Heating cooker, cooking condition setting system, cooking condition setting method, and cooking condition setting program

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a heating cooker capable of cooking a food material placed on a heating tray. A heating cooker according to the present disclosure comprises an operation display unit, a display control unit, and a heating condition setting unit. The operation display unit can display information relating to cooking and can be operated by a user. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input section that allows a user to visually recognize and input the size of the food material placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets a heating condition on the basis of an operation signal outputted by the operation display unit in accordance with the operation by the user.

Description

Cooking device, cooking condition setting system, cooking condition setting method, and cooking condition setting program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking device, a cooking condition setting system, a cooking condition setting method, and a cooking condition setting program.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a cooking device that allows users to scroll through selected items vertically, thereby reducing the number of screen changes. The cooking device includes an operation panel having a display and an operation unit. With this cooking device, if some of the items are not displayed on the display, the display range of the items can be changed by sliding the display.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a cooking device that allows cooking to be easily performed using a single heating function without having to select one heating function each time. This cooking device includes a display device, a microwave heating device, a display control unit, and a heating control unit.

[0004] In the cooking device described in Patent Document 2, when one of a plurality of settable outputs of the microwave heating device is set, the display control unit causes the display device to display one selected from a plurality of heating functions as a default. After receiving at least a time setting for one heating function, the heating control unit starts dielectric heating by the microwave heating device at the set output and time.

[0005] JP 2022-99657 A JP 2021-167698 A

[0006] The present disclosure provides a cooking device, a cooking condition setting system, a cooking condition setting method, and a cooking condition setting program that can easily set heating conditions suitable for ingredients placed on a heating tray.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray. The cooking device according to this aspect includes an operation display unit, a display control unit, and a heating condition setting unit.

[0008] The operation display unit can display information about cooking and can be operated by a user. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of ingredients placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets heating conditions based on operation signals output by the operation display unit in response to user operation.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking condition setting system for setting heating conditions for a cooking device capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray. The cooking condition setting system according to this aspect includes an operation display unit, a display control unit, and a heating condition setting unit.

[0010] The operation display unit can display information related to cooking and can be operated by the user. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of the food placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets the heating conditions for the food based on the operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to the user's operation.

[0011] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking condition setting method for setting heating conditions for a heating cooker capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray, using an operation display unit that can display information related to heating cooking and that can be operated by a user.

[0012] The cooking condition setting method according to this embodiment includes the steps of displaying a setting key on the operation display unit for inputting the size of the ingredients placed on the heating tray, and setting the heating conditions for the ingredients based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to a user's operation of the setting key.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking condition setting program executed by a computer to set heating conditions of a cooking device capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray using an operation display unit that can display information related to cooking and that can be operated by a user.

[0014] The cooking condition setting program according to this embodiment causes a computer to function as a display control unit and a heating condition setting unit. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of the food placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets the heating conditions for the food based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to a user's operation. This embodiment may also be a storage medium that stores the program.

[0015] According to the present disclosure, heating conditions suitable for the food placed on the heating tray can be easily set.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view of the vicinity of the right end of a door provided in the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of an operation display unit displaying a second screen in the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of an operation display unit displaying a third screen in the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an overview of a heating condition map in the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view of an operation display unit displaying a second screen in the cooking device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a front view of an operation display unit displaying a second screen in the cooking device according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram for schematically explaining a cooking condition setting system according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cooking condition setting system according to the fourth embodiment.

[0017] (Findings that formed the basis of the present disclosure) At the time the present inventors arrived at the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there was a technology in the field of cooking appliances that allows the display range of multiple items displayed on a display unit to be changed by a sliding operation when some of the items are not displayed on the display unit. Such cooking appliances include an operation panel having a display unit that displays multiple items and an operation unit that accepts touch operations and sliding operations.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned cooking device, the type of food placed on the heating tray and heated by the cooking device is displayed on the operation panel, and the user can select the type of food, thereby enabling heating control according to the type of food.

[0019] However, in the above-mentioned cooking device, although the type of food can be selected, the size of the food cannot be selected or input. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in easily setting heating conditions suitable for the food placed on the heating tray. The inventors of the present application discovered this and came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure to solve this problem.

[0020] The present disclosure provides a cooking device, a cooking condition setting system, a cooking condition setting method, and a cooking condition setting program that can easily set heating conditions suitable for food placed on a heating tray. Note that the heating conditions in the present disclosure are heating conditions for cooking, and are synonymous with cooking conditions.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, for example, detailed descriptions of known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted.

[0022] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

[0023] [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of Cooker] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a cooker 100 according to the present embodiment. The arrows shown in Fig. 1 indicate directions corresponding to the main body 1 in the installed state of the cooker 100. That is, the arrows UP, DW, FR, RE, R, and L indicate the upward, downward, forward, backward, rightward, and leftward directions, respectively. The same applies to Fig. 2 described later.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the cooking device 100 has a box-shaped main body 1. The main body 1 has a heating chamber 3 disposed inside the main body 1 and an openable and closable door 2 disposed in front of the heating chamber 3. The heating chamber 3 can accommodate foodstuffs to be heated by the cooking device 100. The cooking device 100 heats the foodstuffs accommodated in the heating chamber 3, thereby cooking the foodstuffs.

[0025] The main body 1 has a removable water tank 4 located at the bottom of the main body 1. The water tank 4 is a container for storing water. The water tank 4 is a supply source of water to be turned into steam in the steam mode, which will be described later.

[0026] The main body 1 has a pump (not shown) and a steam generator (not shown) disposed therein. Water stored in a water tank 4 is transported by the pump to the steam generator, where it is heated to produce steam. This steam is supplied into the heating chamber 3.

[0027] The cooking device 100 has a heating unit 16 shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later. The heating unit 16 includes a magnetron, a radiant heater, a tube heater, a surface heater, a steam generating unit, and a cooling fan. The magnetron generates microwaves. The radiant heater heats ingredients with radiant heat. The steam generating unit includes a water tank 4 and a steam generator, and supplies steam into the heating chamber 3.

[0028] The cooking device 100 has a plurality of heating modes and heats ingredients according to the heating mode selected by the user. The heating modes available in this embodiment include a microwave mode, an oven mode, a steam mode, and a grill mode.

[0029] In the range mode, the cooking device 100 heats food using microwaves. In the oven mode, the cooking device 100 heats food using a heater. In the steam mode, the cooking device 100 heats food using steam. In the grill mode, the cooking device 100 heats food placed on the grill pan 31 using microwaves and / or a heater.

[0030] The heating plate is a cooking utensil for the cooking device 100 that is housed in the heating chamber 3 when used. The grill plate 31 is a type of heating plate with ferrite applied to the backside. When microwaves are irradiated onto the backside of the grill plate 31, the ferrite generates heat, and food placed on the grill plate 31 is cooked.

[0031] The heating chamber 3 has three pairs of rails, i.e., an upper rail, a middle rail, and a lower rail (none of which are shown), which are arranged on the left and right walls of the heating chamber 3. The heating tray is accommodated in the heating chamber 3 by engaging with one of these rails.

[0032] "Upper level" means that the grill pan 31 is engaged with the upper rail portion and housed in the heating chamber 3. "Middle level" means that the grill pan 31 is engaged with the middle rail portion and housed in the heating chamber 3. "Lower level" means that the grill pan 31 is engaged with the lower rail portion and housed in the heating chamber 3. Of the three pairs of rail portions, the "upper level" is the highest and the "lower level" is the lowest. The "middle level" is midway between the three pairs of rail portions.

[0033] [1-1-2. Configuration of Operation Display Unit] FIG. 2 is a front view of the vicinity of the right end of the door 2 provided in the cooking appliance 100 according to this embodiment.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2, the cooking appliance 100 has an operation display unit 5, a back button 6, a cancel button 7, and a start button 8, which are arranged on the front of the main body 1 and near the right end of the door 2 (see Fig. 1). In Fig. 2, the operation display unit 5 displays a first screen 51. The present disclosure is not limited to this arrangement, and other arrangements may be used.

[0035] The back button 6 is operated to return the screen displayed on the operation display unit 5 to the previous screen. The previous screen refers to the screen that was displayed immediately before switching to the currently displayed screen.

[0036] When the cooking appliance 100 is not performing heating, the cancel button 7 is operated to cancel an operation on the operation display unit 5. When the cooking appliance 100 is performing heating, the cancel button 7 is operated to stop heating. The start button 8 is operated to start heating.

[0037] The operation display unit 5 includes a liquid crystal panel and a touch panel. The touch panel has a capacitance-type touch sensor that detects changes in surface charge that occur when a user touches the panel with their finger. The touch panel may also have, for example, a resistive film-type or electromagnetic induction-type touch sensor. An object other than the user's finger, such as a touch pen, may also be used to operate the touch panel.

[0038] The first screen 51 is an initial screen that is displayed immediately after a power plug (not shown) is plugged into a commercial power source for home use. Even when the door 2 is opened while the power plug is plugged into a commercial power source, the operation display unit 5 displays the first screen 51.

[0039] Heating conditions can be set on the first screen 51. Tabs for "Manual," "Daily," and "Recipe Collection" are displayed at the top of the first screen 51. For example, the "Daily" tab may be displayed as a default display.

[0040] The default display refers to the display that appears immediately after the user plugs the power plug into a commercial power source. The default display also appears when the door 2 is opened while the power plug is plugged into a commercial power source and before any operation is performed on the operation display unit 5.

[0041] The first screen 51 has multiple heating condition input sections 9, including "Microwave," "Automatic Grill," "Toast Bread," "Drinks," "Various Heating Options," "Thawed and Boiled Vegetables," "Favorites," and "Care, etc." When the user touches the heating condition input section 9 for "Microwave," microwave mode is selected, and the user can input the heating output and heating time for microwave mode. The heating output is the output value of the magnetron.

[0042] When the user touches the heating condition input section 9 for "Omakase Grill", the Omakase Grill mode is selected. The operation display section 5 switches its display from the first screen 51 to the second screen 52 shown in FIG.

[0043] Fig. 3 is a front view of the operation display unit 5 displaying the second screen 52 in the cooking appliance 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the words "Omakase Grill" are displayed at the top of the second screen 52. This allows the user to recognize that the display on the operation display unit 5 has switched from the first screen 51 to the second screen 52 for setting the heating conditions for the Omakase Grill mode.

[0044] The second screen 52 has a grill pan information area 32, a size selection area 10, and an ingredient information selection area 12. These areas are arranged in this order from top to bottom on the second screen 52. The words "grill pan," "upper level," and "marinade on the middle level" are displayed in the grill pan information area 32. By displaying the words "grill pan" and "upper level," the user is prompted to place the grill pan 31 on the upper level of the heating chamber 3.

[0045] By displaying the phrase "Middle shelf for marinades," the user is prompted to place the grill tray 31 on the middle shelf of the heating chamber 3 when the food placed on the grill tray 31 is food that is prone to burning, such as teriyaki, miso-marinated, or gratin. In this embodiment, "marinated" means food that has been marinated in "sauce." "Middle shelf for marinades" means "please place the grill tray 31 on the middle shelf for food that is prone to burning, such as food marinated in sauce."

[0046] As described above, the second screen 52 displays the phrase "Marinated in sauce is on the middle shelf" in the grill pan information area 32. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any phrase may be displayed in the grill pan information area 32 as long as it has a similar effect.

[0047] Second screen 52 displays the phrase "Please select the size of the food" in size selection area 10, along with multiple size selection sections 11. Each of multiple size selection sections 11 displays an illustration or a numerical value to allow the user to visually recognize the size of the food placed on grill pan 31.

[0048] 3, second screen 52 displays the numerical values ​​25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% in the corresponding one of four size selection sections 11. Second screen 52 also displays an illustration associated with each numerical value to allow the user to visually recognize the size of the food placed on grill pan 31.

[0049] In the present disclosure, the "size of ingredients" refers to the ingredient occupancy rate. Specifically, the ingredient occupancy rate may be the ratio of the area of ​​the ingredients to the area of ​​the top surface of the grill pan 31, or the ratio of the volume of the ingredients to the volume of the heating chamber 3. The size selection area 10 corresponds to an input unit for inputting the size of the ingredients.

[0050] In this embodiment, four size selection sections 11 are shown as an example. However, the number of size selection sections 11 is not limited to this. As described above, the second screen 52 displays the values ​​25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% in the four size selection sections 11. However, the displayed values ​​are not limited to this.

[0051] In this embodiment, second screen 52 displays both an illustration for allowing the user to visually recognize the size of the food placed on grill pan 31 and a numerical value related to the size of the food in each of multiple size selection sections 11. However, only one of these may be displayed.

[0052] In this embodiment, when both the illustration and the numerical value are displayed, the numerical value is displayed below the illustration, as shown in Fig. 3. However, the display method is not limited to this, and for example, the illustration may be displayed below the numerical value.

[0053] The second screen 52 displays the message "Please select the size of the ingredient" in the size selection area 10 to prompt the user to operate the size selection unit 11. However, the message to be displayed is not limited to this.

[0054] The second screen 52 displays the phrase "Please select the following ingredients if they are available" and multiple ingredient information selection sections 13 in the ingredient information selection area 12. The second screen 52 has two ingredient information selection sections 13 in the ingredient information selection area 12, one displaying "Frozen meat / fish" and the other displaying "Bone-in meat."

[0055] In this disclosure, "ingredient information" is synonymous with "type of ingredient." That is, "ingredient information" may also be interpreted as "type of ingredient." The ingredient information selection area 12 corresponds to an ingredient information input section for inputting ingredient information, i.e., the type of ingredient.

[0056] The user operates and selects one of the ingredient information selection units 13 according to the ingredient placed on the grill pan 31, and the ingredient information corresponding to the selected ingredient information selection unit 13 is included in the reference information for searching for heating conditions suitable for that ingredient. If the user operates an ingredient information selection unit 13 that has already been selected again, the selection is canceled and the ingredient information is excluded from the reference information.

[0057] To clearly display to the user whether or not a selection has been made, the display method may be changed depending on whether or not the ingredient information corresponding to the selected ingredient information selection section 13 is included in the reference information.

[0058] For example, if the reference information includes ingredient information corresponding to the selected ingredient information selection section 13, the selected ingredient information selection section 13 is displayed in a specific color, and if the ingredient information is not to be included in the reference information, the display of the ingredient information selection section 13 is restored to its original state. This makes it easy for the user to understand that the ingredient information selection section 13 displayed in a specific color has been selected.

[0059] When the ingredient information corresponding to the selected ingredient information selection section 13 is to be included in the reference information, the selected ingredient information selection section 13 is displayed with a border, and when the ingredient information is not to be included in the reference information, the display of the ingredient information selection section 13 may be returned to the original state.

[0060] When the ingredient information corresponding to the selected ingredient information selection section 13 is to be included in the reference information, a check mark is displayed on the selected ingredient information selection section 13, and when the ingredient information is not to be included in the reference information, the display of the ingredient information selection section 13 may be returned to its original state.

[0061] As described above, various modes of displaying the ingredient information selection unit 13 are conceivable, and the displaying method according to the present disclosure is not limited to the description of the present embodiment.

[0062] If the food placed on the grill pan 31 is neither frozen meat, frozen fish nor bone-in meat, the user does not operate the food information selection unit 13. In the present embodiment, as an example, food information for "frozen meat / fish" and "bone-in meat" is displayed on the food information selection unit 13, but other food information may also be displayed.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the user selects one of the multiple ingredient information selection sections 13, the words "Check water" are displayed at the top of the second screen 52. This prompts the user to check whether the water tank 4 contains enough water to use for steaming.

[0064] To further attract the user's attention, the operation display unit 5 may flash the words "Check water." If none of the multiple ingredient information selection units 13 is selected, the operation display unit 5 does not display the words "Check water."

[0065] When at least one of the size selection sections 11 is selected, the operation display section 5 displays the message "Press Start" at the bottom of the second screen 52. The operation display section 5 may blink the message "Press Start."

[0066] When the user presses the start button 8, the cooking device 100 starts detecting the temperature and voltage in the heating chamber 3 and heating. At the same time, the operation display unit 5 switches its display from the second screen 52 shown in Fig. 3 to the third screen 53 shown in Fig. 4.

[0067] Fig. 4 is a front view of the operation display unit 5 displaying the third screen 53 in the cooking device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the third screen 53 is a screen for setting the degree of doneness of the food ingredients. That is, the user sets the desired degree of doneness on the third screen 53, and the heating output is adjusted according to the desired degree of doneness.

[0068] The third screen 53 has a grill pan information area 32 at the top, similar to the second screen 52. The third screen 53 displays the words "grill pan" and "upper level" in the grill pan information area 32.

[0069] The operation display unit 5 displays a moving image such as an animation in the center of the third screen 53 to let the user know that the temperature and voltage inside the heating chamber 3 are currently being detected. Specifically, for example, a circle 33 may be displayed in the center of the third screen 53, and a dot 34 may be rotated along the circle 33. The display is not limited to a moving image, and only the words "detecting" or "setting" may be displayed.

[0070] The third screen 53 has a finish adjustment area 14. The finish adjustment area 14 has a finish display section 141 and a finish adjustment button 142. The finish adjustment area 14 corresponds to a finish input section.

[0071] The third screen 53 displays three heating finishes, "weak," "standard," and "strong," in the finish display section 141. A round mark is displayed below each of the words "weak," "standard," and "strong." When the display on the operation display section 5 switches from the second screen 52 to the third screen 53, the finish display section 141 displays, as a default display, the round mark located below the word "standard" larger than the two round marks located below the other words.

[0072] In addition, the finish display section 141 displays a yellow circle below the word "standard" and the other two circles in black, so that the user can easily understand that the current heating finish is set to "standard."

[0073] The third screen 53 displays two illustrations, one of which indicates increasing the heating output and the other of which indicates decreasing the heating output, on the finish adjustment button 142. The user adjusts the heating finish by touching the finish adjustment button 142.

[0074] Specifically, one of the two finish adjustment buttons 142 displays a left-pointing triangle, and the other displays a right-pointing triangle. The display method according to the present disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, a right-pointing arrow and a left-pointing arrow may be displayed.

[0075] When the user touches the finish adjustment button 142, the size and color of the round mark displayed on the finish display unit 141 change. For example, after the display on the operation display unit 5 switches from the second screen 52 to the third screen 53, if the user touches the finish adjustment button 142 on the right side to increase the heating output, the round mark displayed below the word "standard" becomes smaller and black. At the same time, the round mark displayed below the word "strong" becomes larger and yellow.

[0076] After the display on the operation display unit 5 switches from the second screen 52 to the third screen 53, when the user touches the finish adjustment button 142 on the left side to reduce the heating output, the circle displayed below the word "Standard" becomes smaller and turns black. At the same time, the circle displayed below the word "Weak" becomes larger and turns yellow.

[0077] This allows the user to operate the doneness adjustment button 142 to set the degree of doneness of the food placed on the grill pan 31. If the user does not operate the doneness adjustment button 142 on the third screen 53, it is assumed that the degree of doneness is set to "standard," and heating continues.

[0078] In this embodiment, the third screen 53 displays three levels of doneness, for example, "weak," "standard," and "strong," in the doneness display section 141. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the degree of doneness may be expressed as a number, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

[0079] In this embodiment, when the user presses the start button 8 to start heating while the second screen 52 is displayed, the display on the operation display unit 5 switches from the second screen 52 to the third screen 53. However, for example, the display contents of the second screen 52 and the display contents of the third screen 53 may be integrated and displayed on a single screen.

[0080] Heating may not start when the display on the operation display unit 5 switches from the second screen 52 to the third screen 53, but may start when the user presses the start button 8 after inputting the degree of doneness on the third screen 53. In this case, heating starts when the user presses the start button 8 after inputting the necessary information in the size selection area 10, the ingredient information selection area 12, and the doneness adjustment area 14.

[0081] In this embodiment, the words "grill tray" and "upper tier" are displayed at the top of the second screen 52 and the top of the third screen 53. However, the wording "upper tier" may be changed according to the heating conditions selected in the size selection area 10, the ingredient information selection area 12, and the doneness adjustment area 14.

[0082] For example, if you want to weaken the heating output as shown below, you can change the wording "upper" to "middle" or "lower." The first case is when a size that is considered to be a small amount, such as 25%, is selected in the size selection area 10. The second case is when neither "frozen meat / fish" nor "bone-in meat" is selected in the ingredient information selection area 12. The third case is when the heating finish is set to "weak" in the finish adjustment area 14.

[0083] [1-1-3. Configuration of the control system of the cooking device] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the cooking device 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the cooking device 100 includes a control device 15, an operation display unit 5, a heating unit 16, a sound output unit 17, and a communication unit 25. The control device 15 controls the operation of the cooking device 100. The control device 15 is connected to the operation display unit 5, the heating unit 16, the sound output unit 17, and the communication unit 25. The control device 15 is an example of a controller.

[0084] When the back button 6 (see FIG. 2) is operated, the operation display unit 5 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control device 15. When the cancel button 7 (see FIG. 2) is operated, the operation display unit 5 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control device 15. When the start button 8 (see FIG. 2) is operated, the operation display unit 5 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control device 15. In this way, the operation display unit 5 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the user's operation to the control device 15.

[0085] Heating unit 16 is controlled by control device 15 and heats heating chamber 3. Heating unit 16 includes a magnetron, a radiant heater unit having a radiant heater, a convection unit having a convection heater and circulating hot air inside heating chamber 3, a steam generation unit that generates steam inside heating chamber 3, and a cooling fan.

[0086] The sound output unit 17 is a device such as a speaker that outputs an alarm sound. The communication unit 25 receives cooking constant data transmitted from a server connected via a communication network.

[0087] The control device 15 includes a processor 20 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a memory 18 , and an interface circuit for connecting other devices to the control device 15 .

[0088] The memory 18 is a semiconductor memory that stores a control program 19 and data. The memory 18 includes a non-volatile storage area and a volatile storage area. The volatile storage area functions as a work area for the processor 20. The memory 18 includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0089] The processor 20 reads the control program 19 from the memory 18 and executes the control program. As a result, the processor 20 functions as a reception unit 21, a display control unit 22, a notification unit 23, a heating control unit 24, and a communication control unit 26. In this embodiment, the memory 18 corresponds to a heating condition storage unit. The control program 19 is an example of a program. The processor 20 corresponds to a computer.

[0090] The reception unit 21 receives operations from the user based on operation signals output by the operation display unit 5. The operations on the operation display unit 5 include operations on the back button 6, the cancel button 7, and the start button 8, in addition to operations on the operation display unit 5 itself.

[0091] The display control unit 22 causes the operation display unit 5 to display information corresponding to the operation received by the receiving unit 21. The notification unit 23 causes the sound output unit 17 to notify predetermined content.

[0092] The heating condition setting unit 70 sets the heating conditions in accordance with the operation received by the receiving unit 21. The heating control unit 24 controls the heating unit 16 based on the set heating conditions. The communication control unit 26 controls the heating control unit 24 based on the cooking constant data received by the communication unit 25.

[0093] When the microwave mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the ingredients using the magnetron based on the set heating output and heating time. That is, the heating conditions in the microwave mode are the heating output and heating time.

[0094] When the oven mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the food using the radiant heater and the convection heater based on the set heating temperature and heating time. That is, the heating conditions in the oven mode are the heating temperature and the heating time.

[0095] When the steam mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the food using the radiant heater unit, the convection heater, and the steam generating unit based on the set heating temperature and heating time. That is, the heating conditions in the steam mode are the heating temperature and the heating time.

[0096] When the double-sided grill mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the food using the magnetron, radiant heater, and convection heater based on the set heating time. In other words, the heating condition in the double-sided grill mode is the heating time.

[0097] When the top grill mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the food using the radiant heater and the convection heater based on the set heating time. That is, the heating condition in the top grill mode is the heating time.

[0098] When the bottom grill mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats the food using the magnetron based on the set heating time. That is, the heating condition in the bottom grill mode is the heating time.

[0099] When the automatic grill mode is selected as the heating mode on the first screen 51, the heating control unit 24 heats food using the magnetron and radiant heater based on the set heating conditions. The heating conditions for the automatic grill mode are set by the heating condition setting unit 70 according to the size, type, and cooking finish of the food selected on the second screen 52 and the third screen 53. If necessary, a steam generating unit may be additionally used.

[0100] [1-1-4. Configuration of Heating Condition Map] Fig. 7 shows an overview of the heating condition map 50 in the cooking device 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the heating condition map 50 associates appropriate heating conditions in the heating time and heating sequence with the combination of the size and type of ingredients selected by the user. The heating condition map 50 is stored in the memory 18.

[0101] The heating condition setting unit 70 sets heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on the grill pan 31 by referring to the heating condition map 50 based on reference information including the size, type, and cooking finish of the ingredients. As described above, the size of the ingredients is selected by the size selection unit 11. The type of ingredient is selected by the ingredient information selection unit 13. The cooking finish of the ingredients is selected by the cooking finish adjustment button 142.

[0102] The heating condition map 50 defines the heating sequences and heating times associated with each other according to the following rules (1) to (9).

[0103] Rule (1): When "frozen meat / fish" and / or "meat with bones" are input in the food ingredient information selection unit 13, heating is performed using steam.

[0104] Rule (2): If neither "frozen meat / fish" nor "meat with bones" is selected in the food ingredient information selection unit 13, heating with steam is not performed.

[0105] Rule (3): When both "frozen meat / fish" and "bone-in meat" are selected, the steam heating time is longer than when only "frozen meat / fish" or only "bone-in meat" is selected.

[0106] Rule (4): The larger the size selected in the size selection section 11, the longer the heating time is set.

[0107] Rule (5): When only "frozen meat / fish" is selected in the ingredient information selection unit 13, the heating time is set longer for the former than for the latter when only "bone-in meat" is selected.

[0108] Rule (6): When both "frozen meat / fish" and "bone-in meat" are selected in the ingredient information selection unit 13, the heating time is set longer than when only "frozen meat / fish" is selected, when only "bone-in meat" is selected, or when neither "frozen meat / fish" nor "bone-in meat" is selected.

[0109] Rule (7): When neither "frozen meat / fish" nor "bone-in meat" is selected in the ingredient information selection unit 13, the heating time is set to be shorter than when only "frozen meat / fish" is selected, when only "bone-in meat" is selected, or when both "frozen meat / fish" and "bone-in meat" are selected.

[0110] Rule (8): When the food is heated to "strong", the heating time is set longer than when the food is heated to "standard", and the steam heating time is also set longer.

[0111] Rule (9): When the food is heated to a "weak" temperature, the heating time is set shorter than when the food is heated to a "standard" temperature, and the steam heating time is also set shorter.

[0112] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the cooking device 100 configured as above will be described below. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking device 100. After the cooking device 100 is powered on, it performs the operation shown in Fig. 6.

[0113] 6, the display control unit 22 (see FIG. 5) determines whether the "Omakase Grill" mode has been selected on the first screen 51 (see FIG. 2) via the heating condition input unit 9 (step S1). If the "Omakase Grill" mode has been selected (YES in step S1), the display control unit 22 displays the second screen 52 (see FIG. 3) on the operation display unit 5 (see FIG. 2) (step S2). If the "Omakase Grill" mode has not been selected (NO in step S1), the process returns to step S1.

[0114] The display control unit 22 determines whether or not an ingredient size has been selected via the size selection unit 11 (see FIG. 5) on the second screen 52 (step S3). If a size has been selected (YES in step S3), the display control unit 22 determines whether or not ingredient information has been selected (step S4). If not (NO in step S3), the process returns to step S3.

[0115] If ingredient information is selected (YES in step S4), the heating condition setting unit 70 (see FIG. 5) sets the heating conditions (step S5). "Setting the heating conditions" specifically refers to setting the type of heating unit 16 (see FIG. 5) to be used and the heating time. As described above, the heating unit 16 includes a magnetron, a radiant heater, a tube heater, a surface heater, and a steam generating unit.

[0116] Even if no ingredient information is selected (NO in step S4), the heating condition setting unit 70 sets the heating conditions (step S5). If the start button 8 (see FIG. 2) is pressed (YES in step S6), the heating control unit 24 (see FIG. 5) causes the heating unit 16 to start heating (step S7). If not (NO in step S6), the process returns to step S1.

[0117] After the heating starts, the display control unit 22 displays the third screen 53 (see FIG. 4) on the operation display unit 5 (step S8). If the heating finish is set on the third screen 53 as described in FIG. 4 (YES in step S9), the heating condition setting unit 70 resets the heating conditions (step S10). If not (NO in step S9), the process proceeds to step S11.

[0118] If the heating finish is set (YES in step S9), the heating control unit 24 continues heating according to the reset heating conditions (step S11) and stores the heating conditions currently being implemented in the memory 18 (see Figure 5) (step S12).

[0119] The heating conditions stored in memory 18 are displayed as defaults the next time heating is set. Therefore, when using the automatic grill mode using heating conditions similar to those previously set, the heating conditions can be recalled from memory 18, eliminating the need to reset the conditions. This improves the ease of use of cooking device 100. After heating is completed, cooking device 100 stops.

[0120] [1-3. Effects, etc.] In this embodiment, the cooking device 100 includes a grill pan 31 (heating pan), an operation display unit 5, and a heating condition setting unit .

[0121] The operation and display unit 5 can display information related to cooking and can be operated by the user. The display control unit causes the operation and display unit 5 to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of the food placed on the grill pan 31. The heating condition setting unit 70 sets the heating conditions based on the operation signal output by the operation and display unit 5.

[0122] This allows the cooking appliance 100 to set heating conditions according to the size of the ingredients. Conventionally, there are known examples in which the weight of ingredients is measured using a weight detection sensor or the like, and the heating conditions are determined based on the results of the weight measurement. In this case, the weight detection sensor must be installed in the cooking appliance.

[0123] If the user measures the weight of ingredients using a scale outside the cooking appliance 100 and inputs the measurement result into the cooking appliance 100, it will be time-consuming for the user. Techniques for determining heating conditions by inputting the number of ingredients are already known. However, since ingredients placed on the grill pan 31 come in a variety of sizes, the conventional method for setting heating conditions described above may not be suitable for some ingredients.

[0124] The heating cooker 100 according to this embodiment can easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on the grill pan 31 simply by inputting the size of the food as visually observed by the user.

[0125] In this embodiment, the input unit may display the size of the food placed on grill pan 31 using numerical values ​​and / or illustrations. This allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on grill pan 31, improving user convenience.

[0126] In this embodiment, the input unit may have multiple selection sections that display at least one of numerical values ​​and illustrations, which allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on grill pan 31, improving user convenience.

[0127] In this embodiment, the size of the food placed on grill pan 31 may be the ratio of the area of ​​the food to the area of ​​the top surface of grill pan 31. This allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on grill pan 31 simply by inputting the size of the food as seen by eye.

[0128] In this embodiment, the size of the food placed on grill pan 31 may be the ratio of the volume of the food to the volume of heating chamber 3. This allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on grill pan 31 simply by inputting the size of the food as seen by eye.

[0129] In this embodiment, the operation display unit 5 further displays an ingredient information input unit (ingredient information selection area 12) for the user to input information about ingredients placed on the grill pan 31. The heating conditions may be set according to the input content entered by the user in the input unit and the input content entered in the ingredient information input unit.

[0130] This allows the heating conditions to be set based on reference information about both the size and type of food, making it easy to set heating conditions that are best suited to the food placed on grill pan 31.

[0131] In this embodiment, the operation display unit 5 further displays a finish input unit (finish adjustment area 14) for the user to input the cooking finish of the ingredients placed on the grill pan 31. The heating conditions may be set according to the input content entered via the input unit, the ingredient information input unit, and the finish input unit.

[0132] This allows the heating conditions to be set according to the size and type of food, as well as the desired doneness of the food, making it easy to set heating conditions that are best suited to the food placed on the grill pan 31.

[0133] In this embodiment, the cooking device 100 further includes a heating condition storage unit (memory 18) that stores the heating conditions set by the heating condition setting unit 70. The operation display unit may display the heating conditions stored in the heating condition storage unit at the time of the next cooking. This allows the heating conditions used last time to be displayed as defaults at the time of the next cooking, without the need to manually set them. This improves user convenience.

[0134] In this embodiment, the operation display unit may change the display of the grill pan 31's storage position in response to inputs from at least one of the input unit, food ingredient information input unit, and finish input unit. This allows the user to set heating conditions based on the size and type of food and the desired doneness of the food. This makes it easy to set heating conditions that are optimal for the food placed on the grill pan 31.

[0135] Second Embodiment Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0136] [2-1. Overall Configuration and Operation] FIG. 8 is a front view of the operation display unit 5 displaying the second screen 52 in the cooking appliance 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0137] As shown in Fig. 8, the operation display unit 5 of the cooking appliance 100 according to this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that it has a size input area 60. The size input area 60 has a size value display area 61 and a size change area 62. The size change area 62 has a size increase button 63 and a size decrease button 64. The value displayed in the size value display area 61 indicates the size of the food placed on the grill pan 31.

[0138] In this embodiment, the size of the ingredients is displayed using a segment display method, but the display is not limited to the segment display and may be, for example, a dot matrix display method.

[0139] The user operates the size increase button 63 or the size decrease button 64 to change the number displayed in the size number display section 61 to any value between 0 and 100. The number displayed in the size number display section 61 may be increased or decreased by one value with each operation of the size increase button 63 or the size decrease button 64, or may be increased or decreased by two or more values, for example, by five or ten.

[0140] In this embodiment, the size numeric display section 61 corresponds to the numeric display section. The size change section 62 corresponds to the numeric operation section. The size increase button 63 and the size decrease button 64 correspond to the first numeric operation section and the second numeric operation section, respectively.

[0141] [2-2. Effects, etc.] In this embodiment, the size selection area 10 (input section) includes a size numeric display section 61 (numeric display section) and a size change section 62 (numeric operation section). The size numeric display section 61 displays the size of the food placed on the grill pan 31 as a numeric value.

[0142] The size change unit 62 includes a size increase button 63 (first numerical operation unit) and a size decrease button 64 (second numerical operation unit), and can change the size of the ingredient by a predetermined numerical value. The size increase button 63 increases the size of the ingredient by the predetermined numerical value, and the size decrease button 64 decreases the size of the ingredient by the predetermined numerical value.

[0143] The input unit may be configured such that the user can change the numerical value of the size of the food placed on the grill pan 31 displayed on the size numerical display unit 61 by operating the size change unit 62 .

[0144] This allows the size of the ingredients to be set more accurately than in the selection of the size of the ingredients in embodiment 1. Therefore, heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on grill pan 31 can be set.

[0145] Third Embodiment Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0146] 9 is a front view of the operation display unit 5 displaying the second screen 52 in the cooking appliance 100 according to the present embodiment. The operation display unit 5 of the cooking appliance 100 according to the present embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that it has a size input area 60. The size input area 60 has a size numerical value display area 61 and a size change area 62.

[0147] The size change unit 62 has a gauge unit 621 and a size adjustment button 622. The portion of the gauge unit 621 located to the left of the size adjustment button 622 is painted black, allowing the user to visually recognize the currently set position of the size adjustment button 622 and the numerical size displayed in the size numerical display unit 61.

[0148] The number displayed in size number display section 61 indicates the size of the food placed on grill pan 31. The user can change the number displayed in size number display section 61 between 0 and 100 by sliding size adjustment button 622 left or right.

[0149] When the user slides the size adjustment button 622 to the right, the number displayed in the size numerical display section 61 increases in accordance with the movement of the size adjustment button 622. Furthermore, in accordance with the movement of the size adjustment button 622, the portion of the gauge section 621 located to the left of the size adjustment button 622 is filled in black.

[0150] When the user slides the size adjustment button 622 to the left, the number displayed in the size numerical display section 61 decreases in accordance with the movement of the size adjustment button 622. Furthermore, in accordance with the movement of the size adjustment button 622, the portion of the gauge section 621 located to the right of the size adjustment button 622 is filled in white.

[0151] The numerical value displayed in the size numerical value display section 61 may increase or decrease by one increment depending on the movement of the size adjustment button 622, or may increase or decrease by two or more numerical values, for example, by five or ten.

[0152] In this embodiment, the size and numerical value display section 61 corresponds to a numerical value display section, and the size change section 62 corresponds to a numerical value operation section.

[0153] [3-2. Effects, etc.] According to this embodiment, by sliding the size adjustment button 622 in the size input area 60 of the operation display unit 5, the numerical value displayed in the size numerical display unit 61 can be changed to any value between 0 and 100.

[0154] This allows the size of the ingredients to be set more accurately than in the selection of the size of the ingredients in embodiment 1. Therefore, heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on grill pan 31 can be set.

[0155] In the second and third embodiments, methods for changing the numbers displayed on the size numeric display unit 61 are disclosed. However, there are various methods for changing the numbers displayed on the size numeric display unit 61 and the sizes of ingredients, and the present disclosure is not limited to the display methods according to these embodiments.

[0156] (Embodiment 4) In Embodiments 1 to 3, the user sets the size of the ingredients placed on the grill pan 31 on the operation and display unit 5 of the cooking appliance 100. However, for example, an information terminal device carried by the user may be used instead of the cooking appliance 100. That is, the user may set the size of the ingredients on the operation and display unit of the information terminal device, and the cooking appliance 100 may receive the set information from the information terminal device.

[0157] Furthermore, in the case of the cooking device 100 having a camera disposed in the heating chamber 3, the camera may be used to take an image of the interior of the heating chamber 3, and the image may be analyzed to automatically determine the size of the food material. Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11 .

[0158] 4-1. Setting of Cooking Conditions in Cooking Condition Setting System With reference to FIG. 10, setting of heating conditions for the cooker 100 in the cooking condition setting system 200 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0159] Fig. 10 is a diagram for schematically explaining the cooking condition setting system 200. As shown in Fig. 10, the cooking condition setting system 200 is configured in a server connected to a communication network 300, and has a heating condition map 50.

[0160] Each of the cooking appliance 100 and the information terminal device 400 communicates with the cooking condition setting system 200 via a wireless router 600 installed in the home 500 and an external communication network 300. The wireless router 600 complies with communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0161] The information terminal device 400 is a communication terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or mobile phone carried by a user U. The display device 410 of the information terminal device 400 has a configuration in which a touch sensor is arranged on the surface of a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. As will be described later, the information terminal device 400 executes a cooking support app and causes the display device 410 to display a screen that prompts the user to perform the following operations.

[0162] When using the information terminal device 400, communication with the cooking condition setting system 200 may be performed at home 500 via a wireless router 600 and the communication network 300. Communication with the cooking condition setting system 200 may be performed at a location other than home 500 via a communication line of a telecommunications company, the wireless router 600, and the communication network 300.

[0163] The operation of inputting the size of ingredients means inputting the size of ingredients placed on grill pan 31 via information terminal device 400 .

[0164] The input operation of the type of food material means inputting the type of food material placed on grill pan 31 via information terminal device 400 .

[0165] The input operation of the degree of doneness of the food material is to input the degree of doneness of the food material placed on the grill pan 31 via the information terminal device 400 .

[0166] The ingredient information FDi input by the above input operation is transmitted from the information terminal device 400 to the cooking condition setting system 200. The cooking condition setting system 200 compares the ingredient information FDi with the heating condition map 50 to set the heating conditions of the cooker 100.

[0167] The cooking condition setting system 200 transmits the set heating condition data CCi to the information terminal device 400 and displays the heating conditions on the display device 410. The user U checks the heating conditions displayed on the display device 410, and if there are no problems, gives an instruction to transmit the heating conditions.

[0168] In response to the instruction, the cooking condition setting system 200 transmits the heating condition data CCi to the cooking appliance 100. As a result, the heating conditions for the food placed on the grill pan 31 in the cooking appliance 100 are set.

[0169] 4-2. Configuration of Cooking Condition Setting System The configuration of the cooking condition setting system 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0170] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of cooking condition setting system 200. As shown in Fig. 11, cooking condition setting system 200 is a computer system including a communication unit 210, a processor 220, and a memory 230. In cooking condition setting system 200, communication unit 210 communicates with information terminal device 400 via communication network 300.

[0171] In addition to the display device 410, the information terminal device 400 includes a processor 401, a memory 420, and a communication unit 210. The memory 420 stores a program for a cooking support app 421. By executing the cooking support app 421, the processor 401 supports the user in inputting information about ingredients placed on the grill pan 31.

[0172] In the cooking condition setting system 200, the memory 230 stores a cooking condition setting program 231 and a heating condition map 232. The processor 220 reads the heating condition map 232 and the cooking condition setting program 231 from the memory 230, and executes the cooking condition setting program 231 by referring to the heating condition map 232.

[0173] As a result, the processor 220 functions as an ingredient information acquisition unit 221 , a heating condition setting unit 222 , and a heating condition display unit 223 .

[0174] In this embodiment, the processor 220 corresponds to a computer, and the memory 230 corresponds to a heating condition storage unit.

[0175] (Other Embodiments) The above-described embodiment is an example of the technology according to the present disclosure. The technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be applied to similar embodiments in which the components of the above-described embodiment are modified, replaced, added, or omitted.

[0176] In the above embodiment, the microwave oven is an example of the cooking appliance 100 according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is also applicable to cooking appliances other than microwave ovens.

[0177] The control device 15 according to the present disclosure may be any device capable of controlling the cooking appliance 100. Therefore, the control device 15 may be expressed as a controller or other similar term.

[0178] The control device 15 can be configured in various ways. In the present disclosure, a processor is used as the control device 15. The processor can perform various processes by reading a program from a storage medium and executing the program. In this case, the process content can be easily changed by changing the program stored in the storage medium.

[0179] The processor includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit).The storage medium includes a hard disk, a flash memory, and an optical disk.

[0180] The control device 15 may be configured using wired logic, which does not allow reprogramming. A control device 15 using wired logic is effective in improving processing speed. Wired logic includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0181] The control device 15 may be configured by combining a processor and wired logic, which increases the degree of freedom in software design and improves the processing speed.

[0182] The control device 15 and a circuit having a function different from that of the control device 15 may be configured by a single semiconductor element. The circuit having a different function is, for example, an A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit or a D / A (digital / analog) conversion circuit.

[0183] The control device 15 may be configured with one semiconductor device or multiple semiconductor devices. In the latter case, the control described in this disclosure may be performed by separate semiconductor devices. The control device 15 may include semiconductor devices and passive components such as resistors or capacitors.

[0184] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0185] The present disclosure relates to a cooking device that can cook food placed on a heating tray, the cooking device including an operation display unit, a display control unit, and a heating condition setting unit.

[0186] The operation display unit can display information about cooking and can be operated by a user. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of ingredients placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets heating conditions based on the operation signal output by the operation display unit.

[0187] According to this configuration, the cooking device 100 can set the heating conditions according to the size of the ingredients. When the weight of the ingredients is measured using a weight detection sensor or the like and the heating conditions are determined using the measurement result of the weight of the ingredients, the user needs to operate the cooking device to measure the weight of the ingredients.

[0188] Techniques for determining heating conditions by inputting the number of ingredients are already known. However, since ingredients placed on a heating tray come in a variety of sizes, the conventional method for setting heating conditions described above may not be suitable for some ingredients. The cooking device 100 according to the present embodiment allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on the heating tray simply by inputting the size of the ingredients as visually observed by the user.

[0189] In the heating cooker according to technology (2), in addition to the configuration according to technology (1), the input unit displays the size of the food material placed on the heating tray using numerical values ​​and / or illustrations.

[0190] This configuration improves the convenience for the user when selecting and inputting the size of ingredients, and also makes it possible to easily set heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on the heating tray.

[0191] A cooking device according to technology (3) has the same configuration as technology (1) or (2), and further, the input unit has a plurality of selection units that display both or either of numerical values ​​and illustrations.

[0192] This configuration reduces the user's effort when setting the size of the ingredients placed on the heating tray, and allows the user to easily set heating conditions suitable for the ingredients placed on the heating tray.

[0193] In the cooking device according to the technology (4), in addition to the configuration according to the technology (1), the input unit includes a numerical display unit and a numerical operation unit. The numerical display unit displays the size of the food material placed on the heating tray as a numerical value.

[0194] The numerical manipulation unit includes a first numerical manipulation unit and a second numerical manipulation unit, and is capable of changing the size of the ingredient by a predetermined numerical value. The first numerical manipulation unit increases the size by the predetermined numerical value, and the second numerical manipulation unit decreases the size by the predetermined numerical value.

[0195] The input unit allows the user to change the numerical value of the size of the food material placed on the heating tray, which is displayed on the numerical display unit, by operating the numerical operation unit.

[0196] With this configuration, the size of the ingredients can be input more precisely than when the input unit has multiple selection units, and heating conditions that are more suitable for the ingredients placed on the heating tray can be easily set.

[0197] The heating cooker according to technology (5) has the configuration according to any one of technologies (1) to (4), and in addition, the size of the food placed on the heating plate is the ratio of the area of ​​the food to the area of ​​the top surface of the heating plate.

[0198] According to this configuration, the user can easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on the heating tray simply by inputting the size of the food as visually observed.

[0199] The heating cooker according to technology (6) has the configuration according to any one of technologies (1) to (4), and in addition, the size of the food placed on the heating tray is the ratio of the volume of the food to the volume of the heating chamber.

[0200] According to this configuration, the user can easily set heating conditions suitable for the food placed on the heating tray simply by inputting the size of the food as visually observed.

[0201] In a cooking device according to technology (7), in addition to the configuration according to any one of technologies (1) to (6), the operation display unit further has an ingredient information input unit for the user to input information about the ingredients placed on the heating tray. The heating conditions are set according to the input content of the input unit and the ingredient information input unit input by the user.

[0202] This configuration allows the heating conditions to be set based on reference information about both the size and type of food, making it easy to set heating conditions that are best suited to the food placed on the heating tray.

[0203] A cooking device according to technology (8) has the configuration according to any one of technologies (1) to (7), and further has the operation display unit further display a finish input unit for the user to input the finished cooking condition of the ingredients placed on the heating tray. The heating conditions are set according to the input contents input via the input unit, the ingredient information input unit, and the finish input unit.

[0204] This configuration allows the heating conditions to be set according to the size and type of food, as well as the desired doneness of the food, making it easy to set heating conditions that are best suited to the food placed on the heating tray.

[0205] The cooking device according to the technology (9) has the configuration according to any one of the technologies (1) to (8), and further includes a heating condition storage unit that stores the heating conditions set by the heating condition setting unit. The operation display unit displays the heating conditions stored in the heating condition storage unit at the time of the next cooking.

[0206] According to this configuration, the heating conditions used previously can be displayed as defaults the next time cooking is performed, without the need to manually set them, thereby improving user convenience.

[0207] The heating cooker according to technology (10) has the configuration according to any one of technologies (1) to (9), and changes the display of the storage position of the heating tray according to the input contents of at least one of the input unit, the food ingredient information input unit, and the finished product input unit.

[0208] This configuration allows the heating conditions to be set according to the size and type of food and the desired doneness of the food, making it easy to set heating conditions that are best suited to the food placed on the heating tray.

[0209] The cooking condition setting system of the present technology is configured to set heating conditions for a cooking device capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray. The cooking condition setting system of the present technology includes an operation display unit, a display control unit, and a heating condition setting unit.

[0210] The operation display unit can display information related to cooking and can be operated by the user. The display control unit causes the operation display unit to display an input unit that allows the user to visually recognize and input the size of the food placed on the heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets the heating conditions for the food based on the operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to the user's operation.

[0211] Technology (12) is a cooking condition setting method for setting heating conditions for a heating cooker capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray, using an operation display unit that can display information about heating cooking and that can be operated by a user.

[0212] The cooking condition setting method according to the present technology includes the steps of displaying a setting key on the operation display unit for inputting the size of ingredients placed on a heating tray, and setting heating conditions for the ingredients based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to a user's operation of the setting key.

[0213] Technology (13) is a cooking condition setting program executed by a computer to set heating conditions of a cooking device capable of cooking ingredients placed on a heating tray, using an operation display unit that can display information about cooking and can be operated by a user.

[0214] A cooking condition setting program according to the present technology causes a computer to function as a display control unit and a heating condition setting unit. The display control unit causes an input unit to be displayed on an operation display unit, allowing a user to visually recognize and input the size of ingredients placed on a heating tray. The heating condition setting unit sets heating conditions for the ingredients based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit in response to a user's operation. Note that technology (13) may also be a storage medium that stores the program.

[0215] The present disclosure is applicable to microwave ovens, ovens, rice cookers, automatic cooking pots, induction heating (IH) cooking heaters, and the like.

[0216] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Main body 2 Door 3 Heating chamber 4 Water tank 5 Operation display section 6 Back button 7 Cancel button 8 Start button 9 Heating condition input section 10 Size selection area (input section) 11 Size selection section 12 Ingredient information selection area (ingredient information input section) 13 Ingredient information selection section 14 Finishing adjustment area (finishing input section) 15 Control device 16 Heating section 17 Sound output section 18 Memory (heating condition storage section) 19 Control program 20 Processor 21 Reception section 22 Display control section 23 Notification section 24 Heating control section 25 Communication section 26 Communication control section 31 Grill plate (heating plate) 32 Grill plate information area 33 Circle 34 Dot 50 Heating condition map 51 First screen 52 Second screen 53 Third screen 60 Size input area 61 Numerical size display section (numeric display section) 62 Size change section (numeric operation section) 63 Size increase button (first numerical operation section) 64 Size decrease button (second numerical operation section) 621 Gauge section 622 Size adjustment button 70 Heating condition setting section 100 Heating cooker 141 Doneness display section 142 Doneness adjustment button 200 Cooking condition setting system 210 Communication unit 220, 401 Processor 221 Ingredient information acquisition section 222 Heating condition setting section 223 Heating condition display section 230 Memory (heating condition storage section) 231 Cooking condition setting program 232 Heating condition map 300 Communication network 400 Information terminal device 410 Display device 420 Memory 421 Cooking support app 500 Home 600 Wireless router

Claims

1. A cooking appliance capable of cooking food placed on a heating dish, comprising: an operation display unit capable of displaying information related to cooking and operable by a user; a display control unit for displaying, on the operation display unit, an input unit for visually recognizing and inputting the size of the food placed on the heating dish by the user; and a heating condition setting unit configured to set heating conditions based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit according to the user's operation.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the input unit is configured to display the size of the food placed on the heating dish using both or one of a numerical value and an illustration.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the input unit has a plurality of selection units for displaying both or one of a numerical value and an illustration.

4. The input unit includes: a numerical value display unit configured to display the size of the food placed on the heating dish as a numerical value; and a numerical value operation unit capable of changing the size of the food by a predetermined numerical value. The input unit is configured such that the user can change the numerical value of the size of the food placed on the heating dish displayed on the numerical value display unit by operating the numerical value operation unit. The cooking appliance according to claim 1.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the size of the food placed on the heating dish is the ratio of the area of the food to the area of the upper surface of the heating dish.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a heating chamber for accommodating the heating dish, wherein the size of the food placed on the heating dish is the ratio of the volume of the food to the volume of the heating chamber.

7. The operation display unit further has a food information input unit configured to allow the user to input information about the food placed on the heating dish. The heating conditions are set according to the input content of the input unit and the input content of the food information input unit input by the user. The cooking appliance according to claim 1.

8. The operation display unit further displays a finish input unit configured to allow the user to input the cooking finish state of the food placed on the heating dish. The heating conditions are set according to the input content input via the input unit, the food information input unit, and the finish input unit. The cooking appliance according to claim 7.

9. The cooking heater according to claim 1, further comprising a heating condition storage unit that stores the heating conditions set by the heating condition setting unit, wherein the operation display unit is configured to display the heating conditions stored by the heating condition storage unit during the next cooking operation.

10. The cooking heater according to claim 8, wherein the operation display unit changes the display of the storage position of the heating plate according to the input content of at least one of the input unit, the food ingredient information input unit, and the finished product input unit.

11. A cooking condition setting system for setting heating conditions for a cooking heater capable of cooking food placed on a heating plate, comprising: an operation display unit capable of displaying information related to cooking and operable by a user; a display control unit configured to display, on the operation display unit, an input unit for visually recognizing and inputting the size of the food placed on the heating plate by the user; and a heating condition setting unit configured to set the heating conditions for the food based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit according to the operation of the user.

12. A cooking condition setting method for setting heating conditions for a cooking heater capable of cooking food placed on a heating plate, using an operation display unit capable of displaying information related to cooking and operable by a user, the method comprising: displaying, on the operation display unit, a setting key for inputting the size of the food placed on the heating plate; and setting the heating conditions for the food based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit according to the operation of the user with respect to the setting key.

13. A cooking condition setting program executed by a computer to set heating conditions for a cooking heater capable of cooking food placed on a heating plate, using an operation display unit capable of displaying information related to cooking and operable by a user, the program causing the computer to function as: a display control unit configured to display, on the operation display unit, an input unit for visually recognizing and inputting the size of the food placed on the heating plate by the user; and a heating condition setting unit configured to set the heating conditions for the food based on an operation signal output by the operation display unit according to the operation of the user.

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