Heating cooking system

Abstract

To provide a heating cooking system capable of reducing labor of a user by automatizing stew cooking.SOLUTION: A heating cooking system comprises: a heating cooker including a heating unit for heating an object to be heated via a cooking apparatus and a weight sensor provided at the heating unit to measure weight of the object to be heated in the cooking apparatus; and a controller connected to the heating cooker. The controller comprises softening prediction means for predicting speed of rise of temperature of the object to be heated from information on power to be input to the heating unit and the weight of the object to be heated and predicting a softening time of a food material supplied in the cooking apparatus and stops heating by the heating unit after the elapse of the softening time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking system, and more particularly to automating cooking in a cooking system. [Background technology]

[0002] IH cooking heaters and gas stoves are known as cooking appliances for simmered dishes. Some IH cooking heaters and gas stoves are known to have a function to assist users in cooking, such as a voice prompt to indicate when to turn over an object to be heated when grilling. Patent Document 1 also discloses a function that notifies users when to sequentially add multiple objects to be heated that require different heating times when heating in a microwave oven. This function allows users to appropriately heat the objects to be heated, which is expected to shorten the heating time and save energy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-004145 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the microwave cooking support function or grilling support function described in Patent Document 1 does not automate cooking, and the user has to spend a lot of time on cooking. In particular, when stewing, it is difficult to know how long it will take for the ingredients to become edible, and users have to check each time, which is a hassle.

[0005] Furthermore, if the size, quantity, and shape of ingredients are changed from the recipe, for example, changing a recipe for four servings to one for two servings, it becomes more difficult to determine the optimal heating time, which can result in overcooking or undercooking, resulting in a poor texture in the finished product.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for a heating cooker equipped with an automated stewing function that can automatically cook all ingredients to an edible hardness, shorten and optimize cooking time, and enable labor-saving and energy-saving cooking, particularly in stewing.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a cooking system that automates stewing cooking and reduces the effort required by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The heating and cooking system of the present disclosure comprises a heating cooker having a heating unit that heats an object to be heated via a cooking utensil, and a weight sensor provided in the heating unit for measuring the weight of the object to be heated in the cooking utensil, and a control device connected to the heating cooker, wherein the control device predicts the rate of temperature rise of the object to be heated from information on the power input to the heating unit and the weight of the object to be heated, and is equipped with a softening prediction means that predicts the softening time of ingredients placed in the cooking utensil, and stops heating by the heating unit after the softening time has elapsed.

[0009] In addition, the heating and cooking system according to the present disclosure comprises a heating cooker having a heating unit that heats the heated object via a cooking utensil, a temperature sensor provided in the heating unit for measuring the temperature of the cooking utensil, and a control device connected to the heating cooker, wherein the control device has a softening prediction means that predicts the hardness of ingredients placed in the cooking utensil based on the temperature of the cooking utensil, and stops heating by the heating unit when the heated object becomes less than a predetermined hardness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the heating and cooking system of the present disclosure, heating is stopped after the softening time calculated based on temperature information has elapsed, making it possible to automate stewing cooking so that the ingredients are hard enough to eat and the heating time is not too long or too short. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an external appearance of a cooking system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram of a heating and cooking system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a graph showing differences in water temperature rise due to differences in the amount of water in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 4 is a graph showing temperature rise of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredients in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 4 is a graph showing the progress of softening of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredients in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing the progress of softening of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredients, taking boiling into consideration, in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph comparing predicted and actual measurements of softening of ingredients under boiling conditions in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 4 is a graph showing the progress of softening of ingredients depending on the shape of the ingredients in the cooking system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a heating and cooking system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of a cooking system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. In the following description, for convenience, the positional relationship of each structure may be expressed based on the illustrated state. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and any combination of the embodiments, any modification of any component of each embodiment, or any omission of any component of each embodiment are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in each drawing, the dimensional relationships and shapes of each component may differ from the actual ones. Furthermore, the positional relationships between each component, such as the vertical relationship, are, in principle, those when installed in a usable state.

[0013] Embodiment 1 <Heat cooking system 100> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a cooking system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooking system 100 is configured with a cooking appliance 1 and a control device 50 communicatively connected to the cooking appliance 1. The cooking appliance 1 has a heating unit 2 that heats a cooking utensil 4, such as a pot, from the bottom. A weight sensor 60 is disposed at the position of the heating unit 2. The cooking appliance 1 is also provided with an operation unit 3 for operating the heating unit 2 and the like. The operation unit 3 is provided with a communication unit 31 and a sound generation unit 32.

[0014] <Heating cooker 1> Cooking appliance 1 has a housing 10 composed of a main body 101 and a top plate 102. Main body 101 is box-shaped with an open top, and is formed, for example, by bending a flat metal plate. Inside main body 101, a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the inside of main body 101 is also housed. Top plate 102 is a flat member that covers the opening on the top surface of main body 101, and is formed, for example, from heat-resistant glass or a non-metallic material such as ceramic.

[0015] The heating unit 2 heats an object 6 to be heated housed in a cooking utensil 4, such as a pot, via the cooking utensil 4. Food ingredients, water, seasoning liquid, or the like are placed inside the cooking utensil 4 as the object 6 to be heated. Water or seasoning liquid is an example of a solvent. The heating unit 2 is comprised of, for example, an induction heating coil unit, an inverter board for operating the induction heating coil unit, a power supply board, and the like, and is housed inside the main body 101.

[0016] Weight sensor 60 measures the weight of ingredients, water, or seasoning liquid inside cooking utensil 4. Weight sensor 60 is installed inside main body 101 at a position where heating unit 2 is provided.

[0017] The main body 101 also houses an operation and display board unit (not shown) for controlling the operation unit 3. The operation unit 3 is provided with an operation panel 30, a communication unit 31, a voice generation unit 32, and a display unit 33. The operation unit 3 functions as a medium for the user to give instructions to the cooking appliance 1, or for the cooking appliance 1 to notify the user of a message, etc. In other words, information is exchanged between the cooking appliance 1 and the user or an external device via the operation unit 3.

[0018] The operation panel 30 is used to operate the heating unit 2, and for example, a user operates it to give instructions to start and stop heating by the heating unit 2 or to adjust the heat output of the heating unit 2. The operation panel 30 can be configured, for example, as a touch panel. Information input to the operation panel 30 is notified to the control device 50.

[0019] The communication unit 31 acquires recipe information and transmits and receives calculation results of hardness prediction. The communication unit 31 acquires recipe information such as the type of ingredients, the weight of the ingredients, the amount of water and seasonings, or the size of the ingredients. The communication unit 31 may acquire recipe information by, for example, collecting the user's voice, or may acquire the information from information displayed on the user's smartphone. The information acquired by the communication unit 31 is notified to the control device 50. Note that the recipe information may also be configured to be directly input by the user via the operation panel 30 or the like.

[0020] The sound generating unit 32 issues audible notifications to the outside, for example, notifying the user of cooking methods or instructing the user to stop heating. The sound generating unit 32 issues audible notifications based on instructions notified by the control device 50.

[0021] The display unit 33 displays settings, recipe information, cooking procedures, messages to the user, etc. The display unit 33 displays the contents based on a notification from the control device 50. The display unit 33 may be provided on a touch panel or the like and may have a function as the operation panel 30.

[0022] <Control device 50> Information acquired by various sensors provided in the cooking appliance 1 is notified to the control device 50. The control device 50 is configured to control the heating unit 2 based on the notified information.

[0023] The control device 50 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit, also referred to as a processing device, arithmetic device, microprocessor, microcomputer, processor, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor)). The control device 50 has memory configured, for example, by non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, mini disk, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc. The control device 50 realizes processing by programs stored in the memory.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 2, control device 50 includes temperature rise prediction means 51 and softening prediction means 52. Control device 50 may be provided in each component of cooking device 1, for example, or may be provided as a structure that controls each component collectively. Control device 50 may be realized by a structure in which at least some of its functions are provided separately from cooking device 1.

[0025] The control device 50 may be configured so that at least some of its functions are executed on the cloud, in which case it can communicate information using wireless communication functions such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or ZigBee (registered trademark).

[0026] The temperature rise prediction means 51 predicts the rate of temperature rise of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4 from the weight information acquired by the weight sensor 60 and the input power of the heating unit 2.

[0027] The softening prediction means 52 calculates the transition in the hardness of the ingredients based on the type of ingredient and the rate of temperature rise predicted by the temperature rise prediction means 51, and predicts the time it will take for the ingredients to soften. The type of ingredient is included in the recipe information. The softening time of an ingredient is the time from when the ingredient is placed in water to when the ingredient's hardness softens to 0.5 kgf or less, which is the edible level. If the ingredients include multiple types of ingredients, a softening time is predicted for each ingredient. For example, consider a case where the ingredients include ingredients with different softening times, namely a first ingredient and a second ingredient with a shorter softening time than the first ingredient. In this case, the softening prediction means 52 calculates a first softening time for the first ingredient and a second softening time for the second ingredient.

[0028] The control device 50 may include a notification means for issuing a notification command to the outside. The notification means, for example, notifies the information derived by each component of the control device 50 to the voice generation unit 32 of the operation unit 3 and issues a notification command.

[0029] <Control flow> FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the cooking system 100 first acquires recipe information under the control of the control device 50 in step S1. The recipe information is information about which dish to make, and is input via the operation unit 3 and notified to the control device 50. By acquiring the recipe information, it becomes clear what ingredients to use in the cooking. The recipe information can be selected directly on the operation panel 30 by a user's operation, for example. The recipe information may be acquired by collecting the user's voice with the voice generation unit 32, or information selected on a smartphone or the like may be acquired via the communication unit 31.

[0030] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S2, where it selects a target ingredient. If there are multiple ingredients, the target ingredient is the ingredient that softens the slowest among the ingredients. The timing at which the target ingredient becomes edible is the timing at which cooking is completed.

[0031] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S3, where it acquires weight information. The weight information is information about the total weight of the ingredients, water, or seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4, and is acquired by the weight sensor 60 and notified to the control device 50. The weight information acquired by the weight sensor 60 is used by the temperature rise prediction means 51 to predict the rate of temperature rise of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4.

[0032] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S4, where the temperature rise is predicted by the temperature rise prediction means 51. The temperature rise prediction means 51 predicts the rate of temperature rise of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4 from the input power of the heating unit 2 and the weight information. By performing the process of step S4, it is possible to predict the behavior of the temperature rise of the ingredients and the time when the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4 will reach approximately 100°C.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the difference in water temperature rise depending on the amount of water in the cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows the temperature change over time when 750 ml, 1125 ml, and 1500 ml of water are heated using an input power of 750 W. As shown in FIG. 4, as the weight increases, the rate of temperature rise slows in proportion to the increase in weight. Even when the cooking utensil 4 contains ingredients other than water, the rate of temperature rise slows in proportion to the increase in weight, as in the case of water alone. The rate of temperature rise of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4 can be predicted using the input power of the cooking appliance 1 and weight information. By predicting the rate of temperature rise of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4, it is possible to predict the behavior of the temperature rise of the ingredients and when the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid in the cooking utensil 4 will reach approximately 100°C.

[0034] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S5, where the softening prediction means 52 predicts the softening time of the target ingredient and determines the softening time as the set time. The prediction of the softening time will be described later.

[0035] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S6, where it starts heating by the heating unit 2. The control device 50 may be configured to issue a notification to notify the user to start heating by the heating unit 2. In that case, the control device 50 instructs the sound generation unit 32 of the operation unit 3 to notify the user that heating can be started.

[0036] Next, in step S7, the control device 50 determines whether the set time set as the softening time has elapsed. If it determines that the time has not elapsed (NO in step S7), it repeats the process; if it determines that the time has elapsed (YES in step S7), it proceeds to step S8.

[0037] Then, in step S8, the control device 50 stops heating by the heating unit 2. In the process of step S8, similar to step S6, a configuration may be adopted in which a notification to stop heating is issued, and in this case, the control device 5 instructs the sound generation unit 32 of the operation unit 3 to issue a notification urging the user to stop heating.

[0038] Through the above process, cooking automatically ends when the target ingredients become hard enough to eat, realizing automation of stewing cooking.

[0039] <Prediction of softening time> For example, in the case of a 1 cm square food material that exhibits the same temperature rise behavior as water temperature, the softening time required to reach the optimum hardness can be predicted using the following calculation: To predict softening, first calculate the hardness Y using the following equations 1 to 6, and then determine the time at which hardness Y reaches the optimum hardness.

[0040]

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[0041]

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[0042]

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[0043]

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[0044]

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[0045]

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[0046] Here, the symbols in each formula represent the following: Y: Hardness relative to the initial value of pectin [N (kg / kg)] P0: Initial pectin value [kg / kg] P h :Hydrogenated pectin [kg / kg] P s :Softened pectin [kg / kg] P: Unaltered pectin [kg / kg] a: Initial hardness [N] b: Equilibrium value of hardening [N] c: Equilibrium softening value [N] k h : Curing rate constant [(kg / kg) -1 min -1 ] kE: Curing rate constant [min -1 ] k s : Softening rate constant [min -1 ] K h : Ratio of the hardening rate constant to the apparent enzyme inactivation rate A: constant [min -1 ] E: Activation energy [kJ / mol] R: Gas constant [8.314 J / mol*K] T: Absolute temperature [K] Subscripts h and e: hardening Subscript s: Soften Subscript 0: Initial value

[0047] The above formulas 1 to 6 can be summarized to obtain the following formula 7, which can be used to calculate the hardness per heating time, and the heating time required to reach the desired hardness can be calculated based on formula 7.

[0048]

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[0049] Fig. 5 is a graph showing the temperature rise of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredients in cooking system 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a graph showing the progress of softening of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredients in cooking system 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 5 shows the water temperature in the cooking utensil 4 and the temperature change over time for a 1 cm square food ingredient and a 2 cm square food ingredient. Figure 6 shows the softening progress when a 1 cm square food ingredient and a 2 cm square food ingredient are used. The food ingredient is, for example, a potato, and the edible line is a load of 0.5 kgf.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the rate at which the temperature of the water rises is different from that of an ingredient measuring 1 cm square and an ingredient measuring 2 cm square. In other words, when the size of the ingredient varies, the rate at which the temperature rises becomes slower as the ingredient becomes larger, and the difference with the water temperature increases.

[0052] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, for both 1 cm square foodstuffs and 2 cm square foodstuffs, the load drops to 0.5 kgf or less after 15 minutes. The results in Figures 5 and 6 show that the time it takes for foodstuffs to become edible is roughly the same regardless of size, and that the size of the foodstuff does not need to be taken into account when determining the softening rate.

[0053] However, for recipes that require the food to be harder than the edible line of 0.5 kgf, the time it takes to reach the optimum hardness varies depending on the size of the ingredients. Therefore, it is necessary to pre-cook ingredients to a roughly fixed size and calculate the time it takes to reach the optimum hardness for that size. As shown in Figure 5, a 1 cm square ingredient exhibits roughly the same temperature rise behavior as water, but a 2 cm square ingredient takes about 3 minutes longer to reach 100°C.

[0054] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the transition of softening of ingredients depending on the size of the ingredient, taking boiling into consideration, in the cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the softening transition of the 2 cm square ingredient in FIG. 5 is shifted by 3 minutes overall toward the 1 cm square ingredient, taking into account the difference in time it takes for an ingredient with a 1 cm square size and an ingredient with a 2 cm square size to reach 100°C. As shown in FIG. 7, when the time it takes for an ingredient with a 1 cm square size and an ingredient with a 2 cm square size to reach 100°C is taken into account, the softening transitions are consistent regardless of size. In other words, the difference in size causes a 3-minute delay in the time it takes for the ingredient to reach the target temperature. Therefore, the optimal hardness for a 2 cm square ingredient can be calculated by adding the delay in the time it takes for the 2 cm square ingredient to reach 100°C to the time it takes for the 1 cm square ingredient to reach its optimal hardness.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a graph comparing predicted and actual measurements of softening of ingredients under boiling conditions in cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The softening prediction in FIG. 8 is obtained by calculating the current hardness of an ingredient, for example, a potato, that is, the change in hardness over time, by inputting necessary information, such as the temperature rise behavior of the ingredient, into the above-mentioned Equation 7. As shown in FIG. 8, if the edible line, which is the allowable hardness, is set to 0.5 kgf, the time required to achieve the optimal hardness of 0.5 kgf or less is 5 minutes at 100°C. Furthermore, as shown in the above-mentioned FIG. 4, it takes 10 minutes for the water and seasoning liquid before the ingredients are added to reach 100°C.

[0056] Therefore, it takes a total of 15 minutes from the start of heating for the food to become edible, including 10 minutes to reach 100°C and 5 minutes for the food to soften. The heating time for a 2cm square food item is calculated by adding 3 minutes to the 15-minute heating time for a 1cm square food item, which accounts for the delay in reaching the target temperature due to its size. Therefore, if the food item is 2cm square, the heating time can be calculated as 18 minutes.

[0057] 9 is a graph showing the progression of softening of ingredients depending on the shape of the ingredient in cooking system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, ingredients A and B have different shapes, but their hardness progression is almost the same. Ingredients A and B have the same volume but different surface areas, with ingredient B being larger than ingredient A. This shows that even if the shape of the ingredient affects the surface area in contact with water or liquid seasoning, there is almost no effect on the time it takes for the ingredient to become hard enough to eat.

[0058] Since the time it takes for ingredients to become edible varies depending on the type or size of the ingredients, the cooking appliance 1 calculates the time it takes for the ingredient that softens the fastest to become edible using the softening prediction means 52. The softening prediction means 52 is performed, for example, within the main body of the cooking appliance 1, but the cooking system 100 may also be configured by calculating the softening prediction on the cloud and returning the result to the cooking appliance 1 via the communication unit 31. Then, the cooking appliance 1 ends heating after all ingredients have been added and the time has passed for the ingredients to become edible.

[0059] Thus, the cooking system 100 includes a cooking appliance 1 equipped with a heating unit 2 that heats an object 6 to be heated via a cooking appliance 4, an operating unit 3 that operates the heating unit 2, and a weight sensor 60 that measures the total weight of the object 6 in the cooking appliance 4. The cooking system 100 also includes a communication unit 31 that transmits and receives recipe information or hardness prediction calculation results in the cooking appliance 1. The cooking system 100 obtains weight information of the object 6 to be heated, including ingredients, water, and seasonings, contained in the cooking appliance 4, using the weight sensor 60 provided in the heating unit 2 of the cooking appliance 1. The cooking system 100 calculates the edible hardness of the ingredients based on the input power to the heating unit 2 and the recipe information, predicts when the ingredients will soften to an edible hardness, and automatically ends cooking, thereby automatically performing stewing. This reduces the user's effort and burden in stewing, and ensures that the ingredients are cooked to an edible hardness without causing cooking failures such as the ingredients remaining hard. Furthermore, since unnecessary heating can be eliminated, it contributes to labor saving and energy saving. Furthermore, for example, when cooking simmered dishes, it is possible to provide a heating and cooking system 100 equipped with a cooking assistance function that supports the user, achieving the best finish, shortening and optimizing the cooking time, and cooking in an energy-saving manner.

[0060] According to the cooking system 100 of the first embodiment described above, the heating unit 2 is provided with a weight sensor 60 for acquiring and making predictions about temperature information, and the softening prediction means 52 calculates the softening time based on the temperature information. When the softening time has elapsed, heating by the heating unit 2 is stopped, and cooking is terminated. This makes it possible to prevent ingredients from being heated too long or too short during stewing, and to assist the user in making the ingredients soft enough to eat.

[0061] Embodiment 2 10 is a schematic diagram of a cooking system 100 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Cooking system 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a temperature sensor 61. In the second embodiment, parts that are common to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 10, the cooking system 100 is made up of a cooking appliance 1 having a heating unit 2 and a temperature sensor 61, and a control device 50 connected to the cooking appliance 1. The temperature sensor 61 measures the temperature of a cooking utensil 4 in which an object to be heated 6 is accommodated, and is arranged, for example, at the position where the heating unit 2 is provided. The temperature sensor 61 is, for example, a thermistor. Information on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 61 is notified to the control device 50. The cooking appliance 1 is also provided with an operation unit 3 that operates the heating unit 2 etc. and includes a communication unit 31 and a sound generation unit 32.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the cooking system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 11, the cooking system 100 first acquires recipe information under the control of the control device 50 in step S11. The recipe information is information about what dish to make, and is input via the operation unit 3 and notified to the control device 50. By acquiring the recipe information, it becomes clear what ingredients are to be used in the cooking. The recipe information can be selected directly on the operation panel 30 by a user's operation, for example. The recipe information may be acquired by collecting the user's voice in the voice generation unit 32, or may be acquired by selecting information on a smartphone or the like via the communication unit 31.

[0064] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S12, where it selects a target ingredient. If there are multiple ingredients, the target ingredient is the ingredient that softens the slowest among the ingredients. The timing at which the target ingredient becomes edible is the timing at which cooking is completed.

[0065] Next, the control device 50 proceeds to step S13, and in step S13, causes the heating unit 2 to start heating.

[0066] Next, the control device 50 acquires temperature information in step S14. The temperature information is information about the temperature of the cooking utensil 4, and is measured by the temperature sensor 61.

[0067] Next, in step S15, the control device 50 predicts the water temperature. The water temperature is the temperature of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid inside the cooking utensil 4, and can be predicted from the temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 61, i.e., the temperature of the cooking utensil 4.

[0068] Next, in step S16, the control device 50 uses the softening prediction means 52 to predict the softening of the ingredients. The softening prediction is performed by calculating using the temperatures of the ingredients, water, and seasoning liquid inside the cooking utensil 4, which are predicted based on the temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 61, using the above-mentioned equation 7. This allows the current hardness of the ingredients to be calculated and predicted in real time.

[0069] Next, in step S17, the control device 50 compares the current hardness of the ingredient with the allowable hardness, i.e., the target hardness for the edible line of the target ingredient. The allowable hardness is stored as data according to the type of ingredient, for example, as recipe information. If the current hardness of the ingredient is greater than the allowable hardness (NO in step S17), the control device 50 repeats the process; if it is less than the allowable hardness (YES in step S17), the control device 50 proceeds to step S18.

[0070] Next, in step S18, the control device 50 stops heating by the heating unit 2. In the processing of step S18, similar to step S8 in Fig. 3, a configuration may be adopted in which a notification to stop heating is issued, and in this case, the control device 5 instructs the sound generation unit 32 of the operation unit 3 to issue a notification urging the user to stop heating.

[0071] In this way, the cooking system 100 is provided with a temperature sensor 61 in the heating unit 2 that acquires temperature information inside the cooking utensil 4, and predicts the softening of ingredients based on the temperature information and recipe information, calculating and predicting the current hardness in real time. The softening prediction is performed for the ingredient that softens the slowest. Then, when the target ingredient has reached an edible hardness, heating by the heating unit 2 is automatically stopped, and cooking ends. This reduces the effort required for the user in cooking, eliminates cooking mistakes such as ingredients remaining hard, and allows ingredients to be cooked to an edible hardness. It also eliminates unnecessary heating, contributing to both effort and energy savings.

[0072] The softening prediction can be performed within the main body of the cooking appliance 1, as in the first embodiment. The softening prediction may also be calculated on the cloud via the communication unit 31, and the result may be returned to the cooking appliance 1.

[0073] According to the cooking system 100 of the second embodiment described above, the heating unit 2 is provided with a temperature sensor 61 for acquiring and predicting temperature information. Then, the softening prediction means 52 calculates the hardness of the ingredients in real time based on the temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 61, and stops cooking when the desired hardness is reached. Therefore, in stewing cooking, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from being heated for too long or too short a time, and to finish the ingredients so that they are hard enough to eat, without causing cooking failures such as the ingredients remaining hard. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 cooking appliance, 2 heating unit, 3 operation unit, 4 cooking implement, 6 heated object, 10 housing, 30 operation panel, 31 communication unit, 32 sound generating unit, 33 display unit, 50 control device, 51 temperature rise prediction means, 52 softening prediction means, 60 weight sensor, 61 temperature sensor, 100 cooking system, 101 main body, 102 baking sheet.

Claims

1. A heating unit that heats the object to be heated via a cooking utensil; a weight sensor provided in the heating unit for measuring the weight of the object to be heated in the cooking appliance; a heating cooker having the A control device connected to the cooking appliance; Equipped with The control device and a softening prediction means for predicting the rate of temperature rise of the food to be heated based on information on the power input to the heating unit and the weight of the food to be heated, and predicting the softening time of the food placed in the cooking appliance; After the softening time has elapsed, the heating by the heating unit is stopped. Heating and cooking system.

2. The softening prediction means The hardness of the food material per heating time is calculated, and the time required for the food material to reach a desired hardness is determined, thereby predicting the softening time. The cooking system according to claim 1 .

3. A heating unit that heats the object to be heated via a cooking utensil; a temperature sensor provided in the heating unit for measuring the temperature of the cooking utensil; a heating cooker having the A control device connected to the cooking appliance; Equipped with The control device a softening prediction means for predicting the hardness of ingredients placed in the cooking utensil based on the temperature of the cooking utensil; When the hardness of the object to be heated becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, heating by the heating unit is stopped. Heating and cooking system.

4. The softening prediction means The current hardness of the food material is calculated from the temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor, and compared with the target hardness of the food material. The cooking system according to claim 3 .

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