graph showing the relationship between cooking time and RGB ratio. FIG. 10D is a graph showing the relationship between cooking time and the rate of change of the RGB ratio.

[0064] 10A to 10D, the control unit 70 finally analyzes the relationship between the cooking time and the rate of change of the RGB ratio (FIG. 10D), and judges the doneness of the food ingredient based on the relationship between the cooking time and the rate of change of the RGB ratio (FIG. 10D). In other words, the control unit 70 judges the food ingredient as pass if the rate of change of the RGB value of the food ingredient exceeds the value (the pass rate of change) based on the relationship between the cooking time and the rate of change of the RGB ratio (FIG. 10D).

[0065] In such a cooking device 10, the cooking container 23 to be used is specified when the menu is selected, so the magnification of the captured image is changed only when the selected menu uses a flat plate. This allows the cooking device 10 to correct the image information without increasing the user's unnecessary operations. Unlike conventional cooking devices, such a cooking device 10 can avoid installing a physical device for detecting the position of the cooking container 23, such as a limit switch, inside the grill chamber 22. Therefore, unlike conventional cooking devices, the cooking device 10 can prevent smoke and oil from entering the inside of the main body during cooking through a gap formed between the movable part of the limit switch and the inner wall of the grill chamber. Also, unlike conventional cooking devices, the cooking device 10 can prevent hot air from escaping to the outside of the grill chamber through a gap formed between the movable part of the limit switch and the inner wall of the grill chamber.

[0066] Cooking device 10 also identifies the type of cooking container 23 from the menu selected by the user, recognizes the food area based on the type of cooking container 23 and the image captured by camera 18, and further recognizes the amount of food based on the food area. Unlike conventional cooking devices, cooking device 10 can automate the setting of cooking conditions such as heat and cooking time according to the amount of food, and can automate the determination of the doneness of food during cooking. Therefore, unlike conventional cooking devices, cooking device 10 can automate processes such as heat setting and additional baking that were previously performed by the user, eliminating the need for user operation, improving the convenience of the device, and automating processes that previously relied on the user's experience.

[0067] Cooking device 10 can also determine the degree of doneness of ingredients from the change in color of the ingredients captured in the image captured by camera 18, and automatically provide additional grill heating if the ingredients are not sufficiently heated.

[0068] <Example of changing the operation of a cooking device> The operation of the cooking device 10 shown in Fig. 7 can be modified, for example, as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing another operation during grill cooking (cooking) of the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 11, the modified example is different from the operation shown in FIG. 7 in that processes of steps S205 to S240 are added between steps S108 and S110.

[0070] In the processes of steps S205 to S240, the control unit 70 determines whether cleaning is necessary based on the degree of adhesion of dirt 201 (FIG. 12) inside the grill chamber 22, and notifies the user if cleaning is necessary.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 11, after step S108, the control unit 70 determines (step S205) the degree of adhesion of dirt 201 (Fig. 12) inside the grill chamber 22. The determination of the degree of adhesion of dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22 will be described later with reference to Fig. 12.

[0072] After step S205, the control unit 70 judges whether or not cleaning of the inside of the grill chamber 22 is necessary based on the determined adhesion state of the dirt 201 (step S210). If it is determined in step S210 that cleaning is necessary (if "Yes"), the control unit 70 displays the fact that cleaning is necessary on the menu screen displayed on the front display unit 17b of the front operation unit 17 (step S215). The screen displayed at this time includes a selection button for allowing the user to select whether or not to perform cleaning processing. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S210 that cleaning is not necessary (if "No"), the process proceeds to step S110 without going through the process of step S215 (i.e., without displaying the fact that cleaning is necessary on the menu screen).

[0073] After step S105, the control unit 70 judges whether or not the user has selected to perform the cleaning process with the selection button displayed in step S215 (step S220). If it is judged in step S220 that the user has selected to perform the cleaning process (if "Yes"), the control unit 70 activates the camera 18 and the LED 18f (step S225) and acquires image information of the captured image (step S230). Then, the control unit 70 displays the captured image or the image information of the captured image on the operation unit (step S235). This makes it easier for the cooking device 10 to check the dirt 201 on the grill chamber 22 when cleaning the grill chamber 22. On the other hand, if it is judged in step S220 that the user has not selected to perform the cleaning process (if "No"), the process proceeds to step S110 without passing through the processes after step S215.

[0074] After step S235, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the cleaning is completed (step S240). If it is determined in step S220 that the cleaning is not completed ("No"), the process returns to step S230. <Determining the degree of dirt inside the grill> Hereinafter, the determination of the degree of adhesion of dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a method for determining the degree of adhesion of dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22.

[0075] The degree of adhesion of the dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22 is determined as follows. As shown in FIG. 12, first, the control unit 70 performs brightness conversion on the captured image of the grill chamber 22 before cooking, which is captured as a reference image, and stores (preserves) the converted image of the reference image in a storage unit (not shown). Next, the control unit 70 performs brightness conversion on the captured image of the grill chamber 22 after cooking, which is captured as an acquired image, and stores (preserves) the converted image of the acquired image in a storage unit (not shown). Next, the control unit 70 calculates the difference between the converted image of the acquired image and the converted image of the reference image, and identifies the location of the dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22 based on the difference result. The control unit 70 determines that cleaning is necessary when the size of a single or entire dirt 201 exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

[0076] Regarding the method of judging the degree of dirt 201 inside the grill chamber 22, the cooking device 10 records a captured image of the inside of the grill chamber 22 before cooking, and compares it with a captured image of the inside of the grill chamber 22 after cooking. The dirt 201 after cooking is mainly splattered oil, and appears whitish in the captured image. To judge this, the control unit 70 divides the captured image into several cells and converts the brightness of the cells into a numerical value. The control unit 70 compares the converted numerical values ​​before and after cooking, and if the difference becomes larger than a certain amount, a message is displayed on the operation unit indicating that cleaning is necessary.

[0077] During cleaning, the LED 18f is turned on to illuminate the inside of the grill chamber 22, making it easier to see the dirt 201. The LED 18f may be turned on by operating the front operation unit 17. However, if the temperature inside the grill chamber 22 is high after cooking, the LED 18f is not turned on. In this regard, in conventional cooking devices, when the temperature inside the grill chamber 22 is high, a high temperature warning is displayed on the display unit to alert the user. However, the cooking device 10 can more actively alert the user not to come into contact with the inside of the grill chamber 22 by not turning on the LED 18f when the temperature inside the grill chamber 22 is high.

[0078] 7, the control unit 70 has been described as activating the camera 18 and the LED 18f after detecting power-on in step S105, as an example. However, the camera 18 and the LED 18f can be activated at any timing.

[0079] 11, the control unit 70 displays a message indicating that cleaning is required in step S215 when the user presses the button for specifying grill cooking through a menu operation. However, this message can be displayed at any time.

[0080] 11, as an example, when it is determined in step S220 that cleaning is selected (in the case of "Yes"), the control unit 70 immediately performs the processes of steps S225 to 240. However, the processes of steps S225 to 240 may be performed when the user presses the button for specifying grill cooking in the next or subsequent menu operation. Moreover, the processes of steps S225 to 240 may be performed after step S155 and after the temperature inside the grill chamber 22 has sufficiently decreased.

[0081] <Main features of the cooking device> (1) As shown in Fig. 2, the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment includes a main body 11, a grill chamber 22 (cooking chamber) housed inside the main body 11, a heater 26 (heating element) for heating the food (ingredients) inside the grill chamber 22, a camera 18 (imaging means) arranged inside the main body 11 and on a side of the grill chamber 22 for capturing images of the food, a cover glass 18h provided on the side of the grill chamber 22 for protecting the camera 18, and a control unit 70 for setting cooking conditions for the food based on image information of the captured image captured by the camera 18. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 70 changes the magnification of the captured image according to the type of cooking vessel 23 in which the food is placed (step S117).

[0082] The cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment has a heater 26 (heat generating element) for heating the cooking container 23 on which the food to be cooked (foodstuff) is placed or placed, and a camera 18 (imaging means) is installed across a cover glass 18h provided on the side of the grill chamber 22. The control unit 70 of the cooking device 10 analyzes the amount of the food to be cooked based on the image information of the captured image captured by the camera 18, and automatically sets cooking conditions such as heat and heating time according to the amount of the food to be cooked. In addition, when analyzing the amount of the food to be cooked based on the image information, the control unit 70 corrects the image information by changing (switching) the magnification of the captured image according to the type of the cooking container 23 (wave plate or flat plate) obtained from the menu operation by the user, for example. The cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment can automatically set the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked according to the type of the cooking container 23 on which the food to be cooked is placed without using a physical device for detecting the position of the cooking container 23, and therefore can improve the accuracy of the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked.

[0083] (2) In the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 70 fixes the magnification of the captured image when the type of cooking container 23 is a corrugated plate (if the judgment in step S116 of FIG. 7 is “No”), and increases the magnification of the captured image when the type of cooking container 23 is a flat plate (if the judgment in step S116 of FIG. 7 is “Yes”).

[0084] When the type of cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate, the size of the food to be cooked (ingredient) shown in the captured image is smaller than when the type of cooking vessel 23 is a wavy plate. Therefore, the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment changes (switches) the magnification of the captured image to be increased when the type of cooking vessel 23 is a flat plate, thereby increasing the size of the food to be cooked. This makes it easier for the cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment to analyze the captured image.

[0085] (3) In the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 70 determines the amount of the food to be cooked (ingredients) from the image information of the magnified captured image (step S119 when the judgment at step S116 in FIG. 7 is “Yes”), and sets the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked according to the amount of the food (step S121 in FIG. 7).

[0086] The cooking device 10 according to this embodiment can automatically set cooking conditions for the food to be cooked in accordance with the amount of the food to be cooked.

[0087] (4) The cooking device 10 according to the present embodiment may be configured to include a storage unit (not shown) that stores a captured image of the food before cooking and initial values ​​of RGB values ​​of colors at any position in the captured image. The control unit 70 may be configured to determine the doneness of the food (steps S136 to S141 in FIGS. 7 and 11) when the rate of change of the RGB values ​​of the food obtained by comparing the RGB values ​​of the food being cooked with the initial values ​​(FIG. 10D) exceeds the rate of change of the RGB values ​​set for each cooking menu.

[0088] The cooking device 10 according to this embodiment can automatically determine the doneness of the food to be cooked.

[0089] (5) As shown in FIG. 11, in the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 70 analyzes the degree of dirt adhesion to the cover glass 18h by analyzing the captured image (step S205), and notifies the user when it is time to clean the cover glass 18h (step S215).

[0090] The cooking device 10 according to this embodiment can analyze the degree of dirt attached to the cover glass 18h and automatically notify the user when it is time to clean the cover glass 18h.

[0091] (6) As shown in Fig. 4, the cooking device 10 according to this embodiment further includes an LED 18f (illumination device) that irradiates light toward the grill chamber 22 (cooking chamber). The control unit 70 activates the camera 18 (imaging means) and the LED 18f when cleaning the grill chamber 22 (step S106 in Fig. 7).

[0092] The cooking device 10 according to this embodiment makes it easier to check for dirt 201 in the grill chamber 22 when cleaning the grill chamber 22.

[0093] As described above, according to the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked can be automatically set according to the type of cooking container 23 in which the food to be cooked is placed, without using a physical device to detect the position of the cooking container 23, thereby improving the accuracy of the cooking conditions for the food to be cooked.

[0094] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of each configuration with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10 Cooker 11 Main unit 17 Front control section 17b Front display 18 Camera (imaging means) 18a Lens section (imaging section) 18b Camera board (imaging board) 18f LED (lighting device) 18g Partition 18h Cover glass (window) 19 Image processing board 19a Image processing section 19b Wireless communication unit (communication unit) 20 Grill unit 22 Grill room (cooking room) 23 Cooking vessels 26 Heater (heating element) 26a Upper heater (upper heating element) 26b Lower heater (lower heating element) 30 Mobile terminals (external devices) 31 Wireless Communication Department 32 Image display section 70 Control section 100 Window 101 First window 102 Second window 201 Dirt T10 Image example T20 Image example

Claims

1. The main body, A cooking chamber accommodated inside the main body; A heating element for heating food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber; An imaging means arranged inside the main body and on a side surface of the cooking chamber for imaging the food to be cooked; A cover glass provided on a side surface of the cooking chamber to protect the imaging means; A control unit that sets cooking conditions for the food to be cooked based on image information of an image captured by the imaging means, The control unit changes the magnification of the captured image depending on the type of cooking container in which the food to be cooked is placed. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

2. The cooking device according to claim 1, The control unit fixes a magnification of the captured image when the type of the cooking vessel is a corrugated plate, and increases a magnification of the captured image when the type of the cooking vessel is a flat plate. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

3. The cooking device according to claim 2, The control unit determines the amount of the food to be cooked from image information of the captured image with increased magnification, and sets cooking conditions for the food to be cooked according to the amount of the food to be cooked. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

4. The cooking device according to claim 3, A storage unit is provided for storing an image of an object to be cooked before cooking and an initial value of an RGB value of a color at an arbitrary position of the image, The control unit determines the doneness of the food when a rate of change in the RGB value of the food obtained by comparing the RGB value of the food being cooked with the initial value exceeds a rate of change in the RGB value set for each cooking menu. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

5. The cooking device according to claim 1, The control unit analyzes the captured image to analyze a degree of dirt on the cover glass and notifies a user when it is time to clean the cover glass. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

6. The cooking device according to claim 1, Further comprising a lighting device for irradiating light toward the cooking chamber, The control unit activates the imaging means and the lighting device when cleaning the cooking chamber. A heating cooker characterized by the above.

Images