Cooking systems, cookers, and application programs

Abstract

Regardless of whether or not there is a wireless connection between the cooking appliance and the communication terminal in the heating cooking system, when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating, a notification can be sent to the communication terminal carried by the user. [Solution] In the heating cooker 10, when the heating unit starts heating (burner combustion), the transmitting unit periodically transmits a wireless signal (advertisement signal) of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner, and when the heating unit stops heating, the transmission of the wireless signal stops. Meanwhile, in the communication terminal 40, with the application program (app) for executing notification running, the receiving unit can receive the wireless signal transmitted from the heating cooker, and when the notification condition is met based on the decrease in the received intensity of the received wireless signal, the notification unit executes a notification that the heating unit is heating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating and cooking system capable of performing notification on a communication terminal possessed by a user in response to wireless communication with a heating and cooking device when the user leaves the heating part during heating of a cooking object by the heating part, a heating and cooking device used in the heating and cooking system, and an application program for a communication terminal used in the heating and cooking system.

Background Art

[0002] A gas stove that burns a mixed gas of fuel gas and air in a burner as a heating part to heat a cooking object is widely used as an example of a heating and cooking device. In such a gas stove, it is known to configure a heating and cooking system that can be linked by wireless connection with a communication terminal such as a smartphone possessed by a user. For example, by establishing wireless two-way communication between the gas stove and the smartphone, when transmission request information is transmitted from the smartphone to the gas stove, in response to this, operation state information is transmitted from the gas stove to the smartphone, and the operation state information received by the smartphone is displayed on the display unit. As a result, even a gas stove with a poor human machine interface (HMI) can provide operation state information to the user in cooperation with the user's smartphone.

[0003] As a communication standard used for such wireless connection between a gas stove and a smartphone, Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark) is known. Also, on the smartphone side, while storing the operation state information of the gas stove and monitoring the communication state of the wireless connection, if the burner is in the ignition state (heating) when the wireless connection is interrupted, it is determined that the user has left the gas stove, and it has been proposed to prompt the user by displaying on the smartphone that the burner is in the ignition state (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-106253 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 determines that the user has moved away from the gas stove with the burner lit based on the interruption of the wireless connection between the gas stove and the smartphone. Therefore, its application is limited to cases where a wireless connection between the gas stove and the smartphone is established. In general, wireless connections require the gas stove to be equipped with an operating unit that the user operates at the start of pairing (so-called pairing) for mutual authentication processing to authenticate the communication partner, and a display unit that displays a passcode. This presents a problem in that it is difficult to implement in gas stoves that lack sufficient HMI (Human-Machine Interface).

[0006] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems in the prior art and aims to provide a technology that enables notification to be sent via a communication terminal carried by the user when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating, regardless of whether or not there is a wireless connection between the cooking appliance and the communication terminal in the cooking system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the heating cooking system of the present invention employs the following configuration: <First aspect> A cooking system comprising a cooking appliance that heats food to be cooked using a heating unit, and a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with the cooking appliance, wherein when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating, the notification unit of the communication terminal held by the user can notify that the heating unit is heating, The aforementioned cooking appliance includes a transmitting unit capable of transmitting a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner, The aforementioned communication terminal is A receiving unit capable of receiving the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, The notification unit includes a storage unit that stores an application program for executing the notification, A notification control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit according to the application program, and Equipped with, The transmitting unit periodically transmits the wireless signal when the heating unit starts heating, and stops transmitting the wireless signal when the heating unit stops heating. When the application program is running, the notification control unit will execute the notification in the notification unit if the notification condition is met based on a decrease in the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] In this first embodiment of the heating and cooking system, the heating unit periodically transmits a radio signal of a predetermined intensity via broadcast while heating. As a result, if a user with a communication terminal is near the heating unit, the communication terminal receives a radio signal with sufficient signal strength. However, as the user moves away from the heating unit, the signal strength decreases in proportion to the distance. Therefore, based on the decrease in the signal strength of the radio signal received by the communication terminal, it is possible to determine that the user has moved away from the heating unit. When the signal strength decreases and the notification condition is met, the system can alert the user by notifying them that the heating unit is heating. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to establish a radio connection between the heating unit and the communication terminal (regardless of whether a radio connection exists), the communication terminal only needs to receive the radio signal transmitted from the heating unit via broadcast, eliminating the need for mutual authentication processing (so-called pairing) to authenticate the communication partner for the radio connection. Moreover, since the heating unit transmits a radio signal only while heating, the communication terminal receiving the radio signal does not need to determine whether the heating unit is heating or not, making it easy to notify the user when they move away from the heating unit while it is heating. Furthermore, since communication terminals only issue notifications when the application program is running, it is possible to prevent unnecessary notifications from being issued automatically in communication terminals where the application program is not running, even if they are capable of receiving wireless signals.

[0009] <Second aspect> In the first embodiment of the heating cooking system, The notification control unit executes the notification in the notification unit when the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit falls below a threshold associated with the heating appliance, using this as the notification condition. It is characterized by the following:

[0010] In this second embodiment of the heating and cooking system, the received strength of the wireless signal received by the communication terminal decreases as the distance from the heating and cooking appliance increases. Therefore, a threshold for the received strength corresponding to a predetermined distance from the heating and cooking appliance is set in advance, and if the received strength falls below that threshold, it becomes possible to determine that the user has moved more than a predetermined distance from the heating and cooking appliance.

[0011] <Third aspect> In the first embodiment of the heating cooking system, The notification control unit executes the notification in the notification unit when the drop in the received strength of a newly received radio signal compared to the received strength of a previously received radio signal in the receiving unit is greater than or equal to a reference value, using this as the notification condition. It is characterized by the following:

[0012] The reception strength of the wireless signal received by the communication terminal may be affected by the installation environment of the cooking appliance. By comparing the previous reception strength with the new reception strength, the influence of the cooking appliance's installation environment becomes less significant, and if the drop in reception strength exceeds a certain threshold, it can be determined that the user has moved beyond the distance corresponding to that threshold from the cooking appliance.

[0013] <Fourth aspect> In any one of the first to third embodiments of the heating cooking system, The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes unique identification information of the heating appliance. The storage unit can register the unique identification information of the heating appliance selected by the user. The notification control unit will execute the notification in the notification unit only if, in addition to the fulfillment of the notification conditions, the unique identification information registered in the storage unit matches the unique identification information included in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0014] In such a cooking system of the fourth aspect, since it is possible to confirm that the radio signal received on the communication terminal side is transmitted from the cooking device selected by the user by matching the unique identification information, for example, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience of receiving a radio signal from a cooking device in a neighboring house and giving an incorrect notification.

[0015] <Fifth Aspect> In any one of the cooking systems of the first to third aspects, in the cooking device, the heating amount in the heating unit can be changed, the radio signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes heating amount information regarding the heating amount in the heating unit during heating, the communication terminal includes an adjustment unit capable of changing the degree of difficulty of satisfying the notification condition, the adjustment unit changes the degree of difficulty of satisfying the notification condition according to the heating amount information included in the radio signal received by the receiving unit, and lowers the degree of difficulty of satisfying the notification condition as the heating amount in the heating unit increases. It is characterized by the above.

[0016] In such a cooking system of the fifth aspect, when comparing the case where the heating amount in the heating unit is large and the case where it is small, generally, when the heating amount is large, the necessity for the user to be near the cooking device (the risk during heating) is higher than when the heating amount is small. Therefore, the safety during cooking can be improved by making it easier to give a notification. On the other hand, when the heating amount is small, the convenience of the user can be improved by making it difficult to give a notification.

[0017] <Sixth Aspect> In any one of the cooking systems of the first to third aspects, in the cooking device, any one of a plurality of cooking modes with different heating modes in the heating unit can be selected, the radio signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes cooking mode information regarding the cooking mode being selected, The communication terminal is equipped with an adjustment unit that can change the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification conditions, The adjustment unit changes the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to the cooking mode information contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0018] In this sixth embodiment of the heating and cooking system, for example, comparing the frying mode and the rice cooking mode, in the frying mode, the user needs to be closer to the cooking appliance than in the rice cooking mode, so safety during cooking can be enhanced by making notifications easier to issue. On the other hand, in the rice cooking mode, the convenience of the user can be improved by making notifications more difficult to issue.

[0019] <Seventh aspect> In any one of the first to third embodiments of the heating cooking system, The aforementioned cooking appliance is equipped with a plurality of heating units, The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit when at least one of the multiple heating units starts heating includes heating state information regarding the heating unit during heating. The communication terminal is equipped with an adjustment unit that can change the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification conditions, The adjustment unit changes the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to the heating state information contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0020] In this seventh embodiment of a heating and cooking system, for example, the more heating elements there are during heating, the greater the need for the user to be near the cooking appliance. Therefore, by making it easier to provide notifications, safety during cooking can be enhanced.

[0021] <Eighth aspect> In a seventh embodiment of a heating and cooking system, The multiple heating units include an inner heating unit that performs heating within the internal space of the cooking appliance and an outer heating unit that performs heating outside the cooking appliance. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes the type of heating unit being heated as heating state information. The adjustment unit reduces the difficulty of fulfilling the notification conditions when the heating unit is the outer heating unit compared to when the heating unit is the inner heating unit. It is characterized by the following:

[0022] In this eighth embodiment of the heating and cooking system, when heating is being done in the external heating section outside the cooker, the user is more likely to be near the cooker than when heating is being done in the internal heating section within the internal space. Therefore, safety during cooking can be enhanced by making it easier to provide notifications. On the other hand, when heating is being done in the internal heating section, it is more difficult to provide notifications, which can improve user convenience.

[0023] <Ninth aspect> In a seventh embodiment of a heating and cooking system, The aforementioned cooking appliance may have different levels of danger during heating for each of its multiple heating sections. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes the degree of danger of the heating unit during heating as heating state information. The adjustment unit sets the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to which of the multiple heating units currently being heated has the highest degree of danger. It is characterized by the following:

[0024] In such an eighth embodiment of the heating cooking system, for example, when comparing heating units with high heating levels and heating units with low heating levels among multiple heating units during heating, the heating unit with the high heating level poses a higher risk. Therefore, safety during cooking can be enhanced by setting the system to more easily provide notifications in accordance with the heating unit with the high heating level.

[0025] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, the heating appliance of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, In a cooking system where a user leaves a cooking appliance that heats food being cooked by a heating unit while the heating unit is heating, the heating appliance is capable of transmitting a notification to the user via wireless communication with the cooking appliance, via the notification unit of a communication terminal held by the user, indicating that the heating unit is heating. It is equipped with a transmitting unit capable of transmitting a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner, The aforementioned communication terminal includes: A receiving unit capable of receiving the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, The notification unit includes a storage unit that stores an application program for executing the notification, A notification control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit according to the application program, and In addition, In the aforementioned communication terminal, when the application program is running and a notification condition is met based on a decrease in the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit, the notification control unit executes the notification using the notification unit. The transmitting unit periodically transmits the wireless signal when the heating unit starts heating, and stops transmitting the wireless signal when the heating unit stops heating. It is characterized by the following:

[0026] With this heating cooker of the present invention, while the heating unit is heating, the transmitting unit periodically transmits a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner. When a user holding a communication terminal moves away from the heating cooker, the received intensity of the wireless signal received by the communication terminal decreases according to the distance moved. Therefore, based on the decrease in the received intensity of the wireless signal received by the communication terminal, it can be determined that the user has moved away from the heating cooker. When the received intensity decreases and the notification condition is met, it is possible to alert the user by notifying them that the heating unit is heating. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to transmit a wireless signal from the transmitting unit in a broadcast manner without establishing a wireless connection between the heating cooker and the communication terminal, mutual authentication processing (so-called pairing) to authenticate the communication partner for the wireless connection is unnecessary. Moreover, since the transmitting unit only transmits a wireless signal while the heating unit is heating, the communication terminal that receives the wireless signal does not need to determine whether or not the heating unit is heating, and notification when a user moves away from the heating cooker while it is heating can be easily implemented.

[0027] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, the application program of the present invention employs the following configuration: In a cooking system comprising a cooking appliance that heats food to be cooked using a heating unit, and a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with the cooking appliance, an application program is stored in the memory of the communication terminal and capable of notifying the user that the heating unit is heating when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating using the heating unit, the notification unit of the communication terminal held by the user When a radio signal of a predetermined intensity is periodically transmitted in a broadcast manner from the heating cooker while it is heating in the heating section, a receiving step capable of receiving the radio signal is performed. A notification execution step is performed in which the notification unit executes the notification when the notification condition is met based on the decrease in the received signal strength of the received wireless signal. It is characterized by having the following features.

[0028] According to the application program of the present invention, a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity is periodically transmitted by broadcast from the cooking appliance while it is heating in the heating section. When a user holding a communication terminal moves away from the cooking appliance, the received intensity of the wireless signal received in the receiving process decreases according to the distance moved. Therefore, based on the decrease in the received intensity of the received wireless signal, it can be determined that the user has moved away from the cooking appliance, and when the received intensity decreases and the notification condition is met, it is possible to alert the user by notifying them that the heating section is heating. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to establish a wireless connection between the cooking appliance and the communication terminal, and the communication terminal only needs to receive the wireless signal transmitted by broadcast from the cooking appliance, mutual authentication processing (so-called pairing) to authenticate the communication partner for the wireless connection is unnecessary. Moreover, since the wireless signal is transmitted from the cooking appliance only while it is heating in the heating section, there is no need to determine whether or not the heating section is heating when the wireless signal is received, and notification when the user moves away from the cooking appliance while it is heating can be easily implemented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating and cooking system 1 of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fuel gas supply path in a gas stove 10. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration related to the control of combustion in the gas stove 10 and the control of the display in the smartphone 40. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the transmission control process performed by the controller 30 of the gas stove 10 in this embodiment to control the transmission of the advertisement signal by the transmission unit 31. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the notification control process performed by the control unit 45 of the smartphone 40 in this embodiment to control the notification when the user moves away from the gas stove 10. [Figure 6] This diagram schematically illustrates the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in this embodiment and the threshold value of the received intensity of the advertisement signal. [Figure 7] This sequence diagram shows an example of an instance where a notification is sent to a smartphone 40 carried by the user when the user moves away from the gas stove 10 in this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the relationship between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in the first modified example and the reference value of the drop in the received intensity of the advertising signal. [Figure 9] This is a magnified perspective view of the front right side of the gas stove 10 in the second modified heating cooking system 1. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the correspondence between the selected cooking mode and the threshold value of the received intensity of the advertised signal for the burner 13a and 13b currently burning in the gas stove 10 of the second modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating and cooking system 1 of this embodiment. The illustrated heating and cooking system 1 consists of a gas stove 10 as an example of a heating appliance for heating food to be cooked, and a smartphone 40 as an example of a communication terminal that supports wireless communication with the gas stove 10. As will be described later, when the user moves away from the gas stove 10, it is possible to send a notification via the smartphone 40 that the user is carrying.

[0031] The gas stove 10 illustrated is a built-in type that is fitted into a storage space opened in the worktop of a system kitchen (not shown). It comprises a box-shaped stove body 11 housed in the storage space, and a top plate 12 that covers the open top surface of the stove body 11. The stove body 11 is equipped with a stove burner 13 that burns a mixture of fuel gas and air, and the top of the stove burner 13 protrudes from an insertion hole formed in the top plate 12. In the illustrated example, two stove burners 13a and 13b are arranged on the left and right, and the two stove burners 13a and 13b are basically the same in specifications. In this embodiment, the stove burners 13a and 13b correspond to the "heating section" and "outer heating section" of the present invention.

[0032] On the top plate 12, trivets 14a and 14b are installed surrounding each of the stove burners 13a and 13b, for placing cooking containers such as pots containing ingredients (food to be cooked) above the stove burners 13a and 13b. In addition, a sticker 10s displaying a two-dimensional code is affixed to the top surface of the top plate 12 in this embodiment (the front left corner in the illustrated example). As will be described in more detail later, this two-dimensional code contains unique identification information (e.g., manufacturing number, address, serial number, etc.) that has been pre-assigned to the gas stove 10. By reading the two-dimensional code with the camera 46 mounted on the smartphone 40 and registering the unique identification information, it is possible to display a notification on the display unit 41 of the smartphone 40, such as an LCD display, when the user moves away from the gas stove 10.

[0033] In addition, the stove body 11 has a built-in grill 15 (not shown) for grilling food (food to be cooked), and a grill burner 15a that burns a mixture of fuel gas and air as its heat source is installed. A grill door 15d is provided on the front of the stove body 11, and the front of the grill 15 can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, the grill 15 corresponds to the "internal space" of the present invention, and the grill burner 15a corresponds to the "heating section" and "internal heating section" of the present invention.

[0034] On the front of the stove unit 11, to the right of the grill door 15d, there is a power switch 16 that the user operates to turn the gas stove 10 on and off, and stove operation buttons 17a and 17b that the user operates when igniting, extinguishing, or adjusting the heat output of the two stove burners 13a and 13b, respectively. On the other hand, to the left of the grill door 15d, there is a grill operation button 18 that the user operates when igniting, extinguishing, or adjusting the heat output of the grill burner 15a.

[0035] In the gas stove 10 of this embodiment, when the user pushes one of the operation buttons (stove operation buttons 17a, 17b, and grill operation button 18) backward, the pressed operation button 17a, 17b, or 18 protrudes forward, and the corresponding burner (one of the stove burners 13a, 13b, or grill burner 15a) is ignited and combustion begins. Furthermore, the flame intensity of the corresponding burners 13a, 13b, or 15a can be adjusted by rotating the protruding operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18. When the user pushes the protruding operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18 backward, the pressed operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18 are retracted into the stove body 11, and the corresponding burners 13a, 13b, or 15a are extinguished.

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fuel gas supply path in the gas stove 10. The gas stove 10 in this embodiment is equipped with the three burners described above (cooker burners 13a, 13b and grill burner 15a), and correspondingly, the gas passage 20 that supplies fuel gas branches into three. Specifically, it is divided into a left branch passage 21a corresponding to the left cooker burner 13a, a right branch passage 21b corresponding to the right cooker burner 13b, and a grill branch passage 21g corresponding to the grill burner 15a, and fuel gas is supplied to each of them.

[0037] The left branch passage 21a is equipped with an on-off valve 22a for opening and closing the left branch passage 21a, a flow control valve 23a downstream of the on-off valve 22a that adjusts the flow rate of fuel gas in the left branch passage 21a, and a nozzle 24a that injects fuel gas from the end of the left branch passage 21a. When the on-off valve 22a is opened, fuel gas at a flow rate corresponding to the opening of the flow control valve 23a is injected from the nozzle 24a, and a mixed gas, which is mixed with primary air for combustion, is supplied to the left stove burner 13a. This mixed gas is ejected from multiple flame ports of the left stove burner 13a, and combustion of the mixed gas is started by a spark generated by the spark plug 25a, heating the food (food to be cooked) in the cooking container above.

[0038] Furthermore, a thermocouple 26a is provided as a flame detection unit to detect the combustion flame in the left burner 13a, and it is possible to detect ignition and extinction based on the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26a. In addition, a pot bottom temperature sensor 27a is provided that protrudes from the center of the left burner 13a and contacts the bottom surface of the cooking container above, making it possible to detect the temperature of the cooking container.

[0039] Similarly, the right branch 21b is equipped with an on-off valve 22b, a flow control valve 23b, and a nozzle 24b, and is also equipped with an ignition plug 25b, a thermocouple 26b, and a pot bottom temperature sensor 27b corresponding to the right stove burner 13b. The grill branch 21g is also equipped with an on-off valve 22g, a flow control valve 23g, and a nozzle 24g. Furthermore, it is equipped with an ignition plug 25g and a thermocouple 26g corresponding to the grill burner 15a, and a grill temperature sensor 28 is provided inside the grill 15, making it possible to detect the temperature inside the grill 15.

[0040] In the gas stove 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to burn any one of the two stove burners 13a, 13b and the grill burner 15a individually, or to burn all of them simultaneously. Furthermore, the flame intensity (amount of heat) during combustion can be adjusted by controlling the opening degree (flow rate of fuel gas) of the corresponding flow control valves 23a, 23b, 23g for each burner 13a, 13b, and 15a.

[0041] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration related to the control of combustion in the gas stove 10 and the control of the display on the smartphone 40. First, the gas stove 10 is equipped with a controller 30 that controls the entire gas stove 10. The controller 30 is electrically connected to operation buttons 17a, 17b, and 18 corresponding to the two stove burners 13a, 13b and the grill burner 15a, respectively, as well as on-off valves 22a, 22b, and 22g, flow control valves 23a, 23b, and 23g, ignition plugs 25a, 25b, and 25g, thermocouples 26a, 26b, and 26g, and temperature sensors 27a, 27b, and 28.

[0042] When any of the operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18 is pressed and protrudes forward, the controller 30 opens the corresponding on-off valves 22a, 22b, or 22g and generates a spark at the spark plugs 25a, 25b, or 25g. Also, when a rotational operation is performed using any of the protruding operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18, the controller 30 changes the opening degree of the corresponding flow control valves 23a, 23b, or 23g according to the amount of operation (rotation angle). Then, when any of the protruding operation buttons 17a, 17b, or 18 is pushed back, the controller 30 closes the corresponding on-off valves 22a, 22b, or 22g.

[0043] In addition, if the controller 30 detects that ignition is not detected (fire extinction is detected) by the corresponding thermocouple 26a, 26b, or 26g, even though one of the on-off valves 22a, 22b, or 22g is open, it determines that there is an abnormality in that ignition is not possible (ignition error) or that the flame has gone out during combustion (flame failure error), and closes the corresponding on-off valves 22a, 22b, or 22g. Furthermore, if the temperature detected by any of the temperature sensors 27a, 27b, or 28 exceeds the specified temperature, the controller 30 determines that there is an abnormality in that the temperature has become too high (high temperature error), and closes the corresponding on-off valves 22a, 22b, or 22g.

[0044] Furthermore, the controller 30 is connected to a transmitting unit 31 capable of transmitting a wireless signal containing the unique identification information of the gas stove 10, as described above, and a storage unit 32 that stores the unique identification information of the gas stove 10, etc. This transmitting unit 31 is configured to transmit in one direction to an unspecified number of recipients using a broadcast method. In this embodiment, a Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark) advertisement signal is used as such a broadcast wireless signal.

[0045] On the other hand, the smartphone 40, in addition to the display unit 41 such as the liquid crystal display and the camera 46 mentioned above, is equipped with a receiving unit 42 capable of receiving wireless signals (advertisement signals) transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 of the gas stove 10. It also includes a storage unit 44 that stores an operating system (OS) for managing and controlling the overall operation of the smartphone 40, and an application program (hereinafter referred to as the "notification app") for performing notifications when the user leaves the gas stove 10, and a control unit 45 that controls the display on the display unit 41 according to the OS and the notification app. The display unit 41, the receiving unit 42, the storage unit 44, and the camera 46 are connected to this control unit 45.

[0046] In this embodiment, the display unit 41 employs a touch panel and can detect user operation and input. When a user performs a predetermined operation on the display unit 41 (for example, tapping an icon), the notification application is launched, and the system enters a scanning state where the receiving unit 42 can receive an advertisement signal from the gas stove 10. Then, as will be described later, the control unit 45, based on the reception status of the advertisement signal at the receiving unit 42 (decrease in reception strength), executes a notification when the user holding the smartphone 40 moves away from the gas stove 10 if the notification condition is met. In addition, the storage unit 44 can register unique identification information of the gas stove 10 obtained by reading a two-dimensional code with the camera 46. Note that the parts in Figure 3 are conceptually classified based on their function, and each does not necessarily need to exist physically; they can be composed of various devices, electronic components, integrated circuits, computers, or combinations thereof.

[0047] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the transmission control process performed by the controller 30 of the gas stove 10 in this embodiment to control the transmission of the advertisement signal by the transmitter 31. This transmission control process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle when the user turns on the power of the gas stove 10 by operating the power switch 16. As shown in the figure, when the transmission control process starts, it is first determined whether or not one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a mounted on the gas stove 10 is burning (STEP 1). In the gas stove 10 of this embodiment, the transmitter 31 can transmit an advertisement signal only if at least one of the three burners 13a, 13b, or 15a is burning. Therefore, if none of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a are burning (STEP 1: no), the determination in STEP 1 is repeated at a predetermined cycle.

[0048] On the other hand, if any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a are ignited and burning (STEP 1: yes), then it is determined whether a predetermined time (e.g., 100 ms) has elapsed since the last transmission of the advertisement signal (STEP 2). In the gas stove 10 of this embodiment, when combustion starts in at least one of the three burners 13a, 13b, or 15a, an advertisement signal is transmitted periodically, and when combustion stops (extinguished) in all of the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the transmission of the advertisement signal is stopped. If the predetermined time has not yet elapsed since the last transmission of the advertisement signal (STEP 2: no), the system returns to STEP 1 without transmitting an advertisement signal.

[0049] Then, if a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous transmission of the advertised signal (STEP 2: yes), combustion state information regarding the combustion state of burners 13a, 13b, and 15a is acquired (STEP 3). This combustion state information includes, for example, the number of burners currently burning among the three burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the heat output of the burning burners (high, medium, or low), the type of burning burner (whether it is a stove burner 13a, 13b, or a grill burner 15a), and the detected temperature of the temperature sensors 27a, 27b, and 28 corresponding to the burning burner. Note that the combustion state information in this embodiment corresponds to the "heating amount information" and "heating state information" of the present invention.

[0050] Once the combustion state information is acquired, the transmission unit 31 transmits an advertisement signal of a predetermined intensity (STEP 4), and the process returns to STEP 1, the beginning of the transmission control process. As mentioned above, the advertisement signal is a broadcast-type wireless signal transmitted unidirectionally to an unspecified number of recipients. In this embodiment, the advertisement signal includes the unique identification information of the gas stove 10, as well as the combustion state information of the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a acquired in STEP 3.

[0051] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the notification control process executed by the control unit 45 of the smartphone 40 in this embodiment to control the notification when the user moves away from the gas stove 10. This notification control process is executed according to the notification application when the notification application is launched by the user performing a predetermined operation on the display unit 41 (for example, tapping an icon). Note that the notification application does not necessarily need to have a dedicated application screen displayed on the display unit 41 when it is running. For example, the display unit 41 may display the home screen of the smartphone 40 or a screen corresponding to another application program running simultaneously, and the notification application may be running in the background.

[0052] As shown in the diagram, when the notification control process is started, it is first determined whether or not the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 has already been registered (STEP 10). As mentioned above, the gas stove 10 is pre-assigned unique identification information, and it is possible for the user to register the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 selected by the user in the storage unit 44 of the smartphone 40.

[0053] If unique identification information has not yet been registered (STEP 10: no), the next step is to determine whether or not the unique identification information for the gas stove 10 has been acquired (STEP 11). As mentioned above, the two-dimensional code on the sticker 10s attached to the gas stove 10 contains unique identification information, and it is possible to acquire the unique identification information for the gas stove 10 by reading the two-dimensional code with the camera 46 of the smartphone 40. If unique identification information has not yet been acquired (STEP 11: no), the determination in STEP 11 is repeated at predetermined intervals. In addition, based on the fact that unique identification information has not yet been acquired, actions may be taken to prompt the reading of the two-dimensional code, such as activating the camera 46 of the smartphone 40.

[0054] Subsequently, if the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 is obtained (STEP 11: yes), the obtained unique identification information is registered in the storage unit 44 (STEP 12). Also, specification data for the gas stove 10 is downloaded based on the unique identification information (STEP 13). In this embodiment, the smartphone 40 can access a dedicated server (not shown) via the internet and download specification data corresponding to the model of the gas stove 10 identified from the unique identification information. Note that the specification data may be stored in the storage unit 44 in advance along with the notification application, etc.

[0055] In this way, the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 is registered and the specification data is downloaded, or if the unique identification information has already been registered in the determination in STEP 10 (STEP 10: yes), the receiving unit 42 is set to a scan state in which it can receive the advertisement signal (STEP 14), and it is determined whether or not the advertisement signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 of the gas stove 10 has been received (STEP 15). As mentioned above, when any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a of the gas stove 10 is burning, the transmitting unit 31 periodically transmits an advertisement signal of a predetermined intensity (for example, every 100 ms). If the advertisement signal has not been received (STEP 15: no), the determination in STEP 15 is repeated at a predetermined interval.

[0056] Then, if an advertisement signal is received (STEP 15: yes), it is determined whether the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 registered in the memory unit 44 matches the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 included in the received advertisement signal (STEP 16). As mentioned above, the advertisement signal transmitted from the transmission unit 31 of the gas stove 10 contains the unique identification information of the gas stove 10. For example, if the received advertisement signal is transmitted from a gas stove 10 in a neighbor's house, rather than the gas stove 10 selected by the user, and the identification information does not match (STEP 16: no), the process returns to STEP 15 to determine again whether or not an advertisement signal was received (STEP 15).

[0057] On the other hand, if the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 matches (STEP 16: yes), a threshold for the received strength of the advertisement signal, which serves as the criterion for determining that the user has moved away from the gas stove 10, is set according to the combustion state information of the gas stove 10, while referring to the specification data of the gas stove 10 downloaded in STEP 13 (STEP 17). As mentioned above, the advertisement signal transmitted from the transmitter 31 of the gas stove 10 includes combustion state information regarding the combustion state of the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a. In addition, the smartphone 40 of this embodiment determines that the user has moved away from the gas stove 10 based on a decrease in the received strength of the advertisement signal received by the receiver 42, and the specification data of the gas stove 10 has the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and the threshold for the received strength of the advertisement signal pre-associated. The control unit 45 of this embodiment has a function equivalent to the "adjustment unit" of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in this embodiment and the threshold of the received intensity of the advertisement signal. First, Figure 6(a) illustrates the relationship between the distance from the gas stove 10 and the received intensity of the advertisement signal. Radio waves such as advertisement signals generally attenuate in proportion to the square of the distance. In the example shown in Figure 6(a), the received intensity of the advertisement signal at a distance of 2m from the gas stove 10 is -70dBm. Then, at a distance of 3m from the gas stove 10, the received intensity of the advertisement signal is -80dBm, and further, at a distance of 4m from the gas stove 10, the received intensity of the advertisement signal is -90dBm. As described above, the received strength of the advertised signal is stronger the closer you are to the gas stove 10 and weaker the further away you are from the gas stove 10. Therefore, based on the decrease in the received strength of the advertised signal received by the receiver 42, it can be determined that the user holding the smartphone 40 has moved away from the gas stove 10. Note that the numerical values ​​of the received strength shown in the figure are just examples to illustrate the concept, and can be experimentally measured in advance for each model of gas stove 10.

[0059] Figure 6(b) illustrates the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and the threshold for the received intensity of the advertisement signal. As mentioned above, the advertisement signal transmitted from the transmitter 31 of the gas stove 10 includes combustion state information such as the number of burners currently burning out of the three burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the heat output of the burning burner (high, medium, or low), the type of burning burner (whether it is a stove burner 13a, 13b, or a grill burner 15a), and the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 27a, 27b, and 28 corresponding to the burning burner. The example shown in Figure 6(b) illustrates the correspondence when any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a are burning individually. First, the burners are divided into cooktop burners 13a and 13b and grill burner 15a depending on the type of burner burning. Furthermore, when either cooktop burner 13a or 13b is burning, the flame intensity is divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. As mentioned above, the two cooktop burners 13a and 13b in this embodiment are basically the same in specifications.

[0060] Furthermore, when either the stove burner 13a or 13b is burning at high heat, the threshold for received signal intensity is -70 dBm; when it is burning at medium heat, the threshold is -80 dBm; and when it is burning at low heat, the threshold is -90 dBm. The higher the heat, the higher the threshold for received signal intensity. On the other hand, when the grill burner 15a is burning, the threshold for received signal intensity is -100 dBm regardless of the heat level, which is lower than when the stove burners 13a or 13b are burning.

[0061] As mentioned above, when comparing the stove burners 13a and 13b, which burn in the upper part protruding from the insertion holes in the top plate 12 of the gas stove 10, with the grill burner 15a, which burns in the internal space of the grill 15, it is generally the case that the user needs to be near the gas stove 10 (degree of danger during combustion) when the stove burners 13a and 13b are burning, compared with the grill burner 15a. Furthermore, when either the stove burner 13a or 13b is burning, the stronger the flame, the greater the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10.

[0062] Furthermore, by referring to the correspondence shown in Figure 6(b) as specification data for the gas stove 10, the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal can be set according to the type and heat output of the burner 13a, 13b, and 15a that is burning alone. Also, if multiple burners 13a, 13b, and 15a are burning simultaneously, the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal can be set according to which of the burning burners has the highest risk. For example, if the left stove burner 13a and the grill burner 15a are burning simultaneously, the threshold for the received strength can be set according to the heat output of the left stove burner 13a. Alternatively, if the right stove burner 13b has a stronger heat output than the left stove burner 13a when both stove burners 13a and 13b are burning simultaneously, the threshold for the received strength can be set according to the heat output of the right stove burner 13b.

[0063] Furthermore, the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in the specification data and the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal is not limited to the case where one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a is burning alone, but a correspondence for the case where multiple burners are burning simultaneously may also be provided. For example, the more burners among burners 13a, 13b, and 15a that are burning, the greater the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10, so the threshold for received strength may be higher as the number of burning burners increases.

[0064] In the notification control process shown in Figure 5, a threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal is set according to the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 as described above (STEP 17). Then, it is determined whether the received strength of the advertised signal received in STEP 15 has fallen below the threshold set in STEP 17 (STEP 18). If the received strength of the advertised signal has fallen below the threshold (STEP 18: yes), it is determined that the user has moved beyond a distance corresponding to the threshold and the notification condition has been met, and a notification is issued indicating that combustion is occurring on one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a (STEP 19). In this embodiment, the notification is made by displaying text such as "(Caution) You have left the gas stove while the flame is still on" on the display unit 41 of the smartphone 40. The manner of notification is not limited to this, and the notification may also be made by outputting sound from a speaker (not shown) mounted on the smartphone 40. After that, the process returns to STEP 15 to determine again whether or not an advertisement signal has been received (STEP 15). In this embodiment, the display unit 41 corresponds to the "notification unit" of the present invention, and the control unit 45 of this embodiment has a function corresponding to the "notification control unit" of the present invention.

[0065] On the other hand, if the received strength of the advertised signal received by the receiver 42 has not fallen below the threshold (STEP 18: no), the notification condition is not met, so the process in STEP 19 is omitted, and the system returns to STEP 15 without making a notification, and it is determined again whether or not the advertised signal has been received (STEP 15).

[0066] Figure 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an alert being issued on a smartphone 40 carried by the user when the user moves away from the gas stove 10 in this embodiment. In Figure 7, the processing on the gas stove 10 is shown on the left, and the processing on the smartphone 40 is shown on the right. First, the smartphone 40 launches the alert application in response to a predetermined operation (tapping an icon) by the user. Then, the user reads the two-dimensional code on the sticker 10s attached to the gas stove 10 with the camera 46, thereby acquiring the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 and registering it in the storage unit 44. Furthermore, when the specification data of the gas stove 10 is downloaded via the internet, the receiving unit 42 enters a scan state where it can receive the advertisement signal. Note that the registration of unique identification information and the download of specification data only need to be done once; they can be omitted thereafter.

[0067] Meanwhile, on the gas stove 10 side, when the power is turned ON and combustion begins in any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a, the transmitting unit 31 periodically (for example, every 100ms) transmits an advertisement signal of a predetermined intensity. As mentioned above, the advertisement signal is a broadcast-type wireless signal transmitted unidirectionally to an unspecified number of recipients. In addition, the advertisement signal in this embodiment includes unique identification information and combustion status information for the gas stove 10.

[0068] Upon receiving this advertisement signal in the receiving unit 42, the smartphone 40 confirms that the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 included in the advertisement signal matches the registered unique identification information. Based on the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 included in the advertisement signal, the smartphone sets a threshold for the received strength of the advertisement signal while referring to the specification data of the gas stove 10, and determines whether the received strength of the actually received advertisement signal has fallen below the threshold. If the received strength falls below the threshold, the smartphone determines that the user has moved away from the gas stove 10 and alerts the user by notifying them that one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a is burning.

[0069] Furthermore, on the gas stove 10 side, when combustion is stopped (extinguished) on all burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the transmission of advertising signals from the transmission unit 31 stops. Subsequently, when combustion is restarted on any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15b, the transmission unit 31 periodically transmits advertising signals of a predetermined intensity, including the unique identification information and combustion status information of the gas stove 10, again.

[0070] As described above, in the heating cooking system of this embodiment, when combustion starts in any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a mounted on the gas stove 10, the transmitting unit 31 periodically transmits an advertisement signal (broadcast-type wireless signal) of a predetermined intensity. When combustion stops in all of the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the transmission of the advertisement signal stops. On the smartphone 40 side, with the notification app running, the receiving unit 42 receives the advertisement signal, and when the received intensity of the advertisement signal falls below a threshold and the notification condition is met, a notification is sent indicating that combustion is in progress in any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a.

[0071] In this way, by periodically transmitting an advertisement signal of a predetermined intensity from the gas stove 10 while burning with one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a, if a user with a smartphone 40 is near the gas stove 10, the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40 will have sufficient reception strength. However, as the user moves away from the gas stove 10, the reception strength will decrease in proportion to the distance. Therefore, based on the decrease in reception strength of the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40, it is possible to determine that the user has moved away from the gas stove 10. When the reception strength drops below a preset threshold and the notification condition is met, a notification that burning is in progress is issued, thereby alerting users who have moved beyond a distance corresponding to the threshold.

[0072] Furthermore, since the smartphone 40 only needs to receive the advertisement signal transmitted from the gas stove 10 via broadcast, even without establishing a wireless connection between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 40, mutual authentication processing (so-called pairing) to authenticate the wireless communication partner is unnecessary. Moreover, since the advertisement signal is transmitted from the gas stove 10 only when one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a is burning, the smartphone 40 that receives the advertisement signal does not need to determine whether or not the gas stove 10 is burning, and notification when the user leaves the burning gas stove 10 can be easily implemented. In addition, since the smartphone 40 executes notification only when the notification app is running, it is possible to prevent unnecessary notifications from being automatically sent on a smartphone 40 that is capable of receiving the advertisement signal but does not have the notification app running.

[0073] Furthermore, in the heating and cooking system 1 of this embodiment, the advertising signal transmitted from the transmitting unit of the gas stove 10 includes the unique identification information of the gas stove 10, and the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 selected by the user can be registered in the storage unit 44 of the smartphone 40. Only when the registered unique identification information of the gas stove 10 matches the unique identification information of the gas stove 10 included in the received advertising signal, is an alert issued when the user moves away from the gas stove 10. In this way, the advertising signal received by the smartphone 40 can be confirmed by the matching of the unique identification information to be transmitted from the gas stove 10 selected by the user, thus preventing the inconvenience of receiving an advertising signal from, for example, a neighbor's gas stove 10 and issuing an incorrect alert.

[0074] Furthermore, in the heating and cooking system 1 of this embodiment, the advertising signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 of the gas stove 10 includes combustion state information, specifically the heat output (high, medium, or low) of the burner currently burning among the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a. The smartphone 40 then sets a threshold for reception intensity according to the heat output of the burner currently burning, which is included as combustion state information in the received advertising signal. The higher the heat output of the burner currently burning, the higher the threshold for reception intensity is set. As a result, the reception intensity of the received advertising signal is more likely to fall below the threshold, making it easier for the notification condition to be met. In this way, when comparing the cases of high and low heat output of the burner currently burning, generally, with high heat output, the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10 (danger during combustion) is higher than with low heat output. Therefore, by making notification easier, safety during cooking can be enhanced. On the other hand, with low heat output (so-called simmering), notification is less likely to occur, improving convenience for the user.

[0075] Furthermore, in the heating cooking system 1 of this embodiment, the advertising signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 of the gas stove 10 includes combustion state information, specifically the type of burner currently burning among the burners 13a, 13b, and 15a (whether it is the stove burner 13a, 13b, or the grill burner 15a). The smartphone 40 then sets a threshold for the received signal strength according to the type of burner currently burning, which is included as combustion state information in the received advertising signal. When the stove burner 13a or 13b is burning, the threshold for the received signal strength is set higher than when the grill burner 15a is burning. As a result, the received signal strength of the advertisement is more likely to fall below the threshold, making it easier for the notification condition to be met. In this way, when comparing the stove burners 13a and 13b, which burn combustion at the upper part protruding from the insertion holes in the top plate 12 of the gas stove 10, with the grill burner 15a, which burns combustion in the internal space of the grill 15, generally, when the stove burners 13a and 13b are burning, the user needs to be near the gas stove 10 (the degree of danger during combustion) is higher than when the grill burner 15a is burning. Therefore, by making it easier to provide a warning, safety during cooking can be enhanced. On the other hand, when the grill burner 15a is burning, it becomes more difficult to provide a warning, which can improve convenience for the user.

[0076] Furthermore, in the heating cooking system 1 of this embodiment, if multiple burners 13a, 13b, and 15a are burning simultaneously, the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal is set according to which of the burning burners has the highest risk level. For example, if two stove burners 13a and 13b are burning simultaneously, and the left stove burner 13a is at low heat while the right stove burner 13b is at high heat, the right stove burner 13b has a higher risk level. Therefore, safety during cooking can be enhanced by making it easier to receive notifications according to the right stove burner 13b.

[0077] The heating and cooking system 1 of the above-described embodiment also has the following modifications. Below, the modifications will be described focusing on the differences from the above-described embodiment. In the description of the modifications, components similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0078] In the heating and cooking system 1 of the embodiment described above, the notification condition is met when the received intensity of the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40 falls below a threshold, and the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and the threshold value of the received intensity of the advertisement signal are pre-associated with the specification data of the gas stove 10. In contrast, in the heating and cooking system 1 of the first modified example, the notification condition is met when the drop in the received intensity of the newly received advertisement signal compared to the received intensity of the advertisement signal previously received by the smartphone 40 is greater than or equal to a reference value, and the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and the reference value of the drop in the received intensity of the advertisement signal are pre-associated with the specification data of the gas stove 10.

[0079] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in the first modified example and the reference value of the drop in the received intensity of the advertisement signal. In Figure 8, the drop in the received intensity of the advertisement signal is represented by the attenuation rate of the received intensity. First, Figure 8(a) illustrates the relationship between the distance from the gas stove 10 and the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertisement signal. In the example shown in Figure 8(a), the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertisement signal received at a distance of 2m from the gas stove 10 is 20dB compared to the received intensity of the advertisement signal received directly in front of the gas stove 10 (distance 0m) (hereinafter referred to as "initial received intensity"). Furthermore, the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertisement signal received at a distance of 3m from the gas stove 10 is 30dB, and the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertisement signal received at a distance of 4m from the gas stove 10 is 40dB. Thus, the attenuation rate of the received signal strength of the advertisement relative to the initial received signal strength is smaller the closer you are to the gas stove 10 and larger the further you are from the gas stove 10. The attenuation rate of the received signal strength in the first modified example corresponds to the "drop in received signal strength" in the present invention.

[0080] Therefore, when using the notification app, the user, who possesses a smartphone 40, stands in front of the gas stove 10 and registers the received strength of the advertisement signal actually received as the initial received strength in the storage unit 44. Based on the increase in the drop (attenuation rate) of the received strength of the advertisement signal received afterward compared to this initial received strength, it can be determined that the user has moved away from the gas stove 10. Note that the numerical values ​​of the attenuation rate of the received strength shown in the figure are just examples to represent an image, and can be experimentally measured in advance for each model of gas stove 10. Alternatively, the user, who possesses a smartphone 40, may actually receive the advertisement signal at positions 2m, 3m, and 4m away from the gas stove 10 and register the attenuation rate of the received strength, or the user may arbitrarily set the distance at which they wish to receive notifications and register the attenuation rate of the received strength of the advertisement signal received at that set distance.

[0081] Figure 8(b) illustrates the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and the reference value of the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertised signal. As mentioned above, the advertised signal transmitted from the transmitter 31 of the gas stove 10 includes combustion state information such as the number of burners currently burning out of the three burners 13a, 13b, and 15a, the heat output of the burning burner (high, medium, or low), the type of burning burner (whether it is a stove burner 13a, 13b, or a grill burner 15a), and the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 27a, 27b, and 28 corresponding to the burning burner. The example shown in Figure 8(b) illustrates the correspondence when any of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a are burning alone. First, the burners are divided into stove burners 13a and 13b and grill burner 15a based on the type of burner burning. Furthermore, when either stove burner 13a or 13b is burning, the flame intensity is divided into three levels: high, medium, and low.

[0082] Furthermore, when either the stove burner 13a or 13b is burning at high heat, the standard value for the attenuation rate of the received signal strength is 20 dB; when it is burning at medium heat, the standard value for the attenuation rate of the received signal strength is 30 dB; and when it is burning at low heat, the standard value for the attenuation rate of the received signal strength is 40 dB. The higher the heat, the lower the standard value for the attenuation rate of the received signal strength. On the other hand, when the grill burner 15a is burning, the standard value for the attenuation rate of the received signal strength is 50 dB regardless of the heat level, which is higher than when the stove burners 13a or 13b are burning.

[0083] By referring to the correspondence shown in Figure 8(b) as specification data for the gas stove 10, a reference value for the attenuation rate of the received advertising signal can be set according to the type and heat output of the burner 13a, 13b, and 15a that is burning alone. Furthermore, if multiple burners 13a, 13b, and 15a are burning simultaneously, the reference value for the attenuation rate of the received advertising signal can be set according to which of the burning burners poses the highest risk. For example, if the left stove burner 13a and the grill burner 15a are burning simultaneously, the reference value for the attenuation rate is set according to the heat output of the left stove burner 13a. Alternatively, if the right stove burner 13b has a stronger heat output than the left stove burner 13a when two stove burners 13a and 13b are burning simultaneously, the reference value for the attenuation rate is set according to the heat output of the right stove burner 13b.

[0084] Furthermore, the correspondence between the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 in the specification data and the reference value of the attenuation rate of the received strength of the advertisement signal is not limited to the case where one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a is burning alone, but a correspondence may also be provided for the case where multiple burners are burning simultaneously. For example, the more burners among burners 13a, 13b, and 15a that are burning, the smaller the reference value of the attenuation rate of the received strength of the advertisement signal may be.

[0085] In the first modified heating cooking system 1, a reference value for the drop (attenuation rate) in the received intensity of the advertised signal is set according to the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 as described above, and it is determined whether the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the newly received advertised signal is equal to or greater than the set reference value compared to the initial received intensity. If the attenuation rate of the received intensity of the advertised signal is equal to or greater than the reference value, it is determined that the user has moved beyond a distance corresponding to that reference value and the notification condition has been met, and a notification is issued indicating that combustion is in progress on one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a.

[0086] The reception strength of the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40 may be affected by the installation environment of the gas stove 10. By comparing the initial reception strength (previous reception strength) with the new reception strength, the influence of the installation environment of the gas stove 10 becomes less significant, and if the attenuation rate of the reception strength is above a standard value, it can be determined that the user has moved more than the distance corresponding to the standard value from the gas stove 10.

[0087] Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the front right side of the gas stove 10 in the second modified heating cooking system 1. As shown in the figure, a movable setting panel 19 is provided below the stove operation buttons 17a and 17b on the front of the gas stove 10 in the second modified version. In Figure 9, the setting panel 19 is shown pulled out in a state where it can be operated by the user. This setting panel 19 is connected to the controller 30 mentioned above, and various settings can be made by the user by operating the setting panel 19.

[0088] Furthermore, in the second modified gas stove 10, multiple cooking modes are provided, and different heat levels are adjusted for each mode for the burner 13a and 13b during combustion. For example, there are modes for deep-frying, boiling water, and rice cooking, and the user can select one of these cooking modes by operating the setting panel 19. The advertising signal transmitted from the transmitter 31 of the gas stove 10 includes the selected cooking mode for the burner 13a and 13b during combustion as combustion state information. In addition, the specification data of the gas stove 10 has a pre-associated relationship between the selected cooking mode and the threshold value of the received intensity of the advertising signal. Note that the combustion state information in the second modified example corresponds to the "cooking mode information" of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the correspondence between the selected cooking mode and the threshold value of the received advertising signal for the burners 13a and 13b burning in the gas stove 10 of the second modified example. The example shown in Figure 10 shows the correspondence when either burner 13a or 13b is burning alone, and is divided into three cooking modes: deep-frying mode, water boiling mode, and rice cooking mode, and a normal usage mode in which no cooking mode is selected. The threshold value of the received signal is -70 dBm when deep-frying mode is selected, and -80 dBm when normal usage mode is selected. The threshold value of the received signal is -90 dBm when water boiling mode is selected, and -100 dBm when rice cooking mode is selected.

[0090] When the burners 13a and 13b are in deep-frying mode, the oil in the cooking container becomes hot, so the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10 (danger during combustion) is higher than in normal use mode. On the other hand, in water boiling mode, the water in the cooking container only reaches 100 degrees Celsius when boiling, so the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10 is lower than in normal use mode. Furthermore, in rice cooking mode, it takes time to maintain a boil in the cooking container, so the need for the user to be near the gas stove 10 is even lower.

[0091] By referring to the correspondence shown in Figure 10 as specification data for the gas stove 10, the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal can be set according to the selected cooking mode when either the stove burner 13a or 13b is burning alone. Furthermore, when both stove burners 13a and 13b are burning simultaneously, the threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal can be set according to which of the selected cooking modes has a higher risk level. For example, if the deep-frying mode is selected for the left stove burner 13a and the rice cooking mode is selected for the right stove burner 13b, the threshold for the received strength will be set according to the deep-frying mode selected for the left stove burner 13a.

[0092] In the second modified heating cooking system 1, as described above, a threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal is set for the burners 13a and 13b burning in the gas stove 10, according to the selected cooking mode. If the received strength of the advertised signal falls below the set threshold, it is determined that the user has moved beyond a distance corresponding to that threshold and the notification condition has been met, and a notification is issued indicating that either burner 13a or 13b is burning.

[0093] According to this second modified heating cooking system 1, for example, comparing the frying mode and the rice cooking mode, in the frying mode, the user needs to be closer to the gas stove 10 (danger level during combustion of the stove burners 13a and 13b) more than in the rice cooking mode, so safety during cooking can be enhanced by making it easier to receive notifications. On the other hand, in the rice cooking mode, the convenience of the user can be improved by making it more difficult to receive notifications.

[0094] Although the heat cooking system 1 of the examples and modified versions has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above examples and modified versions, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0095] For example, in the embodiment described above, the configuration was such that a wireless connection (two-way wireless communication) is not established between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 40, and mutual authentication processing (so-called pairing) to authenticate the communication partner for the wireless connection was not required. However, the configuration may also be such that pairing is performed between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 40 to establish a wireless connection. In this case, even if a wireless connection is established between the gas stove 10 and the smartphone 40, the gas stove 10, which is burning with one of the burners 13a, 13b, or 15a, can periodically transmit an advertisement signal of a predetermined intensity, and the smartphone 40 can perform notification when the user has moved away from the gas stove 10 based on a decrease in the received intensity of the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40.

[0096] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the specification data for the gas stove 10 is pre-associated with combustion state information of the gas stove 10 and a threshold value for the received strength of the advertisement signal. The smartphone 40 sets the threshold value for the received strength of the advertisement signal by referring to the specification data, according to the combustion state information of the gas stove 10 included in the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40. However, the advertisement signal transmitted from the gas stove 10 may include a threshold value for the received strength corresponding to the combustion state information. The smartphone 40 may then set the threshold value for the received strength included in the advertisement signal received by the smartphone 40 as is, and when the received strength of the received advertisement signal falls below the set threshold, it may be determined that the user has moved beyond a distance corresponding to that threshold and the notification condition has been met, and a notification may be executed. Moreover, the user may be able to arbitrarily set the threshold value for the received strength of the advertisement signal.

[0097] Furthermore, in the second modification described above, a threshold for the received strength of the advertised signal was set for the burner 13a and 13b in combustion according to the selected cooking mode, and the notification condition was met when the received strength of the advertised signal fell below the set threshold. However, by applying the first modification, a reference value for the drop (attenuation rate) in the received strength of the advertised signal was set for the burner 13a and 13b in combustion according to the selected cooking mode, and the notification condition was met when the attenuation rate of the received strength of the newly received advertised signal relative to the initial received strength was equal to or greater than the set reference value.

[0098] Furthermore, in the second modified example described above, the threshold for received signal strength was set for the normal usage mode in which no cooking mode is selected (see Figure 10). However, in the case of normal usage mode, the above-described embodiment may be applied, and the threshold for received signal strength may be set according to the heat output of the burners 13a and 13b during combustion (see Figure 6(b)).

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the threshold for received signal strength was set according to the heat output of the burner 13a and 13b during combustion. However, the threshold for received signal strength may also be set according to the temperature detected by the pot bottom temperature sensors 27a and 27b, which detect the temperature of the cooking container heated by the burner 13a and 13b during combustion, or the temperature detected by the grill temperature sensor 28, which detects the temperature of the space heated by the grill burner 15a during combustion.

[0100] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a sticker 10s displaying a two-dimensional code was affixed to the top plate 12. However, the placement of the sticker 10s is not limited to the top plate; it may also be on the front of the stove body 11. In addition, the two-dimensional code may be displayed (printed) directly on the top plate 12 or the stove body 11 instead of being displayed on the sticker 10s. Moreover, without using a two-dimensional code, unique identification information (for example, multiple alphanumeric characters) may be directly indicated on the sticker 10s affixed to the gas stove 10 or on the instruction manual. The user who has confirmed the unique identification information may then input the unique identification information on the registration screen of the display unit 41 of the smartphone 40, thereby obtaining the unique identification information on the smartphone 40.

[0101] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a gas stove 10 that burns a mixture of fuel gas and air was used as an example of a cooking appliance for heating food. However, the cooking appliance is not limited to a gas stove 10, and may also be an electromagnetic induction cooktop (so-called IH cooktop) equipped with a magnetic field generating coil that heats a metal cooking container by passing current through the coil.

[0102] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a smartphone 40 was used as an example of a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with a cooking appliance. However, the communication terminal is not limited to a smartphone 40; it may be a tablet or other device as long as it has the same functions as the display unit 41, receiver unit 42, storage unit 44, control unit 45, and camera 46 described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1…Heating cooking system, 10…Gas stove, 10s…Seal, 11...Cooktop unit, 12...Top plate, 13...Cooktop burner, 14... Trivet, 15... Grill, 15a... Grill burner 15d...Grill door, 16...Power switch, 17...Cooktop control buttons 18…Grill operation buttons, 19…Settings panel, 20…Gas passage, 21... Branching channel, 22... Shut-off valve, 23... Flow control valve, 24...Nozzle, 25...Spark plug, 26...Thermocouple 27…Pot bottom temperature sensor, 28…Grill temperature sensor, 30…Controller, 31...Transmitter, 32...Storage unit, 40...Smartphone 41...Display unit, 42...Receiver unit, 44...Storage unit, 45... Control unit, 46... Camera.

Claims

1. A cooking system comprising a cooking appliance that heats food to be cooked using a heating unit, and a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with the cooking appliance, wherein when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating, the notification unit of the communication terminal held by the user can notify that the heating unit is heating, The aforementioned cooking appliance includes a transmitting unit capable of transmitting a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner, The aforementioned communication terminal is A receiving unit capable of receiving the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, The notification unit includes a storage unit that stores an application program for executing the notification, A notification control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit according to the application program, and Equipped with, The transmitting unit periodically transmits the wireless signal when the heating unit starts heating, and stops transmitting the wireless signal when the heating unit stops heating. When the application program is running, the notification control unit will execute the notification in the notification unit if the notification condition is met based on a decrease in the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

2. In the heating cooking system according to claim 1, The notification control unit executes the notification in the notification unit when the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit falls below a threshold associated with the heating appliance, using this as the notification condition. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

3. In the heating cooking system according to claim 1, The notification control unit executes the notification in the notification unit when the drop in the received strength of a newly received radio signal compared to the received strength of a previously received radio signal in the receiving unit is greater than or equal to a reference value, using this as the notification condition. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

4. In the heating cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes unique identification information of the heating appliance. The storage unit can register the unique identification information of the heating appliance selected by the user. The notification control unit will execute the notification in the notification unit only if, in addition to the fulfillment of the notification conditions, the unique identification information registered in the storage unit matches the unique identification information included in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

5. In the heating cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In the aforementioned cooking appliance, the amount of heat in the heating section can be changed. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes heating amount information relating to the amount of heating in the heating unit during heating. The communication terminal is equipped with an adjustment unit that can change the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification conditions, The adjustment unit changes the difficulty of fulfilling the notification condition according to the heating amount information contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit, and lowers the difficulty of fulfilling the notification condition as the amount of heating in the heating unit increases. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

6. In the heating cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In the aforementioned cooking appliance, it is possible to select one of several cooking modes, each with a different heating method in the heating section. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes cooking mode information relating to the selected cooking mode. The communication terminal is equipped with an adjustment unit that can change the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification conditions, The adjustment unit changes the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to the cooking mode information contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

7. In the heating cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned cooking appliance is equipped with a plurality of heating units, The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit when at least one of the multiple heating units starts heating includes heating state information regarding the heating unit during heating. The communication terminal is equipped with an adjustment unit that can change the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification conditions, The adjustment unit changes the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to the heating state information contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

8. In the heating cooking system according to claim 7, The multiple heating units include an inner heating unit that performs heating within the internal space of the cooking appliance and an outer heating unit that performs heating outside the cooking appliance. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes the type of heating unit being heated as heating state information. The adjustment unit reduces the difficulty of fulfilling the notification conditions when the heating unit is the outer heating unit compared to when the heating unit is the inner heating unit. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

9. In the heating cooking system according to claim 7, The aforementioned cooking appliance may have different levels of danger during heating for each of its multiple heating sections. The wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit includes the degree of danger of the heating unit during heating as heating state information. The adjustment unit sets the difficulty level of fulfilling the notification condition according to which of the multiple heating units currently being heated has the highest degree of danger. A heating and cooking system characterized by the following features.

10. In a cooking system where a user leaves a cooking appliance that heats food being cooked by a heating unit while the heating unit is heating, the heating appliance is capable of transmitting a notification to the user via wireless communication with the cooking appliance, via the notification unit of a communication terminal held by the user, indicating that the heating unit is heating. It is equipped with a transmitting unit capable of transmitting a wireless signal of a predetermined intensity in a broadcast manner, The aforementioned communication terminal includes: A receiving unit capable of receiving the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, The notification unit includes a storage unit that stores an application program for executing the notification, A notification control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit according to the application program, and In addition, In the aforementioned communication terminal, when the application program is running and a notification condition is met based on a decrease in the received strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit, the notification control unit executes the notification using the notification unit. The transmitting unit periodically transmits the wireless signal when the heating unit starts heating, and stops transmitting the wireless signal when the heating unit stops heating. A cooking appliance characterized by the following features.

11. In a cooking system comprising a cooking appliance that heats food to be cooked using a heating unit, and a communication terminal compatible with wireless communication with the cooking appliance, an application program is stored in the memory of the communication terminal and capable of notifying the user that the heating unit is heating when the user leaves the cooking appliance while it is heating using the heating unit, the notification unit of the communication terminal held by the user When a radio signal of a predetermined intensity is periodically transmitted in a broadcast manner from the heating cooker while it is heating in the heating section, a receiving step capable of receiving the radio signal is performed. A notification execution step is performed in which the notification unit executes the notification when the notification condition is met based on the decrease in the received signal strength of the received wireless signal. An application program characterized by having the following features.

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