Cooking device, cooking device control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a cooking device that can prevent a user from unintentionally stopping cooking while ensuring the safety of the user.SOLUTION: A cooking device in the present disclosure includes a cooking unit that performs cooking using a load related to the cooking, and a control unit. When a first key is operated which is an operation key of the cooking device during cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit stops the power supply to the load to suspend cooking by the cooking unit, and suspends cooking by the cooking unit when time during which cooking is suspended has elapsed a predetermined time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance, a control method for the cooking appliance, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker having a cancel key provided on a rice cooker body or a lid, and a technique of enabling a long press of the cancel key and disabling a short press in a specific process among a plurality of processes constituting a rice cooking process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a cooking appliance, a control method for the cooking appliance, and a program that can suppress the cancellation of unintended cooking while ensuring the safety of the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The cooking appliance in the present disclosure is a cooking appliance including a cooking unit that cooks using a load related to cooking and a control unit. When a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking appliance, is operated during cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit stops power supply to the load to temporarily stop the cooking by the cooking unit, and cancels the cooking by the cooking unit when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking was temporarily stopped.

[0006] In addition, the method for controlling a cooking appliance according to the present disclosure is a method for controlling a heating cooking appliance that cooks according to a load related to cooking. When a first key, which is an operation key of the heating cooking appliance, is operated during cooking, the power supply to the load is stopped to temporarily suspend the cooking, and when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking was temporarily suspended, the cooking is aborted.

[0007] In addition, the program according to the present disclosure causes a control unit of a heating cooking appliance that cooks according to a load related to cooking to stop the power supply to the load to temporarily suspend the cooking when a first key, which is an operation key of the heating cooking appliance, is operated during cooking, and to abort the cooking when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking was temporarily suspended.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] The cooking appliance, the method for controlling the cooking appliance, and the program according to the present disclosure do not immediately abort the cooking even when the first key is operated, so that it becomes possible to give the user a period during which it can be confirmed whether or not the first key has been operated unintentionally, and it is possible to suppress the unintentional abortion of cooking by the user. In addition, since the power supply to the load related to cooking is stopped during the temporary suspension of cooking, the safety of the user during the temporary suspension of cooking can be ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unintentional abortion of cooking by the user while ensuring the safety of the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] (Knowledge, etc. on which the present disclosure is based) When the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, there was a cooking appliance that stops cooking by operating a key, like the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1. However, in a configuration where cooking is stopped immediately when the key is operated, as in the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, if the user operates the key unintentionally, cooking will be stopped unintentionally by the user regardless of the operation mode of the key. Here, in order to give the user a period to confirm whether the key has been operated intentionally, a configuration can be considered in which cooking is not stopped immediately after the key is operated. However, the inventors discovered the problem that it is required to ensure the safety of the user from the operations related to the cooking of the cooking appliance during the period from when the key is operated until cooking is stopped. In order to solve this problem, the inventors have arrived at the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a cooking appliance, a control method for the cooking appliance, and a program that can suppress the unintentional interruption of cooking while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, there may be cases where a more detailed description than necessary is omitted. For example, there may be cases where the detailed description of well-known matters or the redundant description of substantially the same configuration is omitted. Note that the attached drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of the cooking appliance] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the cooking appliance 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the cooking appliance 1 with the inner pot 13 and the inner lid 16 removed. The cooking appliance 1 is a device that can cook and keep warm the food ingredients to be cooked (including water and seasonings) accommodated in the cooking appliance 1. As cooking, the cooking appliance 1 can perform boiling, frying, steaming, heating, pressure cooking that applies a higher temperature and higher pressure than normal, and the like.

[0013] The cooking appliance 1 includes a main body 10 and a lid body 11. The main body 10 and the lid body 11 are connected by a connecting portion 12. Thereby, the lid body 11 can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 10 by rotating around the connecting portion 12.

[0014] The main body 10 has a container shape with an open upper part in the installed state of the cooking appliance 1, and a recess 14 capable of accommodating the inner pot 13 is formed. The inner pot 13 is a container in which a concave cooking space S for cooking the food ingredients to be cooked is formed, and the upper part of the cooking space S is open in the state of being accommodated in the recess 14. A convex portion 15 is formed substantially at the center of the inner bottom surface of the inner pot 13. A stirring member for stirring the food ingredients accommodated in the inner pot 13, a plate (hereinafter referred to as "steaming plate") on which the food ingredients to be cooked are placed when steaming the food ingredients accommodated in the inner pot 13, and the like are attached to the convex portion 15.

[0015] The lid body 11 includes an inner lid 16 and an outer lid 17. The inner lid 16 is made of a predetermined metal material and closes the opening of the inner pot 13 when the lid body 11 is in the closed state. The inner lid 16 is provided with a packing on its outer peripheral portion. The inner lid 16 is detachably provided on the inner surface of the outer lid 17 by fitting a predetermined portion such as the outer peripheral portion to the outer lid 17. A pressure adjustment portion 18 is provided on the inner lid 16. The pressure adjustment portion 18 includes a pressure pin 181, a pressure regulating valve 182, and a safety valve 183. When pressure is applied in the cooking space S, the pressure pin 181 is pushed upward, suppressing the rotation of a handle 20 described later and locking (fixing) the lid body 11 in the closed state. The pressure regulating valve 182 is a valve for adjusting the pressure in the cooking space S, and its opening degree is controlled by a control portion 100 described later. The safety valve 183 is a valve that discharges the steam in the cooking space S to the outside when the pressure in the cooking space S becomes a predetermined pressure or higher. The inner lid 16 is attached to the outer lid 17 such that the pressure adjustment portion 18 faces a steam discharge port 19 provided in the outer lid 17.

[0016] A handle 20 for fixing (locking) the lid body 11 in the closed state is provided on the outer top surface 171 of the outer lid 17. The handle 20 is rotatable within a predetermined range in the direction indicated by the reference symbol R about the central portion of the outer top surface 171 on the outer top surface 171 of the outer lid 17.

[0017] A display operation portion 21 is provided on the outer top surface 171 of the outer lid 17. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the display operation portion 21. The display operation portion 21 includes a display 201 for displaying various information. Further, the display operation portion 21 includes an operation key Ky for operating the heating cooker 1, namely, a back key Ky1, a cancel key Ky2, a first switching key Ky3, an enter key Ky4, a second switching key Ky5, and a start key Ky6. These operation keys Ky are keys constituted by a capacitive touch sensor. Further, the display operation portion 21 includes an LED (Light emitting diode) 202. The cancel key Ky2 is an example of the "first key". The start key Ky6 is an example of the "third key". The operation keys Ky other than the cancel key Ky2 and the start key Ky6 are examples of the "second key".

[0018] The back key Ky1 is an operation key Ky for causing the screen displayed on the display 201 to transition to the previous screen. The cancel key Ky2 is an operation key Ky for canceling an operation in the display operation unit 21. Further, the cancel key Ky2 is an operation key Ky for canceling the cooking and warming being performed by the cooking heater 1. The first switching key Ky3 and the second switching key Ky5 are operation keys Ky for switching the screen displayed on the display 201. Further, the first switching key Ky3 and the second switching key Ky5 are operation keys Ky for switching the target selected on the display 201. The enter key Ky4 is an operation key Ky for finalizing the selection being made on the display 201. The start key Ky6 is an operation key Ky for causing the cooking heater 1 to start cooking or resume cooking. The LED 202 is a light for notifying the status of the communication connection between the cooking heater 1 and an external device.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the cooking heater 1. The cooking heater 1 includes a control unit 100, a communication unit 101, a display operation unit 21, a cooking unit 102, a power supply unit 103, and a sound output unit 104. The communication unit 101, the display operation unit 21, the cooking unit 102, the power supply unit 103, and the sound output unit 104 are connected to the control unit 100.

[0020] First, the communication unit 101, the display operation unit 21, the cooking unit 102, and the power supply unit 103 will be described. The communication unit 101 includes communication hardware such as an antenna and a communication circuit, and communicates with an external device according to the control of the control unit 100. The communication standard of the communication unit 101 may be a wired communication standard or a wireless communication standard.

[0021] The display operation unit 21 displays various information on the display 201 according to the control of the control unit 100. The display operation unit 21 outputs a signal corresponding to the operated operation key Ky to the control unit 100.

[0022] The cooking unit 102 includes mechanisms related to cooking. More specifically, the cooking unit 102 includes a heater 112 for heating the inner pot 13, a motor 113 for driving a stirring member attached to the inner pot 13, a pressure regulating valve 182, a control circuit 114 for controlling the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 182, and other mechanisms related to cooking. The cooking unit 102 performs cooking according to the control of the control unit 100. Note that the cooking unit 102 may perform heat preservation. Hereinafter, when the heater 112 and the motor 113 are not distinguished, they are referred to as "load 115" with the symbol "115".

[0023] The power supply unit 103 includes a circuit that supplies power supplied from a power source such as a commercial power supply to each part of the cooking heater 1, and supplies power to each part of the cooking heater 1 according to the control of the control unit 100.

[0024] The sound output unit 104 includes a device that emits sound such as a speaker or a buzzer, and outputs sound according to the control of the control unit 100.

[0025] The control unit 100 is a device that controls each part of the cooking heater 1. The control unit 100 includes a processor 110 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPC (Micro Processing Unit), a memory 120, and an interface circuit for connecting to other devices and sensors.

[0026] The memory 120 is a storage device that stores programs and data. The memory 120 stores the control program 121 and the data to be processed by the processor 110. The memory 120 has a non-volatile storage area. Also, the memory 120 includes a volatile storage area that constitutes the work area of the processor 110. The memory 120 is constituted by, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control program 121 is an example of a "program".

[0027] The control unit 100 controls each part of the cooking heater 1 by having the processor 110 read and execute the control program 121 stored in the memory 120.

[0028] Here, the operation of the control unit 100 will be briefly described. Note that the details of the operation of the control unit 100 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 - 8.

[0029] The control unit 100 communicates with an external device via the communication unit 101.

[0030] The control unit 100 receives the signal output from the display operation unit 21, identifies the operation key Ky operated based on the received signal, and executes the process corresponding to the identified operation key Ky. Also, the control unit 100 determines whether the operation key Ky has been long-pressed based on the time for continuously receiving the signal from the display operation unit 21.

[0031] The control unit 100 performs cooking by the cooking unit 102. The control unit 100 of the present embodiment performs normal cooking by the cooking unit 102. Also, the control unit 100 of the present embodiment performs pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102. Normal cooking is cooking other than pressure cooking and is cooking performed with the pressure regulating valve 182 open.

[0032] The control unit 100 performs normal cooking based on the cooking conditions input by the user via the display operation unit 21. The cooking conditions for normal cooking are conditions such as the degree of heating, cooking time, and presence or absence of stirring that are defined. The control unit 100 performs pressure cooking based on the cooking conditions input by the user via the display operation unit 21. The cooking conditions for pressure cooking are conditions such as the degree of pressure applied to the cooking space S, the cooking time, and the presence or absence of stirring.

[0033] The control unit 100 performs normal cooking based on cooking data. The cooking data for normal cooking is data in which cooking conditions such as the cooking time, the degree of heating, the heating time, the presence or absence of stirring, and the stirring time when stirring, and the order of cooking steps are described. The control unit 100 performs pressure cooking based on cooking data. The cooking data for pressure cooking is data in which cooking conditions such as the cooking time, the degree of pressure applied to the cooking space S, the presence or absence of stirring, and the stirring time when stirring, and the order of cooking steps are described. Note that the cooking data referred to by the control unit 100 during cooking may be cooking data received from an external device or cooking data previously stored in the memory 120. Note that the cooking data previously stored in the memory 120 is, for example, cooking data of dishes previously registered in the heating cooker 1 as dishes that the heating cooker 1 can cook.

[0034] The control unit 100 notifies the user of predetermined content by outputting sound through the sound output unit 104.

[0035] The control unit 100 displays various screens on the display 201. The control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 according to the operation on the operation key Ky. Further, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 at the timing when the cooking by the cooking unit 102 starts or the timing when the cooking by the cooking unit 102 ends.

[0036] [1-1-2. Configuration of the Screen Displayed by the Control Unit] Here, the screen displayed by the control unit 100 on the display 201 will be described. In the description of the screen displayed by the control unit 100, the case where the cooking heater 1 performs normal cooking and the case where it performs pressure cooking will be described separately.

[0037] [1-1-2-1. In the case of normal cooking] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed by the control unit 100. When the cooking unit 102 is performing normal cooking, the control unit 100 displays the normal cooking screen G1 on the display 201.

[0038] The normal cooking screen G1 is a screen indicating that the cooking heater 1 is performing normal cooking. The normal cooking screen G1 has a first area A1, a second area A2, a third area A3, a fourth area A4, a fifth area A5, a sixth area A6, and a seventh area A7.

[0039] The first area A1 is an area for displaying the item of the dish made by the cooking heater 1 during normal cooking. The first area A1 in FIG. 5 displays, by a character string, that the item of the dish made by the cooking heater 1 during normal cooking is "Mapo Tofu". Note that the first area A1 may display, instead of or together with the item of the dish, the type of normal cooking (boiling, steaming, stir-frying, heating, etc.) being executed by the cooking heater 1. Also, the first area A1 may display the item of the dish by an icon instead of a character string.

[0040] The second area A2 is an area that displays what kind of normal cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing. When the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 involves the use of a stirring member, the second area A2 displays, by an icon, that the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is cooking using the stirring member. Also, when the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 involves the use of a steaming plate, the second area A2 displays, by an icon, that the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is cooking using the steaming plate. Further, when the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is boiling, the second area A2 displays, by an icon, that the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is boiling. Note that the number of icons displayed in the second area A2 may be plural according to the type of normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1, the items of dishes made by the normal cooking, and the like. Also, the second area A2 may display what kind of normal cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing by a character string instead of an icon.

[0041] The third area A3 is an area that displays that the cooking appliance 1 is performing normal cooking. The third area A3 in FIG. 5 displays that the cooking appliance 1 is performing normal cooking by displaying a character string "Cooking". Note that the third area A3 may display that the cooking appliance 1 is performing normal cooking by an icon instead of a character string.

[0042] The fourth area A4 is an area that displays, by a character string, that the time displayed in the seventh area A7 is the remaining cooking time until completion. The remaining cooking time until completion is the remaining time until the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 ends. The fourth area A4 in FIG. 5 displays that the time displayed in the seventh area A7 is the remaining cooking time until completion by a character string "Remaining". Note that the fourth area A4 may display, by an icon instead of a character string, that the time displayed in the seventh area A7 is the remaining cooking time until completion.

[0043] The fifth area A5 is an area that displays how many people's worth of cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing. The fifth area A5 in FIG. 5 displays how many people's worth of cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing by showing a combination of an icon imitating a person and a number. The fifth area A5 in FIG. 5 shows that the cooking appliance 1 is performing cooking for four people. Note that the fifth area A5 may display how many people's worth of cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing only by a character string or only by an icon.

[0044] The sixth area A6 is an area that displays what kind of normal cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing. When the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 involves the use of a stirring member, the sixth area A6 displays by an icon that the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is cooking using a stirring member. Also, when the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 involves the use of a steaming plate, the sixth area A6 displays by an icon that the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is cooking using a steaming plate. Also, when the normal cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is boiling cooking, the sixth area A6 displays by an icon that the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is boiling cooking.

[0045] The seventh area A7 is an area that indicates the remaining time until cooking is completed. During the execution of cooking by the cooking unit 102, the control unit 100 counts the remaining time until cooking is completed. The control unit 100 displays the counted remaining time until cooking is completed in the seventh area A7. More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the control unit 100 starts cooking by the cooking unit 102, it starts a countdown in a predetermined unit (for example, in units of 1 second) from the cooking time defined in the cooking conditions, and counts the remaining time until cooking is completed during the execution of cooking by the cooking unit 102. The control unit 100 displays the counted remaining time until cooking is completed in the seventh area A7 at the timing when it has counted down for 1 minute.

[0046] When the control unit 100 counts down the remaining cooking time to zero seconds, it ends the normal cooking by the cooking unit 102. When the heating cooker 1 finishes normal cooking, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the in-cooking screen G1 to the home screen HG.

[0047] When the cancel key Ky2 is long-pressed (for example, pressed continuously for 0.4 seconds or more) while the display 201 is displaying the in-cooking screen G1, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the in-cooking screen G1 to the confirmation screen G2 for canceling normal cooking. Note that if the cancel key Ky2 is long-pressed four times during one cooking (from the start of cooking to the end of cooking), the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the in-cooking screen G1 to the home screen HG. That is, when the cancel key Ky2 is long-pressed, if this long-press operation corresponds to the first, second, or third long-press operation during one cooking, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 to either the in-cooking screen G1 or the confirmation screen G2 for canceling normal cooking. Note that these three times are an example of the "predetermined number of times".

[0048] The confirmation screen G2 for canceling normal cooking is a screen for confirming with the user the cancellation of normal cooking. The confirmation screen G2 for canceling normal cooking includes a re-start guidance screen G21 for normal cooking and a cancellation guidance screen G22 for normal cooking.

[0049] The re-start guidance screen G21 for normal cooking is a screen for confirming with the user the cancellation of normal cooking and also a screen for guiding that normal cooking can be restarted by operating the start key Ky6. The re-start guidance screen G21 for normal cooking has a first area A1, a second area A2, an eighth area A8, a ninth area A9, and a tenth area A10.

[0050] The eighth area A8 is an area for displaying a string asking whether to cancel cooking. The eighth area A8 in FIG. 5 displays a string "Do you want to cancel cooking?".

[0051] The ninth area A9 is an area that displays that cooking can be restarted by operating the start key Ky6. The ninth area A9 in FIG. 5 displays the string "[START] to resume cooking", thereby indicating that cooking can be restarted by operating the start key Ky6.

[0052] The tenth area A10 is an area that displays the remaining time until cooking is aborted. The remaining time until cooking is aborted is the remaining time until the heating cooker 1 aborts cooking.

[0053] The normal cooking cancellation guidance screen G22 is a screen for confirming the cancellation of normal cooking with the user, and is also a screen that guides that normal cooking can be cancelled by operating the cancel key Ky2. The normal cooking cancellation guidance screen G22 has a first area A1, a second area A2, an eighth area A8, an eleventh area A11, and a tenth area A10.

[0054] The eleventh area A11 is an area that displays that cooking can be cancelled by operating the cancel key Ky2. The eleventh area A11 in FIG. 5 displays the string "[CANCEL] to cancel cooking", thereby indicating that cooking can be cancelled by operating the cancel key Ky2.

[0055] While the display 201 is displaying the normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G2, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102. In this temporary stop, the control unit 100 controls the power supply unit 103 to stop the power supply to the load 115. Also, in this temporary stop, the control unit 100 also stops the counting of the remaining time until cooking ends. Note that the temporary stop of cooking is a state in which cooking can be resumed from the time of temporary stop by operating the start key Ky6 described later. When starting the temporary stop of cooking, the control unit 100 outputs a sound indicating the start of the temporary stop by the sound output unit 104.

[0056] Also, when the control unit 100 starts a temporary stop of cooking by the cooking unit 102, it starts counting the remaining cooking stop time. Specifically, when the control unit 100 starts a temporary stop of cooking, it starts counting the remaining cooking stop time by starting a countdown in units of 1 second from a predetermined time (for example, 15 seconds). Each time the control unit 100 counts down this predetermined time by 1 second, in other words, each time the counted remaining cooking stop time decreases by 1 second, it alternately switches and displays the normal cooking restart guidance screen G21 and the normal cooking stop guidance screen G22. Also, each time the remaining cooking stop time decreases by 1 second, the control unit 100 displays the counted remaining cooking end time in the tenth area A10. Thereby, the control unit 100 alternately switches the screens, for example, from the normal cooking restart guidance screen G21 displaying a remaining cooking stop time of 15 seconds → the normal cooking stop guidance screen G22 displaying a remaining cooking stop time of 14 seconds → the normal cooking restart guidance screen G21 displaying a remaining cooking stop time of 13 seconds → ··· In this embodiment, the display switching interval between the normal cooking restart guidance screen G21 and the normal cooking stop guidance screen G22 is set to 1 second, but it may be larger or smaller than 1 second. During the counting of the remaining cooking stop time, the control unit 100 may output a sound by the sound output unit 104 each time it counts, or may output a sound by the sound output unit 104 each time it counts starting from the timing when the remaining cooking stop time reaches, for example, 5 seconds.

[0057] When the start key Ky6 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the normal cooking stop confirmation screen G2, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the normal cooking stop confirmation screen G2 to the normal cooking screen G1. Also, when the start key Ky6 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the normal cooking stop confirmation screen G2, the control unit 100 resumes the cooking that was temporarily stopped and also resumes the counting of the remaining cooking end time that was stopped.

[0058] When the cancel key Ky2 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G2, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G2 to the home screen HG. Along with this switch, the control unit 100 determines the cancellation of the temporarily stopped cooking and cancels the temporarily stopped cooking. Further, when the control unit 100 determines the cancellation of cooking, the sound output unit 104 outputs a sound indicating that the cancellation of cooking has been determined. Note that canceling cooking means a state in which resuming the temporarily stopped cooking is impossible, and the power supply to the load 115 is stopped and the cooking conditions referred to before the temporary stop are discarded.

[0059] When the cooking cancellation remaining time is counted down to zero seconds, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G2 to the home screen HG. Further, the control unit 100 determines the cancellation of the temporarily stopped cooking and cancels the temporarily stopped cooking.

[0060] [1-1-2-2. In the case of pressure cooking] Next, the screen displayed by the control unit 100 when performing pressure cooking will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed by the control unit 100. When the control unit 100 is performing pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102, the control unit 100 displays a pressure cooking in progress screen G3 on the display 201.

[0061] The pressure cooking in progress screen G3 is a screen indicating that the heating cooker 1 is performing pressure cooking. The pressure cooking in progress screen G3 has a 12th area A12, a 13th area A13, a 14th area A14, a 4th area A4, a 15th area A15, a 16th area A16, and a 7th area A7.

[0062] The 12th area A12 is an area for displaying the menu items of the dishes prepared by the cooking appliance 1 through pressure cooking. The 12th area A12 in FIG. 6 displays, in text, that the menu item of the dish prepared by the cooking appliance 1 through pressure cooking is "braised food in cubes". Note that the 12th area A12 may display the menu item of the dish by an icon instead of text.

[0063] The 13th area A13 is an area for displaying what kind of pressure cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing. Since the screen G3 during pressure cooking is a screen indicating that pressure cooking is being performed, the 13th area A13 displays, by an icon, that the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is pressure cooking. When the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 involves the use of a stirring member, the 13th area A13 further displays, by an icon, that the pressure cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is cooking using a stirring member. Note that the 13th area A13 may display what kind of pressure cooking the cooking appliance 1 is performing by text instead of an icon.

[0064] The 14th area A14 is an area for displaying that the cooking appliance 1 is under pressure. The 14th area A14 in FIG. 6 displays that the cooking appliance 1 is under pressure by displaying the text "under pressure". Note that the 14th area A14 may display that the cooking appliance 1 is under pressure by an icon instead of text.

[0065] The 15th area A15 is an area for displaying that the lid 11 is locked (fixed) in the closed state. The 15th area A15 in FIG. 6 displays that the lid 11 is locked in the closed state by displaying a combination of an icon imitating a key during locking and the text "lock". Note that the 15th area A15 may display that the lid 11 is locked in the closed state by only text or only an icon.

[0066] The 16th area A16 is an area that indicates that the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is pressure cooking. The 16th area A16 indicates that the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is pressure cooking by means of an icon. Note that the 16th area A16 may indicate that the cooking being performed by the cooking appliance 1 is pressure cooking by means of a character string instead of an icon.

[0067] Similar to normal cooking, the control unit 100 counts down the remaining cooking time while the cooking unit 102 performs pressure cooking. When the control unit 100 counts down the remaining cooking time to zero seconds, it ends the pressure cooking and starts to reduce the pressure in the cooking space S by the cooking unit 102. In this pressure reduction, the pressure regulating valve 182 is set to a predetermined opening degree, and the pressure in the cooking space S is reduced to 1 atm. Along with the start of this pressure reduction, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the in-pressure-cooking screen G3 to the first pressure-reducing screen G4. Note that the time required for pressure reduction may be included in the remaining cooking time. In the case of this configuration, when the control unit 100 counts down the remaining cooking time to zero seconds, it switches the display from the in-pressure-cooking screen G3 to the home screen HG without displaying the first pressure-reducing screen G4.

[0068] The first pressure-reducing screen G4 is a screen indicating that the pressure in the cooking space S is being reduced. The first pressure-reducing screen G4 includes a 12th area A12, a 13th area A13, a 15th area A15, a 17th area A17, an 18th area A18, and a 19th area A19.

[0069] The 17th area A17 is an area that indicates that the cooking appliance 1 is in the process of pressure reduction. The 17th area A17 in FIG. 6 indicates that the cooking appliance 1 is in the process of pressure reduction by displaying a character string "During pressure reduction". Note that the 17th area A17 may indicate that the cooking appliance 1 is in the process of pressure reduction by means of an icon instead of a character string.

[0070] The 18th area A18 is an area for displaying that cooking has been completed. The 18th area A18 in FIG. 6 displays that the heating cooker 1 has completed cooking by displaying a character string "Cooking completed". Note that the 18th area A18 may display that cooking has been completed by an icon instead of a character string.

[0071] The 19th area A19 is an area for displaying that manual exhaust can be performed by a long press operation of the confirmation key Ky4. The 19th area A19 displays that manual exhaust can be performed by a long press operation of the confirmation key Ky4 by displaying a character string "[OK] Long press for manual exhaust".

[0072] When the decompression is completed, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the first decompression in progress screen G4 to the home screen HG.

[0073] When the cancel key Ky2 is long pressed (for example, an operation of pressing and holding for 0.4 seconds or more) while the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking in progress screen G3, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the pressure cooking in progress screen G3 to the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5. Note that in one cooking (from the start of cooking to the end of cooking), when the cancel key Ky2 is long pressed 4 times, the control unit 100 cancels the cooking and starts decompression, and switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the normal cooking in progress screen G1 to the second decompression in progress screen G6. That is, when the cancel key Ky2 is long pressed and this long press operation corresponds to any of the first, second, or third long press operations in one cooking, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the pressure cooking in progress screen G3 to the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5. Note that these 3 times are an example of the "predetermined number of times".

[0074] The pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5 is a screen for confirming to the user the cancellation of pressure cooking. The pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5 includes a pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 and a pressure cooking cancellation guidance screen G52. Hereinafter, when not distinguishing between the normal cooking restart guidance screen G21 and the pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51, the symbol "G20" is attached and it is referred to as the "second screen G20". Also, when not distinguishing between the normal cooking stop guidance screen G22 and the pressure cooking stop guidance screen G52, the symbol "G10" is attached and it is referred to as the "first screen G10".

[0075] The pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 is a screen for confirming to the user the cancellation of pressure cooking, and is also a screen for guiding that pressure cooking can be restarted by operating the start key Ky6. The pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 has a twelfth area A12, a thirteenth area A13, an eighth area A8, a ninth area A9, and a tenth area A10.

[0076] The pressure cooking stop guidance screen G52 is a screen for confirming to the user the cancellation of pressure cooking, and is also a screen for guiding that pressure cooking can be cancelled by operating the cancel key Ky2. The pressure cooking stop guidance screen G52 has a twelfth area A12, a thirteenth area A13, an eighth area A8, an eleventh area A11, and a tenth area A10.

[0077] While the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking stop confirmation screen G5, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102. In this temporary stop, the control unit 100 controls the power supply unit 103 to stop the power supply to the load 115. Also, in this temporary stop, the control unit 100 also stops the counting of the remaining cooking time. Further, when starting the temporary stop of cooking, the control unit 100 outputs a sound indicating the start of the temporary stop by the sound output unit 104.

[0078] Further, when the control unit 100 starts a temporary stop of cooking by the cooking unit 102, it starts counting the remaining time until cooking is aborted. Specifically, when the control unit 100 starts a temporary stop of cooking, it starts counting the remaining time until cooking is aborted by starting a countdown in units of 1 second from a predetermined time (for example, 15 seconds). Each time the control unit 100 counts down this predetermined time by 1 second, that is, each time the counted remaining time until cooking is aborted decreases by 1 second, it alternately switches and displays the pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 and the pressure cooking abort guidance screen G52. Further, each time the control unit 100 decreases the remaining time until cooking is aborted by 1 second, it displays the counted remaining time until cooking is completed in the tenth area A10. Thereby, the control unit 100 alternately switches the screen as follows, for example: pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 displaying the remaining time until cooking is aborted of 15 seconds → pressure cooking abort guidance screen G52 displaying the remaining time until cooking is aborted of 14 seconds → pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 displaying the remaining time until cooking is aborted of 13 seconds → ··· In this embodiment, the display switching interval between the pressure cooking restart guidance screen G51 and the pressure cooking abort guidance screen G52 is set to 1 second, but it may be larger or smaller than 1 second. During the counting of the remaining time until cooking is aborted, the control unit 100 may output a sound by the sound output unit 104 each time it counts, or may output a sound by the sound output unit 104 each time it counts starting from the timing when the remaining time until cooking is aborted reaches, for example, 5 seconds.

[0079] When the start key Ky6 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking abort confirmation screen G5, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the pressure cooking abort confirmation screen G5 to the pressure cooking in progress screen G3. Also, when the start key Ky6 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking abort confirmation screen G5, the control unit 100 resumes the pressure cooking that was temporarily stopped and also resumes the counting of the remaining time until cooking is completed that was stopped.

[0080] When the cancel key Ky2 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5 to the second decompression in progress screen G6. Also, when the cancel key Ky2 is operated while the display 201 is displaying the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5, the control unit 100 determines to cancel the temporarily stopped cooking, cancels the cooking, and starts decompression. Note that when the control unit 100 determines to cancel the cooking, the sound output unit 104 outputs a sound indicating that the cooking has been cancelled.

[0081] When the remaining cooking cancellation time is counted down to zero seconds, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5 to the second decompression in progress screen G6. Also, the control unit 100 determines to cancel the temporarily stopped cooking, cancels the cooking, and starts decompression.

[0082] The second decompression in progress screen G6 is a screen indicating that the pressure in the cooking space S is being decompressed. The second decompression in progress screen G6 has a twelfth area A12, a thirteenth area A13, a fifteenth area A15, a seventeenth area A17, a twentieth area A20, and a nineteenth area A19.

[0083] The twentieth area A20 is an area for displaying that the cooking has been cancelled. The twentieth area A20 in FIG. 6 displays a character string "Cooking cancelled" to indicate that the heating cooker 1 has cancelled the cooking. Note that the twentieth area A20 may display that the cooking has ended by an icon instead of a character string.

[0084] When the decompression is completed, the control unit 100 switches the screen displayed on the display 201 from the second decompression in progress screen G6 to the home screen HG.

[0085] [1-2. Operations] Next, the operation of the heating cooker 1 in the present embodiment will be described. In the description of the operation of the heating cooker 1, the operation related to normal cooking and the operation related to pressure cooking will be described separately.

[0086] [1-2-1. Operations related to normal cooking] First, referring to FIG. 7, the operation of the cooking heater 1 related to normal cooking will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking heater 1.

[0087] When the control unit 100 starts normal cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SA1), it starts counting the remaining cooking time (step SA2). In step SA2, the control unit 100 starts counting the remaining cooking time by starting a countdown in predetermined units from the cooking time specified in the cooking conditions.

[0088] Next, the control unit 100 starts displaying the normal cooking screen G1 on the display 201 (step SA3).

[0089] The control unit 100 determines whether the cancel key Ky2 has been long-pressed (step SA4).

[0090] When the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has not been long-pressed (step SA4: NO), it determines whether the remaining cooking time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SA5).

[0091] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking time has not been counted down to zero seconds (step SA5: NO), it returns the process to step SA4 and makes the determination in step SA4 again.

[0092] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SA5: YES), it ends the cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SA6). Then, the control unit 100 displays the home screen HG on the display 201 (step SA7).

[0093] Returning to the description of step SA4, when the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has been long-pressed for a predetermined period (step SA4: YES), it determines whether the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is the fourth long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 in one cooking (step SA8).

[0094] When the control unit 100 determines that the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is the fourth long-press operation (step SA8: YES), it causes the process to proceed to step SA15 and executes the processes after step SA15.

[0095] On the other hand, when the control unit 100 determines that the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is not the fourth long-press operation (step SA8: NO), it stops the power supply to the load 115 and temporarily stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SA9).

[0096] Next, the control unit 100 starts displaying the normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G2 on the display 201 (step SA10).

[0097] Next, the control unit 100 starts counting the remaining cooking cancellation time (step SA11). When the predetermined time is, for example, 15 seconds, in step SA11, the countdown starts from 15 seconds.

[0098] The control unit 100 determines whether the start key Ky6 has been operated (step SA12).

[0099] When the control unit 100 determines that the start key Ky6 has not been operated (step SA12: NO), it determines whether the cancel key Ky2 has been operated (step SA13).

[0100] When the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has not been operated (step SA13: NO), it determines whether the remaining cooking cancellation time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SA14).

[0101] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining time until the cooking cancellation has not been counted down to zero (step SA14: NO), the process returns to step SA12, and the determination in step SA12 is performed again.

[0102] On the other hand, when the control unit 100 determines that the remaining time until the cooking cancellation has been counted down to zero seconds (step SA14: YES), the control unit 100 stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SA15), and the display 201 displays the home screen HG (step SA16).

[0103] Returning to the description of step SA12, when the control unit 100 determines that the start key Ky6 has been operated (step SA12: YES), the display 201 resumes the display of the normal cooking screen G1 (step SA17), and resumes the temporarily stopped cooking (step SA18).

[0104] Returning to the description of step SA13, when the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has been operated (step SA13: YES), the control unit 100 stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SA15), and the display 201 displays the home screen HG (step SA16).

[0105] [1-2-2. Operations related to pressure cooking] First, with reference to FIG. 8, the operation of the cooking heater 1 related to pressure cooking will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking heater 1.

[0106] When the control unit 100 starts pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SB1), the control unit 100 starts counting the remaining time until the cooking ends (step SB2). In step SB2, the control unit 100 starts counting the remaining time until the cooking ends by starting a countdown in predetermined units from the cooking time defined in the cooking conditions.

[0107] Next, the control unit 100 starts the display of the pressure cooking screen G3 by the display 201 (step SB3).

[0108] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the cancel key Ky2 has been long-pressed (step SB4).

[0109] When the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has not been long-pressed (step SB4: NO), it determines whether the remaining cooking time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SB5).

[0110] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking time has not been counted down to zero seconds (step SB5: NO), it returns the process to step SB4 and makes the determination in step SB4 again.

[0111] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SB5: YES), it ends the pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102 and starts decompression (step SB6).

[0112] Next, the control unit 100 displays the first decompression screen G4 on the display 201 (step SB7). Then, when the decompression ends, the control unit 100 displays the home screen HG on the display 201 (step SB8).

[0113] Returning to the description of step SB4, when the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has been long-pressed (step SB4: YES), it determines whether the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is the fourth long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 in one cooking (step SB9).

[0114] When the control unit 100 determines that the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is the fourth long-press operation (step SB9: YES), it transfers the process to step SB16 and executes the processes after step SB16.

[0115] On the other hand, when the control unit 100 determines that the long-press operation of the cancel key Ky2 is not the fourth long-press operation (step SB9: NO), it stops the power supply to the load 115 and temporarily stops the cooking by the cooking unit 102 (step SB10).

[0116] Next, the control unit 100 starts displaying the pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G5 on the display 201 (step SB11).

[0117] Next, the control unit 100 starts counting the remaining cooking cancellation time (step SB12). If the predetermined time is, for example, 15 seconds, in step SB12, the countdown starts from 15 seconds.

[0118] The control unit 100 determines whether the start key Ky6 has been operated (step SB13).

[0119] When the control unit 100 determines that the start key Ky6 has not been operated (step SB13: NO), it determines whether the cancel key Ky2 has been operated (step SB14).

[0120] When the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has not been operated (step SB14: NO), it determines whether the remaining cooking cancellation time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SB15).

[0121] When the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking cancellation time has not been counted down to zero seconds (step SB15: NO), it returns the process to step SB13 and makes the determination in step SB13 again.

[0122] On the other hand, when the control unit 100 determines that the remaining cooking cancellation time has been counted down to zero seconds (step SB15: YES), it ends the pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102 and starts depressurization (step SB16).

[0123] Next, the control unit 100 causes the display 201 to display the second decompression in - progress screen G6 (step SB17). Then, when the decompression ends, the control unit 100 causes the display 201 to display the home screen HG (step SB18).

[0124] Returning to the description of step SB13, when the control unit 100 determines that the start key Ky6 has been operated (step SB13: YES), it resumes the display of the pressure - adjusting in - progress screen G3 on the display 201 (step SB19) and resumes the cooking that had been paused (step SB20).

[0125] Returning to the description of step SB14, when the control unit 100 determines that the cancel key Ky2 has been operated (step SB14: YES), it executes the processes after step SB16.

[0126] [1 - 3. Effects, etc.] The cooking appliance 1 includes a cooking unit 102 that cooks using a load 115 related to cooking, and a control unit 100. During cooking by the cooking unit 102, when the cancel key Ky2, which is an operation key Ky of the cooking appliance 1, is operated, the control unit 100 stops the power supply to the load 115 to temporarily pause the cooking by the cooking unit 102, and aborts the cooking by the cooking unit 102 when the time during which the cooking has been temporarily paused has elapsed for a predetermined time.

[0127] According to this, since the cooking is not immediately aborted even when the cancel key Ky2 is operated, a period can be given to the user to confirm whether the cancel key Ky2 has been operated unintentionally, and the abort of cooking unintended by the user can be suppressed. Also, since the power supply to the load 115 related to cooking is stopped during the temporary pause of cooking, the safety of the user during the temporary pause of cooking can be ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the abort of cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0128] While the cooking by the cooking unit 102 is temporarily stopped, if the cancel key Ky2 is operated, the control unit 100 cancels the cooking by the cooking unit 102 even before the elapse of a predetermined time.

[0129] According to this, when the cancel key Ky2 is intentionally operated, by operating the cancel key Ky2 again, the cooking can be canceled without waiting for the elapse of a predetermined time. Therefore, the heating cooker 1 that is convenient for the user can be provided.

[0130] While the cooking by the cooking unit 102 is temporarily stopped, if the start key Ky6 is operated, the control unit 100 resumes the cooking by the temporarily stopped cooking unit 102.

[0131] According to this, when the cancel key Ky2 is operated unintentionally, the cooking can be resumed by operating the start key Ky6. Therefore, even when an unintended temporary stop of cooking occurs, the cooking can be easily resumed.

[0132] In one cooking by the cooking unit 102, the control unit 100 can execute the temporary stop of cooking by operating the cancel key Ky2 three times. In one cooking by the cooking unit 102, if the cancel key Ky2 is operated more than three times, the control unit 100 cancels the cooking by the cooking unit 102 without temporarily stopping the cooking by the cooking unit 102.

[0133] Since no power is supplied to the load 115 during the temporary stop, if the cooking can be temporarily stopped without limit, there is a possibility that the quality of the cooked food after cooking cannot be maintained. Therefore, by setting a limit on the number of times of temporary stop, it is possible to suppress the unintentional cancellation of cooking by the user and suppress the deterioration of the quality of the cooked food after cooking.

[0134] When the control unit 100 cancels the pressure cooking by the cooking unit 102, the control unit 100 decompresses the cooking space S.

[0135] According to this, when stopping the pressure cooking, the pressure in the cooking space S is reduced, so the pressure cooking can be stopped while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0136] During the cooking by the cooking unit 102, the control unit 100 counts the remaining cooking time. While the cooking by the cooking unit 102 is temporarily stopped, the counting of the remaining cooking time is stopped.

[0137] According to this, since the remaining cooking time is stopped along with the temporary stop of the cooking, the temporary stop of the cooking can be executed so that the time of the temporary stop of the cooking is not reflected in the cooking end time. Also, when resuming the cooking, the cooking can be resumed by starting the count from the correct remaining cooking time in which the time of the temporary stop has not been counted down.

[0138] The heating cooker 1 includes a display 201. While the cooking by the cooking unit 102 is temporarily stopped, the control unit 100 alternately switches and displays on the display 201 a first screen G10 that guides that the cooking can be stopped by operating the cancel key Ky2, and a second screen G20 that guides that the cooking can be resumed by operating the start key Ky6.

[0139] According to this, the user can easily grasp which operation key Ky to operate to stop the cooking and which operation key Ky to operate to resume the cooking, so the convenience of the user when stopping or resuming the cooking can be improved. Also, even when the display area of the display 201 cannot display two screens simultaneously, the user can easily grasp which operation key Ky to operate to stop the cooking and which operation key Ky to operate to resume the cooking.

[0140] The load 115 includes at least one of a motor 113 that drives a stirring member for stirring the food to be cooked and a heater 112 that heats the food to be cooked.

[0141] According to this, during the temporary suspension of cooking, even if the lid 11 is opened, the stirring member is not driven, so it is possible to prevent the cooked food heated by the driving of the stirring member from scattering to the user. Also, during the temporary suspension of cooking, since the heater does not heat the cooked food, it is possible to suppress the moisture heated from the cooking heater 1 from blowing out. Therefore, the safety of the user can be ensured.

[0142] The cooking heater 1 is provided with an operation key Ky.

[0143] According to this, when touching the cooking heater 1 without the intention of operating it, even if the cancel key Ky2 is accidentally operated, it is possible to suppress the cancellation of cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0144] The operation key Ky is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor.

[0145] When the operation key Ky is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor, there is a high possibility of accidentally operating the cancel key Ky2 even though there is no intention of operating the cooking heater 1, such as touching the cancel key Ky2 or touching the cancel key Ky2 when wiping the cooking heater 1 with a wet cloth. However, the cooking heater 1 can suppress the cancellation of cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user even when there is a high possibility of accidentally operating the cancel key Ky2.

[0146] A control method of the cooking heater 1 having a load 115 related to cooking, when the cancel key Ky2 which is an operation key Ky of the cooking heater 1 is operated during cooking, stops the power supply to the load 115 to temporarily suspend the cooking, and cancels the cooking when the time during which the cooking is suspended has elapsed for a predetermined time.

[0147] According to this, the same effects as those of the above-described cooking heater 1 are achieved.

[0148] When the control program 121 causes the control unit 100 of the cooking appliance 1 to detect that the cancel key Ky2, which is an operation key Ky of the cooking appliance 1, has been operated during cooking, the power supply to the load 115 is stopped to temporarily stop the cooking by the load 115, and when the time during which the cooking has been temporarily stopped has elapsed for a predetermined time, the cooking is aborted.

[0149] According to this, the same effects as those of the above-described cooking appliance 1 are achieved.

[0150] (Other embodiments) As described above, as an example disclosed in the present application, the above-described Embodiment 1 has been described. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Further, it is also possible to form a new embodiment by combining the respective components described in the above-described Embodiment 1. Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0151] In the above-described embodiment, when the cancel key Ky2 is operated while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking is aborted, and when the start key Ky6 is operated while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking is resumed. In other embodiments, when the cancel key Ky2 is operated for a first time while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking is resumed, and when the cancel key Ky2 is operated for a second time longer than the first time while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking may be aborted. Note that the first time is, for example, 0.1 second, and the second time is, for example, 0.4 second.

[0152] In the above-described embodiment, when the cancel key Ky2 is operated while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking is aborted. In other embodiments, when an operation key Ky other than the start key Ky6 is operated while the cooking is temporarily stopped, the temporarily stopped cooking may be aborted.

[0153] In the above-described embodiment, when the cancel key Ky2 is long-pressed, cooking is temporarily stopped. However, even when the cancel key Ky2 is short-pressed, cooking may be configured to be temporarily stopped.

[0154] In the above-described embodiment, in one cooking operation, the number of times cooking can be temporarily stopped by operating the cancel key Ky2 is 3 times. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the "predetermined number of times" is 3 times. In other embodiments, the "predetermined number of times" may be 2 times or less or 4 times or more.

[0155] In the above-described embodiment, the first screen G10 and the second screen G20 are alternately switched and displayed. However, in other embodiments, the first screen G10 and the second screen G20 may be simultaneously displayed on the display 201.

[0156] In the above-described embodiment, the remaining cooking cancellation time is displayed by the display 201. In other embodiments, the heating cooker 1 may include one or a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and the control unit 100 may notify the user of the remaining cooking cancellation time by the blinking pattern of the one or more LEDs. In the case of this other embodiment, the heating cooker 1 may not include the display 201. Note that in the case where the heating cooker 1 does not include the display 201, the remaining cooking end time may also be notified to the user by the blinking pattern of the LEDs.

[0157] In the above-described embodiment, the remaining cooking cancellation time is displayed by the display 201. In other embodiments, the control unit 100 may notify the user of the remaining cooking cancellation time by the output of sound from the sound output unit 104. In the case of this other embodiment, the heating cooker 1 may not include the display 201. Note that in the case where the heating cooker 1 does not include the display 201, the remaining cooking end time may also be notified to the user by the output of sound from the sound output unit 104.

[0158] In the above-described embodiment, the operation key Ky is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor, that is, a touch key. In other embodiments, the operation key Ky may be a push-type physical key.

[0159] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the operation key Ky is a key included in the cooking appliance 1 is exemplified. In other embodiments, the operation key Ky may be a key displayed on a terminal device capable of controlling the cooking appliance 1 by communicating with the cooking appliance 1.

[0160] In the above-described embodiment, during a temporary stop of cooking, the power supply to the loads 115 of both the heater 112 and the motor 113 is stopped. In other embodiments, a configuration may be adopted in which the power supply to the heater 112 is stopped. In this case, the cooking appliance 1 may not be provided with a mechanism (the convex portion 15 or the motor 113) related to the stirring of the food to be cooked. Further, in other embodiments, a configuration may be adopted in which the power supply to the motor 113 is stopped.

[0161] In other embodiments, the cooking appliance 1 may be equipped with a timing function. The cooking appliance 1 according to this other embodiment may be configured to be able to measure time by a battery provided therein even when it is disconnected from the commercial power supply. In the cooking appliance 1 of this other embodiment, instead of displaying the timing when cooking ends in a countdown format, the timing when cooking ends may be displayed in time. For example, the cooking appliance 1 of this other embodiment displays the timing when cooking ends in time, such as "Cooking will end at HH:MM". And, in the cooking appliance 1 of this other embodiment, when there is a temporary stop of cooking and cooking resumes after the temporary stop, the cooking end time taking into account the time of the temporary stop is displayed after cooking resumes.

[0162] Processor 110 may be constituted by a single processor or may be constituted by a plurality of processors. Processor 110 may be hardware programmed to implement corresponding functional units. That is, these processors may be constituted by, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0163] The control configuration of the cooking appliance 1 shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. That is, it is not necessarily the case that hardware corresponding to each part is individually implemented, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which one processor executes a program to realize the functions of each part. Further, a part of the functions realized by software in the above-described embodiment may be implemented as hardware, or a part of the functions realized by hardware may be realized by software.

[0164] The control program 121 of the above-described embodiment can also be non-temporarily recorded, for example, on a recording medium that can be read by the processor 110. As the recording medium, a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory device can be used. Further, the control program 121 can be stored in a server device or the like, and the above-described operations can be realized by the cooking appliance 1 downloading the control program 121 from the server device.

[0165] The step units of the operations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are divided according to the main processing contents for easy understanding of the operations, and the operations are not limited by the way of dividing the processing units and the names. Depending on the processing contents, it may be further divided into more step units. Also, one step unit may be divided to include more processes. Further, the order of the steps may be appropriately changed as long as it does not interfere with the gist of the present disclosure.

[0166] Note that since the above-described embodiments are for exemplifying the technology in the present disclosure, various changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of the claims or the equivalent scope thereof.

[0167] (Supplementary Note) From the description of the above embodiments, the following technology is disclosed.

[0168] (Technology 1) A cooking appliance, comprising a cooking unit that cooks according to a load related to cooking, and a control unit, wherein when a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking appliance, is operated during cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit stops power supply to the load to temporarily stop the cooking by the cooking unit, and when a predetermined time has elapsed since the cooking was temporarily stopped, the control unit aborts the cooking by the cooking unit. According to this, since the cooking is not immediately aborted even when the first key is operated, a period can be provided to the user to confirm whether the first key was operated unintentionally, and the aborting of cooking unintended by the user can be suppressed. Also, since power supply to the load related to cooking is stopped during the temporary stop of cooking, the safety of the user during the temporary stop of cooking can be ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the aborting of cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0169] (Technology 2) The cooking appliance according to Technology 1, wherein when the first key or a second key, which is an operation key different from the first key, is operated while the cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, the control unit aborts the cooking by the cooking unit even before the elapse of the predetermined time. According to this, when the first key is intentionally operated, the cooking can be aborted without waiting for the elapse of the predetermined time by operating the first key again, so a cooking appliance that is convenient for the user can be provided.

[0170] (TECHNOLOGY 3) While the cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, when a third operation key, which is different from the first key and the second key, is operated, the control unit resumes the cooking by the cooking unit that was temporarily stopped, for the cooking appliance described in TECHNOLOGY 2. According to this, when the first key is operated unintentionally, the cooking can be resumed by operating the third key. Therefore, even when an unintended temporary stop of cooking occurs, the cooking can be easily resumed.

[0171] (TECHNOLOGY 4) In one cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit can execute the temporary stop of cooking by operating the first key a predetermined number of times. In one cooking by the cooking unit, when the first key is operated more than the predetermined number of times, the control unit aborts the cooking by the cooking unit without temporarily stopping the cooking by the cooking unit, for the cooking appliance described in any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to TECHNOLOGY 3. Since no power is supplied to the load during the temporary stop, if the cooking can be temporarily stopped without limit, there is a possibility that the quality of the cooked food after cooking cannot be maintained. Therefore, by setting a limit on the number of times of temporary stop, it is possible to suppress the unintentional cancellation of cooking by the user and suppress the deterioration of the quality of the cooked food after cooking.

[0172] (TECHNOLOGY 5) When the control unit aborts the pressure cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit decompresses the cooking space for cooking the food to be cooked, for the cooking appliance described in any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to TECHNOLOGY 4. According to this, since the cooking space is decompressed when the pressure cooking is aborted, the pressure cooking can be aborted while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0173] (TECHNOLOGY 6) During the cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit counts the remaining cooking time until the cooking ends, which is the remaining cooking time. While the cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, the control unit stops counting the remaining cooking time, for the cooking appliance described in any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to TECHNOLOGY 6. According to this, since the remaining cooking time is stopped along with the temporary halt of cooking, the temporary halt of cooking can be executed so that the time during which cooking is temporarily halted is not reflected in the cooking end time. Also, when resuming cooking, it is possible to start counting from the correct remaining cooking time that was not being counted down during the temporary halt and resume cooking.

[0174] (Technology 7) A heating cooker according to any one of Technologies 1 to 6, comprising a display, wherein while the control unit is temporarily halting the cooking by the cooking unit, the display alternately switches and displays a first screen guiding that cooking can be aborted by operating the first key and a second screen guiding that cooking can be resumed by operating a third key which is an operation key different from the first key. According to this, since the user can easily grasp which operation key to operate to abort cooking and which operation key to operate to resume cooking, the convenience of the user when aborting or resuming cooking can be improved. Also, even when the display area of the display cannot display two screens simultaneously, the user can easily grasp which operation key to operate to abort cooking and which operation key to operate to resume cooking.

[0175] (Technology 8) A heating cooker according to any one of Technologies 1 to 7, comprising one or more LEDs, wherein while the control unit is temporarily halting the cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit performs a countdown of the predetermined time and the LEDs notify the predetermined time counted down. According to this, the user can be notified by the LEDs of how much of the predetermined time remains.

[0176] (Technology 9) A heating cooker according to any one of Technologies 1 to 8, comprising a sound output unit, wherein while the control unit is temporarily halting the cooking by the cooking unit, the control unit performs a countdown of the predetermined time and the sound output unit notifies the predetermined time counted down. According to this, by outputting sound, it is possible to notify the user of how much time remains.

[0177] (Technical 10) The heating cooker according to any one of Technologies 1 to 9, wherein the load includes at least one of a motor that drives a stirring member for stirring the food to be cooked and a heater that heats the food to be cooked. According to this, during the temporary stop of cooking, since the stirring member is not driven, it is possible to prevent the food to be cooked heated by the driving of the stirring member from scattering to the user. Also, during the temporary stop of cooking, since the heater does not heat the food to be cooked, it is possible to suppress the blowing out of the moisture heated from the heating cooker. Therefore, the safety of the user can be ensured.

[0178] (Technical 11) The heating cooker according to any one of Technologies 1 to 10, including the operation key. According to this, when touching the heating cooker without the intention of operating it, even if the first key is operated, it is possible to suppress the cancellation of the cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user.

[0179] (Technical 12) The heating cooker according to Technical 11, wherein the operation key is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor. When the operation key is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor, there is a high possibility of accidentally operating the first key, such as touching the first key or touching the first key when wiping the heating cooker with a wet cloth, even though there is no intention of operating the heating cooker. However, the heating cooker can suppress the cancellation of the cooking unintended by the user while ensuring the safety of the user, even when there is a high possibility of accidentally operating the first key.

[0180] (Technical 13) A control method for a heating cooker that cooks with a load related to cooking, wherein when the first key, which is an operation key of the heating cooker, is operated during cooking, the power supply to the load is stopped to temporarily stop the cooking, and when the time for which the cooking has been temporarily stopped has elapsed for a predetermined time, the cooking is cancelled. According to this, it has the same effect as the cooking appliance of Technology 1.

[0181] (Technology 14) A program for a control unit of a cooking appliance that cooks according to the load related to cooking. When a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking appliance, is operated during cooking, the power supply to the load is stopped to temporarily stop the cooking, and when the time during which the cooking has been temporarily stopped has elapsed for a predetermined time, the cooking is aborted. According to this, it has the same effect as the cooking appliance of Technology 1.

Industrial Applicability

[0182] As described above, the cooking appliance, the control method of the cooking appliance, and the program according to the present invention can be used for applications such as a rice cooker and an automatic cooking pot, which are cooking appliances that can abort cooking by operating an operation key of the cooking appliance.

Explanation of Signs

[0183] 1 Cooking appliance 10 Main body 11 Lid 12 Connecting part 13 Inner pot 14 Concave part 15 Convex part 16 Inner lid 17 Outer lid 18 Pressure adjustment part 19 Steam discharge port 20 Handle 50 Cooking data 100 Control unit 101 Communication unit 102 Cooking unit 103 Power supply unit 104 Sound output unit 110 Processor 112 Heater 113 Motor 114 Control circuit 115 Load 120 Memory 121 Control program (program) 171 External top surface (roof) 181 Pressure pin 182 Pressure regulating valve 183 Safety valve 201 Display G1 Normal cooking in - progress screen G2 Normal cooking cancellation confirmation screen G21 Normal cooking restart guidance screen G22 Normal cooking cancellation guidance screen G3 Pressure cooking in - progress screen G4 First decompression in - progress screen G5 Pressure cooking cancellation confirmation screen G51 Pressure cooking restart guidance screen G52 Pressure cooking cancellation guidance screen G6 Second decompression in - progress screen G10 First screen G20 Second screen HG Home screen Ky Operation key Ky1 Back key (second key) Ky2 Cancel key (first key) Ky3 First switch key (second key) Ky4 Confirm key (second key) Ky5 Second switch key (second key) Ky6 Start key (third key) S Cooking space

Claims

1. A cooking appliance, comprising: a cooking unit that cooks according to a load related to cooking; a control unit; wherein the control unit: when a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking appliance, is operated during cooking by the cooking unit, stops power supply to the load and temporarily stops cooking by the cooking unit; when a predetermined time has elapsed since cooking was temporarily stopped, aborts cooking by the cooking unit; a cooking appliance.

2. The control unit: when, while cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, the first key or a second key, which is an operation key different from the first key, is operated, aborts cooking by the cooking unit even before the predetermined time has elapsed; The cooking appliance according to Claim 1.

3. The control unit: when, while cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, a third key, which is an operation key different from the first key and the second key, is operated, resumes cooking by the cooking unit that was temporarily stopped; The cooking appliance according to Claim 2.

4. The control unit: in one cooking by the cooking unit, can execute temporary stops of cooking due to operation of the first key a predetermined number of times; in one cooking by the cooking unit, when the first key is operated more than the predetermined number of times, aborts cooking by the cooking unit without temporarily stopping cooking by the cooking unit; The cooking appliance according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit: when aborting pressure cooking by the cooking unit, decompresses a cooking space in which food to be cooked is cooked; The cooking appliance according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

6. The control unit: during cooking by the cooking unit, counts a remaining cooking time until cooking ends, which is the remaining time until cooking ends; when cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, stops counting the remaining cooking time; The cooking appliance according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

7. Comprising a display, wherein the control unit: while cooking by the cooking unit is temporarily stopped, alternately switches and displays on the display: a first screen guiding that cooking can be aborted by operating the first key, and a second screen guiding that cooking can be resumed by operating a third key, which is an operation key different from the first key; The cooking appliance according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

8. Comprising one or more LEDs, wherein the control unit: While temporarily stopping the cooking by the cooking unit, perform a countdown for the predetermined time, Notify the predetermined time counted down by the LED, The cooking heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. Comprising a sound output unit, The control unit, While temporarily stopping the cooking by the cooking unit, perform a countdown for the predetermined time, Notify the predetermined time counted down by the sound output unit, The cooking heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. The load includes at least one of a motor that drives a stirring member for stirring the food to be cooked and a heater that heats the food to be cooked, The cooking heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

11. Comprising the operation key, The cooking heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

12. The operation key is a key constituted by a capacitive touch sensor, The cooking heater according to claim 11.

13. A control method for a cooking heater that cooks by a load related to cooking, When a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking heater, is operated during cooking, stop the power supply to the load and temporarily stop the cooking, When the time for temporarily stopping the cooking has elapsed for a predetermined time, abort the cooking, A control method for a cooking heater.

14. In the control unit of a cooking heater that cooks by a load related to cooking, When a first key, which is an operation key of the cooking heater, is operated during cooking, stop the power supply to the load and temporarily stop the cooking, When the time for temporarily stopping the cooking has elapsed for a predetermined time, abort the cooking, A program.

Images