Heat cooking system and application software for heat cooking system

Abstract

To provide a heat cooking system and an application software for the heat cooking system which can execute a high-quality automatic cooking.SOLUTION: A heat cooking system 100 of the present invention includes a heat cooker 1 and an external terminal 3. The external terminal 3 includes a display part and a display 3a as an input part, in which a user 5 can input a cooking instruction to the heat cooker 1. The cooking instruction includes: a main cooking instruction in which the user 5 necessarily inputs based on a selected automatic cooking menu; and a sub cooking instruction which the user 5 optionally inputs. The display 3a can display: a main cooking instruction screen 302 in which the user 5 inputs the main cooking instruction; and a sub cooking instruction screen 303 in which the user 5 inputs the sub cooking instruction. The main cooking instruction screen 302 and the sub cooking instruction screen 303 are displayed on the display 3a prior to the start of the automatic cooking by the heat cooker 1 based on the selected automatic cooking menu.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking system and application software for the cooking system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional cooking system. This cooking system includes a cooking appliance and an external terminal. The cooking appliance has three burners and one heating grill. The cooking appliance is capable of heating food using each of these burners and the heating grill. The external terminal is connected to the cooking appliance so as to be able to communicate with it. The external terminal has a display operation unit. In this document, the external terminal is specifically a smartphone, and the display operation unit is a display.

[0003] This cooking system is capable of automatically cooking food based on an automatic cooking menu selected by the user. When performing automatic cooking, multiple automatic cooking menus are displayed on the display operation unit of the external terminal. The user then selects the desired automatic cooking menu from these automatic cooking menus. The display operation unit then displays information such as the type and amount of food required to cook the selected automatic cooking menu. The user then prepares the food according to the information displayed on the display operation unit and selects, via the display operation unit, a stove burner or heating grill to heat the food. The user then personally ignites the selected stove burner or heating grill. In this cooking system, the cooker then performs automatic cooking based on a cooking program corresponding to the automatic cooking menu selected by the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-158345 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when automatically cooking a menu item selected by a user, it is possible that some of the necessary ingredients may not be available, or that the necessary amount of ingredients may not be prepared. It is also possible that ingredients other than those required may be added depending on the user's preferences, or that the user may not be able to prepare the ingredients according to the specified menu due to factors such as skill.

[0006] In these cases, the conventional heating and cooking system described above automatically cooks the automatic cooking menu under conditions that differ from the pre-set conditions, which may have a negative impact on the final result of automatic cooking or may cause the automatic cooking to fail.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and has as its object to provide a cooking system and application software for a cooking system that can perform high-quality automatic cooking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The cooking system of the present invention comprises a cooking device and an external terminal communicably connected to the cooking appliance; The cooking device is a cooking system capable of automatically cooking food based on an automatic cooking menu selected by a user, the external terminal has a display unit and an input unit through which the user can input cooking instructions to the cooking appliance, The cooking instructions include main cooking instructions that the user must input based on the selected automatic cooking menu; and a secondary cooking instruction inputted by the user at will, The display unit can display a selection screen for the user to select the automatic cooking menu through the input unit, a main cooking instruction screen for the user to input the main cooking instructions through the input unit, and a secondary cooking instruction screen for the user to input the secondary cooking instructions through the input unit, The selection screen is displayed on the display unit before the main cooking instruction screen and the sub-cooking instruction screen, The main cooking instruction screen and the sub-cooking instruction screen are displayed on the display unit before the cooking device starts the automatic cooking based on the selected automatic cooking menu.

[0009] In the cooking system of the present invention, a user can input cooking instructions for a cooking appliance through an input unit of an external terminal. These cooking instructions include main cooking instructions and side-cooking instructions. Here, the main cooking instructions are instructions that the user must make based on the selected automatic cooking menu. In contrast, the side-cooking instructions are instructions that the user can make at his / her discretion. Therefore, the side-cooking instructions have different content from the main cooking instructions.

[0010] The user then inputs main cooking instructions on the main cooking instruction screen displayed on the display unit of the external terminal, and inputs side-cooking instructions on the side-cooking instruction screen displayed on the display unit. Thus, in this cooking system, when the user uses a cooker to automatically cook a desired automatic cooking menu, they can input not only main cooking instructions but also side-cooking instructions as needed.

[0011] Since the user can input a secondary cooking instruction at their discretion, the cooking appliance can perform automatic cooking regardless of whether a secondary cooking instruction is input. For this reason, for example, once the cooking appliance has progressed to a certain extent in automatic cooking without a secondary cooking instruction being input, or once automatic cooking without a secondary cooking instruction has been input has finished, the display unit may be configured to display a secondary cooking instruction screen and prompt the user to input secondary cooking instructions as needed.

[0012] However, with this configuration, depending on the content of the secondary cooking instructions entered, the cooking appliance may not be able to fully reflect the secondary cooking instructions in the automatic cooking, or the time to execute the secondary cooking instructions may have already passed. As a result, even if the user is able to enter secondary cooking instructions as needed, this configuration may have a negative impact on the quality of the automatic cooking or may result in the automatic cooking failing.

[0013] In this cooking system, the main cooking instruction screen and the side-cooking instruction screen are displayed on the display unit before the cooker starts automatic cooking based on the selected automatic cooking menu. This allows the user to input not only the main cooking instruction but also the side-cooking instruction before the cooker starts automatic cooking. Therefore, in this cooking system, when the user inputs the side-cooking instruction, the cooker can automatically cook the automatic cooking menu by appropriately reflecting the contents of the side-cooking instruction in addition to the contents of the main cooking instruction. As a result, in this cooking system, even when the user inputs the side-cooking instruction, the automatic cooking result is less likely to be adversely affected or the automatic cooking to fail.

[0014] Therefore, the cooking system of the present invention is capable of performing high-quality automatic cooking.

[0015] Preferably, the display unit can display the main cooking instruction screen and the secondary cooking instruction screen separately, allowing the user to easily recognize whether the input instruction corresponds to a main cooking instruction or a secondary cooking instruction.

[0016] In this case, the display unit preferably displays the main cooking instruction screen before the secondary cooking instruction screen. Because the main cooking instruction is a required instruction, it is more important for automatic cooking than the secondary cooking instruction, which is optional. Therefore, by inputting the main cooking instruction before the secondary cooking instruction, it is possible to prevent automatic cooking of an unintended content by inputting an incorrect instruction.

[0017] The secondary cooking instruction may include an instruction to change the cooking time when the cooking appliance performs automatic cooking based on the automatic cooking menu. Preferably, the user inputs an increase or decrease in the cooking time on the secondary cooking instruction screen.

[0018] The secondary cooking instructions may also include instructions to change the heat level of the cooking appliance when the cooking appliance performs automatic cooking based on the automatic cooking menu. Preferably, the user can also input an increase or decrease in heat level on the secondary cooking instruction screen.

[0019] In these cases, simplifying the content of the secondary cooking instructions can reduce the burden on the user when entering secondary cooking instructions. Simplifying the content of secondary cooking instructions also makes it easier to control the operation of the heating cooker when performing automatic cooking.

[0020] The application software for a cooking system of the present invention is used in a cooking system that can automatically cook food based on an automatic cooking menu selected by a user, and includes: The cooking system includes a cooker and an external terminal that stores application software for the cooking system and is communicably connected to the cooking appliance; the external terminal has an input unit that allows the user to input operations related to automatic cooking, the application software for the cooking system allows the user to input cooking instructions for the cooking appliance through the input unit; The cooking instructions include main cooking instructions that the user must input based on the selected automatic cooking menu; and a secondary cooking instruction inputted by the user at will, The application software for the cooking system includes a selection process that allows the user to select the automatic cooking menu desired for automatic cooking through the input unit; a first instruction process in which the user can input the main cooking instruction through the input unit; A second instruction process in which the user can input the secondary cooking instruction through the input unit; an automatic cooking start process for causing the cooking device to start the automatic cooking; The application software for the heating cooking system is characterized in that it executes the selection process before the first instruction process, the second instruction process, and the automatic cooking start process, and executes the first instruction process and the second instruction process before the automatic cooking start process.

[0021] By using the application software for the cooking system of the present invention in a cooking system, the cooking system can achieve the same effects as the cooking system of the present invention.

[0022] Therefore, the application software for the cooking system of the present invention is capable of performing high-quality automatic cooking.

[0023] The external terminal may have a display unit. The application software for the cooking system may display a selection screen on the display unit during the selection process, allowing the user to select the desired automatic cooking menu item. During the first instruction process, the application software may display a main cooking instruction screen on the display unit for the user to input main cooking instructions. During the second instruction process, the application software may display a side-cooking instruction screen on the display unit for the user to input side-cooking instructions. Preferably, the main cooking instruction screen and the side-cooking instruction screen are displayed separately on the display unit.

[0024] In this case, the user can conveniently select the desired automatic cooking menu through the selection screen. The user can also conveniently input main cooking instructions and secondary cooking instructions through the main cooking instruction screen and secondary cooking instruction screen. Furthermore, because the main cooking instruction screen and secondary cooking instruction screen are displayed separately on the display unit, the user can easily recognize whether the instruction they are entering corresponds to a main cooking instruction or a secondary cooking instruction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] The cooking system of the present invention is capable of performing high-quality automatic cooking. Also, the application software for the cooking system of the present invention is capable of performing high-quality automatic cooking. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the process of automatic cooking in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the process of automatic cooking in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the process of automatic cooking in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the process of automatic cooking in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a selection screen displayed on the display unit in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a main cooking instruction screen displayed on the display unit in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a secondary cooking instruction screen displayed on the display unit in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a heating means selection screen displayed on the display unit in the cooking system of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an ignition instruction screen displayed on the display unit in the cooking system of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 1, the cooking system 100 of the embodiment includes a cooking appliance 1, a mobile terminal 3, and a server 9. The mobile terminal 3 is an example of the "external terminal" in the present invention.

[0029] In this embodiment, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the cooking appliance 1 are defined by the arrows shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the left-right direction of the cooking appliance 1 is defined by taking as a reference a situation in which a user 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as user 5) of the cooking appliance 1 and the portable terminal 3 faces the cooking appliance 1 from the front, with the right side of the user 5 being the right side of the cooking appliance 1 and the left side of the user 5 being the left side of the cooking appliance 1. These front-rear direction, up-down direction and left-right direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0030] The cooking device 1 has a housing 11, a top plate 12, first and second burners 13 and 14, a heating grill 15, an operating section 16, and a control device C1.

[0031] The housing 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box extending in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions. Although not shown, the housing 11 has an open top. The top plate 12 is fixed to the top of the housing 11 and covers the housing 11 from above.

[0032] The first and second burners 13, 14 are each provided on the top plate 12. The top plate 12 is also provided with a first trivet 13a surrounding the first burner 13, and a second trivet 14a surrounding the second burner 14. The first and second burners 13, 14 are heating means for heating food (not shown) and are configured similarly to known burners. Specifically, the first and second burners 13, 14 burn fuel gas, respectively, to heat the food inside the cooking vessels (not shown) placed on the first trivet 13a and second trivet 14a. Examples of cooking vessels include pots, frying pans, and heat-resistant dishes.

[0033] Here, the second burner 14 is formed smaller than the first burner 13. As a result, the maximum heating power of the second burner 14 is smaller than the maximum heating power of the first burner 13. Also, in accordance with the shape of the second burner 14, the second trivet 14a is formed smaller than the first trivet 13a. Note that the second burner 14 may be the same size as the first burner 13, and the maximum heating power of the first burner 13 and the second burner 14 may be the same size. Also, the second trivet 14a may be the same size as the first trivet 13a.

[0034] Heating grill 15 is provided in housing 11. Heating grill 15 is also a heating means for heating food to be cooked, and has the same configuration as known heating grills. That is, heating grill 15 can heat the cooking container housed therein as well as the food to be cooked in the cooking container by burning fuel gas.

[0035] The operation unit 16 is provided on the front surface of the housing 11. The operation unit 16 is made up of first to third operation switches 161 to 163. Here, the first operation switch 161 and the third operation switch 163 are arranged to the right of the heating grill 15 on the front surface of the housing 11. On the other hand, the second operation switch 162 is arranged to the left of the heating grill 15 on the front surface of the housing 11. The arrangement of the first to third operation switches 161 to 163 can be designed as appropriate. Furthermore, the first to third operation switches 161 to 163, and therefore the operation unit 16, may be provided on the top panel 12.

[0036] The first operation switch 161 can operate the first burner 13, the second operation switch 162 can operate the second burner 14, and the third operation switch 163 can operate the heating grill 15. Taking the first operation switch 161 as an example, the user 5 can turn on and off the first burner 13 by pressing the first operation switch 161. Furthermore, the user 5 can adjust the heat output of the first burner 13 as desired by rotating the first operation switch 161. The configurations of the first to third operation switches 161 to 163 can be designed as appropriate.

[0037] The control device C1 is disposed inside the housing 11. The control device C1 is electrically connected to the first and second burners 13, 14 and the heating grill 15. As a result, the control device C1 controls the operation of the first and second burners 13, 14 and the heating grill 15 in response to the operation of the operating unit 16 by the user 5.

[0038] The control device C1 is also wirelessly connected to the mobile terminal 3 via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). As a result, the control device C1 controls the operation of the first and second burners 13, 14 and the heating grill 15 based on the operation of the mobile terminal 3 by the user 5, and executes automatic cooking of the automatic cooking menu selected by the user 5.

[0039] The portable terminal 3 is provided outside the cooking appliance 1 and is separate from the cooking appliance 1. Specifically, the portable terminal 3 is a commercially available smartphone. The portable terminal 3 is provided with a touch panel display 3a. The display 3a is an example of the "display unit" and "input unit" of the present invention. The user 5 can operate the portable terminal 3 and further the automatic cooking application 7, which will be described later, by touching the display 3a. Note that a tablet computer or the like may be used as the portable terminal 3. The portable terminal 3 may also have a keyboard or the like, which serves as the "input unit" of the present invention.

[0040] The mobile terminal 3 has a calculation unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33. The calculation unit 31 is composed of a CPU and the like, and controls various operations of the mobile terminal 3 and also executes the automatic cooking application 7.

[0041] The communication unit 32 is configured by a wireless communication device. The mobile terminal 3 is capable of short-range wireless communication and connection to a network such as the Internet through the communication unit 32. The mobile terminal 3 is also wirelessly connected to the control device C1 of the cooking appliance 1 and to the server 9 through the communication unit 32.

[0042] The memory unit 33 is composed of a storage device such as a ROM or RAM. The memory unit 33 stores information about the cooking appliance 1, including information about the shapes and maximum heat output of the first and second burners 13, 14 and the heating grill 15. The memory unit 33 also stores a control program (not shown) that controls the operation of the mobile terminal 3, as well as an automatic cooking application 7. The automatic cooking application 7 is an example of "application software for a cooking system" according to the present invention.

[0043] The automatic cooking application 7 is provided via a network, and the user 5 can obtain the automatic cooking application 7 by connecting the mobile terminal 3 to the network. The automatic cooking application 7 may be stored in advance in the memory unit 33 of the mobile terminal 3.

[0044] The automatic cooking application 7 performs a selection process, a first instruction process, a second instruction process, a heating means selection process, and an automatic cooking start process, causing the cooking appliance 1 to perform automatic cooking of the automatic cooking menu selected by the user 5. Details of the selection process, the first instruction process, the second instruction process, the heating means selection process, and the automatic cooking start process will be described later.

[0045] The server 9 is provided outside the cooking appliance 1 and the mobile terminal 3. The server 9 has a calculation unit 91, a communication unit 92, and a memory unit 93. The calculation unit 91 controls various operations in the server 9. The communication unit 92 communicates wirelessly with the mobile terminal 3. The memory unit 93 stores a plurality of automatic cooking menus, as well as cooking recipes and cooking programs corresponding to each automatic cooking menu. The cooking recipes include information such as the type of food to be cooked in the automatic cooking menu, the necessary preparation of the food, and the type of cooking vessel to be used for cooking. The cooking program is a control program that enables the cooking appliance 1 to automatically cook the automatic cooking menu.

[0046] The storage unit 93 also stores automatic cooking menus that can be automatically cooked by a cooking appliance other than the cooking appliance 1, and the corresponding cooking recipes and cooking programs. These automatic cooking menus, cooking recipes, and cooking programs can be updated and added as needed. The server 9 may also be a virtual server provided on a network.

[0047] In the cooking system 100 configured as described above, the user 5 can have the cooker 1 automatically cook a desired automatic cooking menu by operating the mobile terminal 3. This will be described in detail below.

[0048] To have the cooker 1 automatically cook an automatic cooking menu item, the user 5 operates the mobile terminal 3 to start the automatic cooking application 7 (step S101 in FIG. 2). Then, the started automatic cooking application 7 first executes a selection process.

[0049] In this selection process, the automatic cooking application 7 displays a selection screen 301 on the display 3a (step S102 in FIG. 2), as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the selection screen 301 includes a first input field 301a and a confirm icon 301b.

[0050] Furthermore, the automatic cooking application 7 displays the selection screen 301 on the display 3a and simultaneously communicates with the server 9 to acquire the automatic cooking menu stored in the server 9. At this time, the automatic cooking application 7 selects and acquires an automatic cooking menu that can be automatically cooked by the cooker 1 from the automatic cooking menus stored in the server 9. The automatic cooking menu acquired in this manner is displayed in the first input field 301a. Here, the first input field 301a displays the name of the automatic cooking menu in text, such as "Menu A" or "Menu B." The first input field 301a may also display a sample image of the automatic cooking menu, or the name of the cooking menu together with the sample image.

[0051] Then, the user 5 selects the automatic cooking menu item desired for automatic cooking from the automatic cooking menu items displayed in the first input field 301a (step S103 in FIG. 2). The user 5 then touches the decision icon 301b (see FIG. 3) on the selection screen 301. This determines the automatic cooking menu item for automatic cooking performed by the cooker 1 (step S103 in FIG. 2: YES). In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the user 5 selects menu item A. Meanwhile, the automatic cooking application 7 waits, displaying the automatic cooking menu items that can be automatically cooked by the cooker 1 in the first input field 301a, until the user 5 touches the decision icon 301b (step S103: NO).

[0052] When the user 5 touches the confirm icon 301b, the automatic cooking application 7 transmits the cooking menu selected by the user 5 to the server 9. That is, the automatic cooking application 7 transmits to the server 9 that the user 5 has selected menu A (step S104). In this way, the automatic cooking application 7 ends the selection process.

[0053] Meanwhile, the server 9 selects a cooking recipe and a cooking program corresponding to menu A from the cooking recipes and cooking programs stored in its own storage unit 93, and transmits the selected cooking recipe and cooking program to the external terminal 3 (step S105).

[0054] Here, when user 5 selects menu A and presses confirm icon 301b, automatic cooking of menu A in the cooker 1 has not yet begun. Therefore, after selecting menu A, user 5 must prepare the ingredients necessary for automatic cooking of menu A, and must also input cooking instructions for the cooker 1. These cooking instructions consist of main cooking instructions and side-cooking instructions. Main cooking instructions are instructions that user 5 must input based on the selected automatic cooking menu, i.e., menu A. On the other hand, side-cooking instructions are instructions that user 5 can input at will, as needed. Because side-cooking instructions can be input at will, side-cooking instructions are a different type of instruction from main cooking instructions.

[0055] In this cooking system 100, the main cooking instructions include instructions for the cooking containers to be used for automatic cooking and instructions for the quantity of ingredients in the automatic cooking menu to be created. Meanwhile, the secondary cooking instructions include instructions for changing the cooking time during automatic cooking, i.e., instructions to increase or decrease the cooking time. Note that other instructions may also be set as the main cooking instructions and secondary cooking instructions.

[0056] The automatic cooking application 7 executes a first instruction process when the cooking recipe and cooking program corresponding to menu A are transmitted from the server 9 to the external terminal 3. In this first instruction process, as shown in Fig. 7, the automatic cooking application 7 displays a main cooking instruction screen 302 on the display 3a (step S106 in Fig. 2).

[0057] 7, the main cooking instruction screen 302 has a second input field 302a and a third input field 302b for the user 5 to input main cooking instructions, as well as a first continuation icon 302c. Furthermore, the main cooking instruction screen 302 displays a description of the menu A and the received cooking recipe.

[0058] User 5 then prepares the ingredients needed for automatic cooking of Menu A according to the displayed cooking recipe. In addition to preparing the ingredients, the user also selects the cooking vessel to be used for automatic cooking of Menu A from the second input field 302a and enters it in the second input field 302a. Although not shown, only cooking vessels that can be used for automatic cooking of Menu A are selectable in the second input field 302a to prevent user 5 from entering an incorrect selection. User 5 selects the desired cooking vessel from the selectable cooking vessels. User 5 also enters the portion size of the Menu A to be prepared in the third input field 302b. This portion size is entered by entering the number of people for whom Menu A will be provided. The amount of ingredients needed for automatic cooking of Menu A, as indicated in the cooking recipe on the main cooking instruction screen 302, may be the amount per person. Alternatively, by entering the number of people in the third input field 302b, the cooking recipe may display the amount according to the number of people.

[0059] The automatic cooking application 7 is in a standby state until the user 5 finishes inputting data into the second input field 302a and the third input field 302b (step S107: NO in Figure 2), and during this time, the automatic cooking application 7 does not accept touch operations on the first continuation icon 302c.

[0060] On the other hand, once the user 5 has finished inputting information into the second input field 302a and the third input field 302b (Step S107: YES), the automatic cooking application 7 enters a state in which it is ready to accept a touch operation on the first continuation icon 302c. The automatic cooking application 7 also enters a standby state until the user 5 touches the first continuation icon 302c (Step S108: NO). Note that the second input field 302a and the third input field 302b may be pre-entered with initial content, allowing the user 5 to enter other content as needed. The content previously entered into the second input field 302a and the third input field 302b may also be displayed as the next initial content.

[0061] If the user 5 touches the first continuation icon 302c (step S108: YES), the automatic cooking application 7 creates a first cooking command based on the cooking program corresponding to menu A and the main cooking command entered in step S107 (step S109). Furthermore, the automatic cooking application 7 stores the created first cooking command in the memory unit 33 of the external terminal 3 (step S110). In this way, the automatic cooking application 7 ends the first command processing.

[0062] Next, the automatic cooking application 7 executes a second instruction process. In this second instruction process, as shown in Fig. 8, the automatic cooking application 7 displays a secondary cooking instruction screen 303 on the display 3a (step S111 in Fig. 3). This secondary cooking instruction screen 303 is displayed on the display 3a as a separate screen from the main cooking instruction screen 302 displayed in step S106. The secondary cooking instruction screen 303 is displayed on the display 3a after the main cooking instruction screen 302.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 8, the secondary cooking instruction screen 303 has a fourth input field 303a for the user 5 to input secondary cooking instructions and a second continue icon 303b. If there is no need to change the cooking time preset for the cooking program corresponding to menu A, that is, if there is no need to increase or decrease the cooking time, the user 5 enters zero in the fourth input field 303a (step S112: YES in Fig. 3). Note that when the secondary cooking instruction screen 303 is first displayed on the display 3a, that is, on the initial screen of the secondary cooking instruction screen 303, zero is entered in the fourth input field 303a. Therefore, on the initial screen of the secondary cooking instruction screen 303, the cooking time cannot be changed.

[0064] When the user 5 touches the second continuation icon 303b (step S113: YES), the automatic cooking application 7 ends the second instruction process. Even if a value such as zero is entered in the fourth input field 303a, the automatic cooking application 7 remains in standby mode without ending the second instruction process until the user 5 touches the second continuation icon 303b (step S113: NO).

[0065] Next, the automatic cooking application 7 executes a heating means selection process. In this heating means selection process, as shown in Fig. 9, the automatic cooking application 7 displays a heating means selection screen 304 on the display 3a (step S114 in Fig. 3).

[0066] As shown in FIG. 9, the heating means selection screen 304 has a fifth input field 304a and an automatic cooking start icon 304b. The user 5 selects one of the first burner 13, the second burner 14, and the heating grill 15 as the cooking destination for automatic cooking of menu A. Here, to prevent the user 5 from making an incorrect input, for example, if automatic cooking of menu A can be performed on the first burner 13 or the heating grill 15, the second burner 14 cannot be selected in the fifth input field 304a. Note that an alternative configuration is also possible in which images of the first burner 13, the second burner 14, and the heating grill 15 are displayed in the fifth input field 304a, and the user 5 selects and inputs the first burner 13, the second burner 14, and the heating grill 15 from these images.

[0067] Then, when the user 5 selects one of the first burner 13, the second burner 14, or the heating grill 15 and inputs it into the fifth input field 304a (step S115: YES in FIG. 3), and then touches the automatic cooking start icon 304b (step S116: YES), the automatic cooking application 7 ends the heating means selection process. Note that if the user 5 does not input one of the first burner 13, the second burner 14, or the heating grill 15 into the fifth input field 304a (S115: NO), or if the user 5 does not touch the automatic cooking start icon 304b (step S116: NO), the automatic cooking application 7 continues the heating means selection process.

[0068] After completing the heating means selection process, the automatic cooking application 7 executes the automatic cooking start process. In this automatic cooking start process, if no instruction to change the cooking time has been issued, the automatic cooking application 7 transmits the first cooking command stored in the memory unit 33 in step S110 and information on the first burner 13, the second burner 14, and the heating grill 15 selected in step S115 to the control device C1 of the cooking appliance 1 (step S117).

[0069] As a result, the control device C1 transmits an ignition instruction request to the mobile terminal 3 (step S118). Meanwhile, when the mobile terminal 3 receives the ignition instruction request from the control device C1, the automatic cooking application 7 displays an ignition instruction screen 305 shown in FIG. 10 on the display 3a to prompt the user 5 to perform an ignition operation (step S119 in FIG. 4). The ignition instruction screen 305 remains displayed until the user 5 performs an ignition operation (step S120: NO). Therefore, for example, if the user 5 has selected the heating grill 15 on the heating means selection screen 304, the user 5 places the prepared food and the cooking container in the heating grill 15, and presses the third operation switch 163 to ignite the heating grill 15 (step S120: YES).

[0070] Thus, when performing automatic cooking, the user 5 must personally ignite the first stove burner 13, the second stove burner 14, and the heating grill 15, i.e., the heating means. For this reason, the automatic cooking application 7 waits with the ignition instruction screen 305 displayed on the display 3a until the user 5 ignites the heating grill 15, etc. When the user 5 performs the ignition operation and the heating grill 15, etc. is ignited, the control device C1 sends an ignition notification to the mobile terminal 3. This allows the automatic cooking application 7 to determine that the user 5 has performed the ignition operation.

[0071] When the user 5 turns on the heating grill 15, the control device C1 starts automatic cooking of the menu A under the first cooking conditions based on the first cooking command (step S121). As a result, the automatic cooking application 7 ends the automatic cooking start process.

[0072] The control device C1, which has started automatic cooking, continues automatic cooking of menu A until the first cooking condition is met (step S122: NO). Then, when the first cooking condition is met, the control device C1 ends automatic cooking of menu A. In this way, automatic cooking of menu A is completed (step S122: YES).

[0073] Incidentally, when automatically cooking menu A, for example, it is possible that some of the ingredients listed in the recipe may not be available, or that the quantity of ingredients currently owned by user 5 does not meet the required quantity listed in the recipe. It is also conceivable that user 5 may add ingredients to those listed in the recipe according to their preferences, or that user 5 may not be able to prepare the ingredients according to the recipe due to their skill level or other circumstances.

[0074] In such a case, user 5 issues a command to change the cooking time on secondary cooking command screen 303 shown in FIG. 8 (step S112: NO in FIG. 3). For example, if user 5 wants to increase the cooking time preset in the cooking program by 3 minutes, user 5 enters "+3" in fourth input field 303a. On the other hand, if user 5 wants to decrease the cooking time by 5 minutes, user 5 enters "-5" in fourth input field 303a. Note that even if the food preparation has been carried out according to the cooking recipe, user 5 may issue a command to change the cooking time in order to change the finished state of menu A after automatic cooking to suit user 5's preferences, etc.

[0075] Even if a value that changes the set time is entered in the fourth input field 303a, the automatic cooking application 7 will end the second instruction process when the user 5 performs a touch operation on the second continuation icon 303b (step S211: YES in Figure 5).

[0076] In this case, the automatic cooking application 7 also executes the heating means selection process (steps S212 to S214) in the same manner as in steps S114 to S116. When the user 5 touches the automatic cooking start icon 304b (see FIG. 9), the automatic cooking application 7 ends the heating means selection process and executes the automatic cooking start process.

[0077] Here, because the user 5 has changed the cooking time on the secondary cooking instruction screen 303, the automatic cooking application 7 creates a second cooking command based on the changed cooking time (step S215 in FIG. 5).The automatic cooking application 7 then transmits the first cooking command stored in the memory unit 33 in step S110, the second cooking command created in step S215, and information on the first burner 13, second burner 14, and heating grill 15 selected in step S213 to the control device C1 of the heating cooker 1 (step S216).

[0078] As a result, similar to steps S118 to S120, the control device C1 sends an ignition instruction request to the mobile terminal 3 (step S217), and the ignition instruction screen 305 is displayed on the display 3a (step S218). Then, when the user 5 performs an ignition operation (step S219: YES), the automatic cooking application 7 ends the ignition start process.

[0079] When the user 5 performs the ignition operation, the control device C1 starts automatic cooking of menu A under the second cooking conditions, which are the first cooking command reflected by the second cooking command (step S220). As a result, the automatic cooking application 7 ends the automatic cooking start process. Then, the control device C1 ends the automatic cooking of menu A as the second cooking conditions are achieved. In this way, automatic cooking of menu A with the changed set time is completed (step S122: YES in FIG. 4).

[0080] In this way, in this heating and cooking system 100, the user 5 can not only input main cooking instructions through the main cooking instruction screen 302, but can also input secondary cooking instructions, i.e., changes to the set time, through the secondary cooking instruction screen 303 as necessary.

[0081] In this cooking system 100, the main cooking instruction screen 302 and the secondary cooking instruction screen 303 are each displayed on the display 3a of the mobile terminal 3 before the cooker 1 starts automatic cooking. As a result, in this cooking system 100, the user 5 can input not only the main cooking instruction but also a change to the set time before the cooker 1 starts automatic cooking. Therefore, in this cooking system 100, when the user 5 changes the set time, the cooker 1 can perform automatic cooking of the automatic cooking menu with the changed set time reflected in addition to the main cooking instruction. As a result, in this cooking system 100, even if the user 5 changes the set time, it is less likely that the outcome of the automatic cooking will be adversely affected or that the automatic cooking will fail.

[0082] Therefore, the cooking system 100 of the embodiment can perform high-quality automatic cooking.

[0083] In particular, in this cooking system 100, a main cooking instruction screen 302 and a side-cooking instruction screen 303 are individually displayed on the display 3a, allowing the user 5 to easily recognize whether the instruction they input corresponds to a main cooking instruction or a side-cooking instruction.

[0084] Furthermore, in this cooking system 100, the main cooking instruction screen 302 is displayed on the display 3a before the secondary cooking instruction screen 303. The main cooking instructions entered by the user 5 are mandatory instructions, and therefore are of higher importance when the cooker 1 executes automatic cooking than secondary cooking instructions entered voluntarily by the user 5. For this reason, by entering the main cooking instructions before entering secondary cooking instructions, the cooking system 100 can effectively prevent automatic cooking that the user 5 does not intend from being executed due to an incorrect input.

[0085] Furthermore, in this cooking system 100, the secondary cooking instruction is an instruction to change the set time. Therefore, in this cooking system 100, the content of the secondary cooking instruction is simplified, making it easier to input secondary cooking instructions. Furthermore, in this cooking system 100, even when the user 5 inputs secondary cooking instructions, the control device C1 can easily control the operation of the cooker 1 when performing automatic cooking, reducing the processing load on the control device C1.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above examples and can be modified and applied as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[0087] For example, in the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the secondary cooking instruction is an instruction to change the set time. However, the secondary cooking instruction is not limited to this, and may be an instruction to change the heat power of the heating grill 15 or the like when the cooking appliance 1 performs automatic cooking, that is, an instruction to increase or decrease the heat power. Furthermore, the secondary cooking instruction may be both an instruction to change the set time and an instruction to change the heat power.

[0088] In the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the cooker 1 may have a heating coil or the like capable of heating food by electromagnetic induction as heating means, instead of the first and second burners 13 and 14. The cooker 1 may also have a heating coil or the like in addition to the first and second burners 13 and 14 and the heating grill 15.

[0089] The cooking system 100 of the embodiment includes a cooker 1, a mobile terminal 3, and a server 9. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the server 9 may be omitted by storing all of the automatic cooking menus, cooking recipes, and cooking programs in the control device C1 of the cooker 1 or the mobile terminal 3.

[0090] Furthermore, in the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the main cooking instruction screen 302 and the side-cooking instruction screen 303 are individually displayed on the display 3a of the mobile terminal 3. However, this is not limiting, and an instruction input screen in which the second input field 302a, the third input field 302b, and the fourth input field 303a are arranged on a single screen may be displayed on the display 3a, and the user 5 may input the main cooking instructions and the side-cooking instructions through this instruction input screen.

[0091] In the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the main cooking instruction screen 302 is displayed on the display 3a of the mobile terminal 3 before the secondary cooking instruction screen 303. However, this is not limited to this, and the main cooking instruction screen 302 may be displayed on the display 3a after the secondary cooking instruction screen 303.

[0092] In the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the main cooking instruction screen 302 and the side-cooking instruction screen 303 are displayed separately on the display 3a of the mobile terminal 3. However, this is not limiting, and the side-cooking instruction screen 303 may be displayed as a pop-up window on the main cooking instruction screen 302.

[0093] Furthermore, in the cooking system 100 of the embodiment, the main cooking instruction screen 302 also displays a description and a cooking recipe of the automatic cooking menu selected by the user 5. However, this is not limiting, and a dedicated screen on which the description and the cooking recipe are written may be displayed on the display 3a of the mobile terminal 3. [Industrial Applicability]

[0094] The present invention can be used in home cooking appliances, kitchen equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1...Heating cooker 3...Mobile device (external device) 3a...Display (display unit, input unit) 5…User 7...Automatic cooking application (application software for cooking systems) 100...Cooking system 301...Selection screen 302…Main cooking instruction screen 303…Sub-cooking instruction screen

Claims

1. A heating cooker, an external terminal communicably connected to the cooking appliance; The cooking device is a cooking system capable of automatically cooking food based on an automatic cooking menu selected by a user, the external terminal has a display unit and an input unit through which the user can input cooking instructions to the cooking appliance, The cooking instructions include main cooking instructions that the user must input based on the selected automatic cooking menu; and a secondary cooking instruction inputted by the user at will, The display unit can display a selection screen for the user to select the automatic cooking menu through the input unit, a main cooking instruction screen for the user to input the main cooking instructions through the input unit, and a secondary cooking instruction screen for the user to input the secondary cooking instructions through the input unit, The selection screen is displayed on the display unit before the main cooking instruction screen and the sub-cooking instruction screen, A cooking system characterized in that the main cooking instruction screen and the secondary cooking instruction screen are displayed on the display unit before the cooking device starts the automatic cooking based on the selected automatic cooking menu.

2. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is capable of separately displaying the main cooking instruction screen and the sub-cooking instruction screen.

3. The cooking system according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit displays the main cooking instruction screen before the secondary cooking instruction screen.

4. the secondary cooking instruction includes an instruction to change a cooking time when the cooking appliance performs the automatic cooking based on the automatic cooking menu, 3. The cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the user inputs an increase or decrease in the cooking time on the secondary cooking instruction screen.

5. the secondary cooking instruction includes an instruction to change the heat power of the cooking appliance when the cooking appliance performs the automatic cooking based on the automatic cooking menu, 3. The heating and cooking system according to claim 1, wherein the user inputs an increase or decrease in the heat power on the secondary cooking instruction screen.

6. An application software for a cooking system that is used in a cooking system that can automatically cook food based on an automatic cooking menu selected by a user, The cooking system includes a cooker and an external terminal that stores application software for the cooking system and is communicably connected to the cooking appliance; the external terminal has an input unit that allows the user to input operations related to automatic cooking, the application software for the cooking system allows the user to input cooking instructions for the cooking appliance through the input unit; The cooking instructions include main cooking instructions that the user must input based on the selected automatic cooking menu; and a secondary cooking instruction inputted by the user at will, The application software for the heating cooking system includes a selection process that allows the user to select the automatic cooking menu desired for automatic cooking through the input unit; a first instruction process in which the user can input the main cooking instruction through the input unit; A second instruction process in which the user can input the secondary cooking instruction through the input unit; an automatic cooking start process for causing the cooking device to start the automatic cooking; The application software for the heating cooking system is characterized in that it executes the selection process before the first instruction process, the second instruction process, and the automatic cooking start process, and executes the first instruction process and the second instruction process before the automatic cooking start process.

7. the external terminal has a display unit, In the selection process, the application software for the heating cooking system displays a selection screen on the display unit to allow the user to select the automatic cooking menu desired for automatic cooking, In the first instruction process, a main cooking instruction screen for the user to input the main cooking instruction is displayed on the display unit, In the second instruction process, a secondary cooking instruction screen is displayed on the display unit so that the user can input the secondary cooking instruction, 7. The application software for a cooking system according to claim 6, wherein the main cooking instruction screen and the secondary cooking instruction screen are individually displayed on the display unit.

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