Hood device, cooking device having same, and control method therefor

Abstract

A hood device, a cooking device having same, and a control method therefor are disclosed. The disclosed invention photographs a set area adjacent to a cooktop with a camera, calculates the amount of steam in the set area on the basis of an image acquired by the camera, and changes the operation state of the hood module according to the calculated amount of steam.

Description

Hood device and cooking appliance equipped therewith and control method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a hood device, and more specifically, to a hood device that sucks in and discharges polluted air generated during a cooking process, a cooking appliance equipped with the hood device, and a control method thereof.

[0002] Cooking appliances are a type of home appliance used for cooking food. They are installed in kitchens and cook food according to the user's preferences. These cooking appliances can be categorized in various ways based on the heat source, form, or type of fuel used.

[0003] Cooking appliances can be categorized by their cooking method. They can be categorized into open and closed types, based on the space in which the food is placed. Closed types include ovens and microwave ovens, while open types include cooktops and hobs.

[0004] A closed cooking appliance is a cooking appliance that seals the space where food is placed and heats the sealed space to cook the food. A closed cooking appliance has a chamber, or cooking chamber, provided within the main body of the appliance. This cooking chamber is essentially the space where the food is cooked. A heat source is provided within or outside the cooking chamber to heat the cooking chamber.

[0005] Among closed cooking appliances, a microwave oven is a cooking device that uses electricity to generate microwaves, which penetrate the food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber, and heat the food by causing molecular movement inside.

[0006] Microwave ovens are kitchen appliances that heat the inside and outside of food simultaneously by irradiating it with high-frequency waves from a magnetron. They are widely used due to their advantages, such as high thermal efficiency, which significantly reduces cooking time, reducing nutritional loss during the cooking, defrosting, and reheating process, and allowing food to be cooked directly while stored in a container.

[0007] Recently, microwave ovens with built-in hoods, also known as over-the-range (OTR) microwave ovens, have been released. These ovens combine the traditional cooking functions of a microwave oven with the functionality of a hood.

[0008] This type of hood-type microwave oven is installed above the cooktop at a predetermined distance from the cooktop, and can suck in and discharge contaminated air containing pollutants such as odors and smoke generated during cooking on the cooktop.

[0009] Meanwhile, the cooktop placed on the lower side of the above-mentioned hood-type microwave oven is configured to heat the food contained in the cooking container through at least one burner.

[0010] These cooktops can be provided in the form of an electric range or a gas range, and can be implemented as a standalone range or as an oven range that includes an oven beneath the cooktop.

[0011] The hood function of a microwave oven with a built-in hood is essential when cooking takes place on the cooktop. In other words, the hood function doesn't need to be activated when cooking is taking place. However, when cooking is taking place, the hood function must be activated to effectively remove contaminated air generated during the cooking process.

[0012] However, the hood function of a microwave oven with a built-in hood is activated by the user and does not automatically activate when the cooktop is in operation. Furthermore, the user must manually adjust the hood intensity whenever the amount of polluted air generated during cooking changes.

[0013] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hood device that can be automatically operated when a cooktop is in operation, a cooking appliance having the hood device, and a control method thereof.

[0014] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a hood device whose intensity can be adjusted in response to changes in the amount of polluted air generated during a cooking process on a cooktop, a cooking appliance having the hood device, and a control method thereof.

[0015] In order to achieve the above purpose, one embodiment of the present invention is a cooking appliance characterized in that it photographs a set area around a cooktop with a camera, calculates the amount of steam within the set area based on the image obtained from the camera, and changes the operating state of a hood module according to the calculated amount of steam.

[0016] Through this, the presence or increase or decrease of polluted air generated during the cooking process using the cooktop can be automatically detected, and through this, the operation of the hood module can be automatically started when the cooktop is in operation, or the output or operation time of the hood module can be adjusted.

[0017] In addition, another form of the present invention is characterized in that a set area around a cooktop is photographed with a camera, the photographed image is processed so that an area where steam appears can be distinguished in the photographed image, and the operating state of the hood module is changed according to the amount of steam calculated based on the photographed image processed in this way.

[0018] A hood device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a hood module disposed above a cooktop including at least one burner and sucking steam flowing toward the upper side of the cooktop; a camera that photographs a setting area disposed between the hood module and the cooktop; and a control unit that calculates an amount of steam within the setting area based on a photographed image obtained from the camera and changes an operating state of the hood module according to the calculated amount of steam.

[0019] As an example, the control unit can adjust the output of the hood module according to the amount of steam calculated based on the photographed image.

[0020] As another example, the control unit can adjust the operating time of the hood module according to the amount of steam calculated based on the photographed image.

[0021] In addition, the present invention may further include an image processing unit that adjusts the saturation of the photographed image so that the color of the photographed image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white.

[0022] In addition, it is preferable that the control unit recognizes the area shown in white in the photographed image as an area where steam exists.

[0023] In addition, it is preferable that the image processing unit adjusts the contrast ratio of the photographed image so that the distinction between black and white in the photographed image becomes clear.

[0024] In addition, a cooking appliance according to another aspect of the present invention may include: a hood module disposed above a cooktop including at least one burner and sucking in steam flowing toward the upper side of the cooktop; a camera that photographs a setting area disposed between the hood module and the cooktop; and a control unit that calculates an amount of steam within the setting area based on a photographed image obtained from the camera, and changes an operating state of the hood module according to the calculated amount of steam.

[0025] In addition, the present invention may further include a main body including a cooking chamber provided therein and a heating unit for heating the cooking chamber.

[0026] Additionally, it is preferable that the hood module be placed inside the main body.

[0027] In addition, a control method of a cooking appliance according to another aspect of the present invention may include: a photographing step of photographing a hood module disposed on an upper side of a cooktop including at least one burner and a setting area disposed between the cooktop; a steam amount calculation step of calculating an amount of steam within the setting area based on a photographed image obtained in the photographing step; and an operation control step of controlling an operation of the hood module according to the amount of steam calculated in the steam amount calculation step.

[0028] In addition, the present invention may further include an image processing step of processing the photographed image so that an area where steam appears can be distinguished in the photographed image.

[0029] In addition, it is preferable that the steam amount calculation step calculates the amount of steam within the set area based on the photographed image processed in the image processing step.

[0030] Additionally, the image processing step may include a step of adjusting the saturation of the photographed image so that the color of the photographed image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white.

[0031] In addition, it is preferable that the above steam amount calculation step includes a step of recognizing an area that appears white in the photographed image.

[0032] In addition, the image processing step may further include a step of adjusting the contrast ratio of the photographed image so that the distinction between black and white in the photographed image becomes clear.

[0033]

[0034] The present invention automatically detects the presence of polluted air generated during a cooking process using a cooktop, thereby automatically starting the operation of a hood module when the cooktop is in operation.

[0035] In addition, the present invention can automatically detect an increase or decrease in polluted air generated during a cooking process using a cooktop, and adjust at least one of the output and operating time of the hood module in response to the increase or decrease in polluted air.

[0036] The present invention can effectively remove polluted air generated during cooking using a cooktop and improve user convenience.

[0037]

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 is a side view schematically illustrating the operating state of the cooking appliance illustrated in Figure 1.

[0040] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the progress of the image processing step illustrated in Figure 4.

[0043] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the progress of the steam volume calculation step illustrated in Figure 4.

[0044] The above-described objects, features, and advantages will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the technical idea of ​​the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of known technologies related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

[0045] Although terms like "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise specified, a "first" component may also be a "second" component.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various forms and with various modifications. However, these embodiments are provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, as well as substitutions or additions of the components of one embodiment with those of another embodiment.

[0047] The attached drawings are only intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the components may be expressed in an exaggerated size or thickness for convenience of understanding, etc., but the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as being limited due to this.

[0048] The terminology used in this specification is only used to describe specific implementations or examples and is not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as "comprises" and "consists of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification. In other words, it should be understood that terms such as "comprises" and "consists of" in the specification do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0049] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0050] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0051] When a component is referred to as being "above" or "below" another component, it should be understood that it is not only positioned directly above that other component, but that there may also be other components present in between.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0053] When the cooker is placed on the floor, the direction in which the door is installed relative to the center of the cooker is defined as the front. Therefore, the direction in which the door opens and the cooker enters is the rear. For convenience, these forward and rearward directions can be referred to as the first direction. Therefore, the front can be considered one side of the first direction, and the rear can be considered the other side of the first direction.

[0054] Additionally, we can define the direction of gravity as downward, and the opposite direction of gravity as upward.

[0055] Also, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward-backward direction of the cooking appliance, i.e., the width direction of the cooking appliance when looking at it from the front of the cooking appliance door, can be referred to as the left-right direction. For convenience, the left-right direction can be referred to as the second direction. Then, the right side can be considered one side of the second direction, and the left side can be considered the other side of the second direction.

[0056] Additionally, the width direction of the above cooking appliance may be referred to as the lateral direction. Then, the right side may be referred to as one side of the lateral direction, and the left side may be referred to as the other side of the lateral direction.

[0057] And, the above-mentioned up-down direction can be called the third direction. Then, the up direction can be said to be one side of the third direction, and the down direction can be said to be the other side of the third direction.

[0058] Additionally, the vertical direction described above can be called the vertical direction. Then, the horizontal direction can be included including the front-back direction and the left-right direction, that is, the first direction and the second direction.

[0059] Throughout the specification, when we refer to "A and / or B", this means A, B, or A and B, unless otherwise stated, and when we refer to "C through D", this means C or more and D or less, unless otherwise stated.

[0060] [Overall structure of the cooking appliance]

[0061] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating an operating state of the cooking appliance illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0062] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooking appliance may include a cooktop (15). The cooktop (15) may be provided independently and installed in the lower cabinet (3) of a kitchen unit, or may be provided in the form of being installed in an oven range (1).

[0063] In this embodiment, it is exemplified that a cooktop (15) is provided in an oven range (1). As an example, the oven range (1) may include an oven section (10) and a cooktop (15).

[0064] A cooking chamber may be formed inside the oven section (10), and food may be cooked in the oven section (10) while the interior is heated. The oven section (10) may be provided with a heating section that heats the cooking chamber, and the heating section may be provided with a heating device that uses gas fuel or may be provided with a heater that uses electricity.

[0065] In the oven range (1), a door (11) that selectively opens and closes the cooking chamber may be provided in a rotatable manner. As an example, the door (11) may be provided in a form that opens and closes the cooking chamber in a pull-down manner in which the upper portion of the door (11) rotates up and down around the lower portion.

[0066] On the upper side of the oven section (10), a cooktop (15) may be placed to heat food or a container containing food to cook food. The cooktop (15) may be provided with a top plate (16) that forms the upper surface appearance of the cooktop (15).

[0067] In addition, the cooktop (15) may be equipped with at least one burner (17) for heating food to be cooked or a container containing food. For example, the burner (17) may be equipped in a form including an induction heating coil or a heating wire coil that uses electricity.

[0068] As another example, the crater (17) may be equipped with a gas burner using gas fuel. In this way, the structure of the crater (17) may be changed depending on the type of heat source used.

[0069] A control panel (12) may be provided on the upper front surface of the oven range (1), i.e., the upper front surface of the cavity (21). The control panel (12) may form a part of the front exterior of the oven range (1). The control panel (12) may be provided with a knob (12a) for controlling the operation of the oven range (1) and a display (12b) for indicating the operating status of the oven range (1).

[0070] Meanwhile, the cooking appliance may include a microwave oven (2) that is also a hood. The microwave oven (2) that is also a hood may provide both a microwave oven cooking function that heats food using microwaves and a hood function that sucks in air containing pollutants (hereinafter referred to as “cooking gas”) generated during the process of heating food on a cooktop (15) and discharges it outdoors or purifies it and discharges it indoors.

[0071] This type of hood-compatible microwave oven (2) can be placed on the upper side of the cooktop (15), but can be placed at a predetermined distance from the cooktop (15) in the vertical direction.

[0072] As an example, a hood-compatible microwave oven (2) may include a body (20) that forms the exterior of the hood-compatible microwave oven (2). The body (20) may be provided in a shape that includes a substantially rectangular prism shape, and may be formed of a material having a predetermined strength to protect a number of components installed in its internal space.

[0073] The main body (20) may include a cavity (21) forming the internal skeleton of the main body (20). The cavity (21) may be formed in the shape of a hexahedron with an open front. A cooking chamber (22) may be formed inside the cavity (21). The cooking chamber (22) may be formed in a shape corresponding to the internal shape of the cavity (21), i.e., in the shape of a hexahedron with an open front.

[0074] With the cooking chamber (22) shielded, cooking can be accomplished by heating the interior space of the cooking chamber (22). A heating unit for heating the interior of the cooking chamber (22) is provided within the main body (20). The heating unit may be implemented as one unit, or as two or more units.

[0075] In this embodiment, the heating element of the hood-type microwave oven (2) is exemplified as including a magnetron capable of supplying a high-frequency heat source to the inside of the cooking chamber (22). At this time, the magnetron may be installed inside the main body (20), but may be installed so as to be located at the top or side of the cooking chamber (22).

[0076] At the front of the main body (20), a door (23) that selectively opens and closes the cooking chamber (22) may be provided in a pivotal manner. The door (23) may open and close the cooking chamber (22) in a side-swing manner in which the other side of the door (23) rotates left and right around one side of the door.

[0077] In addition, a control panel (24) may be provided for the hood-type microwave oven (2). The control panel (24) may be provided on the front of the main body (20) or the front of the door (23). The control panel (24) may be provided with a knob or switch for controlling the operation of the hood-type microwave oven (2), and a display for indicating the operating status of the hood-type microwave oven (2).

[0078] [Hood device structure]

[0079] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the cooking appliance may include a hood device. The hood device may include a hood module (25). The hood module (25) is positioned above the cooktop (15) and can suck in steam flowing toward the upper side of the cooktop (15).

[0081] As an example, the hood device may be provided as an integral part of a hood-type microwave oven (2). As another example, the hood device may be provided separately from the hood-type microwave oven (2). In this case, the hood device may be installed on the lower side of the hood-type microwave oven (2) and may be positioned between the cooktop (15) and the hood-type microwave oven (2).

[0082] In this embodiment, the hood device is exemplified as being provided integrally with a hood-compatible microwave oven (2). This hood device may include a hood module (25) provided integrally with the hood-compatible microwave oven (2), and the hood module (25) may include a blower (26). In addition, the main body (20) may be provided with an intake port (27) and an exhaust port (28).

[0083] The blower (26) is housed inside the hood-type microwave oven (2), and can suck in cooking gas through the intake port (27) and discharge the sucked cooking gas to the outside of the hood-type microwave oven (2) through the exhaust port (28).

[0084] An exhaust passage (29) may be formed inside the main body (20). The exhaust passage (29) is arranged outside the cooking chamber (22) and forms a passage connecting the intake port (27) and the exhaust port (28) inside the main body (20).

[0085] For example, the blower (26) can be placed inside the exhaust passage (29), and the cooking gas that has entered the interior of the main body (20) through the intake port (27) can pass through the interior of the main body (20) through the exhaust passage (29) and then be discharged to the outside of the hood-compatible microwave oven (2) through the exhaust port (28).

[0086] In this embodiment, the cooking appliance is exemplified as including only a hood-compatible microwave oven (2). As another example, the cooking appliance may be provided in a form including only an oven range (1), in a form including only a cooktop (15), or in a form including both an oven range (1) and a hood-compatible microwave oven (2).

[0087] Additionally, the hood device or cooking appliance may include a camera (30). The camera (30) is provided to capture a set area around the cooktop (15).

[0088] The setting area can be defined as an area including the area between the cooktop (15) and the camera (30) within the kitchen space where the cooktop (15) is installed.

[0089] As an example, the setting area may include the upper space of the cooktop (15), for example, the area between the cooktop (15) and the camera (30) or the space between the cooktop (15) and the microwave oven (2) combined with the hood.

[0090] The camera (30) may be placed on the upper side of the cooktop (15). As an example, the camera (30) may be installed in the hood-cum-microwave oven (2). For example, the camera (30) may be installed on the front of the hood-cum-microwave oven (2). In addition, the camera (30) may be placed at a position adjacent to the bottom surface of the hood-cum-microwave oven (2) on the front of the hood-cum-microwave oven (2). As an example, the camera (30) may be placed on the lower front of the hood-cum-microwave oven (2).

[0091] The camera (30) positioned in this manner can photograph the setting area while looking down at the cooktop (15) from above the cooktop (15). This camera (30) can obtain images related to steam, etc. existing within the setting area.

[0092] The position of the camera (30) is not limited to the above-described position, and may be appropriately selected from among various positions suitable for effectively photographing steam, etc. existing within the setting area.

[0093] In addition, the camera (30) may be installed in a hood-type microwave oven (2) and provided as part of the configuration of the hood-type microwave oven (2), or may be independently installed in the upper part of a kitchen cabinet, etc., and the installation form of the camera (30) may be modified in various ways.

[0094] Additionally, the hood device or cooking appliance of the present embodiment may include a control unit (40). The control unit (40) may be provided to control the operation of the cooking appliance. In the present embodiment, it is exemplified that the camera (30) is installed in the hood-cum-microwave oven (2), and the control unit (40) is provided to control the operation of the hood-cum-microwave oven (2).

[0095] As an example, the control unit (40) can control the operation of the heating unit according to an input signal input by a knob or switch provided on the control panel of the hood-type microwave oven (2).

[0096] As another example, the control unit (40) may be provided to control the operation of a cooktop (15) or an oven range (1). As another example, the control unit (40) may be provided to control the operation of both an oven range (1) and a microwave oven (2) combined with a hood.

[0097] Additionally, according to the present embodiment, an image or video acquired by the camera (30) can be transmitted to the control unit (40). The control unit (40) can extract information related to the amount of steam present in the set area based on the image or video received from the camera (30).

[0098] As an example, the camera (30) can continuously capture the setting area regardless of whether the cooktop (15) is in operation. As another example, the control unit (40) can control the operation of the camera (30) so that the camera (30) captures the setting area only while the cooktop (15) is in operation.

[0099] The control unit (40) can calculate the amount of steam within the set area based on the image (hereinafter referred to as “captured image”) acquired from the camera (30). This control unit (40) can change the operating state of the hood module (25) according to the calculated amount of steam.

[0100] Meanwhile, the hood device or cooking appliance may include an image processing unit (50). The image processing unit (50) may perform a task of adjusting the saturation of the captured image so that the colors of the captured image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white.

[0101] In addition, the image processing unit (50) may perform a task of adjusting the contrast ratio of the photographed image so that the distinction between black and white can be made clear in the photographed image with the saturation adjusted as described above.

[0102] In addition, the image processing unit (50) can re-save the resulting image after adjusting the saturation or contrast ratio of the captured image as described above. The control unit (40) can extract information related to the amount of steam present in the set area, etc., based on the image re-save after being processed by the image processing unit (50).

[0103] In addition, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment may further include a communication unit (60). The communication unit (60) may be provided to perform communication with an external device, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone. The communication unit (60) may transmit a designated signal generated by the control unit (40) to the external device, and may receive a signal transmitted from the external device and transmit it to the control unit (40).

[0104] The communication unit (60) can communicate with external devices through a local area network (LAN), an Internet network, a mobile communication network, and can also communicate with external devices through various communication methods such as BT (Bluetooth), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity), WI-FI Direct (Wireless Fidelity Direct), Zigbee, NFC, etc.

[0105] To this end, the communication unit (60) may include various communication modules for performing network communication. For example, the communication interface may include a Bluetooth chip, a Wi-Fi chip, a wireless communication chip, etc.

[0106] The captured image may be transmitted to the server (70) via a communication unit (60) connected to the server (70). The server (70) may refer to an electronic device that collects and processes data from an external device. For example, the server (70) may be implemented not only as a device that performs server-only functions, such as a cloud server, but also as various electronic devices such as a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, or PC that can perform server functions along with other functions.

[0107] However, this is merely an example, and the server (70) may also be implemented with various types of electronic devices not listed herein. Furthermore, the server (70) may be implemented as a single device or as a collection of multiple devices. As an example, the server (70) may be a server providing ThinQ services.

[0108] [An example of the cooking control process of a cooking appliance]

[0109] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of an image processing step shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of a steam amount calculation step shown in FIG. 4.

[0110] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the hood device of the present embodiment may or may not be connected to the cooktop (15). When the hood device and the cooktop (15) are connected, the hood device may be connected to the cooktop (15) via a communication unit (60).

[0111] If the hood device is not connected to the cooktop (15), the hood device can proceed directly to the shooting stage (S12). In the shooting stage, the camera (30) can capture an image or video of the set area by shooting the set area around the cooktop (15).

[0112] The hood device of this embodiment can perform photography of a set area to determine the amount of steam generated while cooking on the cooktop (15). Therefore, if continuous photography is performed regardless of whether the cooktop (15) is in operation, power consumption due to the continuous operation of the camera (30) may increase unnecessarily.

[0113] Considering these points, it may be more desirable to ensure that the set area is photographed only while the cooktop (15) is in operation. Accordingly, the control unit (40) of the present embodiment can control the operation of the camera (30) so that the camera (30) photographs the set area while the cooktop (15) is in operation. To this end, the control unit (40) needs to understand the operating status of the cooktop (15).

[0114] When the hood device is connected to the cooktop (15), the control unit (40) can check whether the cooktop (15) is operating (S11). When the hood device is connected to the cooktop (15), information related to the operating status of the cooktop (15) can be transmitted to the control unit (40), and the operation of the cooktop (15) can be controlled by the control unit (40). Accordingly, the control unit (40) can easily determine the operating status of the cooktop (15) without a separate confirmation task.

[0115] Information related to the operating status of the cooktop (15) can be transmitted to the control unit (40) via the communication unit (60). If the cooktop (15) is determined to be in operation as a result of communication between the control unit (40) and the cooktop (15), the hood device can proceed to the shooting stage (S12).

[0116] The captured image obtained in the shooting stage may undergo an image processing process performed by the image processing unit (50) (image processing stage; S13). In the image processing stage, the image processing unit (50) may process the captured image so that the area where steam appears in the captured image can be clearly distinguished.

[0117] In the image processing step, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the image processing unit (50) can perform a task of adjusting the saturation of the captured image so that the color of the captured image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white (saturation adjustment step; S131).

[0118] The polluted air generated during the cooking process using the cooktop (15) is shown in the form of steam, and this polluted air (hereinafter referred to as “steam”) can be expressed as white in the saturation-adjusted photographed image as described above.

[0119] That is, in a photographed image whose saturation has been adjusted in the saturation adjustment stage, the steam can be expressed as white, and the remaining parts that are not steam can be expressed as black.

[0120] Additionally, in the image processing step, the image processing unit (50) may further perform the task of adjusting the contrast ratio of the captured image so that the distinction between black and white in the captured image becomes clear (contrast ratio adjustment step; S132).

[0121] For example, adjusting the contrast ratio of a photographed image can be performed on a photographed image whose saturation has been adjusted in the saturation adjustment step. As another example, if the photographed image itself, which has only undergone the saturation adjustment step, has a clear distinction between black and white, adjusting the contrast ratio of the photographed image is not necessarily necessary.

[0122] As another example, if the captured image is mainly expressed in black and white, that is, if the colors of the captured image are mainly divided into black and white even without saturation adjustment, the saturation adjustment step (S131) ​​may be omitted and only the contrast adjustment step (S132) may be performed.

[0123] In the image processing step, the image processing unit (50) can adjust the saturation of the captured image or adjust the saturation and contrast ratio of the captured image, and then re-save the resulting image (S133). The image re-saved in this manner can be transmitted to the control unit (40).

[0124] When the hood device is connected to the server (70) via the communication unit (60), the image or video acquired in the photographing step, i.e. the photographed image, can be transmitted to the server (70) (S14). In the server (70), the same or similar work as the work performed by the image processing unit (50), i.e. the work performed in the image processing step (S13), can be performed.

[0125] For example, the server (70) can perform a task of adjusting the saturation of the captured image, and, if necessary, can also perform a task of adjusting the contrast ratio of the captured image.

[0126] As described above, the result value of the image processing operation performed on the server (70) can be transmitted to the control unit (40) via the communication unit (60) (S15).

[0127] The control unit (40) that receives the image processed from the image processing unit (50) or server (70) can calculate the amount of steam within the set area based on the image (steam amount calculation step; S16).

[0128] That is, the control unit (40) can calculate the amount of steam within the set area based on the captured image acquired in the shooting stage, the image transmitted from the image processing unit (50), or the image transmitted from the server (70).

[0129] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the control unit (40) can recognize an area that appears white in the photographed image as an area where steam exists (steam recognition step; S161).

[0130] By adjusting the saturation of the captured image, the area where steam appears in the captured image can be distinguished as white. Furthermore, by adjusting the contrast ratio of the captured image, the distinction between black and white in the captured image becomes clearer, and thus the area where steam appears in the captured image can be clearly distinguished.

[0131] The control unit (40) that recognizes the area where steam appears in the photographed image can calculate the steam ratio (steam ratio calculation step; S162). The steam ratio calculation can be performed by calculating the ratio of the area where steam appears, i.e., the area that appears white, to the entire photographed image.

[0132] As a result, if the steam ratio is below the set ratio, the shooting step (S11) can be resumed. The shooting step can be resumed at predetermined time intervals. For example, the shooting step can be resumed at 10-second intervals.

[0133] The ratio setting value can be set by considering the amount of steam required to operate the hood device. For example, if the hood device requires a steam ratio of at least 30%, the ratio setting value can be set to 30%.

[0134] As a result of calculating the steam ratio, if the steam ratio is higher than the ratio setting value, the control unit (40) can perform a task of calculating the steam ratio increase (steam ratio increase distribution calculation step; S163).

[0135] As a result, if the steam ratio increase is higher than the increase setting value, the control unit (40) can update the hood module operation setting (setting update step; S164).

[0136] In the setting update step, operation settings that change the operating status of the hood module (25), more specifically, the blower (26; see FIG. 2), can be made. For example, the control unit (40) can update the operation settings for the hood module (25) so that the output of the hood module (25) can be increased or the operating time of the hood module (25) can be increased.

[0137] As an example, the control unit (40) can update the operation settings for the hood module (25) so that the output or operation time of the hood module (25) can be further increased as the steam ratio increase increases.

[0138] The calculation of the steam ratio increase can be performed by calculating the difference between the steam ratio calculated in the previously performed steam quantity calculation step and the steam ratio calculated in the steam ratio calculation step (S162) of the currently performed steam quantity calculation step.

[0139] At this time, the calculation of the steam ratio increase may be performed based on the steam ratio calculated in the steam amount calculation step performed immediately before, or may be performed based on the steam ratio calculated immediately before the most recent hood module operation setting update.

[0140] As another example, if the steam ratio reduction is higher than the set value, the control unit (40) may update the operation settings for the hood module (25) so that the output or operation time of the hood module (25) can be further reduced.

[0141] After the hood module operation settings are updated, the control unit (40) can check whether the hood module (25) is operating. If the hood module (25) is not operating, the control unit (40) can cause the hood module (25) to start operating (S17).

[0142] When the hood module (25) is in operation, the control unit (40) can control the operation of the hood module (25) (S18). That is, the control unit (40) can control the operation of the hood module (25) according to the amount of steam calculated in the steam amount calculation step (S16).

[0143] More specifically, the control unit (40) can change the operating state of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operating settings based on the results calculated in the steam amount calculation step (S16) (S18).

[0144] As an example, the control unit (40) can adjust the output of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operation settings. For example, the control unit (40) can increase the output of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operation settings. The increase in the output of the hood module (25) can be achieved by increasing the rotation speed of the blower (26).

[0145] As another example, the control unit (40) can adjust the operating time of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operating settings. For example, the control unit (40) can increase the operating time of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operating settings.

[0146] As another example, the control unit (40) can adjust the output and operating time of the hood module (25) together according to the updated hood module operating settings. For example, the control unit (40) can increase the output and operating time of the hood module (25) together according to the updated hood module operating settings.

[0147] As another example, the control unit (40) may reduce at least one of the output and operating time of the hood module (25) according to the updated hood module operating settings.

[0148] The hood device of the present embodiment and the cooking appliance having the same as described above can automatically detect the presence of contaminated air generated during the cooking process using the cooktop (15), and thereby automatically start the operation of the hood module (25) when the cooktop (15) is in operation.

[0149] In addition, the hood device of the present embodiment and the cooking appliance equipped with the hood device can automatically detect an increase or decrease in polluted air generated during a cooking process using the cooktop (15), and adjust at least one of the output and operating time of the hood module (25) in response to the increase or decrease in polluted air.

[0150] The hood device of this embodiment and the cooking appliance equipped with it can effectively remove polluted air generated during the cooking process using the cooktop (15) and improve user convenience.

[0151] While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

[0152] <Explanation of symbols>

[0153] 1: Oven range

[0154] 10: Oven section

[0155] 11: Door

[0156] 12: Control Panel

[0157] 12a: Knob

[0158] 12b: Display

[0159] 15: Cooktop

[0160] 16: Top plate

[0161] 17: Crater

[0162] 2: Hood-compatible microwave oven

[0163] 20: Body

[0164] 21: Cavity

[0165] 22: Kitchen

[0166] 23: Door

[0167] 25: Hood module

[0168] 26: Blower

[0169] 27: Intake

[0170] 28: Exhaust port

[0171] 29: Exhaust pipe

[0172] 30: Camera

[0173] 40: Control unit

[0174] 50: Image processing unit

[0175] 60: Communications Department

[0176] 70: Server

Claims

1. A hood module disposed above a cooktop including at least one burner and sucking steam flowing toward the upper side of the cooktop; A camera that photographs a setting area placed between the hood module and the cooktop; and A hood device including a control unit that calculates the amount of steam within the set area based on a photographed image obtained from the camera and changes the operating state of the hood module according to the calculated amount of steam.

2. In paragraph 1, The above control unit is a hood device that controls at least one of the output and operating time of the hood module according to the amount of steam calculated based on the photographed image.

3. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned photographed image further includes an image processing unit that adjusts the saturation of the photographed image so that the color of the photographed image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white, The above control unit is a hood device that recognizes the area shown in white in the photographed image as an area where steam exists.

4. In paragraph 1, A hood device further comprising an image processing unit that adjusts the contrast ratio of the photographed image so that the distinction between black and white in the photographed image becomes clear.

5. A cooking appliance including a hood device according to any one of clauses 1 to 4.

6. In paragraph 5, It further includes a main body including a cooking chamber provided inside and a heating unit for heating the cooking chamber, The above hood module is a cooking appliance placed inside the main body.

7. A photographing step of photographing a setting area disposed between a hood module disposed on the upper side of a cooktop including at least one burner and the cooktop; A steam amount calculation step for calculating the amount of steam within the set area based on the shooting image, which is an image acquired in the shooting step; and A control method for a cooking appliance, comprising an operation control step for controlling the operation of the hood module according to the amount of steam calculated in the above steam amount calculation step.

8. In paragraph 7, Further comprising an image processing step of processing the photographed image so that an area where steam appears can be distinguished in the photographed image, The above steam amount calculation step is a control method for a cooking appliance that calculates the amount of steam within the set area based on the photographed image processed in the image processing step.

9. In paragraph 8, The above image processing step includes a step of adjusting the saturation of the photographed image so that the color of the photographed image can be distinguished into two colors including black and white. The above steam amount calculation step is a control method for a cooking appliance including a step of recognizing an area shown in white in the photographed image.

10. In paragraph 18, A method for controlling a cooking appliance, wherein the image processing step further includes a step of adjusting the contrast ratio of the photographed image so that the distinction between black and white in the photographed image becomes clear.

Images