Heating Regulator

Abstract

This disclosure provides a cooking appliance that can change the field of view of the imaging unit in accordance with the opening and closing of the door. [Solution] The heating appliance in this disclosure comprises a housing, a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a door covering an opening which is the front of the housing, an imaging unit provided on the upper wall of the heating chamber and located forward of the center in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, an opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening and closing of the door, and a control unit for controlling the imaging unit. The control unit changes the field of view of the imaging unit according to the opening and closing of the door. This makes it possible to recognize information attached to the object to be heated and to detect the presence or absence of the object to be heated with high accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance for heating food.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking appliance provided with a guide mark portion as far forward as possible in a heating chamber, which is a position where a user can easily place and view an object to be heated, and capable of photographing the object to be heated with a camera. This cooking appliance has a heating chamber, a heating unit, a camera disposed on the upper wall of the heating chamber for recognizing characters and symbols attached to the upper surface of the object to be heated, and a guide mark portion provided on the bottom wall of the heating chamber to indicate a position for placing the object to be heated. The camera is disposed on the upper wall of the heating chamber, on the front side of the approximate center of the heating chamber in a top view, the optical axis of the camera is inclined rearward with respect to the vertical direction, the approximate center of the guide mark portion in a top view is located in front of the intersection of the optical axis of the camera and the bottom wall of the heating chamber, and is located in front of the approximate center of the bottom wall of the heating chamber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a cooking appliance capable of changing the visual field range of an imaging unit according to the opening and closing of a door.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The heating appliance in this disclosure comprises a housing, a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a door covering an opening which is the front of the housing, an imaging unit provided on the upper wall of the heating chamber and located forward of the center in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, an opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening and closing of the door, and a control unit for controlling the imaging unit, wherein the control unit changes the field of view of the imaging unit according to the opening and closing of the door. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the heating appliance described herein, the field of view of the imaging unit can be changed in accordance with the opening and closing of the door. This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Perspective view of the heating appliance with the door open in Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] Front view of the heating appliance with the door removed in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] A perspective view from below of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 with the door removed. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 with a part of the casing (outer shell) removed. [Figure 6] Top view of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 with a portion of the casing (outer shell) removed. [Figure 7] Side cross-sectional view of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] Front cross-sectional view of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 9] Top view of the front right portion of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1, including the main components. [Figure 10] Exploded perspective view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 11] Perspective view from below of the imaging unit of the heating appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 12] Another perspective view from below the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 13] Main component including the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 and a side cross-sectional view of the periphery [Figure 14] Side cross-sectional view showing the field of view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 15] Front cross-sectional view showing the field of view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 16] Side cross-sectional view showing the field of view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 17] Side cross-sectional view showing the guide light of the cooking appliance and the field of view of the imaging unit in Embodiment 1 [Figure 18] Schematic block diagram of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 19] Flowchart showing the operation of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 [Figure 20] Front schematic view showing the field of view V3 of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 and the irradiation regions of the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 [Figure 21] Diagram showing the first photo and the second photo taken by the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1 and a comparison diagram comparing the shadow regions of these photos [Figure 22] Diagram showing an example of a table of determination criteria based on the difference comparison value of the cooking appliance image in Embodiment 1 [Figure 23] Schematic block diagram of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 2 [Figure 24] Schematic configuration diagram of the cooking appliance and the comparison determination system in Embodiment 2 [Figure 25] Flowchart showing the operation of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 2

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of well-known matters or a redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description overly redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0009] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described using FIGS. 1 to 22.

[0010] [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of the cooking heater] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1 with the door open. FIG. 3 is a front view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1 with the door removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view from below of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1 with the door removed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1 with a part of the housing removed. FIG. 6 is a top view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1 with a part of the housing removed. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a top view of the main components of the cooking heater in Embodiment 1.

[0011] The cooking heater shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 has a housing 1 covered by an outer shell 10, a heating chamber 2 disposed inside the housing 1 for accommodating the object to be heated, and a door 4 that can open and close a front opening 3 which is the front surface of the housing 1.

[0012] In this disclosure, the front opening 3 side of the cooking appliance is referred to as the front, and the back side of the heating chamber 2, which is the opposite rear side, is referred to as the rear. When viewed from the front, that is, in a front view, the top side of the cooking appliance is referred to as the upper side, and the bottom side is referred to as the lower side. In a front view, the right side of the cooking appliance is referred to as the right side, and the left side is referred to as the left side.

[0013] Furthermore, in a front view of the cooking appliance, the right direction is defined as the X direction, the rear direction as the Y direction, and the upward direction as the Z direction.

[0014] The cooking appliance includes a heating unit 500, a door 4, an operating unit 5, a sound output unit 6, and a control unit 7.

[0015] In this example, the heating unit 500 refers to a high-frequency generating unit equipped with a magnetron for generating microwaves. However, the heating unit 500 only needs to include at least one heating mechanism, such as a radiant heater unit for heating food with radiant heat, a tube heater or surface heater for heating food, a convection heater unit for circulating hot air within the heating chamber 2, a steam generating unit for generating steam within the heating chamber 2, and a cooling fan. It heats the object to be heated placed in the heating chamber 2 by supplying at least one of microwaves, radiant heat, hot air, and steam.

[0016] This disclosure provides a cooking appliance equipped with a magnetron as a heating unit 500, which heats an object to be heated by applying microwaves emitted by the magnetron. In Figure 7, one magnetron is placed at the top and bottom of the rear of the housing 1, and microwaves can be emitted from above and / or below the heating chamber 2 via the waveguide 501. Note that there may be one or more magnetrons in the housing 1, and the location of the magnetron is not limited to the rear of the housing 1, but may also be placed on the side of the housing 1 or below the heating chamber 2.

[0017] Door 4 is installed on the left side of the front opening 3, pivoting around a vertical axis so as to be openable and closable. The door has a handle 41, and when the user pulls the handle 41, the door moves forward and the front opening 3 is opened. When the user pushes the handle 41, door 4 moves backward and the front opening 3 is closed.

[0018] When door 4 is opened, the heating chamber 2 located inside the casing 1 is exposed. The heating chamber 2 contains the food to be heated by the cooking appliance. The cooking appliance cooks the food by heating the food contained in the heating chamber 2.

[0019] The heating chamber 2 has an upper wall 21 located at the top, left wall 22 and right wall 23 located on both sides, a rear wall 24 located at the back, and a bottom wall 25 located at the bottom. The upper wall 21, left wall 22, right wall 23, rear wall 24, bottom wall 25, and door 4 form the space inside the heating chamber 2.

[0020] Door 4 is provided with a latch portion 43, and the frame portion 31 surrounding the front opening 3 is provided with a latch hole portion 32 into which the latch portion 43 fits. When door 4 is closed, the latch portion 43 is set into the latch hole portion 32. An open / close detection unit 42 is provided inside the latch hole portion 32 to detect the opening and closing of the door. Specifically, the open / close detection unit 42 is a door switch. When door 4 is closed, the open / close detection unit 42 detects that the door has been closed when the latch portion 43 presses against the door switch, which is the open / close detection unit 42. Also, when door 4 is opened, the open / close detection unit 42 detects that the door has been opened when the latch portion 43 moves away from the door switch, which is the open / close detection unit 42.

[0021] Door 4 is equipped with a glass window 45 so that the user can check the conditions inside heating chamber 2.

[0022] A horizontally elongated control panel 5 is provided on the upper front of the housing 1, above the door 4. The control panel 5 includes multiple control switches 51 for the user to set the heating settings for the food placed in the heating chamber 2, and multiple displays for showing the user the operating status. It has a section 52. The multiple operation switches 51 include, for example, a time setting button for setting the heating time, a start button for starting cooking, a pause button for temporarily pausing cooking, and a stop button for stopping cooking. The display section 52 displays the operating status of the cooking appliance and the status of operations performed by the operation switches 51. Each operation switch 51 and the display section 52 are controlled by a control unit 7, which will be described later.

[0023] An opening, the upper wall opening 211, is provided on the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2, specifically on the side of the center of the upper wall 21 in the front-to-back direction. An upper wall recess 212, formed in a concave shape, is provided extending upward from the periphery of the upper wall opening 211. The upper wall recess 212 is formed to be concave, narrowing diagonally upward from the periphery of the upper wall opening 211. The camera 91, described later, is provided above the upper wall opening 211 and the upper wall recess 212.

[0024] Below the upper wall 21, a roughly flat top plate portion 26 is provided, forming a gap between it and the upper wall 21. A top plate opening 261 is provided on the front side of the top plate portion 26.

[0025] The top plate 26 is formed from a laminate of glass cloth and silicon. This allows light to be softly diffused and transmitted, and microwaves to also be transmitted. The periphery of the top plate 26 is made of polypropylene. This allows it to be positioned in contact with the wall surface of the heating chamber 2, which becomes hot, and also allows microwaves radiated into the heating chamber 2 to be transmitted. Thus, because the top plate 26 is made of a semi-transparent material with light-guiding properties in the planar direction, it can diffuse high-brightness light and provide soft surface illumination.

[0026] Furthermore, a camera 91, a guide light generator 12, a second illumination unit 200, and a third illumination unit 300 are positioned above the top panel opening 261. Light from the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 directed downward from the center in a front view is emitted from the top panel opening 261 as high-luminosity light, light from the second illumination unit 200 directed downward from the left wall in a front view is emitted into the heating chamber 2 through the top panel 26 as low-luminosity but soft surface illumination, and light from the third illumination unit 300 directed downward from the right wall in a front view is emitted into the heating chamber 2 through the top panel 26 as low-luminosity but soft surface illumination.

[0027] Furthermore, a recessed area 262 is provided in the top plate portion 26 at the front center of the top plate opening 261. This recessed area 262 expands the field of view in front of the camera 91, widening the forward illumination range of the high-luminance light from the guide light generator 12. Additionally, because the recessed area 262 is arc-shaped, the high-luminance light from the guide light generator 12 can be focused in an arc shape, allowing the focused, strong light to be directed downwards.

[0028] The sound output unit 6 is a device that outputs a notification sound, and is a buzzer or other speaker.

[0029] The control unit 7 is a device that controls the various parts of the cooking appliance. Its specific configuration will be described later.

[0030] [1-1-2. Configuration of the imaging unit and guide light generation unit] Figure 9 is a top view of the main components of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1. Figure 11 is a perspective view from below of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1. Figure 12 is another perspective view from below of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1. Figure 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the main components and surrounding area of ​​the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1.

[0031] The imaging unit 9 is positioned near the center of the upper front of the housing 1 and is configured to capture images of the inside of the heating chamber 2 with the camera 91 from the upper wall opening 211 (and top plate opening 261) of the upper wall 21. The imaging unit 9 includes a camera 91, a camera substrate 92, a camera support frame 93, a shutter 94, and a shutter drive unit 95. The imaging unit 9 is provided so as to cover the upper wall recess 212 of the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2 with the camera support frame 93. The imaging unit 9 is mounted so as to face the inside of the heating chamber 2 from the front side of the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2.

[0032] The camera 91 has an image sensor that is approximately circular in shape. For example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used as the image sensor of the camera 91. Based on instructions from the control unit 7, the camera 91 takes pictures of the inside of the heating chamber 2. The generated image is represented as a gradient for each pixel, with the brightness ranging from 0 (dark) to 255 (bright). Alternatively, instead of representing pixels as light and dark (black and white), the image may be generated with each pixel represented by a value from 0 to 255 for each color: red, blue, and green. Furthermore, values ​​corresponding to each pixel may be represented in a range other than 0 to 255, and by different representation methods.

[0033] The camera substrate 92 is a roughly rectangular flat plate, and the camera 91 is mounted approximately in the center of the lower surface of the camera substrate 92 when the camera support frame 93 is installed on the upper side of the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2. The camera substrate 92 is mounted on the camera support frame 93 such that the camera 91, the upper wall recess 212, and the upper wall opening 211 are aligned in the direction of the camera's shooting, i.e., in the direction of the viewing axis (see Figure 13).

[0034] This allows the camera 91 to view the inside of the heating chamber 2 and capture images of the inside of the heating chamber 2.

[0035] Because the imaging unit 9 is installed on the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2, that is, on the ceiling side of the heating chamber 2, the imaging unit 9 can capture images at an angle and position that looks down at the heating chamber 2. This makes it possible to capture the state of the upper side of the object being heated with higher accuracy, i.e., with high resolution and less trapezoidal distortion. This configuration of capturing images from the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2 is particularly effective for applications such as recognizing information codes such as characters, symbols, barcodes, and graphic codes written on the upper surface of the object being heated with high accuracy, recognizing the type of food ingredient being heated, recognizing the shape and size of the object being heated, and recognizing the heating state of the object being heated.

[0036] Furthermore, the imaging unit 9 is located on the front side of the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2, in the central part of the width direction (left-right direction) of the front opening 3 of the heating chamber 2 (it does not need to be approximately in the center, and it may be positioned up to about 2 cm to the left or right of the center). In addition, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the imaging surface of the camera 91 is inclined with respect to the horizontal and vertical planes so that the imaging direction is toward approximately the center of the bottom wall 25 of the heating chamber 2 (field of view V2, i.e., the second camera field of view), and the vicinity of approximately the center of the bottom wall 25 is included in the field of view (field of view V3). That is, the imaging unit 9 is positioned with the visual axis F1, which is the imaging direction of the camera 91, inclined toward the rearward side of the vertical direction of the heating chamber 2 (see Figure 13). Specifically, it is positioned with an inclination of about 6° rearward with respect to the vertical plane (the inclination angle may be about 4 to 15 degrees). In other words, the imaging direction (visual axis) perpendicular to the imaging plane of the imaging unit 9 is tilted slightly backward but is directed almost downward. This allows the imaging unit 9 to be positioned in a narrow space, avoiding the vicinity of the approximate center in the top view where a microwave-emitting aperture (not shown), an example of the heating unit 500, is located. Furthermore, while avoiding the vicinity of the center, the central direction within the heating chamber 2 can be imaged with high precision. That is, information codes such as letters, symbols, barcodes, and graphic codes written on the top surface of the object to be heated, placed in the range from the center to the front of the heating chamber 2, can be recognized with high precision, and the information codes of the food of the object to be heated can be identified. It will also be possible to recognize the type of object, the shape and size of the object being heated, and the heating state of the object being heated.

[0037] Furthermore, because the camera 91 is positioned with its shooting direction tilted towards the rear rather than the vertical, external light entering through the glass window 45 of the door 4 can be prevented from affecting the image (also known as halation). In other words, external light entering through the glass window 45 can be reflected directly or indirectly in the image captured by the camera 91 at high brightness, thus preventing a decrease in shooting accuracy due to halation.

[0038] The imaging unit 9 is equipped with a shutter 94 that is rotated by a shutter drive unit 95 to protect the camera 91 from splashes of steam, oil, and other substances from the object being heated.

[0039] The shutter 94 is opened by the shutter drive unit 95 when the camera 91 is in use so that the camera 91 can photograph the inside of the heating chamber 2, and is closed by the shutter drive unit 95 when the camera 91 is not in use so that the image sensor of the camera 91 is not contaminated by steam, oil, or other splatters from the object being heated.

[0040] Furthermore, by capturing an image of the shutter 94 (the open / closed state of the shutter 94) with the camera 91, it is possible to detect malfunctions in the opening / closing of the shutter 94. For example, if the camera 91 captures an image of the shutter 94 in an open state, even though the shutter 94 should be closed, the control unit 7 will determine that the shutter 94 is malfunctioning and will notify the system via the sound output unit 6 or the display unit 52.

[0041] Figure 16 is a side cross-sectional view showing the field of view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1. Figure 17 is a side cross-sectional view showing the guide light and the field of view of the imaging unit of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1.

[0042] Camera 91 also acts as a reader, reading information codes, characters, and symbols when a user holds an object to be heated, or a piece of paper, with information codes, characters, and symbols attached to it, in their hand and holds it approximately below the camera 91. It can read information codes such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks) attached to objects to be heated in a cooking appliance. As shown in Figure 16, a field of view V1 (first camera field of view), which is the reading area, is provided below the camera 91.

[0043] The reading area, or field of view V1, is indicated by, for example, green light (illumination area L1) so that the user can visually understand the field of view V1. This green light is emitted by a guide light generator 12. The guide light generator 12 is located in front of the camera 91 and is installed on the camera support frame 93. The guide light generator 12 can be positioned in any way near the camera 91, or it may be located in a different location from the camera support frame 93. The guide light generator 12 generates green guide light. For example, an LED can be used for the guide light generator 12. Note that the reading area, or field of view V1, and the illumination area L1 of the light from the guide light generator 12 almost overlap (see Figure 17). The light indicating the illumination area L1 is not limited to green, but may be any other light visible to the user, such as a laser. Also, there may be one green LED or multiple green LEDs.

[0044] The reading area, field of view V1, is indicated by green light as the illumination area L1, so even users unfamiliar with operating the cooking appliance are visually guided to where to hold information codes or characters. In other words, the green light is reflected off the bottom wall 25, allowing the user to hold the object to be heated or the paper in front of that light, so that information codes, characters, symbols, etc. can be read by the cooking appliance, and heating information such as heating output (W) and heating time can be read from the information codes, etc. If this is possible, the operation method of the heating appliance of this disclosure can be simplified.

[0045] The information code indicates the type of food to be heated and the appropriate heating conditions (e.g., heating power and heating time), and is attached to the container or bag containing the food by printing or labeling. Examples of food to be heated include bento boxes, rice balls, hamburgers, sweet buns, and fried foods, but anything that can be heated in a cooking appliance is acceptable. The information code may be a two-dimensional code or a one-dimensional barcode. The information code is not limited to barcodes and does not need to be a code that can indicate the type of food or heating conditions.

[0046] [1-1-3. Lighting Unit Configuration] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a first illumination unit 100 is positioned on the back wall 24 of the heating chamber 2. The first illumination unit 100 is located approximately in the center of the back wall 24 of the heating chamber 2. In Figure 8, multiple punching holes are provided approximately in the center of the back wall 24 of the heating chamber 2, and the first illumination unit 100 is located behind the punching holes.

[0047] In Figure 4, a second illumination unit 200 and a third illumination unit 300 are arranged on the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2. The second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 are arranged almost symmetrically from left to right with respect to the camera 91 of the imaging unit 9. In this embodiment, the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 are arranged symmetrically from left to right with respect to the camera 91 of the imaging unit 9, but the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 may also be arranged symmetrically from front to back with respect to the camera 91 of the imaging unit 9.

[0048] A fourth illumination unit 400 is located on the left side wall 22 of the heating chamber 2. In this embodiment, the fourth illumination unit 400 is located in front of the left side wall 22 of the heating chamber 2, but the fourth illumination unit 400 may also be located in front of the right side wall 23 of the heating chamber 2. Furthermore, the fourth illumination unit 400 may be located approximately in the center or rear of the left side wall 22 of the heating chamber 2, or approximately in the center or rear of the right side wall 23 of the heating chamber 2.

[0049] The first lighting unit 100, the second lighting unit 200, the third lighting unit 300, and the fourth lighting unit 400 use LEDs as light sources. In this embodiment, a configuration using LEDs as light sources is disclosed, but other light sources such as fluorescent lamps or natural light may be used. Alternatively, a light source that generates infrared rays may be used. By using infrared rays as a light source, it is possible to accommodate cases where the bottom surface is a surface that absorbs visible light, such as a black surface.

[0050] Furthermore, the first illumination unit 100, the second illumination unit 200, the third illumination unit 300, and the fourth illumination unit 400 should each be configured to allow switching between two or more illumination conditions for lighting the heating chamber 2. For example, one physical light source may be used, and the optical path may be split into two paths using at least one of optical fibers and mirrors, illuminating the heating chamber 2 from different directions. Alternatively, one light-emitting element may be used, and the illumination conditions may be switched by controlling at least one of the following: turning the illumination ON and OFF, and controlling the intensity of the brightness. The position and angle of the illumination may also be changed by motor control or the like. In addition, the illumination conditions may be switched by controlling at least one of the following: the color of the illumination and the illumination focus.

[0051] [1-1-4. Configuration of the control system for cooking appliances] Figure 18 is a schematic block diagram of the heating appliance in this embodiment.

[0052] The control unit 7 is a control device that controls each part of the heating cooker. The control unit 7 is connected to the display unit 52, the heating unit 500, the sound output unit 6, the imaging unit 9, and the opening / closing detection unit 42.

[0053] The control unit 7 includes a reception unit 71, a display control unit 72, a heating control unit 74, a shooting control unit 75, a comparison and determination unit 77, a notification unit 73, and a storage unit 76. In this embodiment, the control unit 7 integrates the reception unit 71, the display control unit 72, the notification unit 73, the heating control unit 74, the shooting control unit 75, and the comparison and determination unit 77, but these components may be implemented using separate semiconductor elements or the like. Furthermore, the control unit 7 may be configured using a microcomputer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0054] The reception unit 71 receives the operation performed by the user on the operation unit 5 based on the operation signal output by the operation unit 5. Operation performed on the operation unit 5 includes operations on various switches such as the cancel button, start button, and pause button, as well as operations on the operation unit 5 itself.

[0055] The display control unit 72 controls the display (display unit 52) ​​of the operation unit 5 in accordance with the content of the operation received by the reception unit 71.

[0056] The notification unit 73 notifies the predetermined content by sound via the sound output unit 6. The notification unit 73 also issues instructions to the display control unit 72 to control the display (display unit 52) ​​of the operation unit 5 to notify the predetermined content by display.

[0057] The heating control unit 74 controls the heating unit 500 based on the content of the operation received by the reception unit 71 via the operation unit 5 and the open / closed state of the door 4 detected by the open / closed detection unit 42. If the door 4 is determined to be open, the heating unit 500 is not driven, and only when the door 4 is determined to be closed can the heating unit 500 be driven. The heating control unit 74 controls the heating unit 500 based on the set heating conditions. The heating control unit 74 controls the magnetron. The microwaves emitted by the magnetron heat the object to be heated stored in the heating chamber 2.

[0058] The shooting control unit 75 controls the ON / OFF status of the first lighting unit 100, the second lighting unit 200, the third lighting unit 300, and the fourth lighting unit 400, controls the strength of their output power, and controls the shooting of the camera 91 in synchronization with the lighting control. Furthermore, the shooting control unit 75 also controls the above-mentioned lighting units and switches the field of view of the camera 91 based on the open / closed state of the door 4 detected by the open / closed detection unit 42.

[0059] The comparison and determination unit 77 compares and analyzes the images taken by the shooting control unit 75 using the camera 91 inside the heating chamber 2 and stored in the storage unit 76. Through this, the comparison and determination unit 77 recognizes the state inside the heating chamber 2, detecting the state of objects such as food, the presence or absence of objects, the area of ​​the objects viewed from above, the presence or absence of dirt, and estimating their volume and height.

[0060] The memory unit 76 stores images of the inside of the heating chamber 2, which are captured by the shooting control unit 75 using the camera 91.

[0061] The control unit 7 includes an interface circuit to which a processor 78 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a storage unit 76, and other devices are connected.

[0062] The memory unit 76 is a memory that stores programs and data. The memory unit 76 stores control programs and data to be processed by the processor 78. The memory unit 76 has a non-volatile memory area. The memory unit 76 also has a volatile memory area and constitutes the work area of ​​the processor 78. The memory unit 76 is composed of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0063] Control program 79 is an example of a "program".

[0064] The processor 78 functions as the reception unit 71, display control unit 72, notification unit 73, heating control unit 74, shooting control unit 75, and comparison and judgment unit 77 by reading and executing the control program 79 stored in the memory unit 76.

[0065] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the cooking appliance configured as described above will be explained below.

[0066] Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking appliance in Embodiment 1.

[0067] The flowchart in Figure 19 assumes that the commercial power supply to the cooking appliance is turned on.

[0068] As shown in Figure 19, the opening / closing detection unit 42 detects whether the door 4 is open or closed (step S1). If it is detected that the door 4 is open (step S1: YES), the camera 91 is set to the first camera field of view V1, as shown in Figure 16. The first camera field of view V1 extends further forward than the front end of the heating chamber 2 in the front-to-back direction. This is to improve convenience by reading the information code as quickly as possible when the user places an information code such as a QR code (registered trademark) into the first camera field of view V1 and attempts to have the information code read in step S3, which will be described later.

[0069] Figure 20 is a schematic front view showing the field of view V3 (also shown in Figure 15) of the heating cooker in Embodiment 1 and the illumination areas of the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300. The field of view V3 is configured to partially overlap with the illumination areas L1 of the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300. As a result, when a user holds an information code or the like up to the camera 91, even if it is inside the heating chamber 2, the illuminated light passes through the top plate opening 261 and brightly illuminates the information code, and the illumination from the left and right makes it less likely for the information code to be glare, thus improving the accuracy of reading the information code or the like.

[0070] As shown in Figure 19, if the opening / closing detection unit 42 detects that the door has been opened (step S1: YES), a positive determination is made in step S1, and the second lighting unit 200, the third lighting unit 300, and the guide light generator 12 are turned ON (step S2). That is, the lighting provided on the upper wall 21 is turned ON, but at least one of the second lighting unit 200 or the third lighting unit 300 may be turned ON, and the guide light generator 12 may also be turned ON. If the opening / closing detection unit 42 does not detect that the door has been opened (step S1: NO), the process returns to step S1.

[0071] Next, the user places an information code such as a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the object to be heated within the field of view V1, which is the reading area, and holds it up to the camera 91 to detect whether the camera 91 has read the information code (step S3). If the camera 91 has read the information code (step S3: YES), a positive determination is made in step S3, and the notification unit 73 emits a notification sound such as "beep" or "QR code read" from the sound output unit 6 (step S4). Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the notification sound, a message to that effect may be displayed on the display unit 52.

[0072] In step S3, the timing of the notification by the notification unit 73 and the timing of the control unit 7 setting the heating conditions according to the heating conditions based on the read information code do not have to be simultaneous. For example, after the camera 91 reads the information code and the notification unit 73 makes a notification, the camera 91 reads the information code The control unit 7 may set heating conditions according to the heating conditions based on the code. Furthermore, the notification unit 73 may notify the user as soon as it recognizes the existence of the information code (which may be characters or symbols) before reading the information itself. In other words, the notification unit 73 may notify the user as soon as it recognizes the existence of a medium containing some kind of information (the existence of information). This allows the user to immediately feel that the cooking appliance has recognized the information code as soon as they hold the information code over it, improving usability. Of course, the notification by the notification unit 73 and the timing of the control unit 7 setting the heating conditions according to the heating conditions based on the read information code may be simultaneous.

[0073] If camera 91 does not read the information code (step S3: NO), the process returns to step S1. The second illumination unit 200, the third illumination unit 300, and the guide light generator 12 may be turned OFF at the same time as the notification unit 73 makes a notification, or they may be turned OFF at the same time as the door 4 is closed in step S5, which will be described later. Furthermore, the second illumination unit 200 and the third illumination unit 300 may be turned OFF at a different timing than the guide light generator 12.

[0074] The opening / closing detection unit 42 detects whether the door 4 is closed (step S5). If it is detected that the door 4 is closed, the camera 91 changes its field of view from the first camera field of view V1 to the second camera field of view V2, as shown in Figure 14. The second camera field of view V2 is wider than the first camera field of view V1, extending the field of view further to the rear of the bottom wall 25 of the heating chamber 2 compared to the first camera field of view V1. When changing the field of view from the first camera field of view V1 to the second camera field of view V2, the camera field of view may be changed by moving the camera 91 to orient the visual axis F1, which is the shooting direction, toward the rear of the heating chamber 2, or the field of view may be changed by selecting the required field of view from the maximum field of view area captured by the camera 91 through software processing by the shooting control unit 75 without moving the camera 91, without moving the camera 91, without moving the camera 91. For example, if the maximum horizontal field of view of heating chamber 2 is 1944 mm (depth) x 2592 mm (width), the field of view can be changed by selecting a narrower field of view of 1080 mm (depth) x 1440 mm (width).

[0075] As shown in Figure 19, if the opening / closing detection unit 42 detects that the door 4 has been closed (step S5: YES), a positive determination is made in step S5, and the first lighting unit 100 is turned ON (step S6). After that, the camera 91 takes a picture of the inside of the heating chamber 2, and the captured first photograph P1 is stored in the storage unit 76 (step S7). If the opening / closing detection unit 42 does not detect that the door has been closed (step S5: NO), the process returns to step S5.

[0076] Subsequently, the first lighting unit 100 is turned OFF (step S8), and the fourth lighting unit 400 is turned ON (step S9).

[0077] With the fourth lighting unit 400 turned ON, the camera 91 takes a picture of the inside of the heating chamber 2, and the captured second photograph P2 is stored in the storage unit 76 (step S10).

[0078] Subsequently, the fourth lighting unit 400 is turned OFF (step S11).

[0079] Furthermore, the order in which the first illumination unit 100 and the fourth illumination unit 400 are used for illumination does not matter, and they may be used in any order.

[0080] The comparison and determination unit 77 compares the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2 stored in the storage unit 76 (step S12).

[0081] Next, we will discuss the comparison of shadows.

[0082] The first photograph P1 in Figure 21 shows the inside of the heating chamber when the camera 91 took the first photograph P1 in step S7. Since only the first illumination unit 100 is ON, a first shadow area S1 is generated in front of the object being heated. In this embodiment, the camera 91 is positioned on the upper wall 21 of the heating chamber 2 and in front of the center of the heating chamber 2 in the front-to-back direction, and the viewing axis F1, which is the shooting direction of the camera 91, is inclined to be towards the rear side of the vertical direction of the heating chamber 2. Therefore, it is possible to capture the shadow generated in front of the object being heated more accurately than in the conventional method. In order for the first shadow area S1 to be generated correctly when the first illumination unit 100 is ON, it is desirable that the object being heated be placed in the approximate central area of ​​the bottom wall 25 of the heating chamber 2. Also, in order for the first shadow area S1 to be generated correctly when the first illumination unit 100 is ON, it is desirable that the height of the object being heated be 2 centimeters or more.

[0083] Furthermore, the second photograph P2 in Figure 21 shows the state of the heating chamber when the camera 91 took the second photograph P2 in step S10. Because only the fourth illumination unit 400 is ON, a second shadow region S2 is generated to the right of the object being heated.

[0084] Figure 21, P3 is a comparison diagram showing the results of the comparison and determination unit 77 comparing the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2 stored in the storage unit 76. Comparison diagram P3 displays the absolute difference value calculated for each pixel of the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2.

[0085] The comparison and determination unit 77 outputs a binarized image of the difference between the empty image of the heating chamber 2 stored in the memory unit 76 (i.e., an empty image) and the first photograph P1 or the second photograph P2. Specifically, it performs a difference calculation on each pixel of the empty image and the first photograph P1 or the second photograph P2, and then, for binarization, compares the calculated difference with a predetermined threshold, outputting a binary difference image in which each pixel is represented as "0" or "1".

[0086] As an example, if each pixel in the image is represented by a value in the range of 0 to 255, the predetermined threshold for binarization is set to 20. In this case, pixels where the difference between the blank image and the first photograph P1 or the second photograph P2 is 20 levels or more are represented by a value of 1, and pixels where the difference is less than 20 levels are represented by a value of 0. The method of representing each pixel and the predetermined threshold for binarization may be determined as appropriate. By comparing the blank image with the first photograph P1 or the second photograph P2 in this way, the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 can be extracted more accurately.

[0087] Here, a feature that indicates the degree of difference between two images is defined as the difference comparison value. In this embodiment, the difference is calculated pixel by pixel between the two images, and each difference value is compared with a predetermined threshold for binarization. The total number of pixels with a value of 1 in the binarized image is defined as the difference comparison value.

[0088] Furthermore, the binarized difference image between the empty image and the first photograph P1 is defined as the first difference image, and the difference comparison value is defined as difference comparison value A1. Similarly, the binarized difference image between the empty image and the second photograph P2 is defined as the second difference image, and the difference comparison value is defined as difference comparison value A2. In addition, the difference comparison value between the first difference image and the second difference image is defined as difference comparison value B.

[0089] The comparison and determination unit 77 determines the state inside the heating chamber and whether heating is possible or not by comparing each difference comparison value with a predetermined image difference threshold.

[0090] The table in Figure 22 shows the criteria for determining whether the heating chamber is empty, contains an object (to be heated), or is dirty, based on the relationship between difference comparison value A1 and difference comparison value B. An example is shown.

[0091] In the example shown in Figure 22, the comparison determination unit 77 determines whether the heating chamber is empty by comparing the difference comparison value A1 with a first image difference threshold (in this case, a value of 200). If the difference comparison value A1 is smaller than the first image difference threshold, the comparison determination unit 77 determines that the difference is due to noise components in the image, etc., and that the heating chamber is empty. In this case, the comparison determination unit 77 determines that the heating chamber cannot be heated.

[0092] Furthermore, the comparison and determination unit 77 compares the difference comparison value B with a second image difference threshold (500 in this case) to determine whether or not an object is present in the heating chamber. If the difference comparison value B is greater than the second image difference threshold, the comparison and determination unit 77 determines that a component due to the shadow of an object is present, that is, that an object to be heated is present in the heating chamber. In this case, the comparison and determination unit 77 determines that the heating chamber can be heated. On the other hand, if the difference comparison value B is small, the comparison and determination unit 77 determines that a component that is not an object to be heated is present, that is, that dirt or the like is present. In this case, the comparison and determination unit 77 determines that heating is not possible. Furthermore, if necessary, the control unit 7 notifies the user of the presence of non-heating objects such as dirt and foreign matter.

[0093] In this embodiment, the first image difference threshold is set to 200 and the second image difference threshold is set to 500. However, these values ​​may be selected as appropriate. In this embodiment, when generating a binarized image by comparing images, the method is to count when the luminance difference in each pixel exceeds a predetermined value. However, any method that can extract image differences may be used, such as image similarity or differences based on the color of each pixel.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the difference comparison value A1 is defined as the difference comparison value under the lighting conditions when taking the first photograph P1. However, the difference comparison value A1 may also be the difference comparison value under the lighting conditions when taking the second photograph P2, or it may be the difference comparison value under lighting conditions different from those described above.

[0095] In comparison figure P3, only the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 are extracted. In this way, by using the difference between two images using two different lighting conditions, the heating chamber 2 and the object being heated can be excluded, and the portions of the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 can be extracted more accurately. Note that although the accuracy of shadow region determination will be slightly reduced, the shadow region can also be determined using only the first photograph P1 or only the second photograph P2.

[0096] The comparison and determination unit 77 determines that an object to be heated is placed in the heating chamber 2 by recognizing at least one of the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2. When the object to be heated is placed approximately in the center of the bottom wall 25 inside the heating chamber 2, both the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 are generated. On the other hand, for example, when the object to be heated is placed in close contact with the left wall 22 or the right wall 23, only the first shadow region S1 is generated. In addition, for example, when the object to be heated is placed in close contact with the door 4, only the second shadow region S2 is generated. The comparison and determination unit 77 determines that an object to be heated is placed in the heating chamber 2 not only when both the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 are generated, but also when only the first shadow region S1 or only the second shadow region S2 is generated.

[0097] If the comparison determination unit 77 recognizes at least one of the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 (step S13: YES), it makes an affirmative determination in step S13, sets the heating conditions in accordance with the heating conditions based on the information code already read in step S13, starts cooking (step S14), and executes cooking (step S15). Specifically, "setting the heating conditions" here refers to setting the heating output of the heating unit 500 and the heating time by the heating unit 500. In this embodiment, the heating unit 500 is a multi-unit Examples include a gnetron, a radiant heater unit, and a steam generation unit.

[0098] Furthermore, the illuminance of the fourth lighting unit 400 during the heating process in step S15 is weaker than the illuminance of the fourth lighting unit 400 during the detection of the presence or absence of the object to be heated in step S9. Specifically, it is approximately half the intensity. Note that the intensity of the illuminance is equal to the power output of the fourth lighting unit 400.

[0099] Stop after the cooking process is complete.

[0100] On the other hand, if at least one of the first shadow region S1 and the second shadow region S2 cannot be recognized (step S13: NO), it is recognized that there is no object to be heated in the heating chamber 2, and the notification unit 73 issues an error notification (step S16) and stops operation. In this embodiment, if the NO determination is made in step 13, the notification unit 73 issues an error notification and stops operation, but even if the NO determination is made in step 13, the heating operation may continue. This improves the convenience of the cooking appliance.

[0101] Furthermore, the notification by the notification unit 73 may be performed by displaying information on the display unit 52.

[0102] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the first embodiment of this model, the device comprises a housing, a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a door covering the front opening which is the front of the housing, an imaging unit provided on the upper wall of the heating chamber and located forward of the center in the front-rear direction of the heating chamber, an opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening and closing of the door, and a control unit for controlling the imaging unit, wherein the control unit changes the field of view of the imaging unit according to the opening and closing of the door.

[0103] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0104] In a second aspect of this embodiment, the field of view of the imaging unit may be directed more towards the rear when the door is closed than when the door is open, compared to in the first embodiment.

[0105] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0106] In a third aspect of this embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, the control unit may change the field of view of the imaging unit by selecting a field of view that is appropriately required from the maximum field of view area to be captured, without moving the imaging unit, in response to the opening and closing of the door.

[0107] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0108] In a fourth aspect of this embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, the imaging unit may be moved in accordance with the opening and closing of the door, thereby changing the field of view of the imaging unit.

[0109] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0110] In a fifth aspect of this embodiment, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the field of view of the captured image acquired from the imaging unit when the door is open is the same as when the door is closed. The field of view may be narrower than the field of view of the captured image acquired from the imaging unit.

[0111] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0112] In a sixth aspect of this embodiment, in any of the first to fifth embodiments, when the door is open, the second and third illumination units, which are located on the upper wall of the heating chamber and in front of the center in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, may be illuminated, and when the door is closed, the first illumination unit located on the rear of the heating chamber and the fourth illumination unit located on the side of the heating chamber may be illuminated in any order.

[0113] This makes it possible to achieve both the recognition of information attached to the object being heated and the detection of the presence or absence of the object being heated with high accuracy.

[0114] In the seventh aspect of this embodiment, in any of the first to sixth aspects, when the door is closed, the first illumination unit provided on the back of the heating chamber and the fourth illumination unit provided on the side of the heating chamber are illuminated in any order, and the presence or absence of the object to be heated is detected by the image captured by the imaging unit each time, and thereafter the heating of the object to be heated can be performed, and the illuminance of the third illumination unit on the side of the heating chamber may be increased when the presence or absence of the object to be heated is detected compared to when the heating is being performed.

[0115] This allows for highly accurate detection of the presence or absence of objects being heated, and also allows the user to visually check the cooking status inside the heating chamber during cooking without being significantly bothered by the brightness of the lighting.

[0116] (Embodiment 2) Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 23 to 25.

[0117] [2-1. Overall Structure and Operation] The heating appliance according to Embodiment 2 differs from the heating appliance according to Embodiment 1 in that it has at least a communication unit 80.

[0118] In Embodiment 1, the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2 were stored in the storage unit 76, and the comparison and determination unit 77 of the control unit 7 compared the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2 to determine whether or not an object to be heated was placed in the heating chamber 2. In Embodiment 2, the communication unit 80 transmits the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2, which were taken, to a comparison and determination system 600 consisting of a server or the like via a network, and the communication unit 80 receives the determination result determined by the comparison and determination system 600 to determine whether or not an object to be heated is placed in the heating chamber 2. Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 22 to 25.

[0119] [2-1. Overview of Comparison and Judgment by the Comparison and Judgment System] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the heating appliance in Embodiment 2. Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the heating appliance and comparison and judgment system in Embodiment 2. Figure 25 is a flowchart showing the operation of the heating appliance in Embodiment 2.

[0120] As shown in Figure 24, the comparison and judgment system 600 is configured as part of a server connected to the communication network 601 and stores the comparison and judgment map 602. The cooking appliance communicates with the comparison and judgment system 600 via the communication network using a wireless LAN router installed in the house.

[0121] As shown in Figure 25, the first photograph P1 and the second photograph P2 taken by the camera 91 are transmitted to the comparison and determination system 600 as photographic information FDi (steps S7 and S10). The comparison and determination system 600 applies the photographic information FDi to the comparison and determination map 602 to determine whether or not an object to be heated is placed in the heating chamber 2.

[0122] The comparison and determination system 600 transmits the comparison and determination data CCi to the cooking appliance. The communication unit 80 of the cooking appliance receives the comparison and determination data CCi transmitted from the comparison and determination system 600 (step S12). If the comparison and determination data CCi is positive (step S12: YES), it sets the heating conditions according to the heating conditions based on the information code already read, starts cooking (step S13), and performs cooking (step S14). After cooking is finished, it stops.

[0123] On the other hand, if the comparison judgment data CCi is "no shadow" (step S12: NO), the system recognizes that there is no object to be heated in the heating chamber 2, and the notification unit 73 issues an error notification (step S15), and the operation stops. In this embodiment, if the judgment is NO in step 12, the notification unit 73 issues an error notification and then stops the operation, but even if the judgment is NO in step 12, the heating operation may continue. This improves the convenience of the cooking appliance.

[0124] [2-2. Configuration of the Comparison and Judgment System] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the heating appliance and comparison and judgment system in Embodiment 2. The comparison and judgment system 600, which is composed of a server, is a computer system equipped with a communication unit 603, a processor on the comparison and judgment system side (not shown), memory on the comparison and judgment system side (not shown), etc. The comparison and judgment system 600 communicates with the heating appliance via the communication network 601 from the communication unit 603.

[0125] The memory of the comparison and determination unit 77 of the comparison and determination system 600 stores the photo information acquisition unit 604 and the comparison and determination map 602. The memory in which the photo information acquisition unit 604 or the comparison and determination map 602 is stored may be configured outside the comparison and determination unit 77, as long as it can communicate with the comparison and determination unit 77. The processor (corresponding to the computer in this disclosure) is configured to acquire the first photo P1 and the second photo P2 with the photo information acquisition unit 604, compare the photos with the comparison and determination map 602, recognize the shadowed area in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, and transmit the recognition result from the communication unit 603 to the communication unit 80 of the cooking appliance via the communication network 601.

[0126] (Other embodiments) As described above, Embodiments 1 and 2 have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted.

[0127] Furthermore, while a microwave oven was described as an example of a cooking appliance in Embodiments 1 and 2, this disclosure can be appropriately applied to cooking appliances other than microwave ovens.

[0128] The processor in this disclosure only needs to be capable of controlling the cooking appliance or comparison and judgment system described herein. When describing the subject matter of the invention, in addition to "processor," the device controlling the cooking appliance or comparison and judgment system described herein may also be referred to as a control device, control unit, or similar terminology. The processor can be implemented in various forms. For example, a processor may be used as a controller. Using a processor as a controller allows various processes to be performed by loading a program from a storage medium containing the program into the processor and executing the program. Therefore, the processing content can be changed by modifying the program stored in the storage medium, thus increasing the freedom to change the control content. Examples of processors include CPUs (Central Processing Units) and MPUs (Micro-Processing Units). Examples of storage units (memory) include hard disks, flash memory, and optical discs. Wired logic, which cannot be rewritten, may also be used as the controller. Using wired logic as the controller is effective in improving processing speed. Examples of wired logic include ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Alternatively, the controller may be implemented by combining a processor and wired logic. Implementing the controller by combining a processor and wired logic increases the freedom of software design while improving processing speed. Furthermore, the controller and a circuit with a different function may be configured with a single semiconductor element. An example of a circuit with a different function is an A / D / D / A conversion circuit. The controller may also be configured with a single semiconductor element or with multiple semiconductor elements. When composed of multiple semiconductor elements, each control described in the claims may be implemented using different semiconductor elements. Furthermore, the controller may be configured with a configuration including semiconductor elements and passive components such as resistors or capacitors.

[0129] Since the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes of the technology described herein, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the claims or their equivalents. [Industrial applicability]

[0130] This disclosure is applicable to heating appliances. Specifically, it is applicable to microwave ovens, ovens, rice cookers, automatic cooking pots, induction cooktops, and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0131] 1 cabinet 10 Outer shell 2 Heating chamber 21 Upper wall 211 Upper wall opening (opening) 212 Upper wall recess 22 Left side wall 23 Right side wall 24 Back wall 25 Bottom wall 26 Top panel 261 Top panel opening 262 Recessed opening in the top panel 3 Front opening 31 Frame body part 32 Latch hole 4 doors 41 Handle section 42 Open / close detection unit 43 Latch section 45 Glass window 5 Control section 51 Operation switch 52 Display section 6. Sound output section 7 Control Unit 71 Reception Department 72 Display Control Unit 73 Hochi Department 74 Heating Control Unit 75. Image capture control unit 76 Memory section 77 Comparison / judgment section 78 processors 79 Control Program 80 Communications Department 9. Imaging Unit 91 Camera 92 Camera circuit board 93 Camera support frame 94 Shutter 95 Shutter drive unit F1 visual axis 12 Guide light generation unit 100 First lighting section 200 Second lighting section 300 Third lighting section 400 Fourth Lighting Section 500 Heating section 501 Waveguide V1 Field of view (first camera field of view) V2 Field of View (Second Camera Field of View) V3 Field of View (Third Camera Field of View) L1 irradiation area S1 First Shadow Domain S2 Second Shadow Region P1 First photo P2 Second photo P3 Comparison Diagram 600 Comparison and Judgment System 601 Communication Network 602 Comparison Judgment Map 603 Communication Unit 604 Photo Information Acquisition Unit

Claims

1. The casing and A heating chamber in which the object to be heated is placed, A door that covers the front opening, which is the front of the housing, An imaging unit is provided on the upper wall of the heating chamber and is located forward of the center in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, An opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening and closing of the aforementioned door, The system comprises a control unit for controlling the imaging unit, The control unit changes the field of view of the imaging unit in accordance with the opening and closing of the door, for a cooking appliance.

2. The heating appliance according to claim 1, wherein the field of view of the imaging unit is directed more towards the rear when the door is closed than when the door is open.

3. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit changes the field of view of the imaging unit by selecting a required field of view from the maximum field of view area to be captured, without moving the imaging unit, in response to the opening and closing of the door.

4. The control unit moves the imaging unit in accordance with the opening and closing of the door, thereby changing the field of view of the imaging unit, as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. The field of view region of the captured image acquired from the imaging unit when the door is open is: The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the field of view is narrower than the field of view of the captured image acquired from the imaging unit when the door is closed.

6. When the door is opened, the second and third illumination units, which are located on the upper wall of the heating chamber and in front of the center in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, are illuminated. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the door is closed, the first lighting unit provided on the back of the heating chamber and the fourth lighting unit provided on the side of the heating chamber are illuminated in any order.

7. When the door is closed, the first lighting unit provided on the back of the heating chamber and the fourth lighting unit provided on the side of the heating chamber are illuminated in no particular order, and the presence or absence of the object to be heated is detected by the image captured by the imaging unit each time, and thereafter the object to be heated can be cooked, and the illuminance of the third lighting unit on the side of the heating chamber is stronger when the presence or absence of the object to be heated is detected than when the cooking is being performed, as described in claim 1 or 2.

Images