Cooking device and control method therefor

Abstract

This cooking device comprises: a control panel for receiving control commands for controlling the cooking device; a first sensor for detecting vibration on a cooking area; a second sensor for detecting the temperature in the cooking area; and one or more processors for executing at least one instruction, wherein the one or more processors identify the type of cooking material in the cooking area on the basis of vibration information of the first sensor and temperature information of the second sensor, and control an operation of the cooking device on the basis of the identified type.

Description

Cooking appliance and method of controlling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking device and a control method thereof that can identify the characteristics of a food based on whether the food is boiling and a change in temperature, and perform automatic cooking based on the identified characteristics of the food.

[0002] A cooking appliance is a device that provides heat to a cooking utensil to perform cooking. Such a cooking appliance can operate according to user commands or change the level of heat applied to the food being cooked.

[0003] The content described in the above-described background art is described to help understand the present disclosure.

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure may address at least one of the aforementioned problems and / or disadvantages and provide the advantages described below. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a cooking appliance and a control method thereof capable of identifying the characteristics of a food based on whether the food has boiled and changes in temperature, and automatically performing cooking based on the identified characteristics.

[0005] A cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed. The cooking appliance includes a control panel for receiving a control command for controlling the cooking appliance, a first sensor for detecting vibration on a cooking area, a second sensor for detecting temperature on the cooking area, and at least one processor for executing at least one instruction, wherein the at least one processor identifies a type of food on the cooking area based on vibration information of the first sensor and temperature information of the second sensor, and controls an operation of the cooking appliance based on the identified type.

[0006] The one or more processors can check the cooking status of the food based on the type of the food identified and the temperature information, and set the operation mode of the heating device corresponding to the food based on the confirmed cooking status.

[0007] The one or more processors can determine the boiling state of the food based on the vibration information of the first sensor, and determine the type of the food based on the temperature information at the time when the boiling state occurred.

[0008] The one or more processors may be configured to identify the first cooking material close to a liquid state when a boiling state is confirmed within a preset temperature range, identify the second cooking material including the garnish when a boiling state is confirmed lower than the preset temperature range, and identify the third cooking material when a boiling state is confirmed higher than the preset temperature range.

[0009] The one or more processors can determine a temperature change based on the temperature information of the second sensor, and estimate the capacity of the food based on the operation mode of the heating device and the determined temperature change.

[0010] The one or more processors can check the cooking status of the food based on the capacity of the food, the type of the food, and the temperature information.

[0011] When the cooking status of the confirmed food is confirmed as completed, the one or more processors can obtain a maintenance temperature based on the type of the food and control the operation of the cooking device based on the obtained maintenance temperature.

[0012] The one or more processors can control the heating device to reduce the operating intensity of the heating device corresponding to the food when the cooking state of the food confirmed is cooking and the boiling state of the food confirmed.

[0013] The one or more processors can set a target temperature based on the type of food identified, and control the operation of the cooking device so that the food is heated to the set target temperature.

[0014] The one or more processors can determine a maintenance temperature after cooking is completed based on the type of the food identified above, and control the operation of the cooking device to maintain the determined maintenance temperature after cooking is completed.

[0015] The one or more processors can determine the boiling state of the food based on a vibration output signal about the vertical axis of the cooking device from the first sensor.

[0016] The first sensor is a multi-axis acceleration sensor capable of individually detecting vibrations in different axial directions, and the one or more processors can identify a food target based on a vibration output signal on a horizontal side with respect to the cooking appliance, and can identify a boiling state of the food based on a vibration output signal on a vertical axis with respect to a cooking area where the food is raised.

[0017] The cooking appliance may further include a substrate supporting the cooking utensil, and the second sensor may include an infrared sensor disposed at a lower portion of the substrate to detect a temperature of an upper portion of the substrate.

[0018] A method for controlling a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a step of detecting vibration on a cooking area, a step of detecting a temperature on the cooking area, a step of identifying a type of food on the cooking area based on the detected vibration and temperature, and a step of controlling an operation of the cooking appliance based on the identified type.

[0019] The present control method further includes a step of confirming the cooking state of the food based on the confirmed type of the food and the temperature information, and the controlling step can set the operation mode of the heating device corresponding to the food based on the confirmed cooking state.

[0020] The step of confirming the type of the food can be performed by confirming the boiling state of the food based on the vibration information of the first sensor, and confirming the type of the food based on the temperature information at the time when the boiling state occurred.

[0021] The step of confirming the type of the above-mentioned cooking material may be performed such that if a boiling state is confirmed within a preset temperature range, the cooking material is confirmed as a first cooking material close to a liquid state; if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature lower than the preset temperature range, the cooking material is confirmed as a second cooking material including garnish; and if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature higher than the preset temperature range, the cooking material is confirmed as a third cooking material.

[0022] The control method may further include a step of checking a temperature change based on the detected temperature, and estimating a capacity of the food based on the operation mode of the heating device and the checked temperature change.

[0023] The step of checking the cooking status of the food can check the cooking status of the food based on the capacity of the food, the type of the food, and the temperature information.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media storing one or more computer programs comprising computer-executable instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor of a cooking appliance, cause the cooking appliance to perform a control method, the control method comprises the steps of: detecting vibration on a cooking area; detecting temperature on the cooking area; identifying a type of food on the cooking area based on the detected vibration and temperature; and controlling an operation of the cooking appliance based on the identified type.

[0025] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an electronic system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a control operation in a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a specific configuration of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a second sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an example of a control operation based on vibration and temperature change according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an example of a control operation based on vibration and temperature change according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0033] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating another control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] To provide a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the disclosure, including the claims and their equivalents, the appended drawings will be used for a detailed description. While various implementation examples are included to aid understanding, they are merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized that those skilled in the art can modify and adapt the contents of this specification, while still remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0035] The terms and words used in the detailed description or claims are not limited to their bibliographic meanings and are merely used by the inventors to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that the following descriptions of various embodiments of the disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not intended to limit the definitions of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0036] In this disclosure, singular forms such as "a," "an," and "the" should be understood to include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, "a component surface" should be interpreted to include one or more than one expression.

[0037] In describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] Additionally, the following embodiments may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the technical concepts of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to further faithfully and completely convey the technical concepts of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0039] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0040] In this disclosure, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, operation, or part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0041] In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and / or B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” can all refer to cases where ① at least one A is included, ② at least one B is included, or ③ both at least one A and at least one B are included.

[0042] The expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., used in this disclosure can describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0043] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that said component may be directly coupled to said other component, or may be coupled via another component (e.g., a third component).

[0044] On the other hand, when it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), it can be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between said component and said other component.

[0045] The expression "configured to" as used in the present disclosure may be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" may not necessarily mean only "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware.

[0046] Instead, in some contexts, the phrase "a device configured to" may mean that the device, in conjunction with other devices or components, is "capable of" performing A, B, and C. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may refer to a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0047] In the embodiments, a 'module' or 'part' performs at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, a plurality of 'modules' or 'parts' may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor, except for a 'module' or 'part' that needs to be implemented as a specific hardware.

[0048] According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0049] Meanwhile, the various elements and areas in the drawings are schematically drawn. Therefore, the technical concepts of the present disclosure are not limited by the relative sizes or spacings drawn in the attached drawings.

[0050] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can easily implement the present disclosure.

[0051] The blocks and combinations of flowcharts within each flowchart can be executed by one or more computer programs containing instructions. The one or more computer programs may be stored entirely in a single memory device, or the one or more computer programs may be divided into multiple parts and stored in different memory devices.

[0052] Any functions and operations described herein may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. A single processor or a combination of processors may include a circuit that performs processing, an application processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a communication processor (e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an AI chip), a Wi-Fi, chip, a Bluetooth chip, a GPS chip, an NFC chip, a connectivity chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit, an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an integrated circuit (IC), etc.).

[0053] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an electronic system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] The home appliance (10) may include a communication module capable of communicating with another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3), a user interface for receiving user input or outputting information to a user, at least one processor for controlling the operation of the home appliance (10), and at least one memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the home appliance (10) is stored.

[0055] The home appliance (10) may include various types of home appliances as illustrated in FIG. 1 (for example, the home appliance (10) may include at least one of a refrigerator (11), a dishwasher (12), a gas range (13), an electric oven (14), an air conditioner (15), a clothes manager (16), a washing machine (17), a dryer (18), a microwave oven (19), and a cooking appliance (100). However, upon implementation, the home appliance may include various types of home appliances such as a cleaning robot, a vacuum cleaner, and a television in addition to the above-described devices.

[0056] In addition, the aforementioned home appliances are merely examples, and in addition to the aforementioned home appliances, other home appliances, user devices (2) or devices that are connected to a server (3) and can perform the operations described below may be included in the home appliance (10) according to one embodiment.

[0057] Meanwhile, among the above-mentioned home appliances, gas ranges, electric ovens, microwave ovens, induction cookers, and highlights that can perform cooking operations may also be referred to as cooking appliances, heating devices, etc.

[0058] The cooking device (100) can use the provided sensors to identify the characteristics of the food and perform cooking operations based on the identified characteristics. Such operations are described later in FIG. 2.

[0059] The server (3) may include a communication module capable of communicating with another server, a home appliance (10), or a user device (2), at least one processor capable of processing data received from another server, a home appliance (10), or a user device (2), and at least one memory capable of storing a program for processing data or processed data. The server (3) may be implemented as various computing devices such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, or a data station. The server (3) may be implemented as one or more servers that are physically or logically separated based on function, detailed configuration of function, or data, and may transmit and receive data through communication between each server and process the transmitted and received data.

[0060] The server (3) can perform functions such as managing user accounts, registering home appliances (10) by linking them to user accounts, and managing or controlling registered home appliances (10). For example, a user can access the server (3) via a user device (2) and create a user account. The user account can be identified by an ID and password set by the user.

[0061] The server (3) can register a home appliance (10) to a user account according to a set procedure. For example, the server (3) can register, manage, and control the home appliance (10) by linking the identification information (e.g., serial number or MAC address) of the home appliance (10) to the user account.

[0062] The user device (2) may include a communication module capable of communicating with a home appliance (10) or a server (3), a user interface for receiving user input or outputting information to a user, at least one processor for controlling the operation of the user device (2), and at least one memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the user device (2) is stored.

[0063] The user device (2) may be carried by the user or placed in the user's home or office, etc. The user device (2) may include, but is not limited to, a personal computer, a terminal, a portable telephone, a smart phone, a handheld device, a wearable device, etc.

[0064] A program for controlling a home appliance (10), i.e., an application, may be stored in the memory of the user device (2). The application may be sold installed in the user device (2) or downloaded and installed from an external server.

[0065] A user can access a server (3) by executing an application installed on a user device (2), create a user account, and register a home appliance (10) by communicating with the server (3) based on the logged-in user account.

[0066] For example, when the home appliance (10) is operated so that the home appliance (10) can be connected to the server (3) according to the procedure guided by the application installed on the user device (2), the home appliance (10) can be registered in the user account by registering the identification information (e.g., serial number or MAC address, etc.) of the home appliance (10) in the corresponding user account on the server (3).

[0067] A user can control a home appliance (10) using an application installed on the user device (2). For example, when a user logs into a user account using an application installed on the user device (2), a home appliance (10) registered to the user account appears, and when a control command for the home appliance (10) is input, the control command can be transmitted to the home appliance (10) via the server (3).

[0068] A network can include both wired and wireless networks. Wired networks include cable networks or telephone networks, while wireless networks can include any network that transmits and receives signals via radio waves. Wired and wireless networks can be interconnected.

[0069] A network may include a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an access point (AP). A short-range wireless network is a Bluetooth TM , IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, Near Field Communication (NFC), Z-Wave, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0070] An access point (AP) can connect a home appliance (10) or a user device (2) to a wide area network (WAN) to which a server (3) is connected. The home appliance (10) or the user device (2) can be connected to the server (3) via the wide area network (WAN).

[0071] Access Point (AP) is a Wi-Fi TM , IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth TM, IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), etc., and can communicate with home appliances (10) or user devices (2) using wireless communication, and can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0072] According to various embodiments, the home appliance (10) may be directly connected to the user device (2) or server (3) without going through an access point (AP).

[0073] The home appliance (10) may be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) via a long-range wireless network or a short-range wireless network. For example, the home appliance (10) may be connected to the user device (2) via a short-range wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct).

[0074] As another example, the home appliance (10) may be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) via a wide area network (WAN) using a long-distance wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication module).

[0075] As another example, a home appliance (10) can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication and be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) through the wide area network (WAN).

[0076] If the home appliance (10) can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication, it can also function as an access relay. Accordingly, the home appliance (10) can connect other home appliances to the wide area network (WAN) to which the server (3) is connected. In addition, other home appliances can connect the home appliance (10) to the wide area network (WAN) to which the server (3) is connected.

[0077] A home appliance (10) can transmit information about its operation or status to another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3) via a network. For example, the home appliance (10) can transmit information about its operation or status to another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3) when a request is received from a server (3), when a specific event occurs in the home appliance (10), or periodically or in real time.

[0078] When information about the operation or status is received from the home appliance (10), the server (3) can update the stored information about the operation or status of the home appliance (10) and transmit the updated information about the operation and status of the home appliance (10) to the user device (2) via the network. Here, the update of information can include various operations in which existing information is changed, such as an operation of adding new information to existing information and an operation of replacing existing information with new information.

[0079] For example, the server (3) can collect various information to be used for learning a learning model from a home appliance (10) and perform learning or re-learning operations on the learning model using the collected information. In addition, the server (30) can provide the learned model to each home appliance (10).

[0080] The home appliance (10) can obtain various information from other home appliances, user devices (2), or servers (3), and provide the obtained information to the user. For example, the home appliance (10) can obtain information related to the functions of the home appliance (10) (e.g., cooking methods, washing instructions, etc.) and various environmental information (e.g., weather, temperature, humidity, etc.) from the server (3), and output the obtained information through a user interface.

[0081] The home appliance (10) can operate according to control commands received from another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3). For example, if the home appliance (10) has obtained prior approval from the user to operate according to control commands from the server (3) even without user input, the home appliance (10) can operate according to control commands received from the server (3).

[0082] Here, the control command received from the server (3) may include, but is not limited to, a control command input by the user through the user device (2) or a control command based on preset conditions.

[0083] The user device (2) can transmit information about the user to the home appliance (10) or the server (3) via the communication module. For example, the user device (2) can transmit information about the user's location, the user's health status, the user's preferences, the user's schedule, etc. to the server (3). The user device (2) can transmit information about the user to the server (3) with the user's prior consent.

[0084] The home appliance (10), user device (2), or server (3) may determine a control command using technology such as artificial intelligence. For example, the server (3) may receive information regarding the operation or status of the home appliance (10) or information regarding the user of the user device (2), process the information using technology such as artificial intelligence, and transmit the processing result or control command to the home appliance (10) or user device (2) based on the processing result.

[0085] For example, the following describes a case where a learning model that identifies the type of food based on sensor information or determines the cooking status of the food using the information is downloaded by the cooking device (100) and used in an on-device state. However, when implemented, it is also possible for the cooking device (100) to transmit information detected by the sensor to the server (3), and for the cooking device (100) to receive and use the control command determined by the server (3).

[0086] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a control operation in a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 2, the cooking appliance (100) includes a control panel (110), a first sensor (120), and a second sensor (130). Here, the cooking appliance is illustrated assuming induction, but upon implementation, it may be various appliances other than induction, such as a gas range, highlighter, microwave oven, oven, etc.

[0088] Here, induction is a heating device that can provide heat to a cooking vessel placed on top, and it is a device that creates heat by reacting with a vessel made of a magnetic induction material using a magnetic field.

[0089] The illustrated example assumes two cooking vessels, but the implementation may accommodate only one vessel, or it may allow cooking for three or more vessels. A cooking vessel is a container capable of storing or containing food, such as a kettle, pot, kettle, frying pan, or griddle.

[0090] The control panel (110) may be located in the front area of ​​the upper portion of the cooking appliance. While the illustrated example shows it as being located in the front area, this assumes an induction cooker, and the location of the control panel may vary depending on the type of cooking appliance. That is, the control panel may be positioned in a location where the user can easily operate or access information for each appliance. Furthermore, while one control panel (110) is illustrated, the cooking appliance (100) may be equipped with multiple control panels upon implementation.

[0091] A control panel (110) such as this may include various buttons for displaying various states of the cooking appliance or for receiving control commands from the user. For example, one of the various buttons may be a button for turning on / off the operation of a specific burner, or a button (or dial) for increasing or decreasing the intensity of a specific burner.

[0092] Users can activate specific burners (or coils) or adjust their intensity by manipulating buttons on the control panel. A burner refers to the area where the heat source is located or where the cooking vessel is placed. For a gas range, this could be the area where the gas is emitted, or for an induction range, the area where the coils are located.

[0093] Such control panels may also be referred to by terms such as operation panel, control panel, user interface panel, display panel, etc. Meanwhile, although FIG. 2 illustrates and describes that control commands are input through the control panel (110), in implementation, control commands may be input through a separate device such as a user device (2), or control commands may be input through the user's spoken voice using voice recognition technology.

[0094] Meanwhile, in the past, to cook food, a user would place a cooking container containing the food on a specific burner and input a control command to perform an operation for that burner. In response to this control command, the cooking device (100) performed a heating operation.

[0095] And when the food starts to boil through this operation, the user must use the control panel in the same way as before to control the operation status of the burner or to stop the operation.

[0096] However, if the user did not notice that the food had started to boil or if the user moved to another space, the proper temperature control for the food could not be performed, which could result in a poor cooking quality or a fire due to overheating.

[0097] In this regard, significant efforts have been made recently to support automated cooking. For example, simple cooking methods have been implemented, such as when a user inputs a specific time, cooking (or heating) is performed only for that time. Or, when a user sets a temperature, heating is performed only to that temperature, and heating is performed only when that temperature is reached. However, these methods have limitations, as they fail to reflect the cooking status of the food.

[0098] In other words, in order to cook automatically, the state of the food must be accurately identified, but since the food is usually loaded into a cooking container and cooking proceeds, it was difficult to identify whether the food in the cooking container was boiling or how much food was in the cooking container.

[0099] In order to solve this problem, in the present disclosure, the type of food is identified through two sensors (e.g., a vibration sensor (or acceleration sensor) and a temperature sensor), and the cooking state of the food is determined based on the identification.

[0100] For example, when cooking soups, stews, etc., the main cooking action is to determine whether the food is boiling, and when the food starts to boil, lower the heat and boil for a certain amount of time.

[0101] However, since the actions taken after detecting boiling vary depending on the type of food, the aforementioned control can only be performed if the type of food is known. For example, while water typically stops heating immediately upon detecting boiling, stews or soups must continue to heat for a certain period of time even after detecting boiling, thus the heating method (or cooking method) for each food varies depending on the type of food.

[0102] In this respect, automatic cooking requires a method to identify whether the food has boiled and what type of food it is.

[0103] In this disclosure, an acceleration sensor (or vibration sensor) and a temperature sensor are used to obtain two pieces of information.

[0104] First, the cooking device (100) uses an acceleration sensor (110) to determine whether vertical vibration has occurred, thereby confirming the boiling state. Specifically, when food is placed in a cooking container and heating begins, the temperature of the food gradually increases, and when the temperature exceeds a certain level, it begins to boil. Boiling of the food causes the physical action of air bubbles within the food to move toward the upper surface, generating vertical vibration.

[0105] Therefore, in the present disclosure, an acceleration sensor (110) is used to detect vertical vibration within a cooking area, and the boiling state of the food is determined using this.

[0106] The cooking device (100) can determine the amount of food to be cooked based on the temperature change detected by the temperature sensor. For example, if the cooking container contains a small amount of food, the temperature change may be rapid. Conversely, if the cooking container contains a large amount of food, the temperature change may be relatively slower than the previous case.

[0107] Accordingly, the cooking device (100) can estimate the capacity of the food based on the slope of the detected temperature change. This capacity estimation can be accomplished by checking the slope and utilizing the capacity corresponding to the checked slope, or by utilizing a learning model. While the above description illustrates and illustrates the use of only the temperature slope, the temperature slope, heating level (or heat intensity), and container type may also be utilized during implementation.

[0108] And the cooking device (100) can identify the type of food to be cooked based on the temperature at which boiling occurs. For example, when heating water using a pot, a temperature sensor located at the bottom of the pot containing the water gradually increases the temperature value, and boiling can be confirmed at a preset temperature (e.g., an internal temperature of 100 degrees).

[0109] Meanwhile, since the temperature sensor does not measure the temperature inside the pot, but rather the temperature of the bottom surface of the pot or the substrate on which the pot is placed, the cooking device (100) can estimate the temperature inside the pot using the temperature information measured by the temperature sensor and perform the above-described operation based on the estimated temperature. Meanwhile, during implementation, instead of estimating the internal temperature, temperature information of the temperature sensor that can correspond to the boiling temperature of water (e.g., 150 degrees) can be stored and used.

[0110] Meanwhile, when boiling soup containing a lot of solids in a pot, boiling may be detected at a lower temperature than water, even with the same volume. For example, if solids are included, collisions between the solids and the pot may occur at the bottom of the pot due to the movement of the solids, or boiling may occur in the liquid located at the bottom of the pot. Furthermore, boiling of foods such as bones may be detected at a higher temperature than water. Based on such differences, the cooking device (100) can identify the type of food being cooked based on the temperature at which boiling is detected. The type of food being cooked may be one of the characteristics of the food described above.

[0111] And the cooking device (100) can check the cooking status of the food based on the confirmed type of food and temperature information, and control the cooking operation according to the confirmed cooking status.

[0112] For example, if boiling is confirmed within a preset temperature range and the heating target is confirmed to be water, the cooking device (100) can determine that cooking is complete at the point in time when boiling is confirmed and complete the heating operation.

[0113] And if it is confirmed to be a dish such as a country, when boiling is confirmed, it is judged that cooking is complete after a certain period of time (e.g., 2 to 3 minutes), and when boiling is confirmed, it is judged that cooking is complete after the above-mentioned period of time has elapsed, and the heating operation can be completed.

[0114] In addition, for dishes such as bone broth, when boiling is confirmed, cooking is determined to be complete after a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), but control is first performed to lower the current heating intensity, and cooking can be determined to be complete after the above-mentioned period of time has elapsed at a low heating intensity.

[0115] Meanwhile, this control method is an example, and control can be performed in a different manner from the above-described method.

[0116] Meanwhile, when automatic cooking is performed through the above-described operation, the cooking device (100) can output a guidance sound corresponding to the performed control operation.

[0117] Meanwhile, as previously explained, the characteristics of the food (e.g., the volume and type of the food) can be identified using temperature information and vibration information, and automatic cooking can be performed using this.

[0118] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3, the specific configuration and operation of the cooking device (100) will be described.

[0119] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] Referring to FIG. 3, the cooking appliance (100) may be composed of a control panel (110), a first sensor (120), a second sensor (130), and a processor (140).

[0121] The control panel (110) can receive various inputs related to the control of the cooking appliance (100). Specifically, the control panel (110) can include a touch area (or button) for receiving a function command. Here, the function command can be a turn-on / turn-off command of the cooking appliance (100), a power adjustment command, a timer setting command, whether to enable automatic cooking, etc.

[0122] Meanwhile, the control panel (110) may be located in an area of ​​the top panel of the cooking appliance (100). Here, the top panel may be made of glass or ceramic placed on the upper side of the induction.

[0123] The control panel (110) can receive various user inputs and transmit them to the processor (140). In particular, the control panel (110) can include at least one of a touch sensor, a (digital) pen sensor, a pressure sensor, a keyboard, or a key.

[0124] The control panel (110) is a component that receives user input and can be distinguished from the cooking area where the cooking appliance is placed. That is, the cooking area (or heating area, burner area) may be placed in some areas of the top panel of the cooking appliance (100), and the control panel (110) may be placed in other areas of the top panel.

[0125] The control panel (110) may include a touch sensor that detects a user's touch input. The touch sensor may be implemented as an electrostatic (or capacitive) type. The electrostatic type may be a method that detects micro-electricity excited by the user's body when a part of the user's body touches the input panel surface by using a dielectric coated on the input panel surface, thereby calculating the touch coordinates.

[0126] In addition, the control panel (110) may be composed of a plurality of touch sensors. For example, it may be composed of a first touch sensor having a preset shape and a second touch sensor arranged around the first touch sensor described above. Here, the preset shape may be circular, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the second touch sensor may be configured as an integral part with the first touch sensor, and in other embodiments, the second touch sensor and the first touch sensor may be configured as separate sensors.

[0127] In the above, the control panel is illustrated and described as using a touch sensor, but when implemented, a physical button may be used, or a dial may be used instead of a button.

[0128] The first sensor (120) detects vibration. This first sensor (120) may be positioned at the bottom of the glass (or ceramic). Accordingly, it generates an output signal corresponding to vertical vibration around the sensor, and provides the output signal in the vertical direction to the processor (140).

[0129] Such a first sensor (120) may be a multi-axis acceleration sensor (or vibration sensor, Boyle sensor) capable of individually detecting vibrations in different axial directions. Here, the direction in which the vibrations are detected may be the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the control panel (i.e., horizontal direction).

[0130] Meanwhile, although the above description is made and illustrated as being used only for Z-axis vibration, it is also possible to detect the X-axis or Y-axis direction in addition to the Z-axis to identify the epicenter of Z-axis vibration. For example, if a cooking appliance has multiple burners, the position of the burner that has currently started boiling can be identified based on the output signals of the X-axis and Y-axis described above. Here, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction may be horizontal directions to the area where the control panel of the home appliance is placed, as shown in FIG. 2. The specific operation of the first sensor (120) will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0131] Such a first sensor may be referred to as an acceleration sensor, a vibration sensor, or a boyle sensor.

[0132] The second sensor (130) detects the temperature on the cooking area. For example, the second sensor (130) may be located on the bottom of the substrate (or glass) corresponding to the burner where the induction coil is placed. This second sensor (130) may be an infrared temperature sensor, but is not limited thereto. The arrangement of the second sensor (130) is described later in FIG. 5.

[0133] The processor (140) controls the overall operation of the cooking appliance (100). Specifically, the processor (140) is connected to a configuration of the home appliance including a memory, and can control the overall operation of the home appliance by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory as described above. In particular, the processor (140) may be implemented as a single processor (140) or as a plurality of processors (140).

[0134] The processor (140) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit (or circuitry)) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (140) may include at least one electrical circuit and may individually or collectively distribute and process instructions (or programs, data, etc.) stored in memory.

[0135] The processor (140) may comprise a processor assembly including one or more processing circuits. The processor (140) may include any processing circuit operative to control the performance and operations of one or more components of the home appliance (e.g., memory and / or drive unit (sensor)). For example, the processor (140) (e.g., AP) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) (e.g., a single chip or chipset). For example, the processor (140) may be implemented as multiple cores (or at least one core circuit), multiple chips, or multiple chipsets.

[0136] For example, the processor (140) may include one or more processing circuits. The processor (140) may include one or more processing circuits configured to individually and / or collectively perform various functions of the present disclosure. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the processor (140) may be included in a first chip of the cooking appliance (100), and at least another portion of the processor (140) may be included in a second chip of another appliance other than the first chip of the cooking appliance (100).

[0137] For example, the processor (140) may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a display controller, a memory controller, a storage controller, a communication processor (CP), and / or a sensor interface. These components of the processor (140) are merely exemplary. The processor (140) may further include other components in addition to the above-described configuration. In addition, some components of the processor (140) may be omitted. And some components of the processor (140) may be included as separate components of the cooking device (100) outside the processor (140). For example, some components of the processor (140) (e.g., a memory controller) may be included within other components (e.g., at least a portion of a memory, an interface (e.g., available for connecting to at least one component of the cooking device (100), a control panel (110)).

[0138] The processor (140) can cause other components of the cooking appliance (100) to perform various operations by executing instructions stored in memory.

[0139] The processor (140) can process setting values, function commands, etc. according to a pre-stored control program or control data, and output a control signal related to a function that the home appliance can perform or a communication signal for communicating with an external home appliance.

[0140] For example, when a function command is received from the control panel (110), the processor (140) can control the configuration of the cooking device (100) to turn on or off the cooking device (100) according to the received function command. In addition, the processor (140) can control the internal configuration within the home appliance to operate a specific function (e.g., heating operation) or stop the operation of the above-described function according to the input function command.

[0141] When a user input (or a user touch input) is received through a control panel (110) including a plurality of touch buttons, the processor (140) can perform a function corresponding to the received user command. Here, the user command may include not only an on / off status but also an operation intensity. Here, the operation intensity may be divided into several stages such as high / medium / low depending on the heating level of the heating device, and may also be divided into somewhat more detailed stages such as 1 to 100%.

[0142] The processor (140) can determine whether the food is boiled based on the output signal (or vibration information) of the first sensor (120). Specifically, the processor (140) can determine whether the food is boiled based on whether vibration is detected in the vertical direction of the induction cooktop based on the output signal from the first sensor.

[0143] At this time, the processor (140) can determine whether or not boiling has occurred using a learning model. Such a learning model may be stored and used in the cooking device (100), or may be stored and used in an external device (e.g., a server). Such a learning model may be a model that outputs whether or not boiling has occurred based on vibration output signals in multiple axial directions of a multi-axis acceleration sensor, or a model that outputs whether or not boiling has occurred and the epicenter location where boiling occurred. Such a learning model may be learned in the cooking device (100), or may be learned from a server and downloaded and used by the cooking device (100).

[0144] Such learning models are computing systems implemented based on the neural networks of human or animal brains, and may be referred to as neural network models, machine learning models, artificial intelligence models, deep learning models, etc. For example, learning models can be implemented as CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory), DNN (Deep Neural Network), RNN (Recurrent Neural Network), RBM (Restricted Boltzmann Machine), DBN (Deep Belief Network), BRDNN (Bidirectional Recurrent Deep Neural Network), etc., but are not limited to these examples.

[0145] When using a learning model, the processor (140) samples the Z-axis output signal in units of a preset window size to generate axis displacement information, and inputs the generated axis displacement information into the learning model to obtain whether or not boiling has occurred.

[0146] Meanwhile, the learning model can utilize not only axial displacement information (i.e., time-series displacement values) as training data, but also frequency information corresponding to the axial displacement information. Here, the frequency information is information about the frequency components of the axial displacement information described above, obtained through Fourier transform or other means. Furthermore, during implementation, learning can be achieved using both axial displacement information and frequency information together.

[0147] In this way, when the learning model utilizes both axial displacement information (i.e., Z-axis displacement) and frequency information (i.e., Z-axis frequency component), even when using the learning model, the axial displacement information and frequency information can be generated, and the generated axial displacement information and frequency information can be input into the learning model to obtain the epicenter area.

[0148] Meanwhile, although the above is illustrated and described as utilizing information of one axis (i.e., the Z-axis), it is also possible to utilize information of the X-axis and / or Y-axis together with the Z-axis during implementation. In this case, the learning model can also output whether there is boiling and the approximate direction of the boiling (e.g., the right area or the left area).

[0149] The processor (140) determines the type of food on the cooking area based on the vibration information of the first sensor (120) and the temperature information of the second sensor (130). Specifically, the processor (140) can determine the type of food based on the temperature information at the time when the boiling state occurs.

[0150] For example, if a boiling state is confirmed within a preset temperature range, the processor (140) can identify the first cooking material close to a liquid state. Alternatively, if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature lower than the preset temperature range, the processor (140) can identify the second cooking material including dregs. Alternatively, if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature higher than the preset temperature range, the processor (140) can identify the third cooking material. Although examples of identifying three types have been shown above, only two examples can be used during implementation, and the type of cooking material can be further segmented and identified by utilizing the slope of the detected temperature or by reflecting additional sensor information, etc. In addition, during implementation, it is also possible to identify the type of cooking material using a learning model.

[0151] Meanwhile, during implementation, cooking information may be provided from the user, or information on the cooking and cooking recipe currently in progress may be acquired from the user device (2), and the processor (140) may also confirm the type of food based on the acquired cooking and recipe information.

[0152] When the type of food is confirmed, the processor (140) can set the target temperature and the maintenance temperature for the food. For example, if the type of food is confirmed as water or liquid, the processor (140) can set the target temperature to 100 degrees, and if the type of food is confirmed as stew, the processor (140) can set the target temperature to 110 degrees. In addition, if the type of food is confirmed as water, the maintenance temperature can be 0 degrees, and if the type of food is soup or stew, the maintenance temperature can be 80 degrees. These temperature values ​​are examples, and different values ​​may be applied during implementation.

[0153] And here, the target temperature and maintenance temperature can be the temperature applied to the food or the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0154] The processor (140) checks the cooking status of the food based on the identified type and temperature information of the food. First, the processor (140) checks the temperature change based on the temperature information of the second sensor, and can estimate the capacity of the food based on the operation mode of the heating device and the identified temperature change.

[0155] The processor (140) can determine the cooking status of the food based on the food's capacity, type, and temperature information. For example, the processor (140) can identify one of various cooking statuses, such as cooking complete, heating continuous, steaming, and resting.

[0156] Meanwhile, during implementation, in addition to the information described above, the cooking status of the food can be confirmed by considering the characteristics of the cooking container. Information regarding the cooking container can be directly selected by the user through the control panel (110), or information identified through photography from the user device (2) or an external device can be utilized.

[0157] The processor (140) controls the operation of the cooking device (100) based on the identified type. For example, the processor (140) can set the operation mode of the heating device based on the identified cooking state and type of food. For example, the processor (140) can perform control to stop the heating operation when the food is identified as water and boiling is confirmed. Alternatively, the processor (140) can perform primary control to lower the operation intensity (or heating degree) when the food is identified as soup and boiling is confirmed, perform additional heating at the lowered temperature for a time corresponding to the amount of food, and perform control to stop the cooking operation when the above-described time has elapsed.

[0158] For example, the processor (140) can determine whether to perform additional heating, etc., depending on the type of food even after cooking is complete. That is, if the food (e.g., soup) needs to be maintained at a certain temperature or higher, the processor (140) can determine a maintenance temperature to maintain the temperature even after cooking is complete, and control the operation of the cooking device (100) to have the corresponding maintenance temperature.

[0159] Meanwhile, although only the simple configuration of the cooking device (100) has been illustrated and described above, various additional configurations may be provided during implementation. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0160] A cooking appliance (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can operate in response to a user's tapping motion. In particular, since it can distinguish tapping in multiple areas using only a single sensor, it can be implemented at low manufacturing cost, and since it can distinguish multiple areas, it can perform various functions.

[0161] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a specific configuration of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] Referring to FIG. 4, the cooking appliance (100) may be composed of a control panel (110), a first sensor (120), a second sensor (130), a processor (140), a memory (150), a communication device (160), a heating device (170), and a speaker (180).

[0163] Among the operations of the control panel (110), the first sensor (120), the second sensor (130), and the processor (140), duplicate descriptions of operations that are identical to those described above are omitted.

[0164] The control panel (110) may be composed of an input device (111) and a display (112).

[0165] The control panel (110) may include a user interface including an input device (111) including a number of buttons or keypads that allow a user to set various functions of the cooking appliance (100) and a display (112) that displays various information related to the cooking appliance (100).

[0166] Here, the input device (111) may refer to various types of buttons, such as mechanical buttons, touch pads, and wheels, formed in any area, such as the front or side of the exterior of the cooking appliance (100). Meanwhile, in FIG. 4, the input device (111) and the display (112) are described as separate components, but in actual implementation, the cooking appliance (100) may be implemented as one, such as a touchscreen panel.

[0167] Meanwhile, the control panel (110) may be replaced with words such as input unit, input receiver, user interface, button, or touchscreen panel. It is not limited to the examples described above, and may be replaced with various components that perform operations that receive user touch input.

[0168] Here, the display (112) can visually display operation information of the cooking appliance (100) to the user according to the control signal of the processor (140).

[0169] The display (112) may be implemented in the form of a touch screen combined with a touch sensor according to one embodiment. For example, if the cooking device (100) identifies that a user input has been received in the area where the display (112) is placed, the cooking device (100) may perform an operation corresponding to the user input.

[0170] Meanwhile, according to another embodiment, the display (112) may not be equipped with a touch sensor. For example, the cooking appliance (100) may be implemented in a form in which the display (112) area and the touch sensor are physically separated.

[0171] Meanwhile, the display (112) may be implemented as a display of various forms, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), etc., according to another embodiment. The display (112) may also include a driving circuit, a backlight unit, etc., which may be implemented in a form such as an a-si TFT, an LTPS (low temperature poly silicon) TFT, an OTFT (organic TFT), etc.

[0172] Meanwhile, although the display (112) is described as being included in the control panel (110) in FIG. 2, in actual implementation, the display (112) may be placed in a separate area rather than the input panel. In addition, according to another embodiment, the display (112) may be implemented as a separate display device.

[0173] The display (112) can display information about changes in the automatic cooking process when automatic cooking is in progress. In addition, the display (112) can also display changed setting values ​​depending on the performance of the corresponding function.

[0174] The memory (150) can store instructions, automatic cooking algorithms, programs, or data for controlling the cooking device (100). In addition, the memory (150) can store user operation inputs or function commands input through the control panel (110), control signals output by the processor (140), etc.

[0175] For example, the memory (150) may be implemented as an internal memory such as a ROM (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) or RAM included in the processor (140), or may be implemented as a separate memory from the processor (140). In this case, the memory (150) may be implemented as a memory embedded in the cooking device (100) or as a memory that can be detachably attached to the cooking device (100) depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for operating the cooking device (100) may be stored in a memory embedded in the cooking device (100), and data for the expansion function of the cooking device (100) may be stored in a memory that can be detachably attached to the cooking device (100).Meanwhile, the memory embedded in the cooking device (100) is implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), etc.), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD), and the memory that can be detachably attached to the cooking device (100) can be implemented in the form of a memory card (e.g., compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital (Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), etc.), external memory that can be connected to a USB port (e.g., USB memory), etc.

[0176] The memory (150) stores a learning model. Specifically, the memory (150) can store sensing information detected by a sensor or store recognition results for the sensing information as learning data.

[0177] Additionally, the memory (150) can store cooking information (e.g., temperature by time) based on the type and capacity of the food. Accordingly, when the type and capacity of the food are confirmed, the processor (140) can check the temperature within the cooking information based on the confirmed type and capacity of the food, and perform automatic cooking accordingly.

[0178] The communication device (160) may include a communication module that communicates with an external electronic device using various communication protocols.

[0179] The communication device (160) is a configuration that performs communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The communication device (160) may include a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, a wireless communication module, and the like. Here, each communication module may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip.

[0180] For example, when a cooking operation is performed, the communication device (160) can transmit to another device (e.g., the user device (2) or server (3) of FIG. 1) that the cooking operation is being performed.

[0181] The processor (140) can communicate with various external devices using a communication device (160). Here, the external devices may include a display device such as a TV, an image processing device such as a set-top box, an external server, a control device such as a remote control, an audio output device such as a Bluetooth speaker, a lighting device, a home appliance such as a smart refrigerator, a server such as an IoT home manager, etc. In one example, the communication device (160) may use the same communication module (e.g., a Wi-Fi module) to communicate with an external device such as a remote control and an external server.

[0182] For example, when the cooking status of a food item changes or cooking is completed, the processor (140) can control the communication device (160) to transmit the status change for the food item to the user device (20) or the server (30).

[0183] In addition, the processor (140) can control the communication device (160) to transmit a control command to an external device. For example, if it is confirmed through the above process that the food is boiling or frying in oil, the processor (140) can check whether the hood is operating to ventilate the cooking space, and if the hood is not operating, the processor (140) can directly provide a control command requesting the hood to operate, or transmit the control command to a server (3) or user device (2) to which the hood is connected.

[0184] The heating device (170) may include a heater that heats the inside of the cooking chamber by burning gas, a cooktop that heats food by converting electric energy into thermal energy, a microwave generator that radiates microwaves inside the cooking chamber, and a steam generator that emits heated steam inside the cooking chamber.

[0185] And the heating device (170) may be formed of an induction coil and may generate at least one of a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field to heat a container placed on the cooking device (100).

[0186] However, the heating device (170) does not include all of the heater, cooktop, microwave generator, and steam generator, and depending on the type of cooking appliance (100), the heating device (170) may be implemented in a form that includes at least one of the heater, cooktop, microwave generator, and steam generator.

[0187] Meanwhile, the heating device (170) may be located in a different area from the input panel among the top panels of the cooking appliance (100). And here, the heating device (170) may be referred to as a burner or a burner section.

[0188] The speaker (180) outputs a notification sound or a notification message. For example, the speaker (180) can output information about the current status of the cooking device (100). In addition, when the control operation (or heating state) changes according to a change in the cooking state, the speaker (180) can output information about this. For example, when primary heating is completed during cooking (i.e., boiling occurs) and the operation state of the heating device changes from high to medium while maintaining a constant temperature, the speaker (180) can output a sound indicating that the heating intensity has changed.

[0189] As described above, the home appliance according to the present embodiment can identify the type of food and the cooking state of the food based on temperature and vibration, and can automatically perform cooking of the food without user intervention.

[0190] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a second sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0191] Referring to Fig. 5, a substrate such as glass may be placed on the upper portion of the heating device (170). A cooking vessel may be positioned on the upper portion of the heating device (170), and in order to detect the temperature of the cooking vessel, a second sensor (130) may be placed below the area where the cooking vessel is positioned. If a plurality of heating devices (170) are placed on the cooking device (100), a number of second sensors (130) corresponding to that number may be placed on the cooking device (100).

[0192] Such a second sensor (130) may be an infrared sensor. Meanwhile, an NTC sensor may be used during implementation. However, since the NTC sensor has a slow response speed, a temperature compensation algorithm may be additionally applied when the NTC sensor is used.

[0193] Meanwhile, although FIG. 5 illustrates the arrangement of one temperature sensor, two temperature sensors may be used for one burner area during implementation. That is, a first temperature sensor targeting the area below the glass and a second temperature sensor targeting the area above the glass (i.e., the bottom of the cooking vessel) may be used.

[0194] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control operation based on vibration and temperature changes according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information detected by a sensor when water is placed in a cooking vessel and heated.

[0195] Referring to Fig. 6, when heating is performed by induction while water is contained in a cooking vessel, the temperature sensor can obtain gradually increasing temperature data.

[0196] Meanwhile, the degree of temperature increase may vary depending on the volume of water in the cooking vessel for the same heating level. For example, if the cooking intensity is "high," and a small volume of water is heated, the temperature gradient may be large. Conversely, if a large volume of water is heated even at "high," the temperature change will be smaller than if the water volume is small.

[0197] In this way, the degree of capacity can be determined based on temperature change (or slope).

[0198] Meanwhile, water begins to boil at 100 degrees, and when the temperature sensor reaches a certain temperature or higher, the temperature no longer increases as shown, and boiling that vibrates up and down in the Z-axis direction can be detected through the first sensor (120).

[0199] When vibration is detected within the temperature range of the first sensor corresponding to the boiling temperature of water (100 degrees), the cooking appliance can confirm that the food being cooked is water.

[0200] Meanwhile, below, with reference to Fig. 7, a case in which a user heats a country other than water is described.

[0201] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control operation based on vibration and temperature changes according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0202] Referring to Fig. 7, when heating is performed while the soup is in a cooking vessel, the temperature sensor can obtain temperature data that gradually increases.

[0203] Compared to the previous FIG. 6, the processor (140) can confirm that the amount of food contained in the cooking container is greater than in the case of FIG. 6, as the increase rate is slower.

[0204] Meanwhile, in such a capacity, boiling should be confirmed if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor was the first temperature, but as shown in Fig. 7, it can be seen that vibration is confirmed at a temperature lower than the target temperature.

[0205] Specifically, dishes such as soups contain solids in addition to the liquid, and when heated, the solids may collide with the bottom of the cooking vessel, or the liquid at the bottom of the dish may boil first, causing vibrations at the bottom of the cooking vessel rather than at the top like water. In this way, if the cooking appliance boils at a lower temperature than expected, the type of dish can be identified as soup.

[0206] Meanwhile, although not shown, there may be instances where boiling temperatures exceed the expected boiling point, and the cooking appliance may recognize these instances as separate cooking conditions. For example, a soup, where the water and ingredients are evenly mixed, may have a higher boiling point.

[0207] Meanwhile, although the above-described operation is shown to be applied to a cooking material containing liquid, the present disclosure can be applied not only to a cooking material in liquid form but also to a solid cooking material.

[0208] For example, when grilling meat using a griddle or frying eggs, the cooking device (100) can detect the cooking status of the meat, etc. by using an action such as detecting vibrations of oil splashing through the first sensor, and can also provide instructions to the user to turn the meat over, etc.

[0209] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating another control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0210] First, the cooking device (100) can perform a heating operation to provide heat to the cooking container according to the user's control command.

[0211] When such an operation is performed, vibration can be detected (S810). For example, vibration in the vertical direction of the induction can be detected using an acceleration sensor attached to the bottom of the substrate (or glass).

[0212] Additionally, the cooking device (100) can detect the temperature during the cooking operation (S820). For example, the temperature of the cooking area or cooking vessel can be checked using a temperature sensor positioned below the substrate corresponding to the burner. Meanwhile, during implementation, the temperature information output from the sensor can be directly used, or the temperature of the cooking vessel or the food can be estimated based on the temperature information, and the estimated temperature can be used.

[0213] And the cooking device (100) can use vibration to determine whether the food has boiled. For example, if periodic vibration in the vertical direction of the induction is detected, it can be determined that the food has boiled.

[0214] Alternatively, the cooking device (100) can use a learning model to determine whether the food has boiled. Such a learning model may be stored and used in the cooking device (100) or stored and used in an external device (e.g., a server).

[0215] And the cooking device (100) can check the characteristics of the food based on vibration information and temperature information (S830). Here, the characteristics of the food may be the capacity of the food, the type of food, etc.

[0216] Specifically, the cooking device (100) can identify the type of food in the cooking area based on vibration information and temperature information. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the type of food based on temperature information at the time when boiling occurs.

[0217] For example, the cooking device (100) may identify a first food item close to a liquid state if a boiling state is confirmed within a preset temperature range. Alternatively, the cooking device (100) may identify a second food item including ingredients if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature lower than the preset temperature range. Alternatively, the cooking device (100) may identify a third food item if a boiling state is confirmed at a temperature higher than the preset temperature range.

[0218] And when the type of food is confirmed, the cooking device (100) can set the target temperature and the maintenance temperature for the food. For example, if the type of food is confirmed as water or liquid, the cooking device (100) can set the target temperature to 100 degrees, and if the type of food is confirmed as stew, the target temperature can be 110 degrees. And if the type of food is confirmed as water, the maintenance temperature can be 0 degrees, and if the type of food is soup or stew, the maintenance temperature can be 80 degrees. Such temperature values ​​are examples, and different values ​​may be applied during implementation.

[0219] And here, the target temperature and maintenance temperature can be the temperature applied to the food or the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0220] The cooking device (100) determines the cooking status of the food based on the identified food type and temperature information. For example, the cooking device (100) can determine the cooking status of the food based on the food capacity, food type, and temperature information. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify one of various cooking states, such as cooking complete, heating continuous, steaming, and resting.

[0221] The cooking device (100) can control the heating operation based on the identified type and cooking status (S840).

[0222] The control method of the cooking appliance as described above can perform a cooking operation suitable for the characteristics of the food by checking the characteristics of the food, such as the type and capacity of the food, and changing the heating method for the food based on the checked characteristics.

[0223] Meanwhile, the methods according to at least some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be implemented in the form of an application that can be installed on an existing electronic device.

[0224] Additionally, the methods according to at least some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented with only a software upgrade or a hardware upgrade for an existing electronic device.

[0225] Additionally, the methods according to at least some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may also be performed through an embedded server provided in an electronic device, or an external server of at least one of the electronic devices.

[0226] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the various embodiments described above can be implemented as software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer). The device is a device that can call instructions stored from the storage medium and operate according to the called instructions, and may include an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (A)) according to the disclosed embodiments. When an instruction is executed by a processor, the processor can perform a function corresponding to the instruction directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium.

[0227] Here, the term 'non-transitory storage medium' means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored. According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0228] The various embodiments of the present disclosure according to the claims and detailed description may be implemented through hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0229] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store one or more computer programs (or software modules), and the one or more computer programs may include computer-executable instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method of disclosure.

[0230] Any such software may be stored in a storage device, such as ROM, volatile or non-volatile storage, whether erasable or rewritable, or in a memory, such as, for example, RAM, a memory chip, device or IC, or on an optical or magnetically readable medium, such as a CD, DVD, magnetic disk or magnetic tape. The storage device and the storage medium may be various embodiments of a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the disclosure, or a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium suitable for storing a computer program. Accordingly, various embodiments may provide a program comprising code for implementing an apparatus or method as recited in any one of the claims of the present specification, and a non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing such a program.

[0231] Although the contents of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains, and it is of course possible to make various changes in form and detail without departing from the gist of the present disclosure, which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. In cooking equipment, A control panel for receiving control commands for controlling the above cooking appliance; A first sensor for detecting vibration on the cooking area; a second sensor for detecting the temperature on the cooking area; and comprising one or more processors executing at least one instruction; One or more of the above processors, The type of food on the cooking area is confirmed based on the vibration information of the first sensor and the temperature information of the second sensor, A cooking appliance that controls the operation of the cooking appliance based on the above-determined type.

2. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above processors, Check the cooking status of the food based on the type of food confirmed above and the temperature information, A cooking appliance that sets the operation mode of the heating device corresponding to the food to be cooked according to the confirmed cooking status.

3. In paragraph 2, One or more of the above processors, Check the boiling state of the food based on the vibration information of the first sensor, A cooking device that identifies the type of food based on temperature information at the time when the boiling state occurs.

4. In paragraph 3, One or more of the above processors, When the boiling state is confirmed within the preset temperature range, it is confirmed as the first cooking material close to a liquid state, If the boiling state is confirmed at a temperature lower than the above preset temperature range, it is confirmed as a second cooking material including the garnish, A cooking appliance that is confirmed to be in a boiling state at a temperature higher than the above-mentioned preset temperature range, and is confirmed as a third cooking object.

5. In paragraph 2, One or more of the above processors, A cooking appliance that checks a temperature change based on the temperature information of the second sensor, and estimates the capacity of the food based on the operation mode of the heating device and the checked temperature change.

6. In paragraph 2, One or more of the above processors, A cooking appliance that checks the cooking status of the food based on the capacity of the food, the type of the food, and the temperature information.

7. In paragraph 6, One or more of the above processors, When the cooking status of the above-mentioned food is confirmed as completed, the maintenance temperature is obtained based on the type of the food, A cooking appliance that controls the operation of the cooking appliance based on the obtained maintenance temperature.

8. In paragraph 6, One or more of the above processors, A cooking device that controls the heating device so that the operating intensity of the heating device corresponding to the food is reduced when the cooking state of the food confirmed above is cooking and the boiling state of the food is confirmed.

9. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above processors, Set the target temperature based on the type of food confirmed above, A cooking device that controls the operation of the cooking device so that the food is heated to the set target temperature.

10. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above processors, Based on the type of food confirmed above, determine the maintenance temperature after cooking is completed, A cooking device that controls the operation of the cooking device to maintain the determined maintenance temperature after cooking is completed.

11. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above processors, A cooking device that checks the boiling state of food based on a vibration output signal about the vertical axis of the cooking device from the first sensor.

12. In paragraph 1, The above first sensor, It is a multi-axis acceleration sensor that can individually detect vibrations in different axial directions. One or more of the above processors, For the above cooking appliance, the cooking target is identified based on the vibration output signal on the horizontal side, A cooking device that determines the boiling state of a food based on a vibration output signal of a vertical axis relative to a cooking area where the food is raised.

13. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a substrate supporting the cooking utensil; The second sensor above, A cooking appliance comprising an infrared sensor positioned at the bottom of the substrate and detecting the temperature of the upper portion of the substrate.

14. In the method of controlling a cooking appliance, Step for detecting vibrations on the cooking area; A step of detecting the temperature on the above cooking area; A step of confirming the type of food on the cooking area based on the detected progress and temperature; and A cooking appliance comprising a step of controlling the operation of the cooking appliance based on the identified type.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media storing one or more computer programs comprising computer-executable instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor of a cooking appliance, cause the cooking appliance to perform a control method, The above control method is, Step for detecting vibrations on the cooking area; A step of detecting the temperature on the above cooking area; A step of confirming the type of food on the cooking area based on the detected progress and temperature; and A computer-readable recording medium comprising a step of controlling the operation of the cooking appliance based on the identified type.

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