Rice cooking system and rice cooking method

Abstract

This invention provides a rice cooking system and method that can reduce the complexity of selecting a rice cooking course, even when there are many selectable courses. [Solution] The rice cooking system 100 of the present invention includes a storage means 54 for storing rice cooking control settings for each rice cooking course, an operating means 29 and a cooking method selection screen for selecting a predetermined rice cooking course, a rice cooking control means 61 for controlling the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the rice cooking control settings of the selected rice cooking course, and a touch panel 74 and an app course display area PA3 for selecting rice cooking courses of app courses that cannot be selected on the cooking method selection screen. The rice cooking control means 61 is configured such that when a rice cooking course of an app course is selected on the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3, it corrects the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means 54 for the predetermined rice cooking course corresponding to the rice cooking course of the app course, and controls the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the corrected rice cooking control settings.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice cooking system and a rice cooking method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a rice cooking system is known in which the rice cooker's cooking settings are made using an information terminal that can communicate with the rice cooker. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a system in which the water hardness setting for the cooking course is made using an information terminal (6), and the rice cooking control means (61) of the rice cooker (1) controls the heating coil (21) according to the water hardness setting transmitted from the information terminal (6), or the rice cooking course corresponding to the cooking setting is selected by the display and operation control means (56) of the rice cooker (1), and the rice cooking control means (61) controls the heating coil (21) based on the cooking control of the selected cooking course to cook the food to be cooked S which contains water. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-213413 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, since all cooking courses for the rice cooker (1) can be selected by the display and operation control means (56), if the number of cooking courses is increased too much, it becomes difficult to distinguish between individual cooking courses when selecting a cooking course using the display and operation control means (56), making it cumbersome. Therefore, there was a problem in that it was difficult to increase the number of cooking courses beyond a predetermined number.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a rice cooking system and a rice cooking method that can reduce the complexity of selecting a rice cooking course even when there are many selectable rice cooking courses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In the rice cooking system of the present invention, the system comprises: a storage means that stores rice cooking control settings for each rice cooking course; a first instruction unit that allows selection of a predetermined rice cooking course; a control means that controls rice cooking of a cooking target based on the rice cooking control settings of the selected rice cooking course; and a second instruction unit that allows selection of a rice cooking course that cannot be selected via the first instruction unit. When the rice cooking course is selected via the second instruction unit, the control means corrects the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means for the predetermined rice cooking course corresponding to the selected rice cooking course, and controls the rice cooking of the cooking target based on the corrected rice cooking control settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the rice cooking system of the present invention, since the selectable rice cooking courses differ between the first instruction unit and the second instruction unit, it is possible to reduce the complexity when selecting a rice cooking course even when the number of selectable rice cooking courses is large. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a rice cooking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Similarly, this is a perspective view of the rice cooker. [Figure 3] Similarly, this is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker. [Figure 4] Similarly, this is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the rice cooker. [Figure 5] Similarly, this is a top view of the display means displaying the top screen. [Figure 6] Similarly, this is a graph showing temporal changes in the pot temperature and the output of the heating coil during the rice cooking process. [Figure 7] This is a graph showing temporal changes in the pot temperature during the capacity determination process, grouped by the amount of the cooking target, for a conventional rice cooker and the rice cooker of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the external appearance of a smartphone serving as an information terminal in the rice cooking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] The above is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a smartphone. [Figure 10] The above is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the server. [Figure 11] The same as above, this is a top view of the display device showing the rice cooker's top screen. [Figure 12] The same as above, (A) is a top view of the display means showing the main course display area, and (B) is a top view of the display means showing the application course display area. [Figure 13] The same as above, (A) a top view of the display device showing the sending screen for the "new rice course", (B) a top view of the display device showing the sending screen for the "old rice course", (C) a top view of the display device showing the sending screen for "for curry", (D) a top view of the display device showing the sending screen for "for fried rice", and (E) a top view of the display device showing the sending screen for "for rice balls". [Figure 14] The above is an explanatory diagram showing the changes in the screen displayed on the smartphone's display device. [Figure 15] The above is an explanatory diagram showing the changes in the screen displayed on the rice cooker's display device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the rice cooking system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Common reference numerals will be used for common parts throughout all of these drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a rice cooking system 100 in one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a rice cooker capable of cooking the food to be cooked S, and 2 is a wireless LAN router acting as an access point that serves as a wireless terminal. The rice cooker 1 is wirelessly connected to the wireless LAN router 2. The wireless LAN router 2 functions as a means of accessing the network 3, and is configured to exchange various information and data with the rice cooker 1 via the wireless LAN router 2.

[0011] 6 is an information terminal with display and communication functions, and 7 is an access point that acts as a wireless terminal. Here, the information terminal 6 consists of smartphones 6-1, 6-2 and tablet terminal 6-3, each individually owned by each user of the rice cooker 1, and each is wirelessly connected to the access point 7. The access point 7 functions as a means of accessing the network 3, and various information and data are exchanged between the smartphones 6-1, 6-2 and tablet terminal 6-3 that make up the information terminal 6 and the server 5 on the cloud 4 connected to the network 3 via the access point 7. Note that the wireless LAN router 2 and the access point 7 may be the same device.

[0012] The rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment can be described as a system in which a rice cooker 1 and n information terminals 6 are connected to a management server 5 via a network 3 (where n is a natural number). The server 5 stores information on all rice cooking courses that can be performed with the rice cooker 1. The information on rice cooking courses stored in the server 5 includes all the information necessary for a user to use the rice cooker 1 to cook rice according to that course. The server 5 will be described in detail later.

[0013] In Figure 1, three information terminals, namely smartphones 6-1 and 6-2 and a tablet terminal 6-3, are connected to the server 5 connected to the rice cooker 1 via the network 3. Currently, each user in a household using the rice cooker 1 owns one information terminal 6, so the relationship between the rice cooker 1 and the n information terminals 6 assigned to n users is one-to-many. As a result, each information terminal 6 can receive recipe information for menus that can be cooked with the rice cooker 1 via the network 3.

[0014] Next, referring to Figures 2 and 3, the overall configuration of the rice cooker 1 will be explained. 11 is the main body, which has a roughly rectangular shape with the front and rear, left and right sides facing each other when viewed from above, and the top surface is open. 12 is a lid that can be opened and closed to cover the top opening of the main body 11. Similar to the main body 11, it has a roughly rectangular shape with the front and rear, left and right sides facing each other when viewed from above, and the top surface is roughly flat. The main body 11 has a pot storage section 13 with an open top surface, and when the lid 12 is opened, a bottomed pot 14, which serves as a container for water and rice to be cooked, is detachably housed in the pot storage section 13. The pot storage section 13 is constructed by combining a bowl-shaped resin inner frame 15 and the like, and the whole is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape.

[0015] The pot 14 is made primarily of aluminum 17, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 18 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is joined to the lower side and bottom of the outer surface of the main material 17. In addition, a heating coil 21 is provided on the outer surface of the inner frame 15, which faces the bottom surface from the lower side of the pot 14, as a heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the heating element 18 of the pot 14. When a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 21, the heating element 18 of the pot 14 heats up due to the alternating magnetic field generated from the heating coil 21, and the contents of the pot 14 are heated during cooking and warming. A pot sensor 22, which serves as a pot temperature detection means, is positioned in the center of the bottom of the inner frame 15 so as to resiliently contact the bottom surface of the outer surface of the pot 14.

[0016] A hinge 23 is provided at the rear of the lid 12, which serves as a connection point with the main body 11. A lid operating body 24 is also exposed on the front upper surface of the lid 12. When this lid operating body 24 is pressed, the engagement between the main body 11 and the lid 12 is released, and the lid 12 opens around the hinge axis of the hinge 23 by a hinge spring (not shown) provided at the upper rear of the main body 11.

[0017] A steam vent 25 is provided on the rear upper surface of the lid 12 to discharge steam generated from the food being cooked in the pot 14 to the outside of the rice cooker 1. In addition to the steam vent 25 and the lid operating unit 24, the upper surface of the lid 12 is also provided with a display means 28 consisting of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 26 as a screen display unit and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display unit 27 as a status display unit for displaying various information related to rice cooking, and an operating means 29 consisting of a touch sensor and positioned above the LCD 26 for starting rice cooking, selecting the time and cooking course, etc. A control PC (Printed Circuit) board 31 is positioned on the lower surface of the display means 28 and the operating means 29.

[0018] The LED display unit 27 displays the actual status of the rice cooker 11. In this embodiment, the "Reservation" LED display unit 27-1 lights up when a reservation setting is made, the "Keep Warm" LED display unit 27-2 lights up when the keep-warm setting is activated, the "Pressure" LED display unit 27-3 lights up when the inside of the pot is pressurized from the time pressure starts to build up inside the pot during cooking until the food S is cooked, and the fan-shaped Wi-Fi mark LED display unit 27-4 lights up when information can be sent and received by the transmission / reception means 59 (described later) (see Figure 5). Therefore, even when the backlight of the LCD 26 is dimmed, the user can understand the current status of the rice cooker at a glance by checking the LED display unit 27. In this embodiment, the LED display unit 27 is located directly in front of the LCD 26, but it may be located at a distance from the LCD 26. Alternatively, the LED display unit 27 may be omitted, and the content of the LED display unit 27 may be displayed on the LCD 26.

[0019] The operating means 29, which consists of touch sensors, is configured such that, for example, multiple touch keys are arranged, each consisting of a transparent electrode portion made of conductive polymer and a contact portion connected to the control PC board 31, connected by pattern wiring. By touching one of the multiple button display portions shown on the LCD 26, the touch key located above that button display portion is touched, and the corresponding button display portion is selected.

[0020] In this way, considering user operability and safety, the lid operating element 24 is positioned on the upper front side of the rice cooker 1, which is closer to the user, and the steam vent 25 is positioned on the upper rear side of the rice cooker 1, which is further away from the user. This allows for ample space on the upper surface of the lid 12 between the lid operating element 24 and the steam vent 25 to accommodate the display means 28. This allows for a larger display means 28 and the operating means 29 positioned above it, thereby improving the visibility of the display means 28 and the operability of the operating means 29. Furthermore, apart from the operating means 29 above the LCD 26, there are no physical keys or buttons on the upper surface of the lid 12, such as a cooking key or a power-off key, which were present in conventional rice cookers. Since the rice cooker 1 is operated solely by the operating means 29, the user does not have to search for buttons during operation, thus improving operability. In addition, a very sleek appearance can be achieved, and the space occupied by precision components such as the display means 28 and operating means 29 can be made compact. Furthermore, by excluding physical keys and buttons, the top surface of the lid 12 can be made almost flat, making it easier to wipe clean and improving ease of cleaning.

[0021] An inner lid assembly 33, which serves as the lower member of the lid 12, is provided on the lower side of the lid 12. The inner lid assembly 33 is made of a metal material and has a disc shape with approximately the same diameter as the upper opening of the pot 14. It comprises an inner lid 34 that covers the upper opening of the pot 14, a lid packing 35 which is an elastic member provided around the entire outer circumference of the inner lid 34 to seal the space between the inner lid 34 and the pot 14, and a pressure regulating unit 36 ​​that adjusts the internal pressure of the pot 14. The annularly formed lid packing 35, as shown in Figure 3, contacts the upper surface of the pot 14, which is the opening, when the lid 12 is closed, sealing the gap between the pot 14 and the inner lid 34 and sealing in the steam generated from the pot 14.

[0022] Inside the lid 12, a lid opening / closing detection means 37 is provided near the hinge 23 to detect the opening and closing of the lid 12. The lid opening / closing detection means 37 can be of any detection type, such as optical, mechanical, or magnetic, as long as it can output a detection signal corresponding to the opening and closing of the lid 12. Inside the lid 12, a lid heater 41 is provided as a lid heating means for heating the inner lid 34, and a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 42 is provided for controlling the temperature of the inner lid 34 by the lid heater 41. Inside the lid 12, a steam discharge path 43 is formed, connecting the steam vent 25 and the pressure regulating unit 36, as a passage for releasing steam generated in the pot 14 to the outside.

[0023] The pressure regulating unit 36 ​​is equipped with a pressure regulating valve 44 that opens and closes a steam discharge path 43 between the inside of the pot 14 and the steam vent 25. The pressure regulating valve 44 is ball-shaped and works in conjunction with a solenoid 45 installed inside the lid 12. The solenoid 45 rotates the pressure regulating valve 44 so as to open the steam discharge path 43 when releasing steam from inside the pot 14 to the outside, and close the steam discharge path 43 when pressurizing or depressurizing the inside of the pot 14. When pressurizing, the food being cooked inside the pot 14 is heated by high-frequency current applied to the heating coil 21, causing the food to boil and generate steam. When this steam fills the inside of the pot 14 and the internal pressure of the pot 14 reaches a predetermined value, the pressure regulating valve 44 opens the steam discharge path 43 against its own weight, thereby maintaining the pressure inside the pot 14 at or above atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, a pressure sensor 46 (see Figure 4) is provided inside the lid 12, facing the pressure regulating unit 36, to detect the pressure inside the pot 14.

[0024] 48 is a pressure reducing means for lowering the internal pressure of the pot 14 to below normal atmospheric pressure when the lid 12 is closed to the main body 11. The pressure reducing means 48 reduces the internal pressure of the sealed pot 14 by energizing the solenoid 45 after the pot 14 is placed in the pot housing 13 and the lid 12 is closed, causing the pressure regulating valve 44 to block the steam discharge path 43. Furthermore, when the internal pressure of the pot 14 falls below a certain value below atmospheric pressure, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 49, which is the operating source of the pressure reducing means 48, is stopped, and the internal pressure of the pot 14 is maintained in a reduced pressure state. In addition, when returning the internal pressure of the pot 14 from a reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 49 is stopped, and a path (not shown) connecting the pressure reducing pump 49 and the internal pressure of the pot 14 is opened. In other words, the pressure reducing means 48 also serves as a pressure return means for returning the internal pressure of the pot 14 from a reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air.

[0025] In addition, a unitized heating board assembly 52, including a control means 51, is arranged inside the main body 11. The control means 51 is configured to electrically control each part of the rice cooker 1 and includes a control IC 53 that constitutes a microcomputer, a storage means 54 (see Figure 4) such as a memory that can be read and written to store various information and data, and a timing means 55 (see Figure 4) such as a timer that can measure the time related to rice cooking. In particular, the control means 51 is configured to mainly control the heating coil 21 based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the pot 14, and to mainly control the lid heater 41 based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42 to manage the temperature of the inner lid 34 that faces the rice being cooked.

[0026] Figure 4 shows the electrical configuration of the rice cooker in this embodiment. In this figure, the input port of the control means 51 is electrically connected to the aforementioned pot sensor 22, lid temperature sensor 42, pressure sensor 46, lid opening / closing detection means 37, and operating means 29, as well as the transmitting / receiving means 59. The output port of the control means 51 is electrically connected to the aforementioned solenoid 45, pressure reducing pump 49, and display means 28, as well as the heating coil driving means 56 connected to the heating coil 21 and the lid heater driving means 58 connected to the lid heater 41.

[0027] The transmitting and receiving means 59 consists of a communication module and the like, and enables the transmission and reception of information with a server 5 on the cloud 4 and an information terminal 6 owned by the user via a wired or wireless network 3. Therefore, the transmitting and receiving means 59 functions as a communication means capable of transmitting and receiving information.

[0028] The heating coil driving means 56 receives a heating control signal from the control means 51 and supplies a high-frequency current to energize the heating coil 21. This heating coil driving means 56 is composed of, for example, a power supply circuit, an inverter, an IH drive circuit, and a switch element, and the output from the heating coil 21 to the pot 14 can be increased or decreased by changing the period of the high-frequency current supplied to the heating coil 21 and the ratio of the ON time to one period (ON ratio). The lid heater driving means 58 receives a heating control signal from the control means 51 and drives the lid heater 41 by supplying a DC current or AC current to it.

[0029] The control means 51 receives operation signals from the operation means 29, information from the transmission / reception means 59, temperature detection signals from the pot sensor 22 and lid temperature sensor 42, pressure detection signals from the pressure sensor 46, and detection signals from the lid opening / closing detection means 37, and outputs a display control signal to the display means 28, and also outputs heating control signals to the heating coil driving means 56 that energizes the heating coil 21, and the lid heater driving means 58 that drives the lid heater 41, and outputs drive control signals to the solenoid 45 that moves the pressure regulating valve 44 and the pressure reducing pump 49 of the pressure reducing means 48. This control means 51 is equipped with a rice cooking control means 61, a warming control means 62, and a display control means 63 as functions on the control sequence of the program read from the storage means 54, and is provided on the control IC 53.

[0030] The rice cooking control means 61, upon receiving an instruction from the operation means 29 to start rice cooking, performs a rice cooking process that sequentially executes the following steps: a soaking process to promote water absorption of the rice placed in the pot 14, a boiling heating process to raise the temperature of the rice to be cooked to a boil in a short time, a boiling continuation process to maintain the boiling state of the rice to be cooked, and a steaming process to maintain a high temperature that prevents the rice from burning. In this way, it performs rice cooking control to heat the rice inside the pot 14 at the desired pressure. The warming control means 62 performs a warming process to control the rice inside the pot 14 to maintain a predetermined warming temperature. The display control means 63 generates various control signals based on the operation signals from the operation means 29 and also controls the display operation of the display means 28.

[0031] The storage means 54 stores, for example, rice cooking courses corresponding to each type of rice, cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings. The rice, cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings of the rice cooking courses stored in the storage means 54 are displayed on the display means 28 for selection, and the user selects and sets the rice cooking course by making these settings using the operation means 29. Furthermore, the memory means 54 stores multiple heating patterns, which are patterns for driving the heating coil 21, lid heater 41, pressure regulating valve 44, and pressure reducing means 48, specifying the timing and output at which these units are driven, as well as multiple energization patterns, which are patterns for energizing the heating coil 21, specifying the timing and output at which the heating coil 21 is energized when it is driven. The rice cooking control means 61 and the warming control means 62 control the heating coil 21, lid heater 41, pressure regulating valve 44, and pressure reducing means 48 based on these heating patterns and energization patterns.

[0032] Figure 5 shows a top view of the display means 28, and in each drawing, the upper side is referred to as "top," the lower side as "bottom," the left side as "left," and the right side as "right." Also, in each drawing, the front side is referred to as "front" and the back side as "back." In Figure 5, the LCD 26 is displaying the top screen G1. When the user plugs the power plug, which has been pre-installed on the main unit 11, into a household outlet, the necessary power is supplied to each part of the rice cooker 1. At this time, after a predetermined time has elapsed or to display a predetermined startup display screen, the display control means 63 displays the arrangement of the top screen G1 shown in Figure 4 on the LCD 26 as the initial screen for normal use, and lights up the LED display unit 27-4 of the Wi-Fi mark on the LED display unit 27.

[0033] Referring to Figure 4, the top screen G1 is described as having a menu key display area A1 at its top, where four button displays B1 to B7 are arranged side by side. Here, the "Rice / Cooking" button display B1 includes the text display D1 that says "Rice / Cooking" and the text display D2 that says "▼". The "Cooking Method" button display B3 includes the text display D3 that says "Cooking Method" and the text display D4 that says "▼". The "Texture" button display B5 includes the text display D5 that says "Texture" and the text display D6 that says "▼". The "Keep Warm" button display B7 includes the text display D7 that says "Keep Warm" and the text display D8 that says "▼".

[0034] Furthermore, below the menu key display area A1, a rice cooking information display area A2 is formed, with four setting display units D11 to D14 arranged side by side. Here, the "Rice / Cooking" setting display unit D11 displays information about the selected rice or cooking method, and is located below the "Rice / Cooking" button display unit B1, showing "White Rice, Brand Selection" in Figure 4. The "Cooking Method" setting display unit D12 displays information about the selected cooking method, and is located below the "Cooking Method" button display unit B3, showing "Master Cooking" in Figure 4. The "Texture" setting display unit D13 displays information about the selected texture, such as hard or soft, and is located below the "Texture" button display unit B5, showing "Normal" in Figure 4. The "Keep Warm" setting display unit D14 displays information about the selected keep-warm process, and is located below the "Keep Warm" button display unit B7, showing "Standard" in Figure 4.

[0035] Below the rice cooking information display area A2, button display unit B15, which includes a text display unit D15 labeled "Soak +", and button display unit B16, which includes a text display unit D16 labeled "Maintenance", are displayed side by side. To the right of the "Soak +" button display unit B15 and the "Maintenance" button display unit B16, there is a text display unit D17 labeled "Cooking Time", which suggests that the number displayed on the clock display unit D18 is the cooking time, and the cooking time required, the remaining time which is the actual time until cooking is completed, and the expected time when cooking is completed. In Figure 4, the clock display unit D18, which displays "approximately 38 minutes", the cooking time required calculated from the settings in the rice cooking information display area A2, and button display unit B19, which includes a text display unit D19 labeled "Start Cooking", are displayed side by side.

[0036] Also, at the bottom of the top screen G1, the following are displayed side by side: a setting button display B20 containing a text display D20 resembling a gear diagram; a button display B21 containing a text display D21 labeled "Keep Warm"; a button display B22 containing a text display D22 labeled "Reservation"; a time display D23 showing the current time; and a button display B24 containing a text display D24 labeled "Off".

[0037] The "Off" button indicator B24 is operated when stopping rice cooking or keeping warm. When the "Off" button indicator B24 is touched, the display control means 63 receives an operation signal from the operation means 29 located above the "Off" button indicator B24. The rice cooking control means 61 then controls the rice cooking control means 61 to stop heating the rice being cooked in the pot 14 and to stop the scheduled cooking, setting it to the "Off" state. The display control means 63 then controls the display means 28 to display the top screen G1 with the rice cooking information display area A2 set to the setting from the most recent cooking, i.e., the setting stored in the memory means 54.

[0038] The "Start Cooking" button display unit B19 is operated when starting rice cooking. When the "Start Cooking" button display unit B19 is touched, the rice cooking control means 61 stores the rice and cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings currently displayed in the rice cooking information display area A2 in the storage means 54 as the settings for the current rice cooking course. The system is configured to control the start of cooking for the food to be cooked in the main unit 11 using the settings for the current rice cooking course stored in the storage means 54.

[0039] The "Keep Warm" button indicator B19 is operated when the "Keep Warm" function is activated. When the "Keep Warm" button indicator B19 is touched, the keep-warm control means 62 sends appropriate control signals to the heating coil drive means 56, the lid heater drive means 58, the solenoid 45, and the pressure reducing pump 49 to start reheating the food being cooked inside the main unit 11.

[0040] The "Rice / Cooking" button display unit B1 is used to select the type and brand of rice to be cooked, or to select a cooking method other than rice, such as bread. When the "Rice / Cooking" button display unit B1 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display the rice / cooking selection screen (not shown). When the type and brand of rice or cooking method is selected on this rice / cooking selection screen, the display control means 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display means 28 to display the selected type and brand of rice or cooking method on the text display unit D11.

[0041] The "Cooking Method" button display unit B3 is operated to select the type of cooking method for the food to be cooked. When the "Cooking Method" button display unit B3 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display a cooking method selection screen (not shown). When a cooking method for the food to be cooked is selected on this cooking method selection screen, the display control means 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display means 28 to display the selected cooking method for the food to be cooked in the text display unit D12. In this embodiment, it is possible to transition from the cooking method selection screen to a history selection screen (not shown) which displays previously used cooking courses. When a cooking course is selected on the history selection screen, the display control means 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display means 28 to display the rice / cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings for the selected past cooking course in the cooking information display area A2.

[0042] The "texture" button display unit B5 is operated to select the type of texture of the rice to be cooked. When the "texture" button display unit B5 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display a texture selection screen (not shown). When a rice texture is selected on this texture selection screen, the display control means 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display means 28 to display the selected rice texture on the text display unit D13.

[0043] The "Keep Warm" button display unit B7 is operated to select the settings for the keep-warm process after cooking. When the "Keep Warm" button display unit B7 is touched, the display control unit 63 controls the display unit 28 to display the keep-warm selection screen (not shown). When settings such as the length and type of keep-warm time are selected on this keep-warm selection screen, the display control unit 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display unit 28 to display the selected keep-warm settings on the text display unit D14.

[0044] The setting button display unit B20 is operated to set the rice cooker 1. When the setting button display unit B20 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display a setting screen (not shown).

[0045] The "Hitashi+" button display unit B15 is operated when the soaking time in the rice cooking process is extended in advance. When the "Hitashi+" button display unit B15 is touched, the display control unit 63 controls the display unit 28 to display the soaking extension time selection screen (not shown). When an extension time is selected on this soaking extension time selection screen, the display control unit 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display unit 28 to display a display that adds the selected extension time to "Hitashi+", for example, if the selected extension time is 30 minutes, it will display "Hitashi+30 minutes" on the text display unit D15.

[0046] The "Maintenance" button display unit B16 is operated to perform maintenance on the rice cooker 1, such as boiling and drying the pot 14 of the rice cooker 1. When the "Maintenance" button display unit B16 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display a maintenance selection screen (not shown).

[0047] The "Reservation" button display unit B20 is operated when performing a reservation cooking function. When the "Reservation" button display unit B20 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to light up the "Reservation" LED display unit 26-1 in addition to the Wi-Fi mark LED display unit 27-4 of the LED display unit 27, and to display a reservation setting screen (not shown). Once a reservation is set on this reservation setting screen and the reservation cooking is started, the cooking control means 61 starts cooking so that the food to be cooked in the main unit 11 is cooked by the set reservation time, and the warming control means 62 also starts keeping the food warm.

[0048] Next, referring to Figure 6, the operation during rice cooking will be explained. First, rice and water are placed in the pot 14 as the ingredients to be cooked, and after setting the pot 14 in the pot storage section 13, the lid 12 is closed. Around the same time, when the main body 11 of the rice cooker 1 is powered on, the main body 11 enters an initial off (standby) state where cooking and warming are not performed, and the display control means 63 controls the LCD 26 to display the current cooking course setting in the cooking information display area A2 of the top screen G1.

[0049] Here, the user operates the operation means 29 to set the rice cooking course, and when the user touches the "Start Cooking" button display B19 on the top screen G1, the display control means 63 stores the rice and cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings currently displayed in the rice cooking information display area A2 in the storage means 54 as the settings for the current rice cooking course, and transmits these rice cooking course settings to the rice cooking control means 61. Upon receiving these rice cooking course settings, the rice cooking control means 61 performs the cooking operations for the food S to be cooked in the pot 14, which are the soaking and cooking process, the boiling and heating process, the boiling and steaming process, according to the heating pattern of the set rice cooking course.

[0050] Specifically, when the rice cooking process begins, it transitions to the soaking and cooking process. The rice cooking control means 61 controls the operation of the solenoid 45 and the pressure reducing pump 49 based on the pressure detection inside the pot 14 by the pressure sensor 46, so that the pressure inside the pot 14 remains below atmospheric pressure during the soaking and cooking process. Specifically, when the soaking and cooking process begins, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the solenoid 45 to close the steam discharge path 43 with the pressure regulating valve 44. In this state, the rice cooking control means 61 opens the path of the pressure reducing means 48 based on the pressure detection by the pressure sensor 46, and operates the vacuum pump 49 continuously to perform vacuuming, removing the air from inside the sealed pot 14 with the vacuum pump 49. After that, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the pressure reducing means 48 so that the pressure inside the pot 14 remains below a certain value in a reduced pressure state below atmospheric pressure. In this way, the inside of the pot 14 is kept in a reduced pressure state for the entire duration of the soaking and cooking process.

[0051] When the soaking and cooking process begins, the rice cooking control means 61 performs a soaking and water absorption process to allow the rice to absorb water. In this embodiment, the rice cooking control means 61 changes the time T1 of the soaking and water absorption process according to the selected texture setting. For example, in the case of the "normal" to "soft" setting, as described above, the time T1 of the soaking and water absorption process is set to allow the rice to absorb water until it reaches a saturated state, suppressing uneven gelatinization from the surface to the center of the rice grains and resulting in a sticky texture throughout. On the other hand, in the case of the hardest setting, the time T1 of (1) and (2) of the soaking and water absorption process is set to 0 minutes, resulting in a texture where the surface of the cooked rice grains is sticky due to gelatinization, while the inside of the rice grains has a chewy texture. For settings ranging from "hard" to "normal," the soaking and water absorption process time T1 is set according to the setting, ranging from 0 minutes to the time it takes for the rice to absorb water until it reaches saturation. As the setting moves towards "harder," the soaking and water absorption process time T1 is reduced. This configuration allows the rice to be cooked appropriately according to the user's preference.

[0052] When the immersion and water absorption process begins, (1) the rice cooking control means 61 outputs a heating control signal to the heating coil driving means 56 to energize the heating coil 21 for a short time, and determines whether the pot 14 is set in the pot storage unit 13. If the rice cooking control means 61 determines that the pot 14 is not set in the pot storage unit 13, it stops the subsequent rice cooking process, and the display control means 63 may be configured to notify that the pot 14 is not stored using the LCD 26 or a buzzer (not shown). When the rice cooking control means 61 determines that the pot 14 is set in the pot storage unit 13 and receives a timing signal from the timing means 55 indicating that a predetermined time has elapsed, it proceeds to (2) below.

[0053] In the water immersion and absorption step (2), the rice cooking control means 61 controls the heating coil 21 based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22 to raise and maintain the temperature of the object to be cooked to a predetermined temperature such as 30°C, so that the temperature of the object to be cooked at the start of the subsequent capacity determination (3) reaches the predetermined temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the object to be cooked at the start of the capacity determination in (3) is at the predetermined temperature, and the accuracy of the capacity determination is maintained. The rice cooking control means 61 determines that the temperature of the object to be cooked is maintained at the predetermined temperature from the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22, and upon receiving a timing signal indicating that a predetermined time has elapsed from the timing means 55, proceeds to the next step (3).

[0054] In the water immersion and absorption steps (3) and (4), the rice cooking control means 61 outputs a heating control signal to the heating coil driving means 56 to operate at a predetermined output for a predetermined time T i The heating coil 21 is controlled to heat the pot 14 only, and after the time T i has elapsed, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the heating coil 21 to stop heating the pot 14 for a predetermined time T ii only, and performs capacity determination for determining the rice cooking capacity, which is the amount of the object to be cooked, based on the pot temperature t1 after the time T ii has elapsed. The predetermined time T ii is set to a time that can cause a temperature drop that enables capacity determination from the time T i when heating is stopped.

[0055] Here, in the present embodiment, the time T for heating the pot 14 in the capacity determination in (3) i is set to 30 seconds or more, and this "30 seconds" is the time required to perform the minimum distinction of capacity determination, that is, to determine the minimum capacity and other capacities. In addition, the time T for stopping heating the pot 14 in the capacity determination ii is set to 1 minute or more, and this "1 minute" is the time required to determine the minimum capacity and other capacities. Therefore, for example, in a rice cooking course that prioritizes time, such as a "quick cooking" course, the time T i may be set to 30 seconds, and the time T ii may be set to 1 minute.

[0056] In this embodiment, the time T for heating the pot 14 in (3) i When the rice cooking control means 61 receives a detection signal from the pot sensor indicating that the pot temperature t has reached 60°C, the rice cooking control means 61 stops heating the pot 14 at the time of receiving the detection signal, and then continues heating for a predetermined time T. ii The heating coil 21 is controlled to stop heating the pot 14. If the rice and water being cooked reach temperatures above 60°C, it can accelerate the gelatinization of the rice during water absorption, potentially resulting in poorly cooked rice. Therefore, the capacity determination ensures that the pot temperature t1 remains below 60°C to suppress the gelatinization of the rice during water absorption.

[0057] Figure 7 shows the changes in the pot temperature over time for a conventional rice cooker and for the rice cooker of this embodiment, separately for the amount of rice being cooked, in the capacity determination during the soaking and cooking process. Here, the solid line indicates t 0O , t 0B , t 0M , t 0S This is a graph of the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22 when the amount of rice being cooked in a conventional rice cooker is extra-large, large, medium, or small, and the dotted line indicates t 1O , t 1B , t 1M , t 1S This is a graph of the pot temperature t1 detected by the pot sensor 22 when the amount of rice to be cooked is extra large, large, medium, and small in the rice cooker of this embodiment. Conventionally, the pot 14 is continuously heated using the heating coil 21, and especially when the capacity is small, t 0S In some cases, the temperature of the bottom of the pot 14 could rise too high, such as to nearly 60°C, causing the rice to gelatinize prematurely. Therefore, in this embodiment, the overall output of the heating coil 21 is suppressed compared to conventional rice cookers to heat the pot 14 and prevent the temperature of the bottom of the pot 14 from rising.

[0058] In this embodiment, time T ii The rice cooking control means 61 determines the cooking capacity based on the pot temperature t at the end of the cooking process. ii The capacity determination based on the pot temperature t1 at the end of time T iiEven if it is only due to the pot temperature t1 at the end of the process, time T ii Even if it is based on the difference between the pot temperature t1 at the end of the process and the pot temperature at the start of the soaking and cooking process, time T ii The pot temperature t1 at the end and the time T when heating stopped. i It may also be based on the difference with the pot temperature t at the start of the soaking and cooking process. Furthermore, the pot temperature t at the start of the soaking and cooking process may be set to a predetermined fixed value.

[0059] In this embodiment, time T ii The system employs a configuration that determines the rice cooking capacity solely based on the pot temperature t at the end of the cooking process. Here, the rice cooking capacity is determined, for example, by time T. ii A threshold range is set for the pot temperature at the end of cooking, for each of the cases where the amount of rice to be cooked is extra large, large, medium, and small, and time T ii This can be determined based on the range within which the pot temperature at the end of the process falls. Then, as shown in Figure 7, time T ii At the end of this embodiment, 1O , t 1B , t 1M , and t 1S The temperature difference between them is different from conventional t 0O , t 0B , t 0M , and t 0S It can be seen that the temperature difference is greater than that between the two. In other words, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment can improve grouping accuracy and determine the cooking capacity more precisely because of the larger temperature difference. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the method for determining the cooking capacity is just one example.

[0060] The rice cooking control means 61 receives time T from the timing means 55. iiUpon receiving the elapsed time signal, the system transitions to the soaking process of the soaking and cooking process. The rice cooking control means 61, based on the temperature detection of the bottom of the pot 14 by the pot temperature sensor 12, outputs a heating control signal to the heating coil drive means 56 to energize the heating coil 21. This heats the pot 14, and as shown in Figure 6, the system raises and maintains the water temperature inside the pot 14 to a predetermined temperature, for example, from 40°C to a maximum of 60°C, preferably 45°C to 55°C, thereby promoting water absorption by the rice.

[0061] In this embodiment, the soaking process time T2 is set to approximately 0 to 60 minutes, allowing the user to select the time needed to bring out the sweetness of the rice to be cooked according to their preference. For example, if time T2 is set to 0 minutes, the soaking process is omitted, and the cooking control means 61 moves to the boiling heating process after the soaking and water absorption process is completed. Therefore, when time T2 is set to 0 minutes, it becomes the same as the conventional cooking method in which the soaking and cooking process by heating is manually omitted, so the action of enzymes contained in the rice is suppressed, and rice with a light and crisp taste is cooked. On the other hand, if time T2 is set to a longer time, such as 30 to 60 minutes, rice with a sticky and sweet taste is cooked. And if time T2 is set to 15 to 30 minutes, rice with a moderately suppressed stickiness and sweetness is cooked. Therefore, in this embodiment, the time T2 of the enzyme activity step can be extended to bring out the sweetness of the rice, or shortened or omitted to suppress the stickiness and sweetness of the rice, making it possible to appropriately cook rice with different textures such as stickiness and sweetness after cooking to suit one's preference.

[0062] Subsequently, when the rice cooking control means 61 receives a timing signal from the timing means 55 indicating that the time T1 of the soaking and water absorption process and the time T2 of the enzyme activation process have elapsed since the start of the soaking process, it terminates the soaking and cooking process and moves on to the next boiling and heating process.

[0063] When the process moves to the boiling heating step, the rice cooking control means 61 outputs a heating control signal to the heating coil driving means 56, controlling the heating coil 21 to heat the rice to be cooked in the pot 14 more strongly than in the soaking cooking step, and performing the heating step, which is the process of heating until boiling of the rice to be cooked is detected.

[0064] Specifically, when the process moves to the heating step (1), the rice cooking control means 61 controls the heating coil 21 to produce an output that is slightly stronger than that of the soaking step. Here, the rice cooking control means 61 is set to change the energizing time of the heating coil 21 in the boiling heating step according to the amount of rice to be cooked determined in the capacity determination step.

[0065] When the process moves to boiling, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the solenoid 45 to rotate the pressure regulating valve 44 to open the steam discharge path 43, thereby connecting the inside of the pot 14 to the outside of the main unit 11, and releasing steam from the food being cooked through the steam discharge path 43 to the outside of the main unit 11 through the steam outlet 25.

[0066] Subsequently, when the rice cooking control means 61 receives a timing signal from the timing means 55 indicating that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the boiling heating process, it proceeds to a heating process (2) in which it controls the heating coil 21 to continuously heat with a stronger output than in the heating process (1). In this way, the heating coil 21 heats the food to be cooked inside the pot 14, causing the pot temperature t detected by the pot sensor 22 to gradually rise, and consequently, the lid temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42 to gradually rise.

[0067] Subsequently, the rice cooking control means 61 receives a temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 22 indicating that the pot temperature t has reached a predetermined temperature or higher, for example, 90°C or higher, and / or receives a temperature detection signal from the lid temperature sensor 42 indicating that the lid temperature has reached a predetermined temperature or higher, for example, 90°C or higher, then proceeds to the boiling detection process and starts detecting boiling of the rice being cooked under pressure.

[0068] Specifically, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the solenoid 45 to rotate the pressure regulating valve 44 so as to close the steam discharge path 43, thereby sealing the inside of the pot 14. As described above, the food to be cooked is strongly heated inside the pot 14, so the food to be cooked is pressurized inside the pot 14 until it reaches above atmospheric pressure, for example, 1.2 atmospheres, and the water in the food to be cooked can be boiled under this pressurized state. This ensures a balance between the hardness and stickiness of the rice by boiling the water in the food to be cooked at 105°C (at 1.2 atmospheres), which is the optimal gelatinization temperature for rice under pressurized conditions. The display control means 63 controls the LED display unit 27 to light up the "pressure" LED display unit 27-2. The rice cooking control means 61 may also control the solenoid 45 to adjust the pressure inside the pot 14 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 46, for example, depending on the type of rice set.

[0069] Furthermore, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the heating coil 21 to continue heating at an output slightly reduced from the heating step (2), and calculates the slope of the detected temperature, which is how much the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22 and the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42 rise in a predetermined time. Specifically, if the rice cooking control means 61 calculates from the temperature detected by the pot sensor 22 that the rise in the pot temperature t, which is the temperature at the bottom of the pot 14, has fallen below a predetermined temperature rise rate, for example, 3°C or less in 120 seconds, it determines that boiling has been detected due to a change in the temperature rise rate of the pot temperature t. Alternatively, the rice cooking control means 61 may also determine that boiling has been detected due to a change in the temperature rise rate of the lid temperature if it calculates from the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42 that the rise in the lid temperature, which is the temperature of the inner lid 34, has fallen below a predetermined temperature rise rate, for example, 1°C or less in 60 seconds. When the rice cooking control means 61 detects boiling due to a change in the temperature rise rate of the pot temperature t, it proceeds to the next boiling continuation step. The rice cooking control means 61 may be configured to detect boiling due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of the pot temperature t, and to proceed to the next boiling continuation step when it detects boiling due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of the lid temperature. Here, the predetermined rate of temperature rise of the pot temperature t and lid temperature for detecting these boiling steps may be adjusted and set according to the amount of rice to be cooked determined in the capacity determination step. Furthermore, the boiling detection method is just one example, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0070] When the process moves to the boiling continuation stage, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the power supply to the heating coil 21 by switching it off and on based on the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 22 until the pot temperature t reaches a predetermined temperature, and also controls the lid heater 33 to continuously supply power to maintain the lid temperature t at a predetermined temperature, such as 98°C or higher, based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42, thereby continuing the boiling state of the rice being cooked.

[0071] Furthermore, once the boiling process has begun, the rice cooking control means 61 periodically controls the power supply of the solenoid 45 to repeatedly change the pressure inside the pot 14 between normal pressure and a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, thereby periodically opening and closing the steam discharge path 43 with the pressure regulating valve 44.

[0072] The rice cooking control means 61, when it calculates from the temperature detected by the pot temperature sensor 15 that the water inside the pot 14 has started to disappear during the boiling continuation process (7), and that the temperature at the bottom of the pot 14 has reached a predetermined temperature or the temperature has risen to a predetermined rate of increase, such as 0.5°C or more in 10 seconds, then moves to the cooking process of the boiling continuation process and starts detecting when the rice to be cooked is finished.

[0073] When the cooking process begins and detection of the finished cooking of the rice starts, the cooking control means 61 controls the solenoid 45 to close the steam discharge path 43 with the pressure regulating valve 44. The cooking control means 61 also controls the power supply to the heating coil 21 so that the power supply time of the heating coil 21 is longer than the boiling continuation process (7).

[0074] The rice cooking control means 61 receives a temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 22 indicating that the pot temperature t has reached a predetermined dry-up temperature, for example, 120°C, or calculates from the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 22 that the rise in the pot temperature t has exceeded a predetermined temperature rise rate, for example, 0.5°C or more in 10 seconds. Upon this, it determines that the water inside the pot 14 has evaporated and the rice to be cooked has been detected, and proceeds to the next steaming step.

[0075] During the steaming process, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the lid heater 33 to maintain a predetermined lid temperature based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 42, thereby preventing condensation on the inner lid 34. It also controls the heating coil 21 to remain on or off for a predetermined time to maintain a high temperature inside the pot 14, preventing the rice from burning, thereby managing the temperature at the bottom of the pot 14. The rice cooking control means 61 also controls the solenoid 45 to rotate the pressure regulating valve 44 to open the steam discharge path 43, connecting the inside of the pot 14 to the outside of the main unit 11, and releasing steam from the food being cooked through the steam discharge path 43 to the outside of the main unit 11 through the steam vent 25. The display control means 63 also controls the LED display unit 27 to turn off the "pressure" LED display unit 27-2.

[0076] Here, the rice cooking control means 61 controls the heating amount and the steaming process time T3 to switch the power on and off the heating coil 21 based on the information of the texture setting of the rice cooking course. For example, if the texture setting of the rice cooking course is set to "firm", the rice cooking control means 61 controls the power on and off of the heating coil 21 to increase the amount of heating compared to normal, and also controls the steaming process time T3 to be shorter than the normal steaming process time. On the other hand, if the hardness setting of the rice cooking course is set to "soft", the rice cooking control means 61 controls the power on and off of the heating coil 21 to decrease the amount of heating compared to normal, and also controls the steaming process time T3 to be longer than the normal steaming process time.

[0077] Furthermore, when the rice cooking control means 61 receives a detection signal from the pot sensor indicating that the pot temperature t has dropped to the aforementioned predetermined temperature, for example, 100°C, it moves to (2) and controls the heating coil 21 to increase the energizing time for a short period of time. After this short period of time has elapsed, it moves to (3) and controls the heating coil 21 to return to its original energizing time, thereby removing excess moisture from the cooked rice and improving its taste.

[0078] Subsequently, when the rice cooking control means 61 receives a timing signal from the timing means 55 indicating that the steaming process time T3 has elapsed, the steaming process ends and the rice cooking process is completed, and the process transitions to the warming process controlled by the warming control means 62.

[0079] The above describes the main components of the rice cooker 1, but this is merely one example, and a configuration in which, for example, the pressure sensor 46 and the pressure reduction means 48 are omitted may also be possible.

[0080] Figure 8 shows the external configuration of a typical smartphone 6-1 among the information terminals 6. In this figure, the smartphone 6-1 mainly consists of a display means 71 capable of displaying a screen, push-button operation buttons 72, and a communication module 73. A touch panel 74 is provided on the surface of the display means 71, and together with the operation buttons 72 and the touch panel 74, an operation means 75 is formed that enables operation from the smartphone 6-1. The communication module 73, which serves as the terminal communication means, is mounted inside the main body of the smartphone 6-1 as a transmitting and receiving unit that enables wireless communication with the access point 7. The smartphone 6-1 also has other features such as a microphone and speaker for making calls and a camera for taking pictures, but these are omitted from the illustration here.

[0081] Figure 12 shows the main electrical configuration of the smartphone 6-1. In this figure, 77 is a terminal control means configured by a microcomputer, and as is well known, this terminal control means 77 includes a CPU as a processing means, storage means 80 such as a memory capable of reading and writing various information and data, a timer as a timing means, and input / output devices. The input port of the terminal control means 77 is electrically connected to the operating means 75 and the communication module 73, respectively, and the output port of the terminal control means 77 is electrically connected to the display means 71 and the communication module 73, respectively.

[0082] The terminal control means 77 receives an operation signal from the operation means 29 and, based on information acquired from the communication module 73, has the function of outputting a control signal for display to the display means 71 at a predetermined timing based on timing from the timing means. This function is realized by activating a program such as an application recorded in the storage means 80, which serves as a storage medium. In particular, this embodiment includes a program that primarily causes the terminal control means 77 to function as a communication control unit 78 and a display control unit 79.

[0083] The communication control unit 78 primarily controls operations related to the communication module 73. By operating the communication module 73 as needed, it has the function of sending various information and data from the terminal control means 77 to the server 5 via the network 3, and conversely, receiving various information and data from the server 5 to the terminal control means 77 via the network 3.

[0084] The display control unit 79 primarily controls the operation related to the display of the display means 71, and is equipped with a function to switch and display various screens on the display means 71. In particular, in this embodiment, when the communication module 73 receives information on rice cooking settings, such as the history of rice cooking settings, and especially information on water hardness, from the server 5, the display control unit 79 is configured to reflect that rice cooking setting information, especially the water hardness information, on the screen displayed on the display means 71.

[0085] Figure 10 shows the main electrical configuration of server 5, which is an example of an information processing device. In the figure, 81 is a server control means configured by a microcomputer, and as is well known, this server control means 81 is equipped with a CPU as a processing means, memory as a storage means, a timer as a timing means, and input / output devices. An operating means 82 that enables operation from the administrator of the recipe provision management system 100 and a communication module 83 that enables connection to the network 3 are electrically connected to the input port of server control means 77, and a communication module 83 that enables connection to the network 3 are electrically connected to the output port of server control means 81, and a display means 84 that enables screen display are electrically connected to the communication module 83. The communication module 83, which is the server communication means, is mounted on server 5 as a transmitting and receiving unit that enables communication with the rice cooker 1 and the information terminal 6 via the network 3.

[0086] The server control means 81 has a configuration that primarily functions as a device information registration unit 86, a rice cooking course information registration unit 87, a rice cooking course information provision unit 88, a rice cooking setting information provision unit 89, and a water hardness information provision unit 90, by reading programs stored in the memory, which serves as a storage medium. In addition to these programs, the memory built into the server control means 81 is also provided with a device information storage unit 92 that stores device information associating the information terminal 6 owned by the user with the rice cooker 1 used by the user, a total rice cooking course information storage unit 93 that stores rice cooking course information for rice cookers 1 that can be connected to the server 5, and a rice cooking setting information storage unit 94 that stores rice cooking settings as rice cooking course settings transmitted from the rice cooker 1. The term "rice cooking course information" as used herein includes all display information for displaying information related to that rice cooking course on the display means 71 of the information terminal 6, and rice cooking information such as the conditions for rice cooking control necessary for cooking the food S to be cooked, for a rice cooker 1 capable of cooking the food S using that rice cooking course.

[0087] The device information registration unit 86, upon receiving input from the user's information terminal 6, includes first identification information that identifies the information terminal 6 and the user, and second identification information that identifies the rice cooker 1 used by the user. The unit associates these first and second identification information and stores the device information in the device information storage unit 92. Specifically, for example, if a user owns a smartphone 6-1, as shown in Figure 1, and uses the rice cooker 1 as an information terminal 6 accessed via the network 3 to the server 5, the device information registration unit 86 stores this device information in the device information storage unit 92 of the server 5. This device information is then transmitted from the smartphone 6-1 to the server 5, associating the unique first identification information input from the smartphone 6-1 to identify the user and the smartphone 6-1 with the unique second identification information input from the smartphone 6-1 to identify the rice cooker 1.

[0088] The rice cooking course information registration unit 87, based on the administrator's input from the operation means 82, adds new rice cooking course information that is not currently stored in the all-rice cooking course information storage unit 93 to the all-rice cooking course information storage unit 93, or modifies some of the rice cooking course information already stored in the all-rice cooking course information storage unit 93 and overwrites it.

[0089] The rice cooking course information provision unit 88 extracts and transmits one or more rice cooking course information from all the rice cooking course information stored in the all-rice cooking course information storage unit 93 to the rice cooker 1, which can access the server 5 via the network 3. Therefore, even if a rice cooking course is not stored in the storage means 54, the rice cooker 1 can extract and store it from the all-rice cooking course information storage unit 93 of the server 5.

[0090] The rice cooking setting information provision unit 89 stores the rice cooking settings, which are the settings for the rice cooking course, transmitted from the rice cooker 1 that can access the server 5 via the network 3, in the rice cooking setting information storage unit 94, and also transmits them to the information terminal 6. It also receives information about the rice cooker 1, such as information about the current status of the rice cooker 1, and transmits it to the information terminal 6.

[0091] Next, the operation of the rice cooking system 100 with the above configuration will be explained in detail. Figure 11 shows the rice cooker top screen PG1 that is displayed when the application is launched by operation from the operating means 75 of the smartphone 6-1 and the top screen (not shown) displayed on the display means 71 is selected.

[0092] When a user operates the operating means 75 of the smartphone 6-1 to launch the application, the communication control unit 78 transmits device information to the server 5 via the network 3 using the communication module 73. The device information transmitted at this time may include individually registered rice cooking settings stored in the storage means 80. When the server 5 receives this device information, it compares it with the device information registered in the device information storage unit 92 and controls the communication module 83 to transmit information about the matched device to the smartphone 6-1. The rice cooking setting information providing unit 89 of the server 5 also transmits a request signal for status information of the rice cooker 1 to the rice cooker 1, which is the matched device. When the display and operation control means 56 of the rice cooker 1 receives this status information request signal, it transmits the current status information of the rice cooker 1, such as "stopped," "reserved," "cooking," or "keeping warm," to the server 5 using the transmission and reception means 59. The rice cooking setting information providing unit 89 may be configured to determine that the status of the rice cooker 1 is "offline" if it does not receive the current status information of the rice cooker 1 within a predetermined time. When the rice cooking setting information provision unit 89 receives the current status information of the rice cooker 1, it controls the communication module 83 to send the current status information of the rice cooker 1, along with the information about the verified device, to the smartphone 6-1.

[0093] When smartphone 6-1 receives information about the matched device and the current status information of rice cooker 1, the application is launched. Then, on the top screen after the application is launched, if the user selects, for example, the "rice cooker" button display (not shown), the display control unit 79 of smartphone 6-1 controls the display means 71 to switch the display to the rice cooker top screen PG1.

[0094] First, referring to Figure 11, the rice cooker top screen PG1 is displayed side by side at its top. This screen includes a back button display B101 containing the text "<" D101, which suggests returning to the previous screen; a settings button display B103 containing the text "Rice Cooker" D102, a text display D103 that resembles a gear diagram, and a text display D104 that says "Settings"; and a support button display B105 containing the text display D105 that resembles a speech bubble diagram and a text display D106 that says "Support". Below the back button display unit B101, the text display unit D102 that reads "rice cooker", the setting button display unit B103, and the support button display unit B105, a text display unit 107 with a diagram of a rice cooker and a status display unit D108 that displays the current status of rice cooker 1 are displayed side by side. Here, the display control unit 79 reflects the current status information of rice cooker 1 from the server 5 to the status display unit D108 and controls the display means 71 to display, for example, "Stopped", "Reservation in progress", "Cooking", "Keep warming", "Offline", etc. At the bottom of the rice cooker top screen PG1, a button display unit B109 including a text display unit D109 that reads "Course introduction" and a button display unit B110 including a text display unit D110 that reads "Favorites Cooking History" are displayed side by side.

[0095] The back button indicator B101 is operated when the user wants to discard the settings on the current screen and return to the previous screen. When the back button indicator B101 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to discard the settings currently displayed on the display means 71 and return to the previous screen, for example, the top screen in Figure 11.

[0096] The setting button display unit B103 is operated to set notifications and water hardness. When the setting button display unit B103 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to switch the display to the application settings screen (not shown).

[0097] The support button display unit B105 is used to perform support-related operations, such as confirming instructions on how to operate the device or sending questions and requests to the manufacturer. When the support button display unit B105 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to switch the display to a support screen (not shown).

[0098] The "Favorite Rice Cooking History" button display unit B110 is used to select rice cooking settings information previously used in the rice cooker 1, or rice cooking settings information that has been individually registered from among the previously used rice cooking settings information. When the "Favorite Rice Cooking History" button display unit B110 is touched, the communication control unit 78 sends a request signal for rice cooking settings information to the server 5. When the server 5 receives this request signal, the rice cooking setting information provision unit 89 controls the communication module 83 to send information about the rice cooking history, which is the rice cooking settings for the rice cooking courses performed in the rice cooker 1, to the smartphone 6-1. Subsequently, when the smartphone 6-1 receives the rice cooking history information, the display control unit 79 switches the display to the rice cooking history selection screen (not shown) or the favorites selection screen (not shown), and controls the display means 71 to display the rice cooking settings information that reflects the rice cooking history information, or the rice cooking settings information that has been individually registered as favorites. Then, when a rice cooking setting is selected on the rice cooking history selection screen or the favorites selection screen, the communication control unit 78 controls the communication module 73 to send the selected rice cooking setting information to the server 5, and subsequently, the rice cooking course information of that rice cooking setting information is sent to the rice cooker 1.

[0099] The "Course Introduction" button display unit B109 is operated to select the rice cooking settings information that can be performed on the rice cooker 1. When the "Course Introduction" button display unit B109 is touched, the communication control unit 78 sends a request signal for rice cooking settings information to the server 5. When the server 5 receives this request signal, the rice cooking settings information provision unit 89 controls the communication module 83 to send the rice cooking settings information for the rice cooking courses that can be performed on the rice cooker 1 to the smartphone 6-1. Subsequently, when the smartphone 6-1 receives the rice cooking settings information for the rice cooking courses that can be performed on the rice cooker 1, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to switch the display to the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2.

[0100] Figures 12(A) and 12(B) show the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2, which is accessed when the "Course Introduction" button display area B109 is touched on the rice cooker's top screen PG1. Referring to these figures, the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2 is explained as follows: at the top of the screen, a text display area D112 that reads "Course Introduction / Submit" and a back button display area B113, which includes a graphic display area D113 with an "×" symbol inside a circle, are displayed side by side. Furthermore, below the text display unit D112 labeled "Course Introduction / Submit" and the back button display unit B113, a rice cooking course and app course display area PA1 is formed, with a tab display unit B114 containing a text display unit D114 labeled "Main Unit Course Introduction" and a tab display unit B115 containing a text display unit D115 labeled "App Course Submit" displayed side by side. The currently selected tab display unit, for example in Figure 12(A), is shown below the tab display unit B114 labeled "Main Unit Course Introduction," and the selection display unit S1 is displayed below it. Below the rice cooking course and app course display area PA1, a main unit course display area PA2 is formed.

[0101] The back button indicator B113 is operated when you want to discard the settings on the current screen, for example, the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2, and return to the previous screen. When the back button indicator B113 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to return to the previous screen, for example, the rice cooker top screen PG1 in Figure 12.

[0102] The tab display units B114 for "Main Course Introduction" and B115 for "App Course Submission" indicate which of the main course display area PA2 and the app course display area PA3 is currently displayed on the display means 71. When the tab display unit B114 for "Main Course Introduction" is selected and the main course display area PA2 is displayed on the display means 71, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to display the text display unit D115 for "App Course Submission" in bold red, display the selection display unit S1 below the tab display unit B114 for "Main Course Introduction," and display the tab display unit B115 for "App Course Submission" in a lighter color, a so-called grayed-out display. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 12(B), when the "App Course Sending" tab display B115 is selected and the app course display area PA3 is displayed on the display means 71, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to display the "App Course Sending" text display D115 in bold red, display the selection display unit S1 below the "App Course Sending" tab display B115, and display the "Main Course Introduction" tab display B114 in grayed-out.

[0103] The main unit's course display area PA2 displays the rice cooking courses, cooking courses, and maintenance options available for the rice cooker 1, such as button display B121 with the text display D121 labeled "Gokushō", button display B122 with the text display D122 labeled "Takumi-daki", button display B123 with the text display D123 labeled "Sokuma", button display B124 with the text display D124 labeled "Frozen Rice", button display B125 with the text display D125 labeled "Lunchbox", button display B126 with the text display D126 labeled "Small Quantity", button display B127 with the text display D127 labeled "Takikomi", and "Porridge" Buttons B128 containing text display D128, button B129 containing text display D129 labeled "Eco Cooking", button B130 containing text display D130 labeled "White Rice / Brown Rice Mix", button B131 containing text display D131 labeled "Brand-Specific Cooking", button B132 containing text display D132 labeled "Soaking Plus", button B133 containing text display D133 labeled "Cooking Course", button B134 containing text display D134 labeled "Maintenance (Boiling Cleaning)", and button B135 containing text display D135 labeled "Maintenance (Drying Course)" are arranged from top to bottom.

[0104] When the user touches one of the button indicators B121 to B135, for example, the button indicator B121 for "Gokushō," the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to switch to an explanation screen for the selected rice cooking course, for example, the explanation screen for "Gokushō" (not shown). There is one explanation screen for each of the button indicators B121 to B135, eliminating the need for the user to consult other documents to find the desired rice cooking course, thus saving the user time and effort.

[0105] The app course display area PA3 displays the app course rice cooking courses, which are selectable on the information terminal 6 but not on the rice cooker 1. For example, button display B141 containing the text display D141 that says "New Rice Course", button display B142 containing the text display D142 that says "Old Rice Course", button display B143 containing the text display D143 that says "For Curry", button display B144 containing the text display D144 that says "For Fried Rice", button display B145 containing the text display D145 that says "For Rice Balls", and an image display D146 that explains the app course display area are arranged from top to bottom.

[0106] When button display unit B141 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission screen PG3 for the "new rice course," which is the rice cooking course that was touched. Similarly, when button display unit B142 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission screen PG4 for the "old rice course," which is the rice cooking course that was touched. When button display unit B143 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission screen PG5 for the "curry course," which is the rice cooking course that was touched. When button display unit B144 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission screen PG6 for the "fried rice course," which is the rice cooking course that was touched. When button display unit B145 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission screen PG7 for the "rice ball course," which is the rice cooking course that was touched.

[0107] Figure 13 shows the app course transmission screens that are accessed when button indicators B141 to B145 are touched on the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2. (A) is the transmission screen PG3 for the "New Rice Course", (B) is the transmission screen PG4 for the "Old Rice Course", (C) is the transmission screen PG5 for the "For Curry", (D) is the transmission screen PG6 for the "For Fried Rice", and (E) is the transmission screen PG7 for the "For Rice Balls".

[0108] At the top of the rice cooking course submission screen PG3 for the app courses, the button indicators B141 to B145 that were touched on the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2 are moved and positioned. For example, at the top of the submission screen PG3 for the "New Rice Course," the button indicator B141 for the "New Rice Course" is positioned at the top of the submission screen PG4 for the "Old Rice Course," the button indicator B142 for the "Old Rice Course" is positioned at the top of the submission screen PG4 for the "Curry Course," the button indicator B143 for the "Curry Course" is positioned at the top of the submission screen PG5 for the "Fried Rice Course," the button indicator B144 for the "Fried Rice Course" is positioned at the top of the submission screen PG6 for the "Fried Rice Course," and the button indicator B145 for the "Fried Rice Course" is positioned at the top of the submission screen PG7 for the "Rice Ball Course." When the display means 71 is displaying the app course cooking course transmission screen PG3, and these button display units B141 to B145 are touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the app course cooking course transmission screen PG3.

[0109] Below the button displays B141 to B145, there are image displays D151 of photos related to each rice cooking course. For example, on the "New Rice Course" transmission screen PG3, there is an image display D151 of freshly cooked rice and chopsticks; on the "Old Rice Course" transmission screen PG4, there is an image display D151 of freshly cooked rice served in a bowl; on the "Curry Course" transmission screen PG5, there is an image display D151 of curry rice served on a plate; on the "Fried Rice Course" transmission screen PG6, there is an image display D151 of fried rice served on a plate; and on the "Rice Ball Course" transmission screen PG7, there is an image display D151 of a rice ball.

[0110] Below the image display unit D151, from top to bottom, are the image display unit D152, which explains each rice cooking course; the image display unit D153, which explains the cooking time for each setting of each rice cooking course; and the button display unit B154, which includes the text display unit D154 that says "Submit this course".

[0111] The "Send this course" button display unit B154 is operated when selecting a rice cooking course in the app course. When the "Send this course" button display unit B154 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the transmission confirmation screen PG8 for the currently displayed rice cooking course in the app course, for example, the "New Rice Course" transmission confirmation screen PG8 in Figure 13(A).

[0112] Figure 14 shows the screen transitions of the display means 71 when the "Send this course" button display unit B154 is touched on the transmission screen PG3 for the "New Rice Course", the transmission screen PG4 for the "Old Rice Course", the transmission screen PG5 for the "For Curry", the transmission screen PG6 for the "For Fried Rice", and the transmission screen PG7 for the "For Rice Balls". (A) is the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8, (B) is the rice cooking course cooking method selection screen PG9, (C) is the rice cooking course texture selection screen PG10, and (D) is the rice cooking course instruction transmission screen PG11.

[0113] On the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8, the rice cooking course transmission confirmation popup display PP1 is displayed approximately in the center of the display means 41, and the parts other than the rice cooking course transmission confirmation popup display PP1 are grayed out. Above the rice cooking course transmission confirmation popup display PP1, a text display D155 that says "Send Course" and a back button display B113 are displayed side by side. Below the "Send Course" text display D155 and the back button display B113, a text display D156 that says "Send the following course?" and a "Rice Cooking Course" setting display D157 are displayed side by side. Below the "Rice Cooking Course" setting display D157, the "Cooking Method" display area PA3 and the "Texture" display area PA4 are formed side by side. In the "Cooking Method" display area PA3, a text display D158 that says "Cook Rice" and a "Cooking Method" button display B159 are displayed side by side. The "Cooking Method" button display unit B159 displays the "Cooking Method" setting display unit D159 and the symbol display unit D160, which has "▲" and "▼" arranged vertically, side by side. In Figure 14(A), "Takumi-daki" is displayed on the "Cooking Method" setting display unit D159. In the "Texture" display area PA4, the text display unit D161 that says "Texture" and the "Texture" button display unit B162 are displayed side by side. The "Texture" button display unit B162 displays the "Texture" setting display unit D162 and the symbol display unit D163, which has "▲" and "▼" arranged vertically, side by side. In Figure 14(A), "Normal" is displayed on the "Texture" setting display unit D162. At the bottom of the rice cooking course transmission confirmation pop-up display unit PP1, there is a button display unit B164 that includes the text display unit D164 that says "Send Course".

[0114] The "Rice Cooking Course" setting display unit D157 shows the rice cooking course selected on the rice cooking course introduction and app course selection screen PG2, and in Figure 14(A), the "New Rice Course" is displayed.

[0115] Here, the "Cooking Method" display area PA3 is configured so that its display status changes depending on the cooking course displayed on the "Cooking Course" setting display unit D157. For example, if "New Rice Course" or "Old Rice Course" is displayed on the "Cooking Course" setting display unit D157, the "Cooking Method" display area PA3 will be displayed, but if "For Curry," "For Fried Rice," or "For Rice Balls" is displayed, the "Cooking Method" display area PA3 will not be displayed. Therefore, when the "Cooking Method" display area PA3 is not displayed, it is immediately clear that it is a cooking course for which the "Cooking Method" setting cannot be changed.

[0116] Furthermore, the "texture" display area PA4 is configured so that its display status changes depending on the rice cooking course displayed on the "rice cooking course" setting display unit D157 and the "cooking method" displayed on the "cooking method" setting display unit D159. For example, if "new rice course" or "old rice course" is displayed on the "rice cooking course" setting display unit D157 and "master cooking" is displayed on the "cooking method" setting display unit D159, the "texture" display area PA4 will be displayed. However, if "for curry," "for fried rice," or "for rice balls" is displayed on the "rice cooking course" setting display unit D157, or if "premium" or "quick and easy" is displayed on the "cooking method" setting display unit D159, the "texture" display area PA4 will not be displayed. Therefore, when the "texture" display area PA4 is not displayed, it is immediately clear that it is a rice cooking course or cooking method for which the "texture" setting cannot be changed.

[0117] The "Cooking Method" button display unit B159 is operated when selecting a cooking method. When the "Cooking Method" button display unit B159 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the cooking method selection screen PG9 for the rice cooking course.

[0118] The "texture" button display unit B162 is operated when selecting a "texture." When the "texture" button display unit B162 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the texture selection screen PG10 for the rice cooking course.

[0119] The "Send Course" button display unit B164 is operated when sending settings for the rice cooking course, cooking method, and texture to the rice cooker 1 via the network 3 and server 5. When the "Send Course" button display unit B164 is touched, the communication control unit 78 controls the communication module 73 to send the settings for the rice cooking course, cooking method, and texture currently displayed on the rice cooking course transmission confirmation pop-up display unit PP1 to the server 5 as the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course, and the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to transition to the rice cooking course instruction transmission screen PG11.

[0120] On the rice cooking course selection screen PG9, the cooking method selection popup display PP2 is displayed approximately in the center of the display means 41, and the area other than the cooking method selection popup display PP2 is grayed out. Above the cooking method selection popup display PP2, a text display element D181 labeled "Cooking Method" is placed. Below the "Cooking Method" text display element D181, a cooking method list display area PA5 is formed, displaying the selectable cooking methods. For example, in Figure 14(B), the text display elements D182 labeled "Extreme Master," D183 labeled "Master Cooking," and D184 labeled "Quick & Easy" are arranged from top to bottom. To the right of the text display elements D182 to D184, image displays D185 to D187, which are white circles that become black circles when selected, are arranged from top to bottom. Below the rice cooking method selection pop-up display PP2, button display B188, which includes the text display D188 labeled "Cancel," and button display B189, which includes the text display D189 labeled "Confirm," are displayed side by side.

[0121] The "Cancel" button indicator B188 is operated when you want to discard the settings on the current screen, for example, the rice cooking method selection screen PG9, and return to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8. When the "Cancel" button indicator B188 is touched, the display control unit 79 returns to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8 and controls the display means 71 to display the settings from before transitioning to the rice cooking course method selection screen PG9, for example, in the case of Figure 14(A), "Takumi-daki" on the "Rice Cooking Course" setting indicator D157.

[0122] The "Confirm" button display unit B189 is operated when selecting a setting on the current screen, for example, the rice cooking course selection screen PG9, and returning to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8. When the "Confirm" button display unit B189 is touched, the display control unit 79 returns to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8 and controls the display means 71 to change the display of the "Rice Cooking Course" setting display unit D157 to the cooking method of the image display units D185~D187, which are black circles in the cooking method list display area PA5, for example, "Takumi-daki" in Figure 14(B).

[0123] On the rice cooking course texture selection screen PG10, the texture selection pop-up display section PP3 is displayed approximately in the center of the display means 41, and the parts other than the texture selection pop-up display section PP3 are grayed out. Above the texture selection pop-up display section PP3, there is a text display element D191 labeled "Texture". Below the "Texture" text display element D191, a texture list display area PA6 is formed, displaying the selectable textures. For example, in Figure 14(C), the text displays D192 labeled "Firm", D193 labeled "Crisp", D194 labeled "Normal", D195 labeled "Chewy", and D196 labeled "Soft" are arranged from top to bottom. To the right of the text displays D192 to D196, image displays D197 to D201, which are white circles that become black circles when selected, are arranged from top to bottom. Below the texture selection pop-up display PP3, the "Cancel" button indicator B188 and the "Confirm" button indicator B189 are displayed side by side.

[0124] When the "Cancel" button indicator B188 is touched, the display control unit 79 returns to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8 and controls the display means 71 to display "Normal" on the "Texture" setting indicator D162, which is the setting before moving to the rice cooking course cooking method selection screen PG9, for example, in Figure 14(A).

[0125] Then, when the "Confirm" button display unit B189 is touched, the display control unit 79 returns to the rice cooking course transmission confirmation screen PG8 and controls the display means 71 to change the display of the "texture" setting display unit D162 to the texture of the image display units D197~D201 which are black circles in the texture list display area PA6, for example, "normal" in Figure 14(C).

[0126] On the rice cooking course instruction transmission screen PG11, the rice cooking course instruction transmission completion pop-up display PP4 is displayed approximately in the center of the display means 41, and the parts other than the rice cooking course instruction transmission completion pop-up display PP4 are grayed out. The rice cooking course instruction transmission completion pop-up display PP4 has a text display element D203 that says "Sent" and a button display element B204 that includes a text display element D204 that says "OK" arranged vertically.

[0127] The "OK" button indicator B204 is operated when the transmission of the reservation time is complete. When the "OK" button indicator B204 is touched, the display control unit 79 controls the display means 71 to display the rice cooker top screen PG1.

[0128] When the rice cooking course information provision unit 88 receives the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6, it extracts and transmits the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course to the rice cooker 1.

[0129] When the rice cooker 1 receives the rice cooking setting information for the current cooking course from the information terminal 6 via the server 5, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 to display the rice cooking setting information reception screen G2 as shown in Figure 15(A).

[0130] On the rice cooking setting information reception screen G2, a text display D211 that reads "Information received from IoLIFE app" is placed at the top, and below it, a button display B212 containing a text display D212 that reads "Cancel" and a button display B213 containing a text display D213 that reads "OK" are displayed side by side.

[0131] The "Cancel" button display unit B212 is operated when the user wants to discard the rice cooking settings information for the current cooking course from the information terminal 6 and return to the top screen G1. When the "Cancel" button display unit B212 is touched, the display control means 63 controls the display means 28 so that the settings before returning to the top screen G1 and transitioning to the rice cooking setting information reception screen G2 are displayed. For example, in Figure 5, the "Rice / Cooking" setting display unit D11 displays "White Rice, Brand Selection", the "Cooking Method" setting display unit D12 displays "Master Cooking", the "Texture" setting display unit D13 displays "Normal", and the "Keep Warm" setting display unit D14 displays "Standard".

[0132] The "OK" button display unit B213 is operated when returning to the top screen G1 after reflecting the rice cooking settings information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6. When the "OK" button display unit B213 is touched, the display control means 63 returns to the top screen G1 and controls the display means 28 so that the rice cooking settings information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6 is reflected. For example, in Figure 15(B), the "Rice / Cooking" setting display unit D11 displays "White Rice, Brand Selection", the "Cooking Method" setting display unit D12 displays "New Rice, Premium Grade", the "Texture" setting display unit D13 displays "Recommended" because "Texture" cannot be selected for the "Premium Grade" rice cooking course, and the "Keep Warm" setting display unit D14 displays "Standard".

[0133] Then, when the "Start Cooking" button display unit B19 is touched in the state shown in Figure 15(B), the cooking control means 61 stores the rice and cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings currently displayed in the cooking information display area A2 in the storage means 54 as the settings for the current cooking course. In this embodiment, the storage means 54 stores each of the cooking courses of the app course, namely "New Rice Course," "Old Rice Course," "For Curry," "For Fried Rice," and "For Rice Balls." In other words, for each of the cooking courses, namely "New Rice Course," "Old Rice Course," "For Curry," "For Fried Rice," and "For Rice Balls," it has a correction data table that indicates which of the selectable cooking courses on the rice cooker 1 corresponds to and how to correct it. The rice cooking control means 61 then applies the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6, for example, the rice cooking course being "New Rice Course" and the cooking method being "Gokujou," to the correction data table. For example, if it is the "New Rice Course" which corresponds to the "Gokujou" rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means 61 applies a correction to the rice cooking course setting which corresponds to the "Gokujou" rice cooking course setting, reducing the operating time of the vacuum pump 49 in the soaking process by a predetermined time, for example, 20 seconds, and controls the start of cooking for the food to be cooked in the main unit 11.

[0134] In this embodiment, the storage means 54 of the rice cooker 1 has a correction data table, but the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6 is the setting of the rice cooking course after being applied to the correction data table, i.e., the correction content itself, and the rice cooker 1 may be configured to cook reflecting the setting of the rice cooking course. Alternatively, the storage means 54 of the rice cooker 1 does not store the rice cooking courses for "new rice course," "old rice course," "for curry," "for fried rice," and "for rice balls," but it has a data table of correction content that specifies how to correct the rice, and the rice cooking setting information for the current rice cooking course from the information terminal 6 is the information for the corresponding rice cooking course and the correction content to be used, and the rice cooker 1 may be configured to cook with the settings that apply the correction content to the corresponding rice cooking course.

[0135] When the rice cooking process is started using the "New Rice Course," the rice cooking control means 61 is configured to perform the rice cooking process by applying a correction that reduces the operating time of the vacuum pump 49 in the soaking and cooking process by a predetermined time, for example, 20 seconds, based on the setting of the corresponding rice cooking course, for example, the setting of the "Gokujo" rice cooking course in Figure 15(B). As a result, the pressure during depressurization in the soaking and cooking process increases slightly, and even when using new rice, which has a higher moisture content than regular rice, as the food to be cooked, it is possible to cook rice with a texture similar to that of regular rice.

[0136] Furthermore, when the cooking process is started using the "old rice course," the cooking control means 61 is configured to perform the cooking process by applying a correction that extends the soaking time T2 of the soaking process by a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes, according to the settings of the corresponding cooking course. As a result, even when using old rice, which has a lower moisture content compared to regular rice, the time to bring out the sweetness of the rice is extended, allowing for the cooking of rice with a moderately increased stickiness and sweetness.

[0137] When the rice cooking process is started using the "for curry" setting, the rice cooking control means 61 is configured to perform the rice cooking process by applying corrections such as extending the soaking and water absorption time T1 of the soaking and cooking process by a predetermined time, for example, 3 minutes, extending the soaking time T2 of the soaking and cooking process by a predetermined time, for example, 7 minutes, and extending the steaming time T3 of the steaming process by a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes, while setting the rice cooking course to the "Takumi-daki" course, which is the corresponding rice cooking course, and setting the texture to "firm". As a result, it is possible to cook rice with a firmer texture compared to rice cooked using the normal "Takumi-daki" rice cooking course.

[0138] Furthermore, when the rice cooking process is started using the "for fried rice" setting, the rice cooking control means 61 is configured to perform the rice cooking process by applying corrections such as extending the soaking and water absorption time T1 of the soaking and cooking process by a predetermined time, for example, 3 minutes, extending the soaking time T2 of the soaking and cooking process by a predetermined time, for example, 7 minutes, and extending the steaming time T3 of the steaming process by a predetermined time, for example, 6 minutes, while setting the rice cooking course to the "Takumi-daki" course, which is the corresponding rice cooking course, and setting the texture to "firm". As a result, it is possible to cook rice with a firmer texture compared to rice cooked using the normal "Takumi-daki" rice cooking course.

[0139] Furthermore, when the rice cooking process is started using the "for rice balls" setting, the rice cooking control means 61 is configured to apply the settings of the corresponding rice cooking course, "lunchbox," to perform the rice cooking process. This ensures that even when the temperature of the rice drops, the rice can be cooked while suppressing any deterioration in taste.

[0140] In this embodiment, even if an app-based rice cooking course has been used in the past by the rice cooker 1, it is stored in the storage means 54, and the rice cooking course can be selected from the history selection screen. Therefore, once a rice cooking course from the app-based menu has been used in the rice cooker 1, the next time the rice cooker 1 is used, the user can select the app-based rice cooking course from the history selection screen of the rice cooker 1 without using the information terminal 6, and cook the food to be cooked.

[0141] As described above, the rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment includes a storage means 54 for storing rice cooking control settings for each rice cooking course, an operation means 29 and a cooking method selection screen as a first instruction unit for selecting a predetermined rice cooking course, such as the "Gokujo" rice cooking course, a rice cooking control means 61 as a control means for controlling the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the rice cooking control settings of the selected rice cooking course, and a touch panel 74 and an application course display area PA3 as a second instruction unit for selecting an application course rice cooking course, which cannot be selected on the cooking method selection screen. The rice cooking control means 61 is configured such that when an application course rice cooking course is selected on the touch panel 74 and the application course display area PA3, it corrects the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means 54 for a predetermined rice cooking course corresponding to that application course rice cooking course, such as the "Gokujo" rice cooking course, and controls the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the corrected rice cooking control settings.

[0142] By configuring it in this way, the selectable rice cooking courses differ between the rice cooker 1's cooking method selection screen and the information terminal 6's application course display area PA3. This makes it easy to identify individual rice cooking courses even when there are many selectable courses, thus reducing the complexity of selecting a cooking course.

[0143] Furthermore, in the rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment, the storage means 54 stores the rice and cooking settings, cooking method settings, texture settings, and keep-warm settings for the rice cooking course of the app course that was previously selected on the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3, and is configured so that the rice cooking course of the app course that was previously selected can be selected on the history selection screen accessed from the cooking method selection screen. Therefore, once a rice cooking course of the app course has been used on the rice cooker 1, the next time onwards, the rice cooking course of the app course can be selected on the history selection screen of the rice cooker 1 without using the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3 of the information terminal 6, and the food to be cooked can be cooked.

[0144] Furthermore, in the rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment, the rice cooking courses selectable on the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3 include either a new rice course or an old rice course. The rice cooking control means 61 corrects the rice cooking control by decreasing the setting of the operating time of the vacuum pump 49 as a predetermined control time for the soaking and cooking process of the rice to be cooked in the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means 54 for the corresponding predetermined rice cooking course when the new rice course is selected on the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3. When the old rice course is selected on the touch panel 74 and the app course display area PA3, the rice cooking control is corrected by increasing the setting of the soaking and water absorption process time T1 + soaking process time T2, which is the soaking time of the rice to be cooked, in the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means 54 for the corresponding predetermined rice cooking course.

[0145] By configuring it in this way, even when using new rice, which has a higher moisture content than regular rice, it is possible to cook rice with a texture similar to that of regular rice. Furthermore, even when using older rice, which has a lower moisture content than regular rice, the time required to bring out the sweetness of the rice is extended, resulting in rice with a moderately increased stickiness and sweetness.

[0146] Furthermore, in the rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment, the rice cooking courses selectable on the touch panel 74 and the application course display area PA3 include either a "fried rice" course for fried rice or a "curry" course for curry. The rice cooking control means 61 is configured to correct the rice cooking control so that when the "fried rice" course or the "curry" course is selected on the touch panel 74 and the application course display area PA3, the rice is cooked more firmly than the rice cooking control setting stored in the storage means 54 for the corresponding predetermined rice cooking course, the "Takumi-daki" course.

[0147] By configuring it in this way, you can cook rice used in dishes like fried rice and curry to the perfect texture for those dishes.

[0148] Furthermore, the rice cooking system 100 of this embodiment includes a rice cooker 1, which is the main unit of the rice cooker that cooks the food to be cooked, and an information terminal 6, which is a terminal that is provided to communicate with the rice cooker 1. The rice cooker 1 is equipped with an operating means 29 and a cooking method selection screen, and the information terminal 6 is equipped with a touch panel 74 and an application course display area PA3. Therefore, even when there are many selectable cooking courses, the selectable cooking courses are different on the cooking method selection screen and the application course display area PA3, making it easy to identify each cooking course and reducing the complexity of selecting a cooking course. In addition, when selecting on the application course display area PA3, the user can select a cooking course using the familiar user interface of the information terminal 6, further reducing the complexity of selecting a cooking course.

[0149] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​and other figures exemplified in the embodiments are merely examples and may be appropriately changed depending on the specifications of the rice cooker, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 1. Rice cooker (rice cooker unit) 6. Information terminal (terminal) 29 Operating means (first indicator unit) 54 Memory means 61. Rice cooking control means (control means) 74 Touch Panel 100 Rice Cooking Systems PA3 Application Course Display Area T1 Immersion and water absorption process time (soaking time) T2 Soaking time (soaking time)

Claims

1. A memory means for storing the rice cooking control settings for each rice cooking course, A first indicator unit that allows selection of a predetermined rice cooking course, A control means for controlling the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the settings of the cooking control for the selected cooking course, The device comprises a second indicator unit that allows selection of a rice cooking course that cannot be selected by the first indicator unit, The control means is characterized in that, when the second instruction unit selects the rice cooking course, it corrects the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means for the predetermined rice cooking course corresponding to the rice cooking course, and controls the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the corrected rice cooking control settings.

2. The storage means stores the settings for the rice cooking control of the rice cooking course previously selected by the second instruction unit. The rice cooking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the rice cooking course previously selected by the second instruction unit can be selected by the first instruction unit.

3. The rice cooking course selectable by the second indicator unit includes either a new rice course or an old rice course. The control means is When the new rice course is selected by the second instruction unit, the rice cooking control is corrected to reduce the predetermined control time setting for the soaking and cooking process of the rice to be cooked in the rice cooking control settings stored in the memory means for the corresponding predetermined rice cooking course. The rice cooking system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the old rice course is selected by the second instruction unit, the rice cooking control is corrected to increase the setting for the soaking time of the rice to be cooked in the rice cooking control settings stored in the memory means of the corresponding rice cooking course.

4. The rice cooking course selectable by the second indicator unit includes either a fried rice cooking course or a curry cooking course. The rice cooking system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the second instruction unit selects the fried rice cooking course or the curry cooking course, the control means corrects the cooking control so that the food to be cooked is cooked firmer than the cooking control setting stored in the storage means for the corresponding predetermined cooking course.

5. The system comprises a rice cooker unit for cooking the aforementioned food, and a terminal that is provided to communicate with the rice cooker unit. The rice cooker body is equipped with the first indicator unit, The rice cooking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal comprises the second instruction unit.

6. A memory means for storing cooking control settings for each cooking course, A first indicator unit that accepts the selection of a predetermined rice cooking course, A control means for controlling the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the settings of the cooking control for the selected cooking course, A second indicator unit allows selection of rice cooking courses that cannot be selected in the first indicator unit, A rice cooking method for a rice cooking system, The second instruction unit selects a rice cooking course that cannot be selected by the first instruction unit, The control means performs the steps of correcting the rice cooking control settings stored in the storage means for the predetermined rice cooking course corresponding to the rice cooking course selected by the second instruction unit, A rice cooking method characterized by comprising the step of controlling the cooking of the food to be cooked based on the corrected rice cooking control settings using the control means.

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