Cooking system

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of accurately determining whether liquid has boiled.SOLUTION: A cooking system comprises: a placement unit on which a cooking container can be placed; a heating unit that heats the cooking container placed on the placement unit; an imaging unit that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement section; a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature inside the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement unit; and a boiling determination unit that determines whether liquid in the cooking container has boiled based on change over time in the visible light image captured by the imaging unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a cooking system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a heating and cooking system that includes a placement section on which a cooking container can be placed, a heating section that heats the cooking container placed on the placement section, an imaging section that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement section, and a boiling determination section that determines whether the liquid in the cooking container has boiled based on changes over time in the visible light image captured by the imaging section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-133722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Typically, when liquid in a cooking container boils, the movement of bubbles that appear on the liquid surface causes a large change over time in the visible light image (also called a captured image) of the inside of the cooking container captured by the imaging unit. For this reason, the cooking system of Patent Document 1 determines that the liquid in the cooking container has boiled if there is a large change over time in the captured image. However, the change over time in the captured image can be large even when the liquid is not boiling. For example, when a user stirs ingredients in the cooking container or adds ingredients to the cooking container, the change over time in the captured image can be large due to the user's movements. In this case, the cooking system of Patent Document 1 may erroneously determine whether the liquid has boiled. This specification provides a technology that can accurately determine whether the liquid has boiled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect of the present technology, a heating cooking system includes a placing section on which a cooking container can be placed, a heating section that heats the cooking container placed on the placing section, an imaging section that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placing section, a temperature detection section that detects the temperature inside the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placing section, and a boiling determination section that determines whether the liquid in the cooking container has boiled based on the change over time in the visible light image captured by the imaging section and the temperature detected by the temperature detection section.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the cooking system can determine whether the liquid in the cooking container has boiled based not only on the change over time in the captured image but also on the temperature inside the cooking container (also referred to as the detected temperature) detected by the temperature detection unit. Normally, when a liquid boils, the temperature inside the cooking container rises to near the boiling point of the liquid. Therefore, according to the above configuration, for example, if the temperature inside the cooking container is not near the boiling point of the liquid, it can be determined that the liquid has not boiled even if the change over time in the captured image is large. This makes it possible to avoid erroneous determinations as to whether the liquid has boiled. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether the liquid has boiled.

[0007] In a second aspect of the present technology, in the first aspect described above, the heating cooking system may further include an indication determination unit that, when the boiling determination unit determines that the liquid in the cooking container has boiled, determines whether there are any signs of the liquid boiling over based on the degree of white foam generation identified from the visible light image and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

[0008] The appearance of a large amount of white foam on the surface of the liquid in a cooking container can be a sign that the liquid is about to boil over. For this reason, some conventional cooking systems have determined that there is a sign of liquid boiling over if the degree of white foam occurrence determined from the captured image is high. However, depending on the cooking content, the degree of white foam occurrence may be determined to be high even when there is not actually much white foam (i.e., there are no signs of liquid boiling over). For example, if the color of the ingredients used in cooking, the color of the cooking container, and / or the color of the lighting used during cooking are white, the degree of white foam occurrence may be determined to be high even when there is not actually much white foam. In such cases, conventional cooking systems may erroneously determine whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over. With the above configuration, the cooking system can determine whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over in the cooking container based not only on the degree of white foam occurrence determined from the captured image but also on the detected temperature. This prevents erroneous determinations of whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether there are signs of liquid boiling over.

[0009] In a third aspect of the present technology, in the second aspect, a necessary condition for the sign determination unit to determine that there are signs of the liquid boiling over may include that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit decreases and then increases after the boiling determination unit determines that the liquid in the cooking container has boiled.

[0010] Immediately before the liquid in the cooking container boils over, two states may be observed: a first state in which white foam forms to the point that it covers the liquid surface in the cooking container; and a second state in which the liquid boils more vigorously from the first state, causing the liquid surface to move violently, pushing aside the white foam and exposing it to the top. In the first state, the temperature inside the cooking container detected from above the cooking container (i.e., the detected temperature) essentially indicates the temperature of the white foam, and is therefore relatively low. On the other hand, in the second state, the temperature inside the cooking container detected from above the cooking container (i.e., the detected temperature) indicates the temperature of the liquid itself, and is therefore relatively high. As a result, the detected temperature may drop and then rise just before the liquid in the cooking container boils over. With the above configuration, if the detected temperature drops and then rises, it can be determined that there are signs of the liquid boiling over. This makes it possible to more accurately determine whether there are signs of the liquid boiling over.

[0011] In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in the second or third aspect, the heating cooking system may further include an output suppression unit that suppresses the output of the heating unit when the sign determination unit determines that there are signs of the liquid boiling over, and a sign elimination determination unit that determines whether the sign of the liquid boiling over has been eliminated based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when a sign of liquid overflow occurs, the output suppression unit suppresses the output of the heating unit, thereby preventing the liquid from overflowing. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether the sign of liquid overflow has been resolved. As a result, when it is determined that the sign of liquid overflow has been resolved, it is possible to perform processing such as restoring the suppressed output of the heating unit to its original state.

[0013] In a fifth aspect of the present technology, in the above-mentioned fourth aspect, the precursor elimination determination unit may determine whether the precursor of the liquid boiling over has been eliminated based further on the degree of white foam occurrence.

[0014] According to the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the signs of liquid boiling over have been resolved based not only on the detected temperature but also on the captured image, thereby enabling a more accurate determination of whether or not the signs of liquid boiling over have been resolved.

[0015] In a sixth aspect of the present technology, a heating cooking system includes a placing section on which a cooking container can be placed, a heating section that heats the cooking container placed on the placing section, an imaging section that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placing section, a temperature detection section that detects the temperature inside the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placing section, and a warning sign determination section that determines whether there are any signs of liquid boiling over in the cooking container based on the degree of white foam generation determined from the visible light image captured by the imaging section and the temperature detected by the temperature detection section.

[0016] The appearance of a large amount of white foam on the surface of the liquid in a cooking container can be a sign that the liquid is about to boil over. For this reason, some conventional cooking systems have determined that there is a sign of liquid boiling over if the degree of white foam occurrence determined from the captured image is high. However, depending on the cooking content, the degree of white foam occurrence may be determined to be high even when there is not actually much white foam (i.e., there are no signs of liquid boiling over). For example, if the color of the ingredients used in cooking, the color of the cooking container, and / or the color of the lighting used during cooking are white, the degree of white foam occurrence may be determined to be high even when there is not actually much white foam. In such cases, conventional cooking systems may erroneously determine whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over. With the above configuration, the cooking system can determine whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over in the cooking container based not only on the degree of white foam occurrence determined from the captured image but also on the detected temperature. This prevents erroneous determinations of whether there is a sign of liquid boiling over. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether there are signs of liquid boiling over. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a cooking system 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cooking system 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a top view of a cooking device 2 of a cooking system 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a process executed by control units 70 and 110 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a time change detection area A1 defined in a visible light image V by a control unit 110 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature detection area A2 defined in an infrared image IR by a control unit 110 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart of a boil-over prevention process executed by the control units 70, 110 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment in the process shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a white foam generation rate detection region A3 defined in a visible light image V by a control unit 110 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram showing how a user's hand H appears in a visible light image V captured by a visible light camera 104 of the cooking system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (Example: Heating and cooking system 1) As shown in Fig. 1, the cooking system 1 includes a cooker 2 and a monitoring device 102. The cooker 2 is a gas-fired built-in stove that is incorporated into a system kitchen (not shown). The monitoring device 102 is provided in a range hood 100 of the system kitchen. The cooker 2 and the monitoring device 102 are capable of bidirectional communication, enabling them to cooperate with each other.

[0019] In this specification, the direction from back to front as seen by a user standing in the system kitchen is defined as the front direction, the direction from front to back as seen by the user is defined as the rear direction, the direction from right to left as seen by the user is defined as the right direction, and the direction from left to right as seen by the user is defined as the left direction. However, the up and down directions are the same as the up and down directions as seen by the user (i.e., the vertical up and down directions).

[0020] (Configuration of Cooker 2) The cooking appliance 2 includes a main body 4, the front surface 4a of which is exposed to the front of the kitchen system, and a top plate 6 located on top of the main body 4 and exposed to the countertop of the kitchen system. The top plate 6 is provided with three trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c on which cooking vessels P (see FIG. 3) such as pots and frying pans are placed to be heated, three stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c corresponding to the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c, respectively, for heating the cooking vessels P supported by the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c, and stove temperature sensors 12a, 12b, and 12c corresponding to the stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively. The stove temperature sensors 12a, 12b, and 12c come into contact with the bottom surface of the cooking vessel P supported by the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c to detect the presence of the cooking vessel P and the temperature of the bottom surface of the cooking vessel P.

[0021] The main body 4 is provided with: a grill compartment 20 that is provided inside the main body 4 and can accommodate foodstuffs and the like that are to be heated; a grill door 22 that is located on the front surface 4a of the main body 4 and that opens and closes the grill compartment 20; a stove operation unit 24 that is provided on the left side of the grill door 22 on the front surface 4a of the main body 4; and a grill operation unit 26 that is provided on the right side of the grill door 22 on the front surface 4a of the main body 4. Also provided inside the grill compartment 20 are a grill burner 10d (see FIG. 2) that heats foodstuffs and the like that are accommodated in the grill compartment 20; and a grill temperature sensor 12d (see FIG. 2) that detects the temperature inside the grill compartment 20.

[0022] The stove operation unit 24 includes a power switch 40 for the cooking appliance 2, three stove heat operation units 42a, 42b, and 42c, and a panel operation unit 44. The stove heat operation units 42a, 42b, and 42c are alternate switches that turn on and off the stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively, and adjust the heat of the stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c.

[0023] The panel operation unit 44 includes a stove display unit 46 and stove setting operation units 48a, 48b, and 48c. The stove display unit 46 displays the operating status of each stove burner 10a, 10b, and 10c. The stove setting operation units 48a, 48b, and 48c can be used to set various instructions corresponding to the stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively.

[0024] Grill operation unit 26 includes a grill heat power operation unit 60 and a panel operation unit 62. Panel operation unit 62 includes a grill display unit 64 and a grill setting operation unit 66. Grill heat power operation unit 60 and panel operation unit 62 have the same functions as stove heat power operation unit 42a and panel operation unit 44, except that they are operation units corresponding to grill burner 10d (see FIG. 2).

[0025] (Configuration of monitoring device 102) In this embodiment, the monitoring device 102 is configured so that its power is turned on / off in conjunction with the power of the cooking appliance 2. The monitoring device 102 also includes a visible light camera 104 and an infrared camera 106. The visible light camera 104 and the infrared camera 106 are aligned in the left-right direction. The visible light camera 104 and the infrared camera 106 are each positioned so that they can capture an image of the entire top plate 6 from above the cooking appliance 2. The infrared camera 106 can identify the temperature distribution in the infrared image IR by identifying the temperature for each pixel in the captured infrared image IR (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the infrared camera 106 also functions as a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the imaging range.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows monitoring areas 108a, 108b, and 108c monitored by the monitoring device 102. The monitoring areas 108a, 108b, and 108c correspond to the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c. The monitoring areas 108a, 108b, and 108c are rectangular areas that encompass the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c and the stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively. In another example, the monitoring areas 108a, 108b, and 108c may be areas of a shape other than rectangular (for example, circular). In the example shown in FIG. 3, a cooking container P is placed on the trivet 8a. The cooking container P includes a circular container portion P1 and a handle portion P2.

[0027] (Control configuration of cooking system 1) As shown in FIG. 2, the cooking appliance 2 further includes a control unit 70 and a communication interface 72. The control unit 70 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit 70 controls the cooking appliance 2 by the CPU executing processes based on information stored in the ROM and RAM. The monitoring device 102 further includes a control unit 110 and a communication interface 112. The control unit 110 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit 110 controls the monitoring device 102 by the CPU executing processes based on information stored in the ROM and RAM. The cooking appliance 2 and the monitoring device 102 can communicate bidirectionally via the communication interfaces 72, 112 that they respectively include. Communication conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard or the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard can be performed between the cooking appliance 2 and the monitoring device 102, for example.

[0028] While the power of the cooking appliance 2 is ON, the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 and the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 can cooperate to execute the process shown in Fig. 4. For example, when boiling noodles in the cooking container P (see Fig. 3), the liquid (e.g., water) in the cooking container P (specifically, the container portion P1) may boil and overflow from the cooking container P (container portion P1). The process shown in Fig. 4 determines whether the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has boiled, and, if the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling, attempts to prevent the liquid from boiling over. The control units 70 and 110 execute the process shown in Fig. 4 for each of the monitoring areas 108a, 108b, and 108c. The process for the monitoring area 108a will be described below, but it should be noted that the process is similar for the monitoring areas 108b and 108c.

[0029] In S2, the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 determines whether cooking is being performed in the monitoring area 108a (see FIG. 3). For example, if the stove temperature sensor 12a (see FIG. 1) detects that a cooking container P is placed on the trivet 8a (see FIG. 1) and the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1) is ignited, the control unit 70 determines that cooking is being performed in the monitoring area 108a (YES). If the stove temperature sensor 12a detects that a cooking container P is not placed on the trivet 8a or if the stove burner 10a is extinguished, the control unit 70 determines that cooking is not being performed in the monitoring area 108a (NO). If cooking is not being performed in the monitoring area 108a (NO), the process repeats S2. If cooking is being performed in the monitoring area 108a (YES), the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 transmits cooking detection information indicating that cooking is being performed in the monitoring area 108a to the monitoring device 102. When the monitoring device 102 receives the cooking detection information, the process proceeds to S4.

[0030] In S4, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether there is a large change over time in the image inside the cooking container P (container portion P1) based on the visible light image V of the monitoring area 108a captured by the visible light camera 104 (see FIG. 1). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 110 defines a temporal change detection area A1 in the visible light image V of the monitoring area 108a. For example, the control unit 110 defines a predetermined area directly above the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1) as the temporal change detection area A1. The control unit 110 then acquires images of the temporal change detection area A1 at a predetermined sampling period (e.g., every 1 / 12 seconds) and identifies pixels in which a specific parameter (e.g., luminance, chromaticity) has changed by a predetermined value or more between before and after sampling as changing pixels. The control unit 110 then determines the proportion of changing pixels among the pixels in the temporal change detection area A1 as the image change proportion. If the determined image change proportion is equal to or greater than a predetermined first proportion threshold (e.g., 50%) and continues for a predetermined first duration (e.g., 5 seconds) or longer, the control unit 110 determines that the temporal change of the image in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is large (YES). If the state in which the image change proportion is equal to or greater than the first proportion threshold does not continue for the first duration or longer, the control unit 110 determines that the temporal change of the image in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is small (NO). If the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) boils, the movement of bubbles on the liquid surface increases the image change proportion (i.e., the temporal change of the visible light image V in the monitoring area 108a). In this case, the control unit 110 of this embodiment determines that the temporal change of the image in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is large (YES). If the change over time in the image of the inside of the cooking container P (container part P1) is large (YES), the process proceeds to S6.

[0031] In S6 shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has risen to the boiling point based on the infrared image IR of the monitoring area 108a captured by the infrared camera 106 (see FIG. 1). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 110 defines a temperature detection area A2 in the infrared image IR of the monitoring area 108a. For example, the control unit 110 defines a predetermined area directly above the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1) as the temperature detection area A2. After defining the temperature detection area A2, the control unit 110 determines the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) from the temperature distribution in the temperature detection area A2. The liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is determined, for example, as the average value of the temperature distribution in the temperature detection area A2. If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is equal to or higher than a predetermined boiling temperature threshold (e.g., 95°C), the control unit 110 determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has risen to the boiling point (YES). If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is lower than a predetermined boiling temperature threshold (e.g., 95°C), the control unit 110 determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has not risen to the boiling point (NO). Because most of the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is water, if the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) boils, the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) will rise to near the boiling point of water (approximately 100°C). In this case, the control unit 110 of this embodiment determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has risen to the boiling point (YES). If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container part P1) has risen to the boiling point (YES), the process proceeds to S8.

[0032] 4, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling. After S8, the process proceeds to S10.

[0033] In S10, the overflow prevention process (see FIG. 7), which will be described later, is executed. After S10, the process returns to S2.

[0034] If there is little change over time in the image inside the cooking container P (container portion P1) in S4 (if NO), or if the temperature of the liquid inside the cooking container P (container portion P1) has not risen to the boiling point in S6 (if NO), the process proceeds to S12. In S12, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that the liquid inside the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not boiling. The control unit 110 then transmits boiling not-detected information indicating that the liquid inside the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not boiling to the cooker 2. When the cooker 2 receives the boiling not-detected information, the process returns to S2.

[0035] (Overflow prevention treatment: Figure 7) The overflow prevention process shown in Fig. 7 is executed in S10 of the process shown in Fig. 4. In S52 of the overflow prevention process, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high based on the visible light image V of the monitoring area 108a captured by the visible light camera 104 (see Fig. 1). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 110 defines a white foam generation rate detection area A3 in the visible light image V of the monitoring area 108a. The procedure for defining the white foam generation rate detection area A3 is substantially similar to the procedure for defining the time change detection area A1 (see Fig. 5) in S4 of Fig. 4. The control unit 110 then determines the white foam generation rate as the proportion of white pixels among the pixels in the white foam generation rate detection area A3. If the white foam generation rate is equal to or greater than a predetermined second percentage threshold (e.g., 75%), the control unit 110 determines that the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (YES). If the white foam generation rate is less than the second percentage threshold, the control unit 110 determines that the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is low (NO). Just before the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) boils over, a large amount of white foam (fine bubbles generated by the influence of starch contained in the ingredients) may appear on the liquid surface. In such a case, the control unit 110 of this embodiment determines that the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (YES). If the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (YES), the process proceeds to S54.

[0036] In S54 shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has exhibited a predetermined temporal change within a predetermined observation period (e.g., 10 seconds) since it was determined in S8 of FIG. 4 that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling. The procedure for identifying the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is substantially the same as the procedure described in S6 of FIG. 4. The predetermined temporal change here refers to the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) falling below a predetermined first lower temperature threshold (e.g., 80°C) and then exceeding a predetermined second upper temperature threshold (e.g., 80°C). Just before the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) boils over, two states may be observed: a first state in which white foam forms to the extent that it covers the liquid surface in the cooking container P (container portion P1); and a second state in which the liquid boils more vigorously from the first state, causing the liquid surface to move violently, pushing aside the white foam and exposing it to the upper side. In the first state, the temperature determined from the temperature detection area A2 (see FIG. 6) essentially indicates the temperature of the white foam, resulting in a relatively low temperature (e.g., 75°C). On the other hand, in the second state, the temperature determined from the temperature detection area A2 indicates the temperature of the liquid itself, resulting in a relatively high temperature (e.g., 95°C). As a result, just before the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) boils over, the temperature determined from the temperature detection area A2 (see FIG. 6) may drop and then rise. In such a case, the control unit 110 of this embodiment determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has shown a predetermined temporal change (YES).

[0037] If it is determined in S52 that the rate of white foam generation in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is low (NO), or if the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) does not show a predetermined temporal change within the observation period (NO) in S54, the process proceeds to S56. In S56, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that there are no signs of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1). The control unit 110 then transmits sign-no-detection information indicating that there are no signs of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) to the cooking appliance 2. When the cooking appliance 2 receives the sign-no-detection information, the process shown in FIG. 7 ends. When the process shown in FIG. 7 ends, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends S10 and returns to S2.

[0038] If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) shows a predetermined change over time within the observation period in S54 shown in Figure 7 (if YES), the process proceeds to S58. In S58, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that there is a sign of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1). The control unit 110 then transmits sign detection information indicating that there is a sign of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) to the cooking appliance 2. When the cooking appliance 2 receives the sign detection information, the process proceeds to S60.

[0039] In S60, the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 reduces the heat of the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1). This prevents the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) from boiling over. Furthermore, as the heat of the stove burner 10a is reduced, the amount of white foam in the cooking container P (container portion P1) decreases, and the temperature of the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) gradually drops. After S60, the process proceeds to S62.

[0040] In S62, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has decreased. As in S52, the control unit 110 determines the white foam generation rate as the proportion of white pixels among the pixels in the white foam generation rate detection area A3 (see FIG. 8). If the white foam generation rate is equal to or less than a predetermined third percentage threshold (e.g., 70%), the control unit 110 determines that the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has decreased (YES). If the white foam generation rate is greater than the third percentage threshold, the control unit 110 determines that the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has not decreased (NO). If the white foam generation rate in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has not decreased (NO), the process proceeds to S64.

[0041] In S64, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is stable in the low temperature range (for example, a temperature range below 75°C). The procedure for determining the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is substantially the same as the procedure described in S6 of FIG. 4. For example, if the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is in the low temperature range for a predetermined second duration (for example, 4 seconds) or more, the control unit 110 determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is stable in the low temperature range (YES). If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not in the low temperature range for a predetermined second duration or more, the control unit 110 determines that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not stable in the low temperature range (NO). If the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not stable in the low temperature range (NO), the process proceeds to S66.

[0042] In S66, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that the signs of overflow have not been resolved. After S66, the process returns to S62.

[0043] If it is determined in S62 that the rate of white foam generation in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has decreased (YES), or if it is determined in S64 that the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is stable in the low temperature range (YES), the process proceeds to S68. In S68, the control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 determines that the sign of overflow has been resolved. The control unit 110 then transmits sign elimination information indicating that the sign of overflow has been resolved to the cooking appliance 2. When the cooking appliance 2 receives the sign elimination information, the process proceeds to S70.

[0044] In S70, the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 returns the heating power of the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1), which was reduced in S60, to the heating power that was set immediately before S60. After S70, the process shown in FIG. 7 ends. When the process shown in FIG. 7 ends, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends S10 and returns to S2.

[0045] In the process shown in Fig. 4 (including the process shown in Fig. 7), the control unit 70 of the cooking appliance 2 determines whether cooking is being performed in the monitoring area 108a even while processes other than S2 are being performed. If it is determined that cooking is not being performed in the monitoring area 108a (NO), the process shown in Fig. 4 that is being performed is stopped. In this case, the process shown in Fig. 4 is restarted from S2.

[0046] (Advantages of the processes shown in Figures 4 and 7) As shown in FIG. 9, for example, when a user puts ingredients into a cooking container P (container portion P1), the user's hand H may appear in the visible light image V. In this case, the movement of the user's hand H may increase the image fluctuation rate (the change over time in the visible light image V in the monitoring area 108a). Therefore, determining whether the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling based on whether the change over time in the visible light image V is large may lead to an erroneous determination. In contrast, in the process shown in FIG. 4, if the change over time in the visible light image V is large (YES in S4) and the temperature of the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has risen to the boiling point (YES in S6), it is determined that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling (S8). Even if there is a large change over time in the visible light image V (YES in S4), if the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has not risen to the boiling point (NO in S6), it is determined that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is not boiling (S12). Therefore, according to the process shown in Fig. 4, even if the user's hand H appears in the visible light image V, it is possible to avoid erroneous determination as to whether the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling.

[0047] Furthermore, although not shown, when unusually strong light (e.g., sunlight) is irradiated onto the liquid surface in the cooking container P (container portion P1), the reflected light may appear as white light in the visible light image V. In this case, determining whether the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is about to boil over based on whether the degree of white foam generation in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (i.e., whether there are many white pixels in the visible light image V) may lead to an erroneous determination. In contrast, in the process shown in FIG. 7, if the degree of white foam generation in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (YES in S52) and the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) shows a predetermined change over time (YES in S54), it is determined that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is about to boil over (S58). Even if the occurrence rate of white foam in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high (YES in S52), if the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) does not show a predetermined change over time (NO in S54), it is determined that there are no signs of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) (S56). Therefore, according to the process shown in Figure 7, even if unusually strong light is reflected from the liquid surface of the cooking container P (container portion P1) and captured in the visible light image V, it is possible to avoid erroneous determination as to whether there are signs of overflow in the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1).

[0048] (Variation) The cooking appliance 2 may include an induction cooktop instead of (or in addition to) the trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c, the cooktop burners 10a, 10b, and 10c, and the cooktop temperature sensors 12a, 12b, and 12c. The induction cooktop may be configured to inductively heat a cooking container placed on the top plate 6.

[0049] The infrared camera 106 may be replaced with another non-contact temperature sensor (for example, an infrared sensor without an imaging function).

[0050] 4, the process content of S4 and the process content of S6 may be interchanged. That is, it may be determined whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has risen to the boiling point, and if the determination is affirmative, it may be determined whether the visible light image V has changed significantly over time.

[0051] 4, if it is determined that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is boiling (after S8), the process of S10 (the process shown in FIG. 7) may be omitted. In this case, instead of the process of S10 (the process shown in FIG. 7), another process (for example, a process of notifying the user that the liquid is boiling via a speaker (not shown)) may be executed.

[0052] 7, the process contents of S52 and S54 may be interchanged. That is, it may be determined whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has shown a predetermined change over time, and if the determination is affirmative, it may be determined whether the occurrence rate of white foam in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is high.

[0053] 7, the process contents of S62 and S64 may be interchanged. That is, it may be determined whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is stable in the low temperature range, and if the determination is negative, it may be determined whether the rate of white foam generation in the cooking container P (container portion P1) has decreased.

[0054] 7, if it is determined that the liquid in the cooking container P (container portion P1) is about to boil over (after S58), the process of reducing the heat of the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1) (the process of S60) may be omitted. In this case, instead of the process of reducing the heat of the stove burner 10a (the process of S60), another process (for example, a process of notifying the user that there is a risk of boil over via a speaker (not shown)) may be executed.

[0055] 7, if it is determined that the warning sign of overflow has been eliminated (after S68), the process of restoring the heat of the stove burner 10a (see FIG. 1) (the process of S70) may be omitted. In this case, instead of the process of restoring the heat of the stove burner 10a (the process of S70), another process (for example, a process of announcing that the warning sign of overflow has been eliminated via a speaker (not shown)) may be executed.

[0056] In S54 of Figure 7, instead of determining whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container part P1) has shown a predetermined change over time, it may be determined whether the liquid temperature in the cooking container P (container part P1) is equal to or higher than a predetermined overflow temperature threshold (e.g., 85°C).

[0057] (Correspondence) In the above embodiment, the cooking container P (container portion P1) is an example of a "cooking container." The trivets 8a, 8b, and 8c are examples of a "mounting portion." The stove burners 10a, 10b, and 10c are examples of a "heating portion." The visible light camera 104 is an example of an "imaging portion." The infrared camera 106 is an example of a "temperature detection portion." The control unit 110 of the monitoring device 102 is an example of a "boiling determination portion," a "premonition determination portion," and a "premonition elimination determination portion." The control unit 70 of the heating cooker 2 is an example of an "output suppression portion."

[0058] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations set forth in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: cooking system, 2: cooking appliance, 4: main body, 4a: front, 6: top plate, 8a: trivet, 8b: trivet, 8c: trivet, 10a: stove burner, 10b: stove burner, 10c: stove burner, 10d: grill burner, 12a: stove temperature sensor, 12b: stove temperature sensor, 12c: stove temperature sensor, 12d: grill temperature sensor, 20: grill compartment, 22: grill door, 24: stove operation unit, 26: grill operation unit, 40: power switch, 42a: stove heat power operation unit, 42b: stove heat power operation unit, 42c: stove heat power operation unit, 44: panel operation unit, 46: stove display unit, 48a: stove setting operation unit operation unit, 48b: stove setting operation unit, 48c: stove setting operation unit, 60: grill heat power operation unit, 62: panel operation unit, 64: grill display unit, 66: grill setting operation unit, 70: control unit, 72: communication interface, 100: range hood, 102: monitoring device, 104: visible light camera, 106: infrared camera, 108a: monitoring area, 108b: monitoring area, 108c: monitoring area, 110: control unit, 112: communication interface, A1: time change detection area, A2: temperature detection area, A3: white foam generation detection area, IR: infrared image, P: cooking container, P1: container part, P2: handle part, V: visible light image

Claims

1. a placing portion on which a cooking container can be placed; a heating unit that heats the cooking container placed on the placement unit; an imaging unit that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement unit; a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature inside the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement unit; A heating and cooking system comprising: a boiling determination unit that determines whether the liquid in the cooking container has boiled based on the temporal change in the visible light image captured by the imaging unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

2. The heating and cooking system of claim 1, further comprising an indication determination unit that, when the boiling determination unit determines that the liquid in the cooking container has boiled, determines whether there are any signs of the liquid boiling over based on the degree of white foam generation identified from the visible light image and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

3. The heating and cooking system of claim 2, wherein a necessary condition for the sign determination unit to determine that there are signs of the liquid boiling over includes that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit drops and then rises after the boiling determination unit determines that the liquid in the cooking container has boiled.

4. an output suppression unit that suppresses output of the heating unit when the sign determination unit determines that there is a sign of the liquid boiling over; The cooking system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a sign resolution determination unit that determines whether a sign of the liquid boiling over has been resolved based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

5. The cooking system according to claim 4 , wherein the sign elimination determining unit determines whether the sign of liquid boiling over has been eliminated based further on the degree of white foam generation.

6. a placing portion on which a cooking container can be placed; a heating unit that heats the cooking container placed on the placement unit; an imaging unit that captures a visible light image of the inside of the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement unit; a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature inside the cooking container from above the cooking container placed on the placement unit; A heating and cooking system comprising: a sign determination unit that determines whether there are signs of liquid boiling over in the cooking container based on the degree of white foam generation identified from the visible light image captured by the imaging unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

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