Heating and cooking system

Abstract

To provide a cooking system capable of appropriately completing noodle boiling without requiring a user to set a cooking time for boiling noodles.SOLUTION: A cooking system 1 includes a camera 31 for imaging a cooker 2 from above. A control device 20 of the cooker 2 increases or decreases a heating amount of a heating part 5 according to detection of a sign of boiling over and detection of elimination of the sign after feeding noodles to a cooking container in operation by a noodle boiling mode, and from a captured image in a state that the sign of boiling over is eliminated, and a measured value of the time width from the increase in the heating amount to the occurrence of the sign of boiling over, specifies a quantity and kind of noodles, and determines a finishing timing of noodle boiling according to the specified quantity and kind of noodles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking system including a cooking appliance such as a stove. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cooking appliances such as gas stoves have been known that have a noodle boiling mode that automatically adjusts the amount of heat (heat power) for boiling noodles and stops heating, as seen in Patent Document 1. In the noodle boiling mode of the cooking appliance seen in Patent Document 1, after detecting that the water in the cooking vessel has reached a boil, standby heating control is executed in order, which operates the burner at standby heating power, return heating control is executed in order, which operates the burner at a return heating power greater than standby heating power to restore the temperature drop caused by adding noodles, and suppression heating control is executed in order, which controls the burner heating power to prevent overflow.

[0003] In this case, while post-boiling standby heating control is being executed, the user places noodles in the cooking container and performs a predetermined operation (presses the kettle switch) to indicate that the noodles have been placed, which starts the return heating control. After the return heating control starts, the execution time of the return heating control and the execution time of the burner operation at high heating power and low heating power, which are alternately executed in the suppression heating control that follows the return heating control, are automatically controlled. Furthermore, when the elapsed time after the start of the return heating control (the elapsed time after the noodles are placed) reaches the cooking time preset by the user, the burner is extinguished and noodle boiling ends. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2013-134049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, in order to boil noodles to the appropriate degree in the noodle boiling mode, the user needs to perform an operation to set the cooking time after adding the noodles, such as at the start of cooking.

[0006] In this case, the appropriate cooking time varies depending on the type and amount of noodles, so users often have to determine the cooking time by referring to the instructions on the noodle packaging, etc. Furthermore, in this case, if the amount of noodles to be boiled differs from the standard amount, it may be difficult to determine the appropriate cooking time even by referring to the instructions on the packaging, etc.

[0007] This can cause users to have difficulty setting the cooking time or may set an inappropriate cooking time, which can result in the noodles being cooked to an inappropriate degree (noodle hardness) at the end of the noodle boiling process.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of this background, and aims to provide a heating and cooking system that can properly complete noodle boiling without the user having to set the cooking time for boiling the noodles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the cooking system of the present invention is a cooking system equipped with a cooking appliance including a heating unit that heats an object to be heated, including a cooking container, from below the cooking container, and a control device that controls the operation of the heating unit, and that has a function of automatically controlling the operation of the heating unit so as to boil noodles placed in the cooking container when an instruction to operate the heating unit in a noodle boiling mode is received, The noodle boiling state monitoring unit is configured to acquire an image captured by a camera positioned so as to capture an image from above of the cooking container of the object to be heated by the heating unit, and to alternately execute, based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image captured by the camera when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a first state, which is a state that indicates the occurrence of overflow, and a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a second state, which indicates a state in which the indication of overflow has disappeared, The control device is configured to alternately repeat, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a heat amount reduction process for controlling the heating unit to reduce the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the object to be heated in response to the detection of the first state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and a heat amount increase process for increasing the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the object to be heated in response to the detection of the second state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and is also configured to execute a process for measuring at least one of the time widths from the start of the heat amount increase process until the first state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and the time width from the start of the heat amount reduction process until the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and a process for determining a timing to stop operation of the heating unit based on at least the measured value of the time width, and to stop operation of the heating unit at the determined operation stop timing (first invention).

[0010] According to various experiments and studies by the inventors of the present application, the time width from the start of the heat amount increase process until the first state (a state that is a sign of overflow) is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, or the time width from the start of the heat amount decrease process until the second state (a state where the sign of overflow has disappeared) is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, is highly correlated with factors closely related to the appropriate required boiling time for the noodles, such as the amount of noodles in the cooking container and the type of noodles.

[0011] Therefore, by determining the timing to stop operation of the heating unit based on at least the measured value of the time width, it is possible to automatically stop operation of the heating unit at an appropriate timing to complete boiling that suits the amount, type, etc. Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to complete noodle boiling appropriately without the user having to set the cooking time for boiling the noodles.

[0012] In the first invention, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a noodle information identification unit may be further provided that acquires an image captured by the camera after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and before the first state is detected, and identifies a predetermined type of noodle information related to the required boiling time for the noodles placed in the cooking container based on an image of the inside of the cooking container contained in the acquired image, and the control device may be configured to determine the operation stop timing based on the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit and the measured value of the time width (second invention).

[0013] Here, after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and before the first state is detected, there are no signs of overflow, so the image of the inside of the cooking container among the images captured by the camera in this state tends to show a relatively clear image of the noodles inside the cooking container.

[0014] Furthermore, the second state is detected after the noodles are poured into the cooking container and the state inside the cooking container becomes a state that indicates the possibility of overflow (after the first state is detected). Therefore, by capturing an image with the camera in the above state, it is possible to capture an image in a state where the user has already completed tasks such as stirring the noodles in the cooking container (an image in which the user's hands, etc., are not visible in the image of the cooking container).

[0015] Therefore, after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, it is possible to obtain noodle information, such as the amount of noodles and type of noodles, which is closely related to the appropriate required boiling time for the noodles, from images of the inside of the cooking container among the captured images obtained before the first state was detected.

[0016] Therefore, the timing for stopping operation of the heating unit can be determined by taking into consideration the acquired noodle information and the measured value of the time width in a comprehensive manner, and ultimately, it becomes possible to determine with high reliability the timing for stopping operation that is appropriate for achieving proper boiling of the noodles.

[0017] In the second invention, it is preferable that the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit includes information indicating the amount of noodles placed in the cooking container, and the control device is configured to identify the type of noodles from the amount of noodles indicated by the noodle information and the measured value of the time width, and to determine the operation stop timing from the identified type of noodles and the amount of noodles indicated by the noodle information (third invention).

[0018] This allows the amount and type of noodles in the cooking vessel to be determined with a relatively high degree of reliability, which in turn allows the appropriate timing for stopping operation to be determined with a high degree of reliability in order to achieve optimal boiling of the noodles.

[0019] A second aspect of the cooking system of the present invention is a cooking system equipped with a cooking device including a heating unit that heats an object to be heated, including a cooking container, from below the cooking container, and a control device that controls the operation of the heating unit, and that has a function of automatically controlling the operation of the heating unit so as to boil noodles placed in the cooking container when an instruction to operate the heating unit in a noodle boiling mode is given, a noodle boiling state monitoring unit that is capable of acquiring images from a camera positioned so as to capture an image from above of the cooking container of the object to be heated by the heating unit, and that is configured to alternately execute, based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image from the camera when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a first state, which is a state that indicates the occurrence of overflow, and a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a second state, which indicates a state in which the indication of overflow has disappeared; a noodle information identification unit that acquires an image captured by the camera during operation of the heating unit in the noodle boiling mode after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and before the first state is detected, and identifies a predetermined type of noodle information related to a required boiling time for the noodles placed in the cooking container based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image, The control device is configured to alternately repeat, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a heat amount reduction process that controls the heating unit to reduce the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the object to be heated in response to detection of the first state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and a heat amount increase process that increases the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the object to be heated in response to detection of the second state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and is also configured to determine a timing for stopping the operation of the heating unit based on at least the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit, and to stop the operation of the heating unit at the determined operation stop timing (fourth invention).

[0020] According to this, as with the second invention, after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, it is possible to obtain noodle information, such as the amount of noodles, type of noodles, etc., which is closely related to the appropriate required boiling time for the noodles, from images of the inside of the cooking container among the captured images taken before the first state was detected.

[0021] Therefore, by determining the timing to stop operation of the heating unit based on at least the above noodle information, it is possible to automatically stop operation of the heating unit at an appropriate timing to finish boiling the noodles according to the amount, type, etc. Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to complete noodle boiling appropriately without the user having to set the cooking time for boiling the noodles.

[0022] In the above first to fourth inventions, it is preferable that the noodle boiling state monitoring unit is configured to identify the rate of white foam generation or the amount of change in the rate of white foam generation in the cooking container from an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the image captured by the camera, and to detect the first state and the second state based on the identified rate of white foam generation or the amount of change in the rate of white foam generation (fifth invention).

[0023] When the cooking vessel is about to boil over (when signs of boil over appear), a large amount of white foam will appear on the surface of the liquid in the cooking vessel. Furthermore, when the signs of boil over disappear, the white foam on the surface of the liquid will disappear. The occurrence of white foam on the surface of the liquid in the cooking vessel can be identified from the image of the inside of the cooking vessel among the images captured by the camera.

[0024] Therefore, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit identifies the rate of white foam formation or its change within the cooking vessel from an image of the cooking vessel contained in an image captured by the camera, and detects the first state and the second state based on the identified rate of formation or its change. This allows the noodle boiling state monitoring unit to appropriately detect the first state, which is a sign of overflow, and the second state, which is a state in which the sign of overflow has disappeared. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a heating and cooking system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the cooking system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the control device shown in FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the control device shown in FIG. 2; [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram showing an example of setting a monitoring area used in the processing of the noodle boiling state monitoring unit shown in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a cooking system 1 of this embodiment includes a cooking appliance 2 and a camera 31 as an imaging device that captures an image of the cooking appliance 2 from above.

[0027] In this embodiment, the cooking appliance 2 is, for example, a gas stove, and is provided with a plurality of (for example, three) stove burners 5 as a combustion-type heating section that heats objects to be heated (not shown) including a cooking container and objects to be cooked (cooking ingredients, water, etc.) contained therein, and a trivet 6 on the top surface of the cooking appliance 2, on which objects to be heated can be placed above each stove burner 5. The cooking appliance 2 also has a grill chamber 7 formed in the housing of the cooking appliance 2 so as to be openable and closable on the front surface, and a grill burner 8 (shown in FIG. 2) arranged in the grill chamber 7.

[0028] A temperature sensor 21 is provided at the center of each stove burner 5 to detect the temperature of the object to be heated (more specifically, the temperature of the cooking vessel). When the cooking vessel is placed on the trivet 6 above the corresponding stove burner 5, the temperature sensor 21 is in contact with the bottom surface of the cooking vessel and is pressed down.

[0029] On the front surface of the cooking appliance 2, an operation button 11 is provided for each burner 5 for igniting, extinguishing and adjusting the heat (heat amount) of each burner 5, and an operation button 14 is provided for igniting, extinguishing and adjusting the heat of the grill burner 8. Note that the operation units for igniting and extinguishing each burner 5 and grill burner 8 and the operation unit for adjusting the heat may be separate operation units.

[0030] The front of the cooking appliance 2 is further provided with a push-open stove operation unit 12 and a grill operation unit 15. In this case, when the stove operation unit 12 is pressed, it opens, exposing the stove operation panel 13 for operation. Although not shown in detail, the stove operation panel 13 includes a plurality of operation switches, such as operation switches related to various automatic cooking operations using each stove burner 5, and also includes a display that displays various information related to the operation of each stove burner 5.

[0031] Furthermore, when the grill operation unit 15 is pressed, the grill operation unit 15 opens, exposing and enabling operation of the grill operation panel 16. Although not shown in detail, the grill operation panel 16 includes a plurality of operation switches, such as those related to various automatic cooking operations using the grill burner 8, as well as a display that displays various information related to the operation of the grill burner 8.

[0032] To further explain the automatic cooking operation using each stove burner 5, in this embodiment, one of the operation modes of the automatic cooking operation includes a noodle boiling mode. The noodle boiling mode is an operation mode for boiling noodles such as soba, udon, and somen. When the stove burner 5 is operated in this noodle boiling mode, after the stove burner 5 is ignited, the water in the cooking container is brought to a boil, and after the noodles are added to the boiling water, the heat (amount of heat) of the stove burner 5 is automatically adjusted (and finally the stove burner 5 is turned off) so that the noodles are boiled while preventing overflow.

[0033] In this embodiment, the camera 31 is attached to a range hood 30 installed above the cooker 2. The camera 31 is attached to the range hood 30 so as to be able to capture an image of almost the entire top surface of the cooker 2 from above a location near the rear of the cooker 2. The camera 31 is configured to be able to transmit the captured image to a control device 20 (described below) of the cooker 2 via wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0034] The image captured by the camera 31 may be either a color image or a grayscale image (or a black and white image). The captured image may be either a still image or a video. The camera 31 may be attached to a location other than the range hood 30, such as a wall on the side of the cooking appliance 2. The camera 31 may be connected to the cooking appliance 2 so that the captured image can be transmitted to the cooking appliance 2 by wire.

[0035] 2, the cooking appliance 2 further includes a control device 20 having the function of controlling the overall operation of the cooking appliance 2 (including controlling the operation of each of the stove burners 5 and the grill burner 8). In addition to the temperature sensor 21, the cooking appliance 2 is also provided with a plurality of sensors including a heated object detection sensor 22 that detects whether or not an object to be heated is placed above each stove burner 5. The heated object detection sensor 22 can be configured to detect the presence or absence of an object to be heated, for example, by detecting whether or not the temperature sensor 21 at the location where each stove burner 5 is placed is pressed down.

[0036] In this embodiment, the control device 20 can acquire images captured by the camera 31, and based on the captured images, it is possible to detect whether or not there is an object to be heated at the location of each stove burner 5. For this reason, the object detection sensor 22 may be omitted.

[0037] The control device 20 is configured with one or more electronic circuit units including a processor such as a microcomputer, memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), an interface circuit, etc. Detection signals from a plurality of sensors (including the temperature sensor 21 and the object-to-be-heated detection sensor 22) provided in the cooking appliance 2 and operation signals from the operation buttons 11, 14 and the operation panels 13, 16 are input to the control device 20. The control device 20 is also capable of communicating with a camera 31 and is able to acquire captured images from the camera 31 as needed.

[0038] The control device 20 has functions realized by both or either of the implemented hardware configuration and program (software configuration), such as the function of controlling the operation of each stove burner 5 and grill burner 8 (more specifically, the operation control related to ignition, extinguishing, and heat adjustment), the function of controlling the display of display units such as operation panels 13, 16, and the function of outputting voice and alarm sounds from a sound generating unit such as a speaker (not shown) provided in the cooking appliance 2.

[0039] In more detail, the operation control (control of combustion operation) of each stove burner 5 and grill burner 8 is carried out through the operation control of the on-off valves and flame power adjustment valves provided in the fuel supply passages (not shown) corresponding to each stove burner 5 and grill burner 8, as well as the operation control of the ignition device (not shown).

[0040] Furthermore, the control device 20 includes a function as a noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a that monitors the noodle boiling state in the cooking vessel based on the image captured by the camera 31 when any of the stove burners 5 is operating in the noodle boiling mode, and a function as a noodle information identifying unit 20b that identifies information about the noodles placed in the cooking vessel based on the image captured by the camera 31 (information related to the required boiling time for the noodles).

[0041] In this case, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a can execute a process to detect when the state inside the cooking vessel into which the noodles have been placed becomes a sign of an overflow (a state in which overflow is imminent), and a process to detect when the sign of overflow has disappeared. Furthermore, the noodle information specifying unit 20b can classify and specify the amount of noodles placed in the cooking vessel into multiple levels of size (large, medium, small, etc.).

[0042] Next, we will explain the operation when operating in noodle boiling mode on any of the stove burners 5. When the user wishes to operate in noodle boiling mode on any of the stove burners 5, the user instructs the control device 20 to operate in noodle boiling mode by performing a predetermined operation on the stove operation panel 13 to turn on (start) the noodle boiling mode on the desired stove burner 5.

[0043] Furthermore, the user places a cooking container A (illustrated in FIG. 5) filled with water on the trivet 6 above the target stove burner 5 (hereinafter referred to as the target stove burner 5) to operate in the noodle boiling mode, and then performs an operation to ignite the target stove burner 5 (operating the operation button 11 corresponding to the target stove burner 5), thereby starting the combustion operation of the target stove burner 5. This starts the operation of the target stove burner 5 in the noodle boiling mode. Note that the operation to turn on the noodle boiling mode is not limited to being performed before the target stove burner 5 is ignited, and may be performed after ignition.

[0044] When the target stove burner 5 starts operating in the noodle boiling mode in this way, the control device 20 executes the processing shown in the flowcharts of Figures 3 and 4. In STEP 1, the control device 20 acquires an image captured by the camera 31 and detects the outline (external shape) of the cooking vessel A on the target stove burner 5 from the captured image.

[0045] Then, in STEP 2, the control device 20 controls the heating power of the target stove burner 5 to a heating power (constant heating power) for boiling water. The heating power for boiling water is set, for example, to a heating power suited to the size of the cooking vessel A (a strong heating power within a range where the flame does not extend beyond the periphery of the cooking vessel A). In this case, the control device 20 identifies the size of the cooking vessel A from the outline of the cooking vessel A detected in STEP 1, and determines the heating power for boiling water of the target stove burner 5 according to that size.

[0046] The heating power for boiling water is not limited to a heating power according to the size of the cooking vessel A, but may be, for example, a predetermined value of heating power (the maximum heating power of the target stove burner 5 or a heating power close to that). Alternatively, the heating power for boiling water may be, for example, a heating power (a heating power equal to or greater than a predetermined value) set by the user by operating the operation button 11 immediately after the target stove burner 5 is ignited.

[0047] While the target stove burner 5 is operating at the heating power for boiling water, the control device 20 repeatedly determines whether the water in the cooking vessel A has boiled in STEP 3 until the determination result becomes affirmative. In this case, whether the water in the cooking vessel A has boiled is determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 21 corresponding to the target stove burner 5, for example. A known method can be used as the determination method.

[0048] For example, it is also possible to detect the generation of bubbles on the surface of the water in cooking vessel A from the image captured by camera 31, and determine whether the water in cooking vessel A has boiled based on the generation of bubbles.

[0049] When the water in cooking vessel A boils and the determination result in STEP 3 becomes positive, in STEP 4, the control device 20 outputs noodle insertion notification information, which is notification information for urging the user to insert noodles into cooking vessel A, and controls the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined low heat (for example, minimum heat or a predetermined value of heat close to that). In this case, the noodle insertion notification information is output, for example, as display information on a display device or as audio information from a sound generating unit.

[0050] Next, in STEP 5, the control device 20 sequentially repeats the process of determining whether noodles have been placed in cooking container A until the determination result becomes affirmative. In this case, whether noodles have been placed in cooking container A is determined, for example, based on images captured by camera 31. For example, it is possible to detect the movement of a human hand or a noodle-like object from images captured by camera 31 near cooking container A on the target stove burner 5, or to detect changes in the image inside cooking container A, thereby determining whether noodles have been placed in cooking container A.

[0051] When the user puts noodles into the cooking container A, the user may be prompted to perform a predetermined operation on the stove operation panel 13, etc. Then, the control device 20 may be configured to detect that noodles have been put in when the predetermined operation is performed.

[0052] When the noodles are added and the judgment result in STEP 5 becomes positive, the control device 20 starts timing the cooking end timer, which is a timer for measuring the time until the noodle boiling cooking is completed, in STEP 6, and controls the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined high heat.

[0053] The predetermined high heat is set to a heat suited to the size of cooking vessel A, for example, similar to the heat for boiling water in STEP 2. Note that the predetermined high heat is not limited to a heat suited to the size of cooking vessel A, and may be, for example, the maximum heat of the target stove burner 5 or a heat close to it. Alternatively, the predetermined high heat may be, for example, a heat (a heat equal to or greater than a predetermined value) set by the user by operating the operation button 11 immediately after putting noodles into cooking vessel A.

[0054] Next, in STEP 7, the control device 20 repeats the process of determining whether or not signs of overflow have occurred (whether or not the condition inside the cooking container A has become a sign of overflow) using the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a until the determination result becomes positive.

[0055] In the judgment process of STEP 7, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a sequentially acquires images captured by the camera 31 at a predetermined sampling period, and determines whether or not signs of overflow have occurred based on images of a predetermined monitoring area AR in the captured images.

[0056] In this case, the monitoring area AR is set as an area of ​​a predetermined size inside the open end of the cooking vessel A on the image of the cooking vessel A, for example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5. In this case, the monitoring area AR is set so that a wide portion of the image of the area inside the open end of the cooking vessel A is included within the monitoring area AR.

[0057] The monitoring area AR may be set so that its peripheral edge extends slightly outside the open end of the cooking vessel A. The monitoring area AR is not limited to a rectangular area, and may be, for example, a shape (e.g., a circle) that matches the shape of the open end of the cooking vessel A.

[0058] When the noodles are about to boil over in cooking vessel A (when the water is about to boil over), a large amount of white foam will appear over a wide area of ​​the liquid surface in cooking vessel A. In this embodiment, in STEP 7, noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines whether the proportion of the size of the white foam image area, where the image of the white foam appears, in monitoring area AR (the proportion to the overall size of monitoring area AR) has increased to or above a predetermined first threshold, as a process for determining whether a sign of overflow has occurred.

[0059] More specifically, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a identifies the white foam image area based on the pixel values ​​(hue values, etc.) of each pixel of the image of the monitoring area AR in the newly acquired captured image, for example, at each sampling period of the captured image.

[0060] Furthermore, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a calculates the ratio of the area (or number of pixels) of the white foam image area to the area (or number of pixels) of the monitoring area AR as an index value indicating the rate of white foam occurrence within the monitoring area AR, and compares this rate (hereinafter referred to as the white foam occurrence rate) with a predetermined first threshold value.

[0061] Then, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines that the judgment result of STEP 7 is positive if the number of times the white foam generation rate exceeds a predetermined first threshold value within the period from the time of each sampling cycle to a predetermined time before that time, or if the white foam generation rate exceeds the predetermined first threshold value continuously within that period; otherwise, it determines that the judgment result of STEP 7 is negative.

[0062] Additionally, in STEP 7, for example, the difference between the white foam occurrence rate newly determined at each sampling period and the white foam occurrence rate determined at the start of the STEP 7 judgment process or immediately before or after that, i.e., the change (increase) from the value of the white foam occurrence rate at the start of the STEP 7 judgment process or immediately before or after that, may be determined, and this change in the white foam occurrence rate may be compared with a predetermined 1a threshold value.

[0063] For example, if the number of times that the change (increase) in the white foam generation rate exceeds a predetermined 1a threshold within the period from the time of each sampling cycle to a predetermined time before that exceeds a predetermined number, or if the change (increase) in the white foam generation rate exceeds a predetermined 1a threshold continuously within that period, the judgment result of STEP 7 may be determined to be positive; in other cases, the judgment result of STEP 7 may be determined to be negative.

[0064] Furthermore, with regard to the monitoring area AR, for example, if it is possible to determine from the image captured by the camera 31 whether the color of the inner surface of the cooking vessel A is whitish or not, the size and position of the monitoring area AR may be varied depending on the color of the inner surface of the cooking vessel A. For example, if the inner surface of the cooking vessel A is a color other than whitish, the monitoring area AR may be set as shown in Fig. 5. On the other hand, if the inner surface of the cooking vessel A is whitish, the monitoring area AR may be set so that the entire image or most of it is an image of the liquid surface in the cooking vessel A (so that the monitoring area AR does not include, or barely includes, an image of the sidewall of the cooking vessel A) in order to make it easier to detect an image of white foam within the monitoring area AR.

[0065] If the determination result in STEP 7 is positive, it can be considered that a sign of overflow has occurred (the condition inside the cooking vessel A has become a sign of overflow). In this case, in STEP 8, the control device 20 reduces the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined low heat (for example, minimum heat or a predetermined value close to minimum heat) and maintains the low heat. This prevents overflow from occurring.

[0066] Next, in STEP 9, the control device 20 repeatedly determines whether the signs of overflow have been resolved (whether the state inside the cooking container A has become such that the signs of overflow have been resolved) using the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a until the determination result becomes positive.

[0067] In the judgment process of STEP 9, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a sequentially acquires images captured by the camera 31 at a predetermined sampling period, and determines whether the signs of overflow have been resolved based on the images of a predetermined monitoring area AR in the captured images.

[0068] In this case, the monitoring area AR is set in the same manner as in STEP 7. Then, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines whether the rate of white foam occurrence in the monitoring area AR has decreased to a predetermined second threshold or less, as a process for determining whether the signs of overflow have disappeared.

[0069] More specifically, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines the white foam occurrence rate based on the image of the monitoring area AR among the newly acquired captured images at each captured image sampling period, as in the determination process of STEP 7. Furthermore, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a compares the determined white foam occurrence rate with a predetermined second threshold value. The second threshold value is set to a value smaller than the first threshold value used in the determination process of STEP 7.

[0070] Then, the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines that the judgment result of STEP 9 is positive if the number of times that the white foam occurrence rate falls below the predetermined second threshold value exceeds a predetermined number of times within the period from the time of each sampling cycle to a predetermined time before that time, or if the white foam occurrence rate falls below the predetermined second threshold value continuously within that period; otherwise, it determines that the judgment result of STEP 9 is negative.

[0071] Additionally, in STEP 9, for example, as in the supplementary explanation regarding STEP 7, the amount of change in the newly calculated white foam occurrence rate at each sampling period (the amount of change from the value of the white foam occurrence rate calculated at the start of the judgment process of STEP 7 or immediately before or after that) may be calculated, and the amount of change in the white foam occurrence rate may be compared with a predetermined 2a threshold value (< the 1a threshold value).

[0072] For example, if the number of times that the change in the white foam generation rate falls below a predetermined 2a threshold value exceeds a predetermined number within the period from the time of each sampling cycle to a predetermined time before that, or if the change in the white foam generation rate falls below a predetermined 2a threshold value continuously within that period, the judgment result of STEP 9 may be determined to be positive; in other cases, the judgment result of STEP 9 may be determined to be negative.

[0073] Alternatively, in STEP 9, for example, the amount of change in the white foam occurrence rate newly determined at each sampling period may be determined as the amount of change (decrease) from the value of the white foam occurrence rate at the time when the judgment result of STEP 7 became positive or just before or just after that, and this amount of change in the white foam occurrence rate may be compared with a predetermined 2b threshold value.

[0074] For example, if the number of times that the absolute value of the change (decrease) in the white foam occurrence rate becomes equal to or greater than the 2b threshold value within the period from the time of each sampling cycle to a predetermined time before that exceeds a predetermined number, or if the absolute value of the change (decrease) in the white foam occurrence rate becomes equal to or greater than the 2b threshold value continuously within that period, the judgment result of STEP 9 may be determined to be positive; in other cases, the judgment result of STEP 9 may be determined to be negative.

[0075] If the determination result in STEP 9 is positive, it can be considered that the signs of overflow have been resolved (the state inside cooking vessel A has become such that the signs of overflow have been resolved). In this case, in STEP 10, control device 20 acquires the current image captured by camera 31, and executes, via noodle information determination unit 20b, the determination of the amount of noodles from the captured image as noodle information of a predetermined type related to the required boiling time for the noodles in cooking vessel A.

[0076] Specifically, the noodle information identification unit 20b identifies, for example, from the image of the inside of cooking container A among the acquired captured images, the image region of noodles present inside cooking container A. Then, the noodle information identification unit 20b calculates the noodle region ratio, which is the ratio of the area (or number of pixels) of the image region of noodles to the total area (or number of pixels) of the image region inside the open end of cooking container A.

[0077] Furthermore, the noodle information determination unit 20b determines the opening area (or volume) of cooking container A from the image of cooking container A among the acquired captured images (or from the outline of cooking container A detected in STEP 1). Then, the noodle information determination unit 20b determines the amount of noodles based on an arithmetic formula or map created in advance from the noodle area ratio and the opening area (or volume) of cooking container A. In this case, the amount of noodles is determined by classifying it into multiple sizes, such as large, medium, and small.

[0078] Here, when the processing of STEP 10 is performed, the signs of overflow have disappeared, and the liquid surface in cooking container A is in a state where there is almost no white foam. Consequently, almost the entirety of the noodles in cooking container A is captured in the image captured by camera 31. Furthermore, the processing of STEP 10 is not performed immediately after the noodles are poured into cooking container A, but is performed after the signs of overflow have appeared and then disappeared. Therefore, when the processing of STEP 10 is performed, it is unlikely that the user will stir the noodles in cooking container A, and the state inside cooking container A is kept relatively stable. Therefore, in STEP 10, an image of the inside of cooking container A can be obtained when the state inside cooking container A is stable, and ultimately the noodle area proportion can be determined with high reliability.

[0079] Additionally, the captured image for specifying the amount of noodles does not have to be the image captured immediately after the determination result in STEP 9 becomes positive (immediately after the signs of overflow have disappeared). For example, an image captured after a predetermined time has elapsed since the determination result in STEP 9 became positive (an image captured while the heat of the target stove burner 5 is maintained at low heat) may be used as the image for specifying the amount of noodles.

[0080] Next, in STEP 11, the control device 20 increases the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined high heat and maintains that high heat. In this case, the predetermined high heat is the same as the heat in STEP 6. Additionally, in STEP 11, the control device 20 starts timing the pitch time, which is the time span from when the heat of the target stove burner 5 is increased to high heat until the next sign of overflow occurs.

[0081] Next, in STEP 12, the control device 20 repeatedly determines whether or not a sign of overflow has occurred (whether or not the state inside the cooking vessel A has become a sign of overflow) using the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a until the determination result becomes positive. The determination process in STEP 12 is performed in the same manner as in STEP 7.

[0082] If the determination result in STEP 12 is affirmative (if a sign of overflow occurs), the control device 20 reduces the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined low heat (for example, minimum heat or a predetermined value close to that) and maintains the low heat in STEP 13. Additionally, in STEP 13, the control device 20 stops timing the pitch time. This allows the pitch time (the time span from when the heat of the target stove burner 5 is increased to high heat until the next sign of overflow occurs) to be measured.

[0083] Here, when boiling multiple types of noodles (soba, udon, somen, etc.), if the amount of each type of noodle is approximately the same, the above-mentioned pitch time tends to depend on the type of noodle. Experiments conducted by the inventors of the present application have confirmed that for somen, soba, and udon, when the amount of noodles is 100 g, the pitch time is 10 seconds or less for somen, in the range of 11 to 30 seconds for soba, and in the range of 31 to 45 seconds for udon. Furthermore, for each type of noodle, the pitch time tends to be shorter the greater the amount of noodles.

[0084] Therefore, in step 14, the control device 20 next identifies the type of noodles in cooking container A based on a map created in advance, using the amount of noodles identified in step 10 and the measured value of the pitch time obtained in step 13.

[0085] Furthermore, in STEP 15, the control device 20 determines the time of the cooking end timer based on a map created in advance, using the amount of noodles identified in STEP 10 and the type of noodles identified in STEP 14. For example, if the amount of noodles identified in STEP 10 corresponds to approximately 100 g, the times of the cooking end timer are set to 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 6 minutes for somen, soba, and udon, respectively.

[0086] Next, in STEP 16, the control device 20 executes a process in which the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a determines whether the signs of overflow have been resolved. This determination process is performed in the same manner as in STEP 9. Note that the threshold value (the second threshold value, 2a threshold value, or 2b threshold value) used to compare the white foam generation rate or its change rate in STEP 16 may be set to a different threshold value from the threshold value used to compare the white foam generation rate or its change rate in STEP 9. For example, the threshold values ​​used in the determination processes of STEPs 9 and 16 may be set so that the white foam generation rate at the time when the determination result in STEP 9 becomes positive is smaller than the white foam generation rate at the time when the determination result in STEP 16 becomes positive.

[0087] If the determination result in STEP 16 is negative (if the signs of overflow have not been sufficiently resolved), the control device 20 next determines in STEP 17 whether or not the cooking end timer has finished timing. If the determination result in STEP 17 is negative, the control device 20 repeats the process from STEP 16. Furthermore, when the cooking end timer has finished timing and the determination result in STEP 17 becomes positive, the control device 20 extinguishes the target stove burner 5 in STEP 23 (cuts off the fuel supply to the target stove burner 5).

[0088] If the determination result in STEP 16 becomes positive while the cooking end timer is counting (the warning sign of overflow disappears), the control device 20 next determines in STEP 18 whether the cooking end timer has finished counting. If the determination result in STEP 18 is negative, the control device 20 increases the heat power of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined high heat power and maintains that high heat power in STEP 19. In this case, the predetermined high heat power is the same as the heat power in STEP 6 or 11.

[0089] Next, in STEP 20, the control device 20 determines whether or not a sign of overflow has occurred using the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a. This determination process is performed in the same manner as in STEP 7 or 12.

[0090] If the determination result in STEP 20 is negative (no signs of overflow have occurred), the control device 20 then determines in STEP 21 whether or not the cooking end timer has finished timing. If the determination result in STEP 21 is negative, the control device 20 repeats the process from STEP 20. Furthermore, when the cooking end timer has finished timing and the determination result in STEP 21 becomes positive, the control device 20 extinguishes the target stove burner 5 in STEP 23 (cuts off the fuel supply to the target stove burner 5).

[0091] If the determination result in STEP 20 becomes positive (if a sign of overflow occurs) during the timing of the cooking end timer, the control device 20 then reduces the heat of the target stove burner 5 to a predetermined low heat (for example, minimum heat or a predetermined value close to minimum heat) and maintains the low heat in STEP 22. Then, the control device 20 repeats the process from STEP 16.

[0092] In this embodiment, the cooking device 2 is operated in the noodle boiling mode as described above. This causes the noodles placed in the cooking vessel A to be boiled. Supplementally, in this embodiment, the determination process in steps 7, 12, and 20 corresponds to the "process of detecting that the state inside the cooking vessel has reached a first state, which is a predictive state of overflow," and the determination process in steps 9 and 16 corresponds to the "process of detecting that the state inside the cooking vessel has reached a second state, which is a state in which the predictive state of overflow has disappeared," in this invention. Furthermore, the process of controlling the heat of the target burner 5 to low heat in steps 8, 13, and 22 corresponds to the heat amount reduction process in this invention, and the process of controlling the heat of the target burner 5 to high heat in steps 11 and 19 corresponds to the heat amount increase process in this invention.

[0093] According to the embodiment described above, after noodles are placed in cooking container A, the amount and type of noodles are identified using the image captured by camera 31 and the measured value of the pitch time, and the cooking end timer is accordingly set to an appropriate time for boiling the noodles.

[0094] Therefore, even if the user does not know the time required to boil the noodles, the noodles can be properly boiled by the time the target stove burner 5 is turned off without the user having to set the time of the cooking end timer.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and other embodiments may be adopted. Some examples of other embodiments are given below. In the above embodiment, the pitch time measured to identify the type of noodles in cooking vessel A is the time span from when the heat of target stove burner 5 is increased to high heat until the result of the determination as to whether or not a sign of overflow has occurred becomes positive, but it is also possible to measure the pitch time as the time span from when the heat of target stove burner 5 is reduced from high to low heat in STEP 8 until the result of the determination as to whether or not the sign of overflow has disappeared becomes positive in STEP 9, and identify the type of noodles from the measured value of the pitch time and the amount of noodles. This is because when the amounts of multiple types of noodles are approximately the same, the pitch time will be different depending on the type of noodle.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the amount of noodles was identified based on the image captured when the signs of overflow had disappeared, but in addition to identifying the amount of noodles, it is also possible to identify the color, thickness, etc. of the noodles from the captured image, and then identify the type of noodles based on the identified color, thickness, etc. In this case, the type of noodles may also be identified taking into account the pitch time in addition to the color and thickness of the noodles.

[0097] Furthermore, when putting noodles into cooking container A, the user may operate stove operation panel 13 of cooking appliance 2 to input the type of noodles to control device 20. In this case, it is also possible to specify the amount of noodles based on the measured value of the pitch time, for example.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the noodle type is identified from the noodle amount and the measured value of the cooking interval in STEP 14, but the process of identifying the noodle type itself may be omitted. In other words, it is also possible to directly determine the cooking end timer time from the noodle amount and the measured value of the cooking interval using a map or the like.

[0099] Furthermore, when putting noodles into cooking container A, the user may operate stove operation panel 13 of cooking appliance 2 or the like to specify the desired noodle hardness to control device 20. Then, in STEP 15, the cooking end timer time, which is determined from the amount of noodles and the measured value of the pitch time, may be increased or decreased according to the specified noodle hardness to set the cooking end timer time. Alternatively, the cooking end timer time may be set using a map or the like based on the amount of noodles, the measured value of the pitch time, and the specified noodle hardness.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the functions of the noodle boiling state monitoring unit 20a and the noodle information specifying unit 20b are provided in the control device 20, but these functions may also be provided in a processor or the like attached to the camera 31, for example.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cooking device 2 is a cooking device having a stove burner 5 as a heating unit, but the cooking device of the present invention may also be one having an IH heater or an electric heater as a heating unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1...heating cooking system, 2...heating cooker, 5...stove burner (heating section), 20...control device, 20a...noodle boiling state monitoring section, 20b...noodle information identification section, 31...camera, A...cooking container

Claims

1. A cooking system comprising a cooking device including a heating unit that heats an object to be heated, including a cooking container, from below the cooking container, and a control device that controls the operation of the heating unit, and that has a function of automatically controlling the operation of the heating unit so as to boil noodles placed in the cooking container when an instruction to operate the heating unit in a noodle boiling mode is received, The noodle boiling state monitoring unit is capable of acquiring an image captured by a camera positioned so as to capture an image from above of the cooking container of the object to be heated by the heating unit, and is configured to alternately execute, based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image captured by the camera when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a first state, which is a state that indicates the occurrence of overflow, and a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a second state, which indicates a state in which the indication of overflow has disappeared, The control device is configured to alternately repeat, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a heat amount reduction process that controls the heating unit to reduce the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the heated object in response to detection of the first state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and a heat amount increase process that increases the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the heated object in response to detection of the second state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and to execute the following processes: a process for measuring at least one of the time widths from the start of the heat amount increase process until the first state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and the time width from the start of the heat amount reduction process until the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit; and a process for setting a cooking end timer appropriate for the noodles added and determining the timing to stop operation of the heating unit based on at least the measured value of the time width; and to stop operation of the heating unit at the operation stop timing when the set cooking timer has ended.

2. The cooking system according to claim 1, the noodle information specifying unit is further configured to acquire an image captured by the camera during operation of the heating unit in the noodle boiling mode after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and before the first state is detected, and to specify a predetermined type of noodle information related to a required boiling time for the noodles placed in the cooking container based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image; The control device is configured to set the cooking end timer and determine the operation stop timing based on the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit and the measured value of the time width.

3. The cooking system according to claim 2, the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit includes information indicating the amount of noodles placed in the cooking container, The control device is configured to identify the type of noodles from the amount of noodles indicated by the noodle information and the measured value of the time width, and to set the cooking end timer appropriate for the noodles added based on the identified type of noodles and the amount of noodles indicated by the noodle information, thereby determining the timing to stop operation.

4. A cooking system comprising a cooking device including a heating unit that heats an object to be heated, including a cooking container, from below the cooking container, and a control device that controls the operation of the heating unit, and that has a function of automatically controlling the operation of the heating unit so as to boil noodles placed in the cooking container when an instruction to operate the heating unit in a noodle boiling mode is received, a noodle boiling state monitoring unit that is capable of acquiring images from a camera positioned so as to capture an image from above of the cooking container of the object to be heated by the heating unit, and that is configured to alternately execute, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a first state, which is a state that indicates the occurrence of overflow, and a process of detecting that the state inside the cooking container has reached a second state, which indicates a state in which the indication of overflow has disappeared, based on an image of the inside of the cooking container contained in the acquired image from the camera; a noodle information identification unit that, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, acquires an image captured by the camera after the second state is detected by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit and before the first state is detected, and identifies a predetermined type of noodle information related to a required boiling time for the noodles placed in the cooking container based on an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the acquired image, The control device is configured to alternately repeat, when the heating unit is operating in the noodle boiling mode, a heat amount reduction process that controls the heating unit to reduce the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the heated object in response to detection of the first state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and a heat amount increase process that increases the amount of heat the heating unit gives to the heated object in response to detection of the second state by the noodle boiling state monitoring unit, and is also configured to set a cooking end timer corresponding to the noodles added based on at least the noodle information identified by the noodle information identification unit, and determine the timing to stop operation of the heating unit, and stop operation of the heating unit at the operation stop timing when the set cooking timer ends.

5. The heating and cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The noodle boiling state monitoring unit is configured to identify the rate of white foam generation or the amount of change in the rate of white foam generation in the cooking container from an image of the inside of the cooking container included in the image captured by the camera, and to detect the first state and the second state based on the identified rate of white foam generation or the amount of change in the rate of white foam generation.

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