Heating cooker

Abstract

To provide a heating cooker which can display complete operation information to a user while inhibiting deterioration of the design of the appearance.SOLUTION: A heating cooker of the invention includes: a main part having a heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated (a heated object); heating means which heats the heated object accommodated in the heating chamber; a door provided at a front surface opening of the heating chamber in an openable or closable manner and having an operation part for allowing a user to select pieces of operation information; control means which controls the heating means based on the operation information input from the operation part; and a communication part which performs wireless communication with a communication terminal. The control means receives the operation information from the communication terminal through the communication part and controls the heating means based on the operation information when connection with the communication terminal is instructed through the operation part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In a cooking appliance that cooks food or other objects to be heated in a heating chamber, means for improving the appearance of the front of the door have been proposed. For example, the cooking appliance in Patent Document 1 is described as comprising "a main body having a heating chamber inside that can accommodate the object to be heated and that has an opening on the front side, a heating device that heats the object to be heated accommodated in the heating chamber, a door that can be opened and closed relative to the opening and has a light-transmitting area inside the heating chamber that can transmit visible light and an inner door surface that faces the opening, an operation unit that sets the operating state of the heating device, and a display area that is provided on the inner door surface of the door and displays operation information to be input to the operation unit," thereby suppressing deterioration of the design of the door surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-21637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the cooking device of Patent Document 1, the display unit showing operation information is mounted on the back side (inside of the door) of the door (see FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1), so there is a risk that the display unit will become dirty when cooking food or the like in the cooking device. In addition, the display unit is actually a fixed string of characters printed with heat-resistant paint, and the operation information that can be displayed is limited, making it difficult to display comprehensive operation information (operation menu, cooking menu, heating conditions, etc.) to the user. In other words, the user interface of the cooking device of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of both position and amount of information.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking device that can display substantial operational information to a user while minimizing deterioration in the design of the external appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The heating cooker of the present invention comprises a main body having a heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated, a heating means for heating the object to be heated accommodated in the heating chamber, a door that can be opened and closed freely at the front opening of the heating chamber and has an operation unit that allows a user to select from a plurality of operation information, a control means that controls the heating means based on the operation information input from the operation unit, and a communication unit that performs wireless communication with a communication terminal, wherein the control means, when instructed to connect to the communication terminal via the operation unit, receives the operation information from the communication terminal via the communication unit and controls the heating means based on the operation information. Other means will be described in the detailed description of the invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooking device that can display substantial operation information to a user while minimizing deterioration in the design of the external appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a cooking device. [Figure 2] This is an example of a design for a heating cooker. [Figure 3] This is an example of the design of the operation unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the cooking device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart for oven heating. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart for heating in a microwave oven. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of a screen displayed by a display output unit of a terminal device during oven heating. [Figure 8]10 is an example of a screen displayed by a display output unit of a terminal device during oven heating. [Figure 9] 10 is an example of a screen displayed by a display output unit of a terminal device during microwave heating. [Figure 10] 10 is an example of a screen displayed by a display output unit of a terminal device during microwave heating. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cooking device of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference numerals of the various parts may be omitted if they are used repeatedly.

[0010] <General configuration of cooking device> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a cooking device. Cooking device 1 of this embodiment externally comprises a main body 6 and a door 5. Main body 6 has an opening at the front and a heating chamber (not shown) that accommodates an object to be heated (food). Door 5 is provided at the front opening of the heating chamber so as to be able to open and close freely, and comprises an operation unit 3 and a display unit 4. In FIG. 1, most of main body 6 except for the bottom part is hidden by door 5 when viewed from the front. Cooking device 1 can be mutually connected to a communication terminal 2 via wireless communication. Short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used as the wireless communication for communication terminal 2. Cooking device 1 has heating means and control means therein (described in detail below).

[0011] Operation information is transmitted and received between the cooking appliance 1 and the communication terminal 2. The operation information includes the operation menu, cooking menu, and all heating conditions (heating output, heating time, cooking steps in oven cooking) linked to the settings of the menu and the finished product when microwave heating or oven heating is performed.

[0012] Cooking menu refers to specific menu items that use heated foods, such as "whole roast chicken," "fried chicken," "chicken wings," "easy meat buns," "cooked rice," and "five-grain rice." A cooking process is a specific chronological cooking method for a particular cooking menu, particularly when cooking in an oven, such as "Put ○ in a heat-resistant container and heat over low heat for ○○ minutes, then add ●, then heat over high heat for ●● minutes." The finished state items are multiple viewpoints that indicate the state of the heated food immediately after cooking according to the cooking menu is completed. The finished state items include "appearance," which indicates the degree of browning, and "temperature," which indicates the temperature of the heated food. The finished state is the specific degree (value) of each finished state item, such as the degree of browning, the temperature value, etc.

[0013] The cooking device 1 is a cooking device that heats and cooks ingredients, and more specifically, a microwave oven equipped with the function of automatically cooking ingredients according to selected heating conditions. The cooking device 1 of this embodiment is not a single-function microwave oven, but a multi-function microwave oven equipped with oven heating function, range heating function, grill heating function, steam heating function, superheated steam heating function, etc., and by appropriately utilizing each heating function, automatic cooking of a variety of menus can be realized. For ease of explanation, the oven heating function in this embodiment collectively refers to the grill heating function, steam heating function, superheated steam heating function, and the narrowly defined oven heating function. In other words, oven cooking is a concept that includes everything except microwave cooking. Naturally, the present invention can also be applied to single-function microwave ovens, single-function oven ranges, etc.

[0014] The communication terminal 2 is a portable terminal, such as a smartphone or tablet, that serves as part of the human interface when the user operates the cooking appliance 1. The communication terminal 2 includes a display output unit 21 that presents information to the user, and an operation input unit 22 that accepts operation inputs from the user. In the following, it is assumed that the touch panel display of the smartphone serves as both the display output unit 21 and the operation input unit 22.

[0015] Application software for selecting a cooking menu to be automatically executed by the cooking appliance 1, setting heating conditions for each cooking menu, or selecting settings for the finished product is installed in the communication terminal 2. The communication terminal 2 includes a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, a wireless communication device, etc. These are well-known technologies, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0016] In this way, when setting operation information, the feature of this embodiment is that the operation unit 3 and display unit 4 provided on the door 5 of the main body 6, and the display output unit 21 and operation input unit 22 provided on the communication terminal 2, share roles depending on the situation.

[0017] <Design drawing of a cooking device> FIG. 2 is an example of the design of a cooking appliance 1. Cooking appliance 1 comprises a main body 6 having a heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated, and an openable / closable door 5 having an operating unit 3. Door 5 is attached to the front of the opening of the heating chamber in main body 6. In FIG. 2, most of main body 6, except for the bottom part, is hidden by door 5 when viewed from the front. The design in FIG. 2 gives the user the impression of a large tablet. Furthermore, the small number of buttons on operating unit 3 located at the bottom of door 5 gives the user a neat and tidy impression.

[0018] <Design drawing of the operation section> Figure 3 shows an example of the design of the operation unit 3. The operation unit 3 is provided at the bottom of the door 5, and is designed to allow multiple pieces of operation information to be selected by operating one input means. When the user presses the cooking buttons labeled "oven" and "range," respectively, the display unit 4 provided at the bottom of the door 5 displays the operation information. Note that "oven" refers to external heating cooking using hot air, etc., and "range" refers to internal heating treatment using microwaves.

[0019] By pressing the cooking button multiple times, the displayed operation information switches in sequence. For example, if the user presses "Oven" three times, three cooking menus will be displayed in sequence on the display unit 4. If the user presses the "Oven" button and the cooking menu desired by the user is displayed, the user can press and hold the "Oven" button again to transition to a screen displaying details of the cooking process. This is an example of the user operating the "Oven" button as one input means when using the oven heating function.

[0020] In FIG. 2, the operation unit 3 is provided at the bottom of the door 5, but the location of the operation unit 3 is not limited. The operation unit 3 may also be provided on the main body 6. The operation unit 3 may also have a dial integrated with the cooking buttons as an input means. In this case, the operation of pressing multiple cooking buttons can be replaced by the operation of turning the knob of the dial. The number and names of the buttons on the operation unit 3 in FIG. 3 are also not limited. In this embodiment, "oven," "range," "IoT," "start warming," and "cancel" are used as examples.

[0021] <Function block diagram of the cooking device> 4 is a functional block diagram of the cooking device 1. The cooking device 1 of this embodiment comprises a control means 11, a heating means 12, a communication unit 13, an operation unit 3, a display unit 4, and a memory unit 14. The operation unit 3 and the communication unit 13 required for wireless communication with the communication terminal 2 are arranged on the input side of the control means 11, and the display unit 4 and the heating means 12 are arranged on the output side. The heating means 12 heats an object to be heated placed in a heating chamber. The heating means 12 has both microwave heating and oven heating functions.

[0022] The control means 11 controls the heating means 12 based on input from the operation unit 3 and input of operation information received by the communication unit 13, displays necessary information on the display unit 4, transmits necessary information to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 13, and displays the necessary information on the communication terminal 2. A typical example of necessary information is operation information. Application software for performing such processing is installed in the control means 11.

[0023] The flow from inputting operation information to starting cooking will be explained below for both microwave heating and oven heating. Note that the operation information received by the control means 11 is stored in the memory unit 14 and can be restored as needed before use.

[0024] <Flowchart explaining details of oven heating> FIG. 5 is a flowchart for oven heating.

[0025] In step S11, the control means 11 accepts that the user presses the "oven" button on the operation unit 3 of the cooking appliance 1. However, if it is known that the cooking menu desired by the user is not available, the control means 11 may start processing from step S18 without going through steps S11 and S12, and may accept that the user presses the "IoT" button. Incidentally, cases where it is known that the cooking menu desired by the user is not available include cases where the user already knows based on the user's past experience using the cooking appliance 1 or by looking at the operation manual, etc. The user may press the "IoT" button when he or she knows that the cooking menu desired is available, or when he or she is not sure whether the cooking menu desired is available.

[0026] In step S12, first, the control means 11 displays one of the multiple cooking menus stored in the memory unit 14 of the main body 6 that corresponds to the "oven" button on the display unit 4. When the user repeatedly presses the "oven" button, the control means 11 sequentially displays the different cooking menus stored in the memory unit 14 on the display unit 4. Here, it is desirable that the user can arbitrarily change the order in which the cooking menus are displayed in response to pressing the oven button.

[0027] Second, the user determines whether the operation information (cooking menu) output to the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is not the operation information desired by the user. If the operation information output to the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is the operation information desired by the user ("Yes" in step S12), the flowchart proceeds to step S13; otherwise ("No" in step S12), the flowchart proceeds to step S18.

[0028] Which branch the flowchart transitions to becomes clear after the fact depending on the button pressed by the user. To explain ahead of time, the case where the user presses and holds the "oven" button corresponds to step S13 and the subsequent steps in the flowchart, and the case where the user presses the "IoT" button corresponds to step S18 and the subsequent steps in the flowchart. That is, in this embodiment, as a result, the determination process of step S12 becomes "Yes" if the user presses and holds the "oven" button, and becomes "No" if the user presses the "IoT" button. In other words, the control means 11 waits until the "oven" button is pressed and held or the "IoT" button is pressed (or until a timeout occurs).

[0029] In many cases, the reason why a user presses the "IoT" button is that the operation information output on the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is not the operation information the user desires. A typical example of the operation information here is a cooking menu. Even if the desired operation information is displayed, the user can instruct connection with the communication terminal 2 via the operation unit 3 by pressing the "IoT" button.

[0030] In step S13, the control means 11 accepts the user's long press of the "oven" button to select a specific cooking menu. The long press here is an example of a pressing manner different from step S11. The long press may be replaced by, for example, pressing the button twice in succession.

[0031] In step S14, the control means 11 displays a setting screen for the cooking menu selected in step S13 on the display unit 4. The setting screen displayed here is a screen for setting operation information (cooking process) including the time for preheating, heater heating, steam heating, etc., and heating intensity, etc. The operation information displayed here as the initial value is that which was set when the cooking appliance 1 was shipped from the factory. However, the user may also display any operation information, operation information from the previous operation, etc., via the communication terminal 2.

[0032] In step S15, the control means 11 accepts the result of the user's judgment as to whether or not the operation information displayed as the initial value in step S14 needs to be changed. If the user judges that a change is necessary (step S15 "Yes"), the control means 11 transitions to step S16. Otherwise (step S15 "No"), the control means 11 transitions to step S17. Note that if the user judges that a change is necessary and presses the "IoT" button, the control means 11 may transition to step S19.

[0033] In step S16, the control means 11 accepts a change made by the user to the settings of the operation information (cooking process) such as temperature, time, whether or not to preheat, etc. via the operation unit 3. The setting method may be, for example, any one of a number of operations such as the scale on a dial integrated with the "oven" button, the number of times the "oven" button is pressed, the pressing time, etc., or a known method that combines these operations. In step S17, the control means 11 accepts the user pressing the "Start warming" button. As mentioned above, steps S13 to S16 are processes that are performed when step S12 is "Yes" (when the desired cooking menu is displayed), and steps S18 to S1a are processes that are performed when step S12 is "No" (when the desired cooking menu is not displayed).

[0034] In step S18, the control means 11 accepts the user pressing the "IoT" button due to the fact that the desired cooking menu is not available, etc. In step S19, the control means 11 wirelessly connects the cooking appliance 1 to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 13. In step S20, the control means 11 accepts the user setting operation information including the cooking menu, cooking steps, and finished state via the operation input unit 22 of the communication terminal 2. The detailed setting method will be described later, but here, more candidates are displayed on the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 than the cooking menu candidates displayed in order in step S12. In step S21, the control means 11 receives the operation information set in step S20 from the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 13.

[0035] In step S1a, the control means 11 displays on the display unit 4 the operation information received in step S21. In step S1b, the control means 11 sends the cooking process displayed in step S14, the cooking process set by the user in step S16, or the operation information set by the user in step S20 to the heating means 12, and starts cooking. Then, the process ends.

[0036] Operation information after cooking is completed is stored in the memory unit 14 of the cooking device 1 and displayed on the display unit 4 of the cooking device 1 in steps S12 and S14 of subsequent cooking occasions, thereby enabling cooking to be performed again under the same conditions.

[0037] The operation information after cooking is completed may be stored in the memory unit of the communication terminal 2, and in this case, it may be displayed on the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 in step S20 of a subsequent cooking opportunity, so that cooking can be performed again under the same conditions.

[0038] The cooking device 1 operates with or without preheating, heating temperature, etc. based on the operation information set in step S16 or the operation information set in step S20, allowing the user to cook to the desired finish.

[0039] <Flowchart explaining details of microwave heating> FIG. 6 is a flowchart for heating in a microwave oven.

[0040] In step S31, the control means 11 accepts that the user has pressed the "microwave" button on the operation unit 3 of the cooking appliance 1. However, if it is clear that the cooking menu desired by the user is not available, the control means 11 may start processing from step S38 without going through steps S31 and S32, and accept that the user has pressed the "IoT" button. Note that the case where it is clear that the cooking menu desired by the user is not available is the same as the oven heating described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] In step S32, first, the control means 11 displays one of the multiple cooking menus stored in the memory unit 14 of the main body 6 that corresponds to the "microwave" button on the display unit 4. When the user repeatedly presses the "microwave" button, the control means 11 sequentially displays the different cooking menus stored in the memory unit 14 on the display unit 4. Here, it is desirable that the user can arbitrarily change the order in which the cooking menus are displayed in response to pressing the microwave button.

[0042] Second, the user determines whether the operation information (cooking menu) output to the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is not the operation information desired by the user. If the operation information output to the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is the operation information desired by the user ("Yes" in step S32), the flowchart proceeds to step S33; otherwise ("No" in step S32), the flowchart proceeds to step S38.

[0043] Which branch the flowchart will transition to will become clear after the fact depending on the button pressed by the user. To explain ahead of time, when the user presses and holds the "range" button, it corresponds to step S33 and the following steps in the flowchart, and when the user presses the "IoT" button, it corresponds to step S38 and the following steps in the flowchart. The control means 11 waits until the "range" button is pressed and held or the "IoT" button is pressed (or until a timeout occurs).

[0044] In many cases, the reason why a user presses the "IoT" button is that the operation information output on the display unit 4 by the user operating the operation unit 3 is not the operation information the user desires. A typical example of the operation information here is a cooking menu. Even if the desired operation information is displayed, the user can instruct connection with the communication terminal 2 via the operation unit 3 by pressing the "IoT" button.

[0045] In step S33, the control means 11 accepts the user's long press of the "Microwave" button to select a specific cooking menu. The long press here is an example of a pressing manner different from that in step S31. The long press may be replaced by, for example, pressing the button twice in succession.

[0046] In step S34, the control means 11 displays a setting screen for the cooking menu selected in step S33 on the display unit 4. The setting screen displayed here is a screen for setting operation information including the output of the microwave generator, etc. The operation information displayed here as the initial value is that which was set when the cooking appliance 1 was shipped from the factory. However, the user may display any operation information, operation information from the previous operation, etc. via the communication terminal 2. The operation information for range cooking is simpler than the operation information for oven cooking, and is limited to the heating (warming) time, etc., apart from the output of the microwave generator.

[0047] In step S35, the control means 11 accepts the result of the user's judgment as to whether or not the operation information displayed as the initial value in step S34 needs to be changed. If the user judges that a change is necessary (step S35 "Yes"), the control means 11 transitions to step S36. Otherwise (step S35 "No"), the control means 11 transitions to step S37. Note that if the user judges that a change is necessary and presses the IoT button, the control means 11 may transition to step S39.

[0048] In step S36, the control means 11 accepts a user's change of cooking process settings such as the output of the microwave generator and the heating time via the operation unit 3. The setting method may be, for example, any one of a number of operations such as the scale on a dial integrated with the "Microwave" button, the number of times the "Microwave" button is pressed, the pressing time, etc., or a known method that combines these operations. In step S37, the control means 11 accepts the user pressing the "Start warming" button. As mentioned above, steps S33 to S36 are processes that are carried out when step S32 is "Yes" (when the desired cooking menu is displayed), and steps S38 to S3a are processes that are carried out when step S32 is "No" (when the desired cooking menu is not displayed).

[0049] In step S38, the control means 11 accepts the user pressing the "IoT" button due to the fact that the desired cooking menu is not available, etc. In step S39, the control means 11 wirelessly connects the cooking appliance 1 to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 13. In step S40, control means 11 accepts the user setting operation information including the cooking menu and doneness level via operation input unit 22 of communication terminal 2. The detailed setting method will be described later, but here, more candidates are displayed on display output unit 21 of communication terminal 2 than the cooking menu candidates displayed in order in step S32. In step S41, the control means 11 receives the operation information set in step S40 from the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 13.

[0050] In step S3a, the control means 11 displays on the display unit 4 the operation information received in step S41. In step S3b, the control means 11 sends the operation information displayed in step S34, the operation information set by the user in step S36, or the operation information set by the user in step S40 to the heating means 12, and starts cooking. Then, the process ends.

[0051] Operation information after cooking is completed is saved in the cooking appliance 1 and the communication terminal 2, making it possible to repeat cooking under the same conditions multiple times. The cooking device 1 can cook food to the user's desired finish by operating with the microwave generator output, heating time, etc. based on the operation information set in step S36 or the operation information set in step S40.

[0052] <Screen flow when heating in the oven> 7 and 8 are examples of screens displayed by the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 during oven heating. The display output unit 21 is a touch panel display, and also serves as the operation input unit 22.

[0053] After the user presses the "IoT" button in step S18 of FIG. 5, when the cooking appliance 1 is connected to the communication terminal 2 in step S19, the screen of FIG. 7(a) is displayed on the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2.

[0054] The screen in Fig. 7(a) displays multiple cooking menus. The user selects a desired cooking menu from the cooking menu displayed on the screen in Fig. 7(a). The screen then transitions to Fig. 7(b).

[0055] On the screen in Fig. 7(b), the user sets whether to preheat, the heating temperature, etc., and then presses the "Next" button, which causes the screen to transition to Fig. 8(c).

[0056] The user sets the doneness level on the screen shown in Figure 8(c). A color image of the cooking menu (whole roast chicken) selected on the screen shown in Figure 7(a) is displayed at the top of the screen. The default doneness level, "Medium doneness level," is displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the user presses the inverted triangle selection mark, the screen transitions to Figure 8(d).

[0057] On the screen of FIG. 8(d), five levels of doneness options, such as "weak," "slightly weak," "medium," "slightly strong," and "strong," are displayed in a window. When the user selects the desired option from the options, the screen returns to FIG. 8(c). However, the "Doneness" column displays the doneness option selected by the user (here, "medium"). As mentioned above, doneness items include, for example, "appearance," which indicates the degree of browning, and "temperature," which indicates the temperature of the food when it is done. For each doneness option, a doneness option such as "weak," "medium," etc. can be set.

[0058] The screen in FIG. 8(c) is an example in which the doneness level (e.g., "medium") for a specific single doneness item (e.g., "appearance") is displayed. However, multiple doneness items and their corresponding doneness levels may be displayed simultaneously on one screen. In this case, "Appearance: medium," "Temperature: medium," etc. are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Even in this case, a window is displayed for selecting the doneness level from multiple levels such as "weak," "slightly weak," "medium," "slightly strong," and "strong." The doneness levels such as "weak," "medium," and "strong" are appropriately changed to display in accordance with the doneness item.

[0059] When the user presses the "Send to main unit" button on the screen of FIG. 8(c), the screen changes to FIG. 8(e), and the set operation information is sent to the communication unit 13. When the transmission is complete, the screen changes to FIG. 8(f). If the user wants to change the cooking conditions, he or she can press the "Cancel" button while the screen of FIG. 8(e) is displayed, and the screen returns to FIG. 8(c), and the transmission of the operation information to the communication unit 13 is interrupted.

[0060] When the screen in Fig. 8(f) is displayed, the set operation information is displayed on the display unit 4 of the cooking appliance 1 at the timing of step S1a in Fig. 5. When the user presses the "start warming" button in step S17, the process proceeds to step S1b, and cooking begins.

[0061] <Screen flow when heating in the microwave> 9 and 10 are examples of screens displayed by the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 during microwave heating. The display output unit 21 is a touch panel display, and also serves as the operation input unit 22.

[0062] After the user presses the "IoT" button in step S38 of FIG. 6, when the cooking appliance 1 is connected to the communication terminal 2 in step S39, the screen of FIG. 9(a) is displayed on the display output unit 21 of the communication terminal 2.

[0063] The screen in Fig. 9(a) displays multiple cooking menus. The user selects a desired cooking menu from the cooking menu displayed on the screen in Fig. 9(a). The screen then transitions to Fig. 9(b).

[0064] After the user sets the microwave generator output, heating time, etc. on the screen in Figure 9(b), he or she presses the "Next" button, which causes the screen to change to Figure 10(c).

[0065] The user sets the doneness level on the screen in Figure 10(c). A color image of the cooking menu (simple meat bun) selected on the screen in Figure 9(a) is displayed at the top of the screen. The default doneness level, "Doneness: Medium," is displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the user presses the inverted triangle selection mark, the screen transitions to Figure 10(d).

[0066] On the screen of FIG. 10(d), five levels of doneness options, such as "weak," "slightly weak," "medium," "slightly strong," and "strong," are displayed in a window. When the user selects the desired option from the options, the screen returns to FIG. 10(c). However, the "Doneness" column displays the doneness option selected by the user (here, "medium"). As mentioned above, doneness items include, for example, "appearance," which indicates the degree of browning, and "temperature," which indicates the temperature of the food when it is done. For each doneness option, a doneness option such as "weak," "medium," etc. can be set.

[0067] The screen in FIG. 10(c) is an example in which the doneness level (e.g., "medium") for a specific single doneness item (e.g., "appearance") is displayed. However, multiple doneness items and their corresponding doneness levels may be displayed simultaneously on one screen. In this case, "Appearance: medium," "Temperature: medium," etc. are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Even in this case, a window is displayed for selecting the doneness level from multiple levels such as "weak," "slightly weak," "medium," "slightly strong," and "strong." The doneness levels such as "weak," "medium," and "strong" are appropriately changed to display in accordance with the doneness item.

[0068] When the user presses the "Send to main unit" button on the screen of Fig. 10(c), the screen changes to Fig. 10(e), and the set operation information is sent to the communication unit 13. When the sending is complete, the screen changes to Fig. 10(f). If the user wants to change the cooking conditions, he or she can press the "Cancel" button while the screen of Fig. 10(e) is displayed, and the screen returns to Fig. 10(c), and the sending of the operation information to the communication unit 13 is interrupted.

[0069] When the screen in Fig. 10(f) is displayed, the set operation information is displayed on the display unit 4 of the cooking appliance 1 at the timing of step S3a in Fig. 6. When the user presses the "start warming" button in step S37, the process proceeds to step S3b, and cooking begins.

[0070] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The cooking appliance can accept input of operation information from the user from both the main body side and the communication terminal side. (2) If the candidate operation information provided by the main body is not what the user desires, the cooking appliance can accept input of operation information from the communication terminal. (3) Cooking appliances can accept the desired finish items after cooking the food. To make a good first impression of the cooking menu, it is important to ensure a good finish. Users want to carefully select the desired finish items. (4) The cooking appliance can accept the temperature or appearance of the heated food after cooking. The temperature or appearance (brown marks) accounts for a large part of the first impression. (5) The cooking device can accept operation information through simple actions. (6) The cooking appliance can receive operational information through simple movements on the dial.

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Cooker 2. Communication terminals 3 Control section 4 Display 5 doors 6 Main unit 11 Control measures 12 Heating means 13 Communications Department 14 Storage section 21 Display output section 22 Operation input section

Claims

1. a main body having a heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated; a heating means for heating the object to be heated housed in the heating chamber; a door that is provided at a front opening of the heating chamber and can be opened and closed freely, and that has an operation unit that allows a user to select from a plurality of pieces of operation information; a control unit that controls the heating unit based on the operation information input from the operation unit; a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal, The control means When a connection to the communication terminal is instructed via the operation unit, receiving the operation information from the communication terminal via the communication unit, and controlling the heating means based on the operation information; A heating cooker characterized by the above.

2. The control means When the operation information output by the user operating the operation unit is not the operation information desired by the user, receiving the operation information from the communication terminal via the communication unit, and controlling the heating means based on the operation information; The heating cooker according to claim 1 .

3. The communication terminal Accepting a finish item after cooking of the object to be heated as the operation information; The control means controlling the heating means based on the operation information set based on the finish items; The heating cooker according to claim 2,

4. The finished item is: The temperature of the object to be heated or the appearance of the object to be heated, The heating cooker according to claim 3,

5. The operation unit includes: accepting the operation information selected by the user through an operation on one input means; The heating cooker according to claim 1 .

6. The operation unit includes: Accepting the user's selection of the operation information by rotating a dial-type input means with an action on one input means; The heating cooker according to claim 5,

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