Automatic cooking device and automatic cooking method

Abstract

Provided is an automatic cooking device and an automatic cooking method with which the trained mixing skills of a cook are reproduced more realistically and to a higher degree to cook a wide variety of dishes while preventing an unintended erroneous operation by a third person who is not a user of the automatic cooking device. When a code reading part 820 reads a code, an operation panel 810 of a control unit 800 becomes capable of receiving a cooking instruction for a dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading part 820. A holding unit control part 800A of the control unit 800 drives and controls a container body driving motor 222 and a stirring member driving motor 223 of the container holding unit 200 by drive control data according to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading part 820 on the basis of the cooking instruction received by the operation panel 810.

Description

Automatic cooking device and automatic cooking method

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic cooking device and an automatic cooking method, and in particular to an automatic cooking device that stirs and cooks ingredients contained in a cooking container having a container body that contains ingredients and a stirring member that is attached to the container body and rotates on its own axis, and an automatic cooking method using the same.

[0002] In recent years, the food service industry has been moving toward automation of cooking operations due to various factors, such as securing chefs, maintaining cooking skills, and improving the cooking environment. Conventionally, an automatic cooking device has been known that includes a container holding unit that holds a cylindrical, bottomed cooking container, a rotation unit that rotates the cooking container held by the container holding unit between a front area and a rear area of ​​a cooking table, and a control unit that drives and controls the container holding unit and the rotation unit, and at least stirs and cooks ingredients contained in the cooking container, in which the cooking container has a stirring member attached to the inner bottom or inner surface of the container body that protrudes into the interior space of the container body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-175791

[0004] While the automatic cooking device described above is primarily intended to be installed in restaurants, it is also envisioned that such an automatic cooking device could be installed in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, where ordinary consumers who purchase ingredients at the store could use the automatic cooking device to prepare a dish using the purchased ingredients. When an automatic cooking device is installed in a store, there is a risk that third parties other than the user of the automatic cooking device may come into contact with the automatic cooking device, and it is necessary to prevent erroneous operation by third parties.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above. In other words, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic cooking device and an automatic cooking method that can cook a wide variety of dishes by more realistically and highly reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef while preventing unintentional erroneous operation by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device.

[0006] The invention according to claim 1 is an automatic cooking device comprising a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom for containing ingredients and a stirring member for stirring the ingredients contained in the container body, a container holding unit for holding the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall freely, and a control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, wherein the automatic cooking device stirs and cooks the ingredients contained in the container body with the stirring member, and automatically cooks a dish, wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor for rotating the container body of the cooking container on its own axis, a stirring member drive motor for rotating the stirring member of the cooking container on its own axis independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle for raising and lowering the cooking container, and the control unit has a holding unit control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, and The device has an input unit that accepts cooking instructions for the unit, a data memory unit that stores drive control data for the container holding unit corresponding to the dish, and a code reading unit that reads the code corresponding to the dish, and when the code reading unit reads the code, the input unit of the control unit can accept cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit, and the holding unit control unit of the control unit solves the above-mentioned problem by driving and controlling the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit based on the cooking instructions accepted by the input unit and the drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit.

[0007] The invention of claim 2 solves the above-mentioned problem by further comprising, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 1, a container washing unit that is controlled by the washing unit control unit of the control unit to wash the cooking containers, and a data memory unit of the control unit stores washing operation control data of the container washing unit corresponding to the dish, and the washing unit control unit of the control unit controls the container washing unit using the washing operation control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit based on the washing instruction received by the input unit.

[0008] The invention of claim 3 further solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 2, the container holding unit having an uneven state detection sensor that detects the uneven state of the cooking container, and if the uneven state of the cooking container changes due to operation of the handle of the container holding unit while the container washing unit is washing the cooking container, the control unit stops the container washing unit from washing the cooking container.

[0009] The invention of claim 4 further solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 1, further providing a container cover that can be freely flipped up to cover the container body of the cooking container.

[0010] The invention of claim 5, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 4, further comprises a flip-up detection sensor that detects the flip-up of the container cover, and when the flip-up detection sensor detects the flip-up of the container cover while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and stirring member of the cooking container, the control unit stops the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit, thereby further solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0011] The invention of claim 6 further solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 1, the container holding unit having an uneven state detection sensor that detects the uneven state of the cooking container, and when the uneven state detection sensor of the container holding unit detects the uneven state of the cooking container while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and stirring member of the cooking container, the control unit stops the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit.

[0012] The invention of claim 7, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking device described in claim 1, further comprises a container heating unit that heats the cooking container under heating control of the heating unit control unit of the control unit, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the heating surface of the cooking container, and when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the heating surface of the cooking container is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit stops heating the cooking container by the container heating unit, thereby further solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0013] The invention according to claim 8 provides a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom for containing ingredients and a stirring member for stirring the ingredients contained in the container body, a container holding unit for holding the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall, and a control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor for rotating the container body of the cooking container, a stirring member drive motor for rotating the stirring member of the cooking container independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle for raising and lowering the cooking container, and the control unit has a holding unit control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, an input unit for receiving cooking instructions for the container holding unit, a data storage unit for storing drive control data for the container holding unit corresponding to the dish, and This automatic cooking method uses an automatic cooking device that has a code reading unit that reads a code corresponding to a dish and that uses the stirring member to stir and cook ingredients contained in the container body to automatically cook a dish, and solves the above-mentioned problems by comprising: a code reading step in which the code reading unit of the control unit reads the code; a cooking instruction receiving step in which the input unit of the control unit receives cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit; and a cooking step in which, based on the cooking instructions to the input unit of the control unit, the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit are driven and controlled using the drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit.

[0014] The invention of claim 9 solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the automatic cooking method described in claim 8, further comprising: the automatic cooking device further comprising a container washing unit that is controlled by the washing unit control unit of the control unit to wash the cooking container; and a pre-washing judgment step that determines whether or not to wash the cooking container using the container washing unit after the code reading step and before the cooking step.

[0015] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 1, when the code reading unit reads a code, the input unit of the control unit can accept cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit.Since the input unit does not accept cooking instructions when the automatic cooking device has not read a code, not only is it possible to prevent unintentional erroneous operation by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device, but the holding unit control unit of the control unit drives and controls the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit based on the cooking instructions received by the input unit, thereby driving and controlling the container body and stirring member according to the dish to be cooked, thereby more realistically and to a higher degree reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef, making it possible to cook a wide variety of dishes.

[0016] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 1, the cleaning unit control unit of the control unit controls the container cleaning unit using cleaning operation control data according to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit based on the cleaning instruction received by the input unit, thereby controlling the container cleaning unit according to the dish to be cooked, and therefore cleaning time and cleaning power can be optimized according to the cooking content.

[0017] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 2, if the state of the cooking container changes due to operation of the handle of the container holding unit while the container washing unit is washing the cooking container, the control unit stops the washing of the cooking container by the container washing unit.Therefore, even if the handle is accidentally touched while washing the cooking container and the state of the cooking container changes, the washing of the cooking container will stop, thereby preventing the high-temperature rinsing water used to wash the cooking container from splashing around.

[0018] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 1, it is further equipped with a container cover that can be freely flipped up to cover the container body of the cooking container, making it possible to cover the container body with the container cover during stirring cooking, making it less likely that ingredients inside the container body will fly out to the outside during stirring cooking and preventing foreign matter from getting into the container body.

[0019] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 4, if the flip-up detection sensor detects the container cover flipping up while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and the stirring member of the cooking container, the control unit stops the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit.As a result, even if the container cover is accidentally flipped up during stirring cooking in the cooking container, the rotation of the cooking container stops, thereby reliably preventing ingredients in the cooking container from scattering around during stirring cooking in the cooking container.

[0020] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 6, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 1, if the container holding unit's up-and-down state detection sensor detects the up-and-down state of the cooking container while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and the stirring member of the cooking container, the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit is stopped.As a result, even if the handle is accidentally touched during stirring cooking in the cooking container and the up-and-down state of the cooking container changes, the rotation of the cooking container is stopped, and therefore, even if the up-and-down state of the cooking container changes during stirring cooking in the cooking container, ingredients in the cooking container can be prevented from scattering around.

[0021] According to the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 7, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking device of the invention of claim 1, when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the heating surface of the cooking container is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit stops heating of the cooking container by the container heating unit, making it less likely that the cooking container will be abnormally heated by the container heating unit, thereby preventing abnormal heating of the cooking container that can occur when ingredients (especially liquid seasonings) are added to the cooking container in the wrong order.

[0022] According to the automatic cooking method of the invention of claim 8, the input section of the control unit is provided with a cooking instruction receiving step in which cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading section are received. This means that the input section will not receive cooking instructions when the automatic cooking device has not read a code, preventing unintentional erroneous operation by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device. Not only that, but also a cooking step is provided in which, based on the cooking instructions to the input section, the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit are driven and controlled using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading section. This means that the container body and the stirring member are driven and controlled according to the dish to be cooked, thereby more realistically and to a higher degree reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef, making it possible to cook a wide variety of dishes.

[0023] According to the automatic cooking method of the invention of claim 9, in addition to the effects achieved by the automatic cooking method of the invention of claim 8, a pre-cleaning decision step is provided after the code reading step and before the cooking step to decide whether or not to clean the cooking container using the container cleaning unit, making it possible to clean the cooking container before putting ingredients into it, and therefore making it possible to prepare a new dish with the inside of the cooking container reliably cleaned.

[0024] 1 is a perspective view of an automatic cooking device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; a left side view of the automatic cooking device 10 shown in FIG. 1; a partial cross-sectional view taken from direction III in FIG. 2; a hardware configuration diagram of the control unit 800 shown in FIG. 1; a system configuration diagram of the automatic cooking device 10 shown in FIG. 1; a perspective view of the automatic cooking device 10 in its initial state; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 in its initial state; a flowchart illustrating the steps related to "registering a dish to be cooked" in an automatic cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 when the code reader 820 reads a code; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to confirm a dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 shown in FIG. 1; a flowchart illustrating the steps related to "cooking preparation" in an automatic cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the user to change the orientation of the cooking container 300 to a cooking position; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to accept input for pre-washing; an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to perform pre-washing. 1 is a flowchart illustrating steps related to "cooking" in an automatic cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to cover the sink 120 with the serving plate 131. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to wipe the inside of the cooking container 300. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to add ingredients into the cooking container 300. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 showing the preparation procedure for a dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10. A flowchart illustrating steps related to "post-processing" in an automatic cooking method according to an embodiment of the present invention. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to place a plate D on the serving plate 131. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to change the cooking container 300 to a serving position. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to serve food from the cooking container 300 onto the plate D. A schematic diagram showing the operation of serving food from the cooking container 300 onto the plate D. An example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the operator to slide the serving plate 131. 10 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 for cleaning the cooking vessel 300. FIG. 11 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 while the cooking vessel 300 is being cleaned. FIG.

[0025] The automatic cooking device of the present invention comprises a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom that contains ingredients and a stirring member that stirs the ingredients contained in the container body, a container holding unit that holds the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall, and a control unit that drives and controls the container holding unit, and automatically cooks a dish by stirring and cooking the ingredients contained in the container body with the stirring member, wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor that rotates the container body of the cooking container on its own axis, a stirring member drive motor that rotates the stirring member of the cooking container on its own axis independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle that raises and lowers the cooking container, and the control unit has a holding unit control unit that drives and controls the container holding unit, an input unit that receives cooking instructions for the container holding unit, and a control unit that controls the drive of the container holding unit corresponding to the dish. The specific implementation of the automatic cooking device is not limited to a specific one, as long as it has a data storage unit that stores data and a code reading unit that reads a code corresponding to a dish, and when the code reading unit reads a code, the input unit of the control unit can accept cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit, and the holding unit control unit of the control unit drives and controls the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit based on the cooking instructions accepted by the input unit, preventing unintentional erroneous operation by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device, while more realistically and highly reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef, and cooking a wide variety of dishes.The automatic cooking method of the present invention also includes a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom for containing ingredients and a stirring member for stirring the ingredients contained in the container body, a container holding unit for holding the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall, and a control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor for rotating the container body of the cooking container on its own axis, a stirring member drive motor for rotating the stirring member of the cooking container on its own axis independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle for raising and lowering the cooking container, and the control unit has a holding unit control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, an input unit for receiving cooking instructions for the container holding unit, a data storage unit for storing drive control data for the container holding unit corresponding to the dish, and a code reading unit for reading a code corresponding to the dish, and An automatic cooking method using an automatic cooking device that automatically cooks dishes by stirring and cooking selected ingredients, comprising: a code reading step in which a code reading unit of a control unit reads a code; a cooking instruction receiving step in which an input unit of the control unit receives cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit; and a cooking step in which, based on the cooking instructions to the input unit of the control unit, the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit are driven and controlled using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit, and the specific implementation is not limited to any one as long as it prevents unintentional erroneous operation by a third party who is not the user of the automatic cooking device, while more realistically and highly reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef, and cooks a wide variety of dishes.

[0026] For example, the automatic cooking device of the present invention is mainly installed in convenience stores, food courts, offices, homes, etc., but the installation location of the automatic cooking device of the present invention is not limited to these and may also be installed inside a restaurant.

[0027] For example, the ingredients cooked by the automatic cooking device of the present invention may be any food ingredients such as rice, noodles, vegetables, fish, grains, and various seasonings.

[0028] For example, the automatic cooking device of this embodiment may have a container heating unit that inductively heats the cooking container to heat and cook the ingredients contained in the cooking container, or it may simply stir and cook the ingredients contained in the cooking container without heating them.

[0029] For example, in the automatic cooking device of this embodiment, it is preferable from the standpoint of maintenance and structural simplicity to connect the container holding unit and the stirring member by magnetic coupling, making the stirring member detachable from the container body and having the container holding unit rotate the stirring member, but any specific structure can be used to make the stirring member detachable from the container body, as long as the stirring member can rotate by the container holding unit without being affected by the rotation of the container body when the container body rotates by the container holding unit.

[0030] An automatic cooking apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.

[0031] 1. Basic Configuration of Automatic Cooking Device First, the basic configuration of an automatic cooking device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a perspective view of the automatic cooking device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0032] First, as shown in Figure 1, automatic cooking apparatus 10 is movably placed on floor surface F. This automatic cooking apparatus 10 comprises a cooking counter 100 serving as a base, a container holding unit 200 placed on cooking counter 100, cooking containers 300 held by container holding unit 200 so as to be free to rotate and rise and fall, a container heating unit 400 placed on cooking counter 100 and induction-heating cooking containers 300, a container washing unit 500 and a scraping unit 600 disposed on cooking counter 100, a container cover 700 that opens and closes the opening of cooking container 300, and a control unit 800 installed on cooking counter 100 and providing integrated control of the entire automatic cooking apparatus 10, and automatically cooks ingredients contained in cooking containers 300 to prepare a dish.

[0033] Cooking table 100 has a plurality of casters 110 on the bottom surface, a sink 120 formed in the front region of top surface 100A, and a plate stand 130 that opens and closes sink 120 and on which plates and the like are placed. Plate stand 130 slides left and right to close the opening of sink 120 and has a serving plate 131 on which plates for serving ingredients after stirring and cooking are placed, and a plate storage member 132 that houses serving plate 131 and on which plates and the like are temporarily placed.

[0034] The container heating unit 400 is placed on the rear side of the sink 120 and heats the side surface (heating surface) 312 of the cooking container 300 by induction heating.

[0035] The container washing unit 500 is provided inside the sink 120 and sprays rinsing water and cleaning liquid into the cooking containers 300. The container washing unit 500 may spray only rinsing water into the cooking containers 300, or may spray both rinsing water and cleaning liquid into the cooking containers 300.

[0036] The scraping unit 600 is provided inside the sink 120 and removes stains such as burnt food adhering to the cooking vessel 300.

[0037] 1, container cover 700 has an arm 710 attached to control unit 800, a cover body 720 that can be flipped up around a cover central axis 711 that is attached to arm 710 and extends in the left-right direction, and a flip-up detection sensor 740 (not shown in FIG. 1) that detects the flip-up of cover body 720. Most of cover body 720 is mesh-like so that the inside of cooking container 300 can be seen when the cover body 720 covers the opening of cooking container 300.

[0038] 2. Container Holding Unit Next, the container holding unit 200 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 2 is a left side view of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view seen from direction III in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the serving plate 131 has slid to close the opening of the sink 120, and a plate D is placed on the serving plate 131 of the plate stand 130. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts.

[0039] 1 and 2, the container holding unit 200 has a base 210 provided on the top surface 100A of the cooking table 100, a rotating part 220 that can rotate freely in the front-to-rear direction relative to the base 210, and a handle 230 provided on the rotating part 220 and held by a user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 holds the handle 230 and moves the rotating part 220 back and forth relative to the base 210, the cooking container 300 held by the container holding unit 200 rises and falls back and forth.

[0040] The base 210 incorporates a posture maintaining member that maintains the upright posture of the container holding unit 200, as well as an upright state detection sensor 211 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) that detects the upright state of the container holding unit 200 (i.e., the upright state of the cooking container 300).

[0041] As shown in Fig. 2, the rotating unit 220 holds the cooking container 300 rotatably about a cooking container central axis AC extending in the depth direction of the cooking container 300. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the rotating unit 220 has a temperature sensor 221 that non-contactly measures the temperature of the side surface (heating surface) 312 of the cooking container 300. Furthermore, the rotating unit 220 has a container body drive motor (not shown in Figs. 1 to 3) that rotates the container body 310 of the cooking container 300 and a container body drive motor (not shown in Figs. 1 to 3) that rotates the stirring member 320 of the cooking container 300.

[0042] 3. Details of Cooking Container Next, the cooking container 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

[0043] The cooking container 300 is detachable from the container holding unit 200, and as shown in Figure 2, etc., has a cylindrical container body 310 with a bottom that contains ingredients, and a stirring member 320 that is detachably attached to the bottom of the container body 310 and stirs the ingredients contained in the container body 310.

[0044] The container body 310 is rotatable about a container body rotation axis AC extending in the depth direction of the container body 310 by power transmitted from a container body drive motor of the container holding unit 200. The container body 310 is formed of a disk-shaped bottom surface 311 and a cylindrical side surface 312 connected to the outer circumferential edge of the bottom surface 311.

[0045] A magnetized ferromagnetic material is provided on the bottom side of the stirring member 320, and a magnetic coupling mechanism is formed between the stirring member 320 and the magnetized ferromagnetic material provided at the tip of the stirring member rotation shaft (not shown) of the container holding unit 200. The stirring member 320 is rotatable about the container body rotation axis AC by power transmitted from the stirring member drive motor of the container holding unit 200 via the magnetic coupling mechanism, and rotates independently of the container body 310. Therefore, the automatic cooking apparatus 10 of this embodiment can rotate the stirring member 320 at a higher speed than the container body 310 or at a lower speed than the container body 310.

[0046] Furthermore, the stirring member 320 is formed from a cylindrical base 321 attached to the container body 310, a spatula 322 attached to the side of the base 321, and a detectable element 323 disposed at the tip of the spatula 322 and incorporating a magnet.

[0047] The spatula 322 has a shape obtained by bending a flat plate in a complex manner, and has an inner surface 322a that faces the bottom surface 311 of the container body 310, and an outer surface 322b on the opposite side to the inner surface 322a.

[0048] The detector that detects the magnetic force generated from the object to be detected 323 is provided as a magnetic sensor 730 built into the container cover 700. The magnetic sensor 730 is connected to the control unit 800 and transmits various signals to the control unit 800.

[0049] 4. Control Unit Next, the control unit 800 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control unit 800 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a system configuration diagram of the automatic cooking device 10 shown in Fig. 1.

[0050] 1, the control unit 800 has an operation panel (input unit) 810 that displays various information related to the automatic cooking apparatus 10 and accepts various instructions from users or managers of the automatic cooking apparatus 10, a code reader 820 that reads codes corresponding to dishes (e.g., barcodes, QR codes (registered trademark), etc.), and an emergency stop button 830 that emergency stop the cooking operation of the automatic cooking apparatus 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 800 has at least a processor 840, a main memory device 850, an auxiliary memory device 860, and a network interface 870.

[0051] The components constituting the control unit 800 are connected via a bus 880, which is a data transmission path between the components. The processor 840 is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and executes various processes according to programs stored in a main memory or an auxiliary memory. The main memory 850 is implemented by a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a flash memory, or the like, and temporarily stores data necessary for the control unit 800 to perform arithmetic processing. The auxiliary memory 860 is implemented by a removable medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, or a read-only memory (ROM), and has a recording medium. The network interface 870 communicates with other terminals, systems, etc. via a communication network, including the Internet.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 800 configured in this manner is connected to an undulation state detection sensor 211, a temperature sensor 221, a magnetic sensor 730, and a bounce detection sensor 740, and the detection results from these sensors are input to the control unit 800. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 800 is connected to the container holding unit 200, the container heating unit 400, and the container cleaning unit 500, and controls the operation of these units. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 800 has, as its functional configuration, a holding unit control unit 800A that controls the operation of the container holding unit 200, a cleaning unit control unit 800B that controls the container cleaning unit 500, a heating unit control unit 800C that controls the container heating unit 400, and a data storage unit 800D that is composed of at least one of a main storage device 850 and an auxiliary storage device 860.

[0053] The data storage unit 800D stores drive control data for the container holding unit 200 corresponding to the dish, cleaning operation control data for the container cleaning unit 500 corresponding to the dish, heating control data for the container heating unit 400 corresponding to the dish, and the like.

[0054] 4. Automatic Cooking Method Using the Automatic Cooking Device 10 Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6A to 21, an automatic cooking method will be described when the automatic cooking device 10 of the present embodiment described above is installed in a retail store such as a convenience store.

[0055] The automatic cooking method in this embodiment is roughly divided into four steps: "registering the dish to be cooked," "preparation for cooking," "cooking," and "post-processing."

[0056] 6A and 6B, the initial state of the automatic cooking device 10 will be described. Fig. 6A is a perspective view of the automatic cooking device 10 in the initial state, and Fig. 6B is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 in the initial state.

[0057] 6A, cooking container 300 is placed in sink 120 with the opening of cooking container 300 facing downward (hereinafter referred to as the "washing position"). Note that in the initial state, no power is applied to container heating unit 400.

[0058] The operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen for selecting the code format for registering the dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 in the automatic cooking device 10, as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0059] 4.1. Registering a dish to be cooked Next, the steps involved in "registering a dish to be cooked" will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involved in "registering a dish to be cooked" in an automatic cooking method according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 when the code reader 820 reads a code, and Figure 9 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to confirm the dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0060] (Step S100) First, a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 as shown in FIG. 6B accepts input from the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to select the code format to be read by the automatic cooking apparatus 10.

[0061] (Step S110: Code reading step) Once the code format to be read by the automatic cooking apparatus 10 has been determined, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in Figure 8, and the code reading unit 820 of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 reads the code selected in step S100.

[0062] (Step S120) The control unit 800 determines whether the code read by the code reader 820 can be used with the automatic cooking apparatus 10. If the code read by the code reader 820 (for example, a code attached to a container containing ingredients purchased at a retail store by the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10) can be used with the automatic cooking apparatus 10, proceed to step S130. If the code read by the code reader 820 cannot be used with the automatic cooking apparatus 10, return to step S110.

[0063] (Step S130) If the control unit 800 determines that the code read by the code reader 820 is usable by the automatic cooking apparatus 10, the control unit 800 displays information about the dish corresponding to the ingredients purchased by the user, as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0064] (Step S140) In step S140, it is determined whether the dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 has been confirmed. If the "Confirm" button shown in Figure 9 is touched, the dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 has been confirmed, and the process related to "Registering the dish to be cooked" is completed. If the "Cancel" button shown in Figure 9 is touched, the dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10 has not been confirmed, and the process returns to step S100.

[0065] 10 to 13B, steps related to "cooking preparation" will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating steps related to "cooking preparation" in an automatic cooking method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11A is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to change the orientation of cooking container 300 to the cooking orientation. Fig. 11B is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to accept input for pre-washing. Fig. 12 is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to perform pre-washing. Fig. 13A is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to cover sink 120 with serving plate 131. Fig. 13B is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to wipe the inside of the cooking container.

[0066] (Step S200) First, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen as shown in Fig. 11A, prompting the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to lift the frying pan (cooking container 300) from the cleaning tank (sink 120). Then, when the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 lifts the cooking container 300 to place the container holding unit 200 (i.e., the cooking container 300) in the cooking position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and touches the "Next" button shown in Fig. 11A, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen as shown in Fig. 11B, prompting the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to check for dirt inside the frying pan (cooking container 300).

[0067] (Step S210: Pre-cleaning determination step) In step S210, it is determined whether the "Frying Pan Cleaning" button shown in Fig. 11B has been touched. If the "Frying Pan Cleaning" button shown in Fig. 11B has been touched, the process proceeds to step S220, which is the pre-cleaning step. If the "Next" button shown in Fig. 11B has been touched, the process proceeds to step S230, which displays a screen prompting the user of the automatic cooking device 10 to perform further operations.

[0068] (Step S220; Pre-washing Step) In the pre-washing step, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in Fig. 12 to prompt the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to perform an operation to wash the frying pan (cooking container 300). When the "Start Washing" button shown in Fig. 12 is touched, the holding unit control unit 800A of the control unit 800 causes at least one of the container body 310 and the stirring member 320 of the cooking container 300 to rotate, and the washing unit control unit 800B of the control unit 800 controls the container washing unit 500 to spray rinsing water or the like onto the cooking container 300, thereby washing the cooking container 300.

[0069] (Step S221) Next, while the container washing unit 500 is washing the cooking containers 300, it is determined whether the undulating state of the cooking containers 300 has changed as a result of the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 operating the handle 230 of the container holding unit 200. If the undulating state of the cooking containers 300 has not changed as a result of the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 operating the handle 230 of the container holding unit 200, the process proceeds to step S222. If the undulating state of the cooking containers 300 has changed as a result of the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 operating the handle 230 of the container holding unit 200, the control unit 800 stops washing of the cooking containers 300 by the container washing unit 500.

[0070] (Step S222) In step S222, it is determined whether or not the pre-wash should be ended based on whether the wash time has elapsed a predetermined time. If the wash time has not elapsed the predetermined time, the process returns to step S221 and continues the pre-wash. If the wash time has elapsed the predetermined time, the pre-wash is ended and the process proceeds to step S230.

[0071] (Step S230) In step S230, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in Fig. 13A, prompting the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to cover the sink 120 with the cleaning shutter (serving plate 131). If the "Next" button shown in Fig. 13A is touched, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in Fig. 13B, prompting the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 to wipe the inside of the cooking container 300. If the "Start Cooking" button shown in Fig. 13B is touched, cooking preparation is deemed complete, and the "Cooking Preparation" process ends.

[0072] 4.3 Cooking Next, the steps related to "cooking" will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 16. Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the steps related to "cooking" in an automatic cooking method according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 15 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 to prompt the user to add ingredients to the cooking container 300, and Figure 16 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation panel 810 showing the steps for preparing a dish to be cooked by the automatic cooking device 10.

[0073] (Step S300: Cooking Instruction Receiving Step) In step S300, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in Fig. 15, prompting the user of the automatic cooking device 10 to perform the cooking procedure for the dish to be cooked. If the "Loading Complete" button shown in Fig. 15 is touched, the process proceeds to step S310.

[0074] (Step S310; Cooking step) When the "Loading complete" button shown in Fig. 15 is touched, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays the preparation steps for the dish to be cooked in the automatic cooking device 10, as shown in Fig. 16, assuming that the operation panel 810 has received a cooking instruction. Furthermore, based on the cooking instruction received by the operation panel 810, the holding unit control unit 800A of the control unit 800 drives and controls the container body drive motor 222 and the stirring member drive motor 223 of the container holding unit 200 in accordance with the drive control data corresponding to the dish to be cooked, and the heating unit control unit 800C of the control unit 800 controls the heating of the container heating unit 400 in accordance with the heating control data corresponding to the dish to be cooked.

[0075] That is, the automatic cooking device 10 automatically cooks a dish by stirring and cooking the ingredients contained in the container body 310 with the stirring member 320. Furthermore, when the code reading unit 820 reads a code, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 can receive cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820.

[0076] If cover body 720 of container cover 700 is flipped up while at least one of container body 310 and stirring member 320 of cooking container 300 is rotating, or if the undulating state of cooking container 300 changes due to operation of handle 230 of container holding unit 200, control unit 800 stops the rotation of cooking container 300 by container holding unit 200. Furthermore, if temperature sensor 221 detects that the temperature of side surface 312 of cooking container 300 is higher than a predetermined temperature, control unit 800 stops heating of cooking container 300 by container heating unit 400.

[0077] In the "cooking" process, step S300 (adding ingredients) and step S310 (cooking) are repeated as appropriate depending on the dish to be cooked, and when the final cooking stage is reached, the "cooking" process ends.

[0078] 17 to 21. Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of "post-processing" in the automatic cooking method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 18A is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to place dish D on serving plate 131. Fig. 18B is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to change cooking container 300 to a serving position. Fig. 18C is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to serve food from cooking container 300 onto dish D. Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of serving food from cooking container 300 onto dish D. Fig. 20A is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to prompt the user to slide serving plate 131. Fig. 20B is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 to clean cooking container 300. Fig. 21 is an example of a screen displayed on operation panel 810 while cooking container 300 is being cleaned.

[0079] (Step S400) In step S400, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays the screens shown in Figures 18A and 18C, prompting the user of the automatic cooking device 10 to perform operations related to "plating." After performing the operations prompted up to Figure 18C, the user of the automatic cooking device 10 removes the cooked food from the cooking container 300 onto a plate D, as shown in Figure 19.

[0080] (Step S410) When the "Next" button shown in FIG. 18B is touched, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, prompting the user of the automatic cooking device 10 to perform operations related to "cleaning."

[0081] (Step S420; Cleaning Step) When the "Start Cleaning" button shown in FIG. 20B is touched, the operation panel 810 of the control unit 800 displays a screen such as that shown in FIG. 21, indicating that the operation panel 810 has received a cleaning instruction. Furthermore, based on the cleaning instruction received by the operation panel 810, the holding unit control unit 800A of the control unit 800 rotates at least one of the container body 310 and the stirring member 320 of the cooking container 300 according to the cleaning operation control data corresponding to the cooked food, and the cleaning unit control unit 800B of the control unit 800 controls the container cleaning unit 500 to spray rinsing water or the like onto the cooking container 300 according to the cooked food. During the cleaning step, if the user of the automatic cooking apparatus 10 operates the handle 230 of the container holding unit 200 to change the undulating state of the cooking container 300 while the container cleaning unit 500 is cleaning the cooking container 300, the control unit 800 stops the container cleaning unit 500 from cleaning the cooking container. When the container washing unit 500 has finished washing the cooking containers 300, the process related to "post-processing" is completed.

[0082] 5. Effects of the Automatic Cooking Device 10 and the Automatic Cooking Method Using the Same According to the automatic cooking device 10, which is one embodiment of the present invention described above, when the code reading unit 820 reads a code, the operation panel 810, which is the input unit of the control unit 800, can accept cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820. This prevents the operation panel 810 from accepting cooking instructions when the automatic cooking device 10 has not read a code, thereby preventing unintended operation errors by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device 10. Furthermore, the holding unit control unit 800A of the control unit 800 drives and controls the container body drive motor 222 and the agitator drive motor 223 of the container holding unit 200 using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820 based on the cooking instructions received by the operation panel 810. This controls the drive of the container body 310 and the agitator 320 according to the dish to be cooked, thereby more realistically and to a higher degree reproducing the well-trained agitation skills of a chef, making it possible to cook a wide variety of dishes.

[0083] In addition, the cleaning unit control unit 800B of the control unit 800 controls the container cleaning unit 500 using cleaning operation control data according to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820 based on the cleaning instruction received by the operation panel 810, thereby controlling the container cleaning unit 500 according to the dish to be cooked, and therefore the cleaning time and cleaning power can be optimized according to the cooking content.

[0084] Furthermore, if the state of the cooking container 300 changes due to operation on the handle 230 of the container holding unit 200 while the container washing unit 500 is washing the cooking container 300, the control unit 800 will stop the washing of the cooking container 300 by the container washing unit 500.As a result, even if the handle 230 is accidentally touched while washing the cooking container 300 and the state of the cooking container 300 changes, the washing of the cooking container 300 will be stopped, thereby preventing the high-temperature rinsing water used to wash the cooking container 300 from splashing around.

[0085] Furthermore, by further providing a container cover 700 that can be flipped up to cover the container body 310 of the cooking container 300, the container body 310 can be covered with the container cover 700 during stirring cooking, which makes it difficult for ingredients inside the container body 310 to fly out during stirring cooking and also prevents foreign matter from getting into the container body 310.

[0086] Furthermore, if the bounce detection sensor 740 detects the container cover 700 being bounced up while the container holding unit 200 is rotating at least one of the container body 310 and the stirring member 320 of the cooking container 300, the control unit 800 stops the rotation of the cooking container 300 by the container holding unit 200.As a result, even if the container cover 700 is accidentally bounced up during stirring cooking of the cooking container 300, the rotation of the cooking container 300 will stop, thereby reliably preventing ingredients in the cooking container 300 from scattering around during stirring cooking of the cooking container 300.

[0087] Furthermore, when the undulating state detection sensor 211 of the container holding unit 200 detects the undulating state of the cooking container 300 while the container holding unit 200 is rotating at least one of the container body 310 and the stirring member 320 of the cooking container 300, the control unit 800 stops the rotation of the cooking container 300 by the container holding unit 200.As a result, even if the handle 230 is accidentally touched during stirring cooking in the cooking container 300 and the undulating state of the cooking container 300 changes, the rotation of the cooking container 300 stops, and therefore, even if the undulating state of the cooking container 300 changes during stirring cooking in the cooking container 300, the ingredients in the cooking container 300 can be prevented from scattering around.

[0088] Furthermore, when the temperature sensor 221 detects that the temperature of the side surface 312, which is the heating surface of the cooking container 300, is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 800 stops the heating of the cooking container 300 by the container heating unit 400, thereby making it less likely that the cooking container 300 will be abnormally heated by the container heating unit 400, thereby preventing abnormal heating of the cooking container 300 that can occur when ingredients (especially liquid seasonings) are added to the cooking container 300 in the wrong order.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the automatic cooking method of one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 800 is provided with a cooking instruction receiving step S300 in which the operation panel 810 receives cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820. This means that the operation panel 810 will not accept cooking instructions unless the automatic cooking device 10 has read a code, preventing unintentional operation errors by third parties who are not the user of the automatic cooking device 10. This also means that the control unit 800 is provided with a cooking step S310 in which the container body drive motor 222 and the stirring member drive motor 223 of the container holding unit 200 are driven and controlled using drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit 820 based on the cooking instructions to the operation panel 810. This means that the container body 310 and the stirring member 320 are driven and controlled according to the dish to be cooked, thereby more realistically and to a higher degree reproducing the well-trained stirring skills of a chef, allowing a wide variety of dishes to be cooked.

[0090] Furthermore, after the code reading step S110 and before the cooking step S310, a preliminary cleaning decision step S210 is provided to decide whether or not to clean the cooking container 300 using the container cleaning unit 500. This makes it possible to clean the cooking container 300 before putting ingredients into it, so that a new dish can be prepared with the inside of the cooking container 300 reliably cleaned.

[0091] <Modifications> Although an automatic cooking device according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the automatic cooking device of the present invention is not limited to the automatic cooking device 10 of the above-described embodiment.

[0092] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Automatic cooking device 100 Cooking table 100A Top surface 110 Caster 120 Sink 130 Plate rest 131 Serving plate 132 Plate storage member 200 Container holding unit 210 Base 211 Unevenness detection sensor 220 Rotating part 221 Temperature sensor 222 Container body drive motor 223 Stirring member drive motor 230 Handle 300 Cooking container 310 Container body 311 Side (heating surface) 312 Bottom surface 320 Stirring member 321 Base 322 Spatula 322a Inner surface 322b Outer surface 323 Detectable element 400 Container heating unit 500 Container washing unit 600 Scraper unit 700 Container cover 710 Arm 711 Cover central axis 720 Cover body 730 Magnetic sensor (detector) 740 Jump-up detection sensor 800 Control unit 810 Operation panel (input unit) 820 Code reading unit 830 Emergency stop button 840 Processor 850 Main memory device 860 Auxiliary memory device 870 Network interface 880 Bus 800A Holding unit control unit 800B Washing unit control unit 800C Heating unit control unit 800D Data storage unit F Floor surface D Plate AC Center axis of cooking container (center axis of container body)

Claims

1. An automatic cooking device comprising: a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom for containing ingredients and a stirring member for stirring the ingredients contained in the container body; a container holding unit for holding the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall freely; and a control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, wherein the cooking device uses the stirring member to stir and cook the ingredients contained in the container body to automatically cook a dish; wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor for rotating the container body of the cooking container on its own axis, a stirring member drive motor for rotating the stirring member of the cooking container on its own axis independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle for raising and lowering the cooking container; and the control unit has a hold unit control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, an input unit for receiving cooking instructions for the container holding unit, a data storage unit for storing drive control data for the container holding unit corresponding to the dish, and a code reading unit for reading a code corresponding to the dish; When the code reading unit reads the code, the input unit of the control unit becomes able to accept cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit, and the holding unit control unit of the control unit drives and controls the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit based on the cooking instructions accepted by the input unit and the drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit.

2. The automatic cooking device described in claim 1 further comprises a container washing unit that washes the cooking containers under the control of a washing unit control unit of the control unit, wherein a data storage unit of the control unit stores washing operation control data of the container washing unit corresponding to the dish, and the washing unit control unit of the control unit controls the container washing unit using the washing operation control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading unit based on the washing instruction received by the input unit.

3. The automatic cooking device described in claim 2, characterized in that the container holding unit has an unevenness detection sensor that detects the unevenness of the cooking container, and if the unevenness of the cooking container changes due to operation of the handle of the container holding unit while the container washing unit is washing the cooking container, the control unit stops the container washing unit from washing the cooking container.

4. The automatic cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising a flip-up container cover for covering the container body of the cooking container.

5. The automatic cooking device described in claim 4, further comprising a bounce detection sensor that detects the container cover being bounced up, and if the bounce detection sensor detects the container cover being bounced up while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and stirring member of the cooking container, the control unit stops the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit.

6. The automatic cooking device described in claim 1, characterized in that the container holding unit has an uneven state detection sensor that detects the uneven state of the cooking container, and if the uneven state detection sensor of the container holding unit detects the uneven state of the cooking container while the container holding unit is rotating at least one of the container body and stirring member of the cooking container, the control unit stops the rotation of the cooking container by the container holding unit.

7. The automatic cooking device described in claim 1 further comprises a container heating unit that heats the cooking container under heating control of the heating unit control section of the control unit, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the heating surface of the cooking container, wherein when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the heating surface of the cooking container is higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit stops heating of the cooking container by the container heating unit.

8. An automatic cooking method using an automatic cooking device comprising: a cooking container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom for containing ingredients and a stirring member for stirring the ingredients contained in the container body; a container holding unit for holding the cooking container so that it can rotate and rise and fall; and a control unit for driving and controlling the container holding unit, wherein the container holding unit has a container body drive motor for rotating the container body of the cooking container on its axis, a stirring member drive motor for rotating the stirring member of the cooking container independently of the rotation of the container body, and a handle for raising and lowering the cooking container, and the control unit has a holding unit control section for driving and controlling the container holding unit, an input section for receiving cooking instructions for the container holding unit, a data storage section for storing drive control data for the container holding unit corresponding to the dish, and a code reading section for reading a code corresponding to the dish, and wherein the automatic cooking method uses the stirring member to stir and cook the ingredients contained in the container body to automatically cook a dish, comprising: a code reading step in which the code reading section of the control unit reads the code; An automatic cooking method characterized by comprising: a cooking instruction receiving step in which the input section of the control unit receives cooking instructions for the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading section; and a cooking step in which, based on the cooking instructions to the input section of the control unit, the drive motor for the container body and the drive motor for the stirring member of the container holding unit are driven and controlled using the drive control data corresponding to the dish corresponding to the code read by the code reading section.

9. The automatic cooking method described in claim 8, characterized in that the automatic cooking device further comprises a container washing unit that is controlled by the washing unit control unit of the control unit to wash the cooking container, and a pre-washing decision step that determines whether or not to wash the cooking container using the container washing unit after the code reading step and before the cooking step.

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