Cooking apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

A cooking apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The cooking apparatus comprises: a main body including a plurality of sheet coils; a display; a memory; and a processor, wherein each of the plurality of sheet coils includes a plurality of sensor coils arranged in a distributed manner, the memory stores coordinate information for classifying, by location, all the sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils, and the processor may identify, from among all the sensor coils, a plurality of sensor coils of which sensing values are changed by a container placed on the main body, identify the number, size, shape, and position of the container on the basis of coordinate information corresponding to the identified sensor coils, and control the display to display a screen corresponding to the result of the identification.

Description

Cooking device and control method thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking device and a method for controlling the same.

[0002] Thanks to advancements in electronic technology, various types of cooking appliances are in use. One example is the induction range. An induction range is a device that performs induction heating of a cookware using a sheet coil. Induction ranges enable rapid heating and pose a low risk of generating harmful gases and causing fires.

[0003] When multiple sheet coils are provided, the user can cook by placing containers at any position on the upper surface of the induction range. In this case, if multiple containers are placed close together, the induction range may misidentify the number, size, or shape of the containers. Consequently, proper cooking may not be performed for each container, and it may be difficult for the user to easily understand the cooking status.

[0004] A cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a main body including a plurality of sheet coils; a display; a memory; and a processor, wherein each of the plurality of sheet coils includes a plurality of distributed sensor coils, the memory stores coordinate information for distinguishing all sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils by position, and the processor identifies a plurality of sensor coils among the entire sensor coils whose sensing values ​​have been changed by a container placed on the main body, identifies the number, size, shape, and location of the container based on coordinate information corresponding to the identified sensor coils, and controls the display to display a screen corresponding to the identification result.

[0005] A control method for a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: driving a plurality of sheet coils on which a container is placed among all sheet coils provided in the cooking device; identifying coordinate information of sensor coils that detect the container and sensor coils that do not detect the container among all sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils; identifying the number, size, shape, and location of the container based on the coordinate information; and displaying a screen corresponding to the identification result.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 are drawings illustrating a sheet coil of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a state in which a container is mounted on a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic drawings illustrating the state in which a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure detects a container.

[0012] FIG. 9 is a detailed configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a cooking device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIGS. 10, FIGS. 11 and FIGS. 12 are drawings for explaining a method of sensing a container in a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIGS. 13 and FIGS. 14 are drawings illustrating various examples of a screen displayed in a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 15 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a control method of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] The embodiments described in this specification may be modified in various ways. Specific embodiments may be depicted in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of various embodiments. Accordingly, the technical concept is not limited by specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that it includes all equivalents or substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0017] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by the aforementioned terms. The aforementioned terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0018] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "joined" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or joined to that other component, there may also be other components in between.

[0019] On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0020] In this disclosure, the expression "identical" means not only complete agreement but also includes differences that account for a range of processing errors. Furthermore, in describing this disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations could unnecessarily obscure the essence of this disclosure, such detailed description is abbreviated or omitted.

[0021] In the present disclosure, the cooking device (100) is a device that cooks food using heat generated by using power generated by an induction current. In addition, such a cooking device (100) may be referred to as an induction, an induction range, an induction cooktop, an induction heating cooking means, etc. In the present disclosure, the cooking device (100) may be a device that cooks food using heat generated by an induction current.

[0022] The upper surface of the cooking device (100) may be referred to as a heating section. The surface of the heating section may be provided in the form of a flat plate. The cooking device (100) of the induction heating method generates a magnetic field by applying current to an induction heating coil, and an induction-specific cooking vessel placed above the induction heating coil can be heated by electrical resistance caused by eddy current generated by the magnetic field. This induction heating coil may also be referred to as a sheet coil.

[0023] Hereinafter, a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooking device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a processor (105), a memory (107), a main body (110), and a display (131).

[0026] The main body (110) of the cooking device (100) is configured to accommodate various components including a plurality of sheet coils (121, 122, 123). The main body (110) may also be described as a housing, a case, etc.

[0027] A plate made of glass or other material on which a container can be placed may be disposed on the upper surface of the main body (110). A plurality of sheet coils (121, 122, 123) are disposed on the lower surface of the upper surface.

[0028] Each of the plurality of sheet coils (121, 122, 123) can heat the container in the manner described above when an electric signal is applied while the container is placed on the upper surface. Although only three sheet coils are shown in FIG. 1, the number of sheet coils can be varied depending on the size of the cooking device (100).

[0029] Each of the multiple sheet coils (121, 122, 123) may include a plurality of sensor coils (1211 to 121n, 1221 to 122n, 1231 to 123n). Each of the multiple sensor coils (1211 to 121n, 1221 to 122n, 1231 to 123n) is configured to detect a container on the upper side. The number of sensor coils may vary depending on the size of the sheet coil. For example, one sensor coil may be placed for a single sheet coil, or two or four or more sensor coils may be used. Each sensor coil may be distributed so that a container can be detected at multiple locations within a single sheet coil. For example, if four sensor coils are used within a single sheet coil, the four sensor coils may be placed one at each corner of the sheet coil.

[0030] The memory (107) is configured to store various programs, data, and instructions necessary for the operation of the cooking device (100). The memory (107) can be implemented as at least one of various types of memory, such as RAM (dynamic RAM), SRAM (static RAM), SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), OTPROM (one-time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory, hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD). Although only one memory (107) is shown in FIG. 1, there may be multiple memory (107). Additionally, some memory may be implemented in a form integrated with the processor (105). The processor (105) may be electrically connected to the display (131) and the memory (107).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, when a plurality of sheet coils are arranged and each sheet coil includes a plurality of sensor coils, coordinate information may be assigned to each of the sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils. Coordinate information is information for distinguishing each sensor coil by location. That is, when a plurality of sheet coils are arranged in a matrix form in the horizontal and vertical directions, the sensor coils included in each sheet coil may be aligned side by side, such as in each row and each column of the entire matrix, and accordingly, different coordinate information may be assigned to the entire sensor coils (1211 to 121n, 1221 to 122n, 1231 to 123n). A memory (107) may store such coordinate information. Coordinate information may be described differently as location information, identification information, coordinate values, etc., but in this disclosure, it is referred to collectively as coordinate information. Specifically, the plurality of sheet coils may include a plurality of heating coils that operate by an induction heating method.

[0032] The display (131) is configured to display various screens under the control of the processor (105). The display (131) may be implemented as a general display including a light-emitting element such as an LCD or an LED, or as a touch screen with a built-in touch sensor. If implemented as a touch screen, the display (131) may operate as a user interface to be described in the following section. For example, various buttons or menus for controlling the operation of the cooking device (100) may be displayed on the display (131). In addition, although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, various buttons for using the cooking device (100) may be additionally provided separately from the display (131).

[0033] The processor (105) is a component for controlling the overall operation of the cooking device (100). The processor (105) can perform various operations based on instructions, programs, data, etc. stored in memory (107). The processor (105) can be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) or a microprocessor that processes digital signals. However, it is not limited thereto, and may include or be defined by one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a Micro Processing Unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or an Artificial Intelligence (AI) processor. Additionally, the processor (105) may be implemented as a System on Chip (SoC) or Large Scale Integration (LSI) with built-in processing algorithms, or may be implemented in the form of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

[0034] The processor (105) can detect the container based on the sensing value of each sensor coil of the plurality of sheet coils.

[0035] Specifically, a plurality of sensor coils disposed within a single sheet coil (e.g., in the case of the first sheet coil, the first sensor coil to the nth sensor coil (1211 to 121n)) can each individually detect a container.

[0036] For container detection, the processor (105) may individually supply a microcurrent to each sensor coil (1211~121n). This microcurrent may be provided from a power supply unit (not shown) equipped in the cooking device (100). When a container is placed on at least one of the sensor coils while the microcurrent is being supplied, the magnitude of the electrical signal detected by the sensor coil below the container may change. Therefore, containers can be detected at various locations within a single sheet coil.

[0037] The processor (105) can identify the sensor coils that detect the container among the total sensor coils included in the total sheet coils, and then identify at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the container based on the coordinate information of the sensor coils. That is, if a square container and a round container are placed adjacent to each other on the upper surface, the conventional device can recognize them as one device. In addition, if two or more round containers are placed adjacently, the conventional device may recognize them as a state in which one large square container is placed.

[0038] However, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor (105) can accurately identify whether multiple containers are adjacent to each other by identifying the coordinate information of each sensing coil that has detected a container and then verifying the continuity of the coordinate information.

[0039] The processor (105) can control the display (131) to display a screen corresponding to the identification result. For example, the screen may include an image of the top surface of the main body, an image of a container drawn at a different location with different sizes, shapes, and types depending on the identification result.

[0040] If a communication unit is additionally provided in the cooking device (100), the processor (105) may transmit this screen to a server device or a user terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone). If transmitted to a mobile phone, the user can easily and accurately recognize the status of the container placed in the cooking device (100) on their mobile phone. After individually selecting the recognized containers, the user can control the cooking ON / OFF, heating intensity, etc., for each container, or input timer settings, etc. The processor (105) stores the input settings in the memory (107) and drives at least one sheet coil among a plurality of sheet coils on which the selected container is placed, according to the input settings.

[0041] The main body (110) of the cooking device (100) may be divided into a plurality of regions. In the present disclosure, a region may refer to an upper surface region corresponding to the position of each sheet coil.

[0042] If the position of the container moves to another area during cooking, the processor (105) can drive the sheet coil in that other area in the same way and turn off the sheet coil in the previous area.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the external configuration of a cooking device (100). According to FIG. 2, the main body (110) may be composed of a plate (111) and a receptacle (112) that accommodates it. A portion of the receptacle (112) may be a bezel area (1102) adjacent to the plate (111).

[0044] That is, the upper surface of the cooking device (100) may be divided into a plurality of regions including a plate (111) and a bezel region (1102). One of the plurality of regions, the first region (1101), is a region where the aforementioned sheet coils are placed, and the second region (1102) may be a bezel region located at the edge of the upper surface of the cooking device (100). The third region (1103) may be a region where a display (131) is placed.

[0045] The second area (1102) may correspond to an area where the function of recognizing or heating the container is not provided, even if the container is mounted thereon. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and due to the characteristics of the cooking device (100), sheet coils may be placed over the entire upper surface, and the bezel area, i.e., the second area (1102), may be omitted. Additionally, the third area (1103) where the display (131) is placed may be placed on the front side rather than the upper surface of the cooking device (100).

[0046] The main body (110) may be provided as a square structure or a rectangular structure. A plurality of containers (11, 12) may be seated through the aforementioned first area (1101).

[0047] The processor (105) can identify the total number, shape, size, type, etc. of containers in the manner described above.

[0048] Figure 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of a cooking device (100).

[0049] According to FIG. 3, the main body (110) of the cooking device (100) may include a receptacle (112), a heating layer (130), and a plate (111). The receptacle (112) is configured to accommodate a substrate, a display (131), a heating layer (130), a coil sheet, etc. inside. The plate (111) may be provided to cover the upper part of the receptacle (112).

[0050] A plurality of containers for cooking may be placed on the plate (111). For this purpose, the part where the containers are placed may be provided with tempered glass or the like. In addition, the main body (110) of the cooking device (100) may be provided in the form of a movable unit as illustrated, but it is also possible to install it in a fixed form on a kitchen sink.

[0051] The display (131) may be provided on the periphery of the main body (110) as a fourth area, rather than the aforementioned third area. This display (131) may not be configured to simply display the display (131), but may correspond to a configuration that receives heating conditions for the container based on the control of the processor (105) and causes the container to be handled according to the input heating conditions.

[0052] Specifically, the display (131) can serve as an interface that displays images of each container identified as being located on the plate (111) in a touchable form and allows for the selection of individual temperature settings, operating time, turn-on, or turn-off for each image. The processor (105) can control the display (131) to display information corresponding to the shape of the recognized container and can display information corresponding to a single or multiple containers.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 3, a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may have a heating layer (130) for heating a container at the bottom of a plate (111). The heating layer (130) may include a plurality of induction heating coils (132). The plurality of induction heating coils (132) of the cooking device (100) may be located at the bottom of the plate (111) and heat a container placed on top of the plate (111).

[0054] The display (131) may be provided so as to be directly exposed to the surface of the plate (111), or it may be indirectly exposed through a transparent area formed transparently on the plate (111). The display (131) may also be provided on the heating layer (130) in the form of an assembly.

[0055] A plurality of induction heating coils (132) correspond to a configuration that generates a magnetic field and / or an electromagnetic field for heating a container. When a driving current is supplied to the induction heating coils (132), a magnetic field (B) can be induced around the induction heating coils (132) as shown in FIG. 5. The magnetic field around the induction heating coils (132) can pass through a plate (111) made of reinforced glass and can reach a container placed on the plate (111).

[0056] A plurality of induction heating coils (132) may be provided in a pre-set arrangement below the plate (111). The plurality of induction heating coils (132) may be arranged in a matrix form by aligning columns and rows. The virtual outer shape of these induction heating coils (132) according to the arrangement may correspond to the outer shape of the sheet coil of the cooking device (100). The arrangement of the induction heating coils themselves may be appropriately applied by taking into account the positions of the plurality of sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231) on the plurality of sheet coils (121, 122, 123).

[0057] As described above, the memory (107) of the cooking device (100) can store coordinate information for distinguishing all sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231) included in a plurality of sheet coils (121, 122, 123) by position. Here, the coordinate information stored in the memory (107) may correspond to information regarding the arrangement state of each sensor coil (1211, 1221, 1231) provided on the sheet coils (121, 122, 123).

[0058] The processor (105) of the cooking device (100) can identify the sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231) whose sensing values ​​have changed. Here, the change in sensing values ​​may be derived by comparing a first sensing value recognized by the sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231) before the container is placed on the main body (110) and a second sensing value recognized by the sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231) after the container is placed on the main body (110).

[0059] The processor (105) identifies the number, size, shape, and location of the containers based on coordinate information corresponding to the identified sensor coils (1211, 1221, 1231), and can control the display (131) to display a screen corresponding to the identification result. Here, the containers may be circular, square, etc. Containers of various sizes may be placed on the main body (110) in various numbers and locations. The shape of each container may also have various cross-sections, such as circular, square, etc.

[0060] A cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure can accurately identify a container placed on a main body (110) and can accurately detect whether a single circular or square container of the same type is positioned on the main body (110) and whether multiple containers are positioned thereon. In particular, it can accurately detect even cases where multiple circular and square containers of different types are positioned on the main body (110).

[0061] In FIG. 3, the internal configuration of the cooking device (100) is illustrated by dividing it into layers, and it is described that a heating layer (130) is separately arranged below a coil layer (120) containing a plurality of sheet coils, but the coils within the heating layer (130) may be formed integrally with each sheet coil.

[0062] FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings illustrating sheet coils of a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a state in which a total of 22 sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22) are arranged in alignment on the upper surface of the main body (100), excluding the display (131) area. The plurality of sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22) do not all need to be of the same shape, and the type of sheet coil may be determined differently depending on the size or shape of the plate (111). FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a case in which some of the sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22) include two sensor coils, and the remaining sheet coils include four sensor coils.

[0063] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate cases where coordinate information such as p11 to p712 is assigned according to location. The method of assigning coordinate information is not limited to this and can vary in many ways.

[0064] Each of the plurality of sheet coils can be driven under the control of the processor (105) when a container is detected by at least one of the provided sensor coils. The processor (105) can be driven according to the heating intensity or time selected by the user.

[0065] FIG. 4 shows a case where one container (11) is placed on six adjacent sheet coils (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9), and FIG. 5 shows a case where two containers (12, 13) are placed adjacently on eight adjacent sheet coils (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9, 120-10).

[0066] The processor (105) can identify the number, size, shape, type, etc. of the container based on the coordinate information of all sensor coils included in these sheet coils. For example, the processor (105) can identify the coordinate information of the sensor coil that detected the container and the sensor coil that did not detect the container among the sensor coils included in all the sheet coils where the container was detected.

[0067] In the case of FIG. 4, among the six adjacent sheet coils (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9), sensor coils that detect the container (p12 to p16, p22 to p26, p32 to p36) and sensor coils that do not detect the container (p11, p21, p31, p41 to p46) can be identified. The processor (105) checks the continuity of the identified sensor coils. In the case of FIG. 4, since the sensor coils that detect the container (p12 to p16, p22 to p26, p32 to p36) are arranged continuously with each other and have an overall rectangular shape, the processor (105) can identify a state in which a single rectangular container (11) is placed.

[0068] On the other hand, FIG. 5 shows a state in which two round containers (12, 13) are placed side by side on eight adjacent sheet coils (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9, 120-10). In this case, among all the sensor coils, the sensor coils that detect the container (p12, 13, p16, p17, p22 ~ p27, p32 ~ p37, p42, p43, p46, p47) and the sensor coils that do not detect the container (p11, p14, p15, p18, p21, p28, p31, p38, p41, p44, p45, p48) can be identified. The processor (105) identifies sensor coils located between the sensors that have detected the container among the sensor coils that have not detected the container. In the case of FIG. 5, parts p14 and p15 (hereinafter, the first part) and parts p44 and p45 (hereinafter, the second part) can be identified as being located between the sensors that have detected the container. The processor (105) can identify the container by dividing it into multiple parts based on the sensor coils that have not detected the container. In the case of FIG. 5, since the first and second parts are identified at positions facing each other, the processor (105) can identify that two round containers (12, 13) are arranged based on the space between them.

[0069] In addition, the processor (105) may identify the shape of the container based on the distribution pattern of the detected sensor coils, and may identify the size of the container based on the number of detected adjacent sensor coils. Once the shape and size of the container are identified, the type of container can also be identified based on this. For example, if a rectangular container of a certain size or larger is detected, it may be identified as a rectangular frying pan, and if a small round container is detected, it may be identified as a small pot. If a large round container is detected, the processor (105) may identify it as a large pot.

[0070] Meanwhile, FIG. 4 illustrates a case where a single rectangular container is placed parallel to the horizontal direction of the upper surface, but even if it is a single container, it may be placed obliquely across multiple sheet coils. In this case, among the multiple consecutive sheet coils, some sensor coils on the edge side may detect the container while some sensor coils may not detect it. The processor (105) can identify the alignment direction of the sensor coils that detect the container and the sensor coils that do not detect it, and thus identify whether the container is placed obliquely or correctly. Since a larger number of sheet coils may need to be driven when the container is placed obliquely compared to when it is placed correctly, if the processor (105) identifies that the container is placed obliquely at an angle greater than a certain angle relative to the edge of the main body (100), it may display a message through the display (131) to induce the container to be placed correctly or provide guidance to the user through a separately provided speaker. Meanwhile, if a separate weight sensing sensor is provided on the lower side of the plate (111) of the cooking device (100), the processor (105) may detect the weight of the container and identify the container based on weight data previously stored in the memory (107). The processor (105) may provide reference information corresponding to the identified container. The reference information may include information regarding the capacity of the container, the shape of the container, suitable cooking purposes, cooking capacity, etc. The processor (105) may control the display (131) to display such reference information. Of course, such reference information may be provided based on accurate container identification. However, even if an accurate container is not identified, a group of candidates for the container may be derived from the memory (107) based on the detected weight of the container, and information regarding the derived group of candidate containers may be displayed as a list. The user can refer to this list to effectively utilize the container cooking device (100) according to the cooking purpose.

[0071] Although the above describes a case where containers are identified based on coordinate information of multiple sensor coils, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of containers, etc., may be identified based on various information in addition to coordinate information. For example, the containers may be identified based on the time at which they are placed.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a state in which a container is mounted on a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, when a container is sensed in at least two adjacent sheet coils among a plurality of sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22), the processor (105) can compare the time when each of the at least two adjacent sheet coils detects the container. If, as a result of comparing the times when the container is detected, a time difference exceeding a preset range is identified, the processor (105) can identify the container by classifying it into a plurality of containers based on the time difference. For example, when a first container (11) is placed on two adjacent sheet coils (120-2, 120-3) among a plurality of sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22), and a second container (12) is placed on two adjacent sheet coils (120-8, 120-9), the processor (105) can identify the respective times (D1, D2) at which each container (11, 12) is placed. The processor (105) can identify that one container is placed if the time difference between the first time of placement (D1) and the second time of placement (D2) is within a preset range. That is, in the case of a large container, during the process of the user placing the container, one lower side of the container may first come into contact with the plate (111), and then the other lower side may come into contact thereafter. In this case, there may be a time difference between the point in time when one side of the lower surface makes contact and the point in time when the other side makes contact, but the time difference is within a very short range. On the other hand, the time difference that occurs when multiple containers are placed on the cooking device (100) may be relatively long. Information regarding the reference range can be pre-set and stored in memory (107). For example, if it is set to 0.5 seconds, the processor (105) can identify the number of containers by distinguishing them into multiple groups based on the time difference when a time difference of 0.5 seconds or more is identified. For example, when three containers are placed sequentially, two time differences may be identified between each point in time of placement.Based on this, the processor (105) can identify that three containers are placed.

[0073] The processor (105) of the cooking device (100) can control the display (131) to display information regarding the container determined in this way.

[0074] The embodiment described in FIG. 6 can be applied together with the embodiments described above. For example, when two square pans are placed side by side on a plate (111), it may be difficult to accurately identify the number of containers even if coordinate information is compared as in the embodiments described above. In this case, the processor (105) can identify the time difference as described in FIG. 6 and then distinguish the number of containers based on it. The embodiment of FIG. 6 does not necessarily have to be used together with other embodiments described above and may be implemented separately.

[0075] Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of containers may be identified based on the history of the position movement of the containers. FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams illustrating the state in which a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure detects containers.

[0076] The user can place the container on the plate (111) of the cooking device (100) and then move the container to another location. In this case, the container can be lifted and placed down to another location, or it can be moved by sliding the container on the plate (111).

[0077] When the position of a container placed on the main body (110) moves, the processor (105) can store information about at least one sheet coil located on the moving path in the memory (107). This information may be information about the position movement history or the container detection history.

[0078] FIG. 7 shows two containers (11, 12) placed on the first sheet coil (121) and the second sheet coil (122), respectively, and then moved onto the intermediate third sheet coil (123). Although FIG. 7 shows only one third sheet coil (123), if the size of the containers (11, 12) is large, they may be moved to be positioned side by side on multiple adjacent sheet coils.

[0079] When a container is sensed in two adjacent sheet coils among a plurality of sheet coils (120-1 to 120-22), the processor (105) identifies the container detection history stored for the surrounding sheet coils of at least two sheet coils from the memory (107). As shown in FIG. 7, if the first container (11) moves from the first sheet coil (121) to the third sheet coil (123) and the second container (12) moves from the second sheet coil (122) to the third sheet coil (123), the surrounding sheet coils of the third sheet coil (123) become the first and second sheet coils (121, 122). Based on the container detection history, the processor (105) can confirm that the first and second containers (11, 12) were previously detected in the first and second sheet coils (121, 122), respectively. Accordingly, the processor (105) can identify that two different containers (11, 12) have moved to a single location (123) from different directions, thereby identifying that there are two containers.

[0080] In addition, the processor (105) may store information about the movement paths, etc., of each container in memory (107).

[0081] If the processor (105) of the cooking device (100) has a history of identifying a first container at a first location, it can compare the number of sensor coils corresponding to the first location at the time of identification with the number of sensor coils corresponding to the movement path of the first container thereafter, and if the difference is greater than a preset reference value, it can identify that there is at least one other container in addition to the first container.

[0082] The processor (105) may also control the display (131) to display a screen including the movement path when the movement of the container is detected.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a cooking device according to such an embodiment. FIG. 8 illustrates a case where a container moves in a rightward direction. The processor (105) can identify the moving speed or direction of the container by identifying changes in sensor coils that detect the container based on coordinate information. The processor (105) can display a UI screen based on the identified information on the display (131). FIG. 8 illustrates a case where a screen including a rightward arrow and text is displayed, but the content displayed on the screen can be implemented in various ways.

[0084] For example, when the processor (105) identifies multiple containers as described above, it can control the display (131) to display a screen including an image of the main body (110) and images of multiple containers placed at each identified location on the main body (110). The image of the main body (110) may be an image showing the entire upper surface of the main body (110) as shown in FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5, or an image showing only a part of the main body (110). In the case of a screen provided through the display (131) provided in the cooking device (100), since a user located near the cooking device (100) can easily check the number and location of the containers with the naked eye, there is no need to display the entire image, and a screen may be displayed that allows individual input of operating conditions for each identified container.

[0085] On the other hand, in the case of a user or server device located far from the cooking device (100), it is difficult to directly check the usage status of the cooking device (100). Therefore, the processor (105) may provide an image showing the entire top surface to a server device or user terminal device located far from the cooking device (100), so that the operator of the user or server device can easily identify the number of containers, location, etc. based on the image.

[0086] FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a detailed configuration of a cooking device (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the cooking device (100) may include a plurality of induction heating coils (132), a user interface (180), a container detection unit (160), temperature sensors (1212, 1222, 1232), a driving unit (190), and a processor (105). The plurality of induction heating coils (132) may generate a magnetic field and / or an electromagnetic field for heating a container. The plurality of induction heating coils (132) may be provided in the heating layer (130) described above, or may be provided for each sheet coil.

[0087] The user interface (180) may include a touch screen (181) that receives touch input from a user and displays an image regarding the operation of the cooking device (100) in response to the user's touch input, and an input button (182) that receives control commands from the user. The touch screen (181) may include a touch panel that receives touch input from a user, a display panel that displays an image regarding the operation of the cooking device (100), and a touch screen controller that controls the operation of the touch panel and the display panel. The touch screen (181) may be manufactured as a separate module from the display (131) described above, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and the display (131) itself may be implemented as the touch screen (181).

[0088] The input button (182) may include an operation button that receives a power on / off command of the cooking device (100), a power up button and a power down button that receive the strength of the magnetic field and / or electromagnetic field output by the cooking device (100). The input button (182) may be implemented as various types of buttons, switches, etc., such as a push button, a slide button, a toggle button, a touch button, or a dial. The user interface (180) may receive a control command from the user and output an electrical signal corresponding to the user's control command to the processor (105).

[0089] The processor (105) can control the operation of the cooking device (100) based on user commands input through the user interface (180).

[0090] The container detection unit (160) can detect the position of a container placed on the plate (111). The container detection unit (160) may include a plurality of container sensors (161) for detecting the position of the container, and a container detection circuit (162) that processes the output of the container sensors (161) and outputs information regarding the position of the container to the processor (105). Each of the plurality of container sensors (161) is installed near a plurality of induction heating coils (132) and can detect a container located in overlap with the induction heating coils (132). The plurality of container sensors (161) may be a plurality of sensor coils placed within each sheet coil, as described in the various embodiments described above.

[0091] However, it is not limited thereto, and the container sensor (161) may include various sensors capable of detecting a container placed on the plate (111), such as a capacitive sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a micro switch, or a membrane switch. The container sensor (161) may output information regarding the detection of the container to the container detection circuit (162). The container detection circuit (162) receives the detection results of the container from a plurality of container sensors (161) and, based on the detection results, can determine the location where the container is placed, specifically the induction heating coil (132) that overlaps with the container.

[0092] The container detection circuit (162) can output container location data processed from the detection results of a plurality of container sensors (161) to the processor (105). The processor (105) can drive at least one of a plurality of sheet coils based on the detection results of the container detection unit (160).

[0093] Temperature sensors (1212, 1222, 1232) can detect the temperature of a container placed on a plate (111). The container is heated by an induction heating coil (132) and may overheat depending on the material. Therefore, for safe operation, the cooking device (100) can detect the temperature of the container placed on the plate (111) and, if the container overheats, block the operation of the induction heating coil (132). In the various embodiments described above, cases in which a plurality of temperature sensors are placed on each sheet coil have been illustrated and described, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and at least one temperature sensor may be placed at a location adjacent to the plate (111) to sense the overall temperature.

[0094] The driving unit (190) is configured to receive power from an external power source and to drive each of the multiple sheet coils individually by supplying current to the induction heating coil (132) according to the driving control signal of the processor (105). The driving unit (190) may include an EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) filter (191), a rectifier circuit (192), an inverter circuit (193), a distribution circuit (194), a current detection circuit (195), a driving memory (196), and a driving processor (197). The EMI filter (191) can block high-frequency noise included in the AC power supplied from the external power source (ES) and allow AC voltage and AC current of a predetermined frequency to pass through.

[0095] The EMI filter (191) may include an inductor (L1) provided between the input and output of the filter and a capacitor (C1) provided between the positive output and negative output of the filter. The inductor (L1) blocks the passage of high-frequency noise, and the capacitor (C1) can bypass high-frequency noise to an external power source (ES). The rectifier circuit (192) can convert AC power into DC power. The inverter circuit (193) may include a switching circuit (153a) that supplies or blocks the driving current to the induction heating coil (132), and a resonance circuit (153b) that causes resonance together with the induction heating coil (132). The driving memory (196) is configured to store data, programs, and commands related to the driving of each sheet coil, and the driving processor (197) is configured to control whether each sheet coil is driven based on the commands stored in the driving memory (196).

[0096] Although an example of the detailed configuration of a cooking device is described in FIG. 9, the cooking device may be configured in various other forms.

[0097] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above explained cases in which a container is detected using a sensor coil provided within a sheet coil. Below, the detection method using each sensor coil will be described in detail.

[0098] FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 are schematic drawings illustrating the detection of a round container in a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 are schematic drawings illustrating the detection of a square container in a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] When a container is placed on the plate (111) while a microcurrent is applied to the sensor coil, the inductance of the sensor coil changes. The processor (105) can detect whether the inductance of each sensor coil changes and the amount of change to detect the presence or absence of the container. The processor (105) of the cooking device (100) can detect the amount of change in the sensor by repeatedly operating the sensor coil with a preset period of time. At this time, the amount of change has the characteristic of increasing when an object is placed on the sensor and decreasing when it is removed. The presence or absence of the pot can be detected based on the amount of change of this characteristic.

[0100] The user may place a container at any location on the plate (111) regardless of the position of the sensor coil. Accordingly, the container may completely cover the sensor coil or only partially cover it. Depending on the design, even if the container only partially covers the sensor coil, the sheet coil on which the sensor coil is placed may or may not be driven. That is, whether the sensor coil detects the container can be determined based on a reference value for the inductance output from the sensor coil.

[0101] For example, the inductance value when 50% of the total area of ​​the sensor coil is covered by the container or the inductance value when the center point of the sensor coil is covered by the container can be set as a reference value and stored in memory (107). In this case, the processor (105) can identify that the container is detected in the sensor coil when an inductance greater than or equal to the reference value is input, and identify that the container is not detected when an inductance less than the reference value is input.

[0102] FIG. 10 shows a state where the round container does not cover the center point (C) of the sensor coil, FIG. 11 shows a state where it spans the center point, and FIG. 12 shows a state where it covers beyond the center point.

[0103] If the inductance measured in the state of Fig. 11 is set as a reference value, the processor (105) can identify that a container has been detected in the corresponding sensor coil in the case of Fig. 11 and Fig. 12.

[0104] FIGS. 13 and 14 are drawings for illustrating various examples of screens provided by a cooking device (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 13, the processor (105) of the cooking device (100) can control the display to display a sub-screen that can set operating conditions for each container when it is identified that two containers are placed on the main body (110). Here, operating conditions may be options that determine the operation of a sheet coil related to cooking, such as turn-on / off, heating intensity, heating mode, and heating time.

[0105] The processor (105) also displays an image corresponding to the type of recognized container within each sub-screen. According to FIG. 13, among the plurality of sub-screens (S1, S2, S3), a square container image is displayed in the third sub-screen (S3) corresponding to the third sheet coil (123), and a round container image is displayed in the second sub-screen (S2) corresponding to the second sheet coil (122). An area for inputting driving conditions is displayed at the bottom of each container image.

[0106] FIG. 14 illustrates a case where the driving of the second and third sheet coils is controlled through the second and third sub-screens. According to FIG. 14, the heating intensity is selected from one of levels 1 to 7 depending on the user's selection, and the heating mode can also be selected in various ways. The processor (105) controls the second and third sheet coils (122, 123) according to the driving conditions input to each sub-screen (S2, S3).

[0107] When the number of containers is increased, the processor (105) may increase the number of sub-screens or change the screen layout.

[0108] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 15, when a plurality of sheet coils on which a container is placed are detected among the total sheet coils, the cooking device can drive the detected plurality of sheet coils (S110).

[0109] The cooking device can identify the coordinate information of sensor coils that detect a container and sensor coils that do not detect a container among all sensor coils included in a plurality of sheet coils (S120).

[0110] The cooking device can identify the number, size, shape, and location of the containers based on the identified coordinate information (S130). Since the method for identifying the coordinate information and the method for identifying the number of containers, etc. based thereon have been specifically explained in the various embodiments described above, a redundant explanation is omitted.

[0111] The cooking device can display a screen corresponding to the identification result (S140).

[0112] Meanwhile, the cooking device may identify the number of containers based on the time difference between the sensing times of each sensor coil or the detection history of surrounding sheet coils, in addition to coordinate information. Since this has been specifically explained in FIGS. 6 and FIGS. 7, a redundant explanation is omitted.

[0113] The control method described in FIG. 15 may be performed by a cooking device (100) described in at least one of FIGS. 1 to 14, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may also be performed by a cooking device in which some components are added or modified.

[0114] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described individually above, each embodiment is not required to be implemented alone, and the configuration and operation of each embodiment may be implemented in combination with at least one other embodiment.

[0115] In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In a cooking device, A plurality of sheet coils comprising a plurality of heating coils operating by an induction heating method; A main body including the above plurality of sheet coils; display; Memory; and It includes a processor electrically connected to the above display and the above memory, Each of the above plurality of sheet coils includes a plurality of distributed sensor coils, and The above memory stores coordinate information for distinguishing all sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils by location, and The above processor is, A cooking device that identifies a plurality of sensor coils whose sensing values ​​are changed by a container placed on the main body among the entire sensor coils, identifies at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the container based on coordinate information corresponding to the identified sensor coils, and controls the display to display a screen corresponding to the identification result.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above processor is, When the container is sensed on at least two adjacent sheet coils among the plurality of sheet coils, the coordinate information of the plurality of sensor coils that detected the container and the sensor coil that did not detect the container among the sensor coils included in the entirety of the at least two sheet coils is identified, and A cooking device that, when a sensor coil that does not detect the container is located among a plurality of sensor coils that detect the container, identifies the container by distinguishing it into a plurality of items based on the sensor coil that does not detect the container.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above processor is, A cooking device that, when a container is sensed by at least two adjacent sheet coils among the plurality of sheet coils, compares the time at which each of the at least two sheet coils detects the container, and if a time difference exceeding a preset range is identified, classifies and identifies the container into a plurality based on the time difference.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above processor is, A cooking device that stores information about at least one sheet coil located on the moving path in the memory when the position of the container placed on the main body moves.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above processor is, The container detection history of each of the plurality of sheet coils is stored in the memory, and A cooking device that identifies the number of containers placed on the main body based on the container detection history of the surrounding sheet coils of the at least two adjacent sheet coils among the plurality of sheet coils, when the container is sensed in at least two adjacent sheet coils.

6. In Paragraph 1, At least one of the plurality of sheet coils above is, Four sensor coils placed at each corner, and It includes a temperature sensor located between the four sensor coils mentioned above, and The processor drives the corresponding seat coil when the sensing value of at least one of the four sensor coils changes, and A cooking device that adjusts the driving state of the driven sheet coil based on the sensing value of the above temperature sensor.

7. In Paragraph 1, The above processor is, If the above containers are identified as multiple, A cooking device that controls the display to display a screen including an image of the main body and images of a plurality of containers each placed at identified positions on the main body.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above processor is, A cooking device that, when at least one of the plurality of container images is selected and a driving condition for the selected container image is input, drives at least one sheet coil on which a container corresponding to the selected container image is placed according to the input driving condition.

9. A control method for a cooking device comprising a plurality of sheet coils, each comprising a plurality of heating coils operating by an induction heating method, A step of driving the plurality of sheet coils when a container is detected in a plurality of sheet coils among all sheet coils provided in the cooking device; A step of identifying coordinate information of sensor coils that detected the container and sensor coils that did not detect the container among all sensor coils included in the plurality of sheet coils; A step of identifying at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the container based on the above coordinate information; and A control method comprising the step of displaying a screen corresponding to an identification result.

10. In Paragraph 9, The step of identifying at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the above-mentioned containers is, A control method for identifying multiple containers based on at least one sensor coil that has not detected the container among a plurality of sensor coils that have detected the container.

11. In Paragraph 9, The step of identifying at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the above-mentioned containers is, A control method for comparing the time at which each of the plurality of sheet coils detects the container, and if a time difference exceeding a preset range is identified, classifying and identifying the container into multiple containers based on the time difference.

12. In Paragraph 9, A control method further comprising the step of storing information about at least one sheet coil located in the moving path when the position of the container placed in the cooking device moves.

13. In Paragraph 12, The step of identifying at least one of the number, size, shape, and location of the above-mentioned containers A step of identifying the container detection history of surrounding sheet coils of the plurality of sheet coils; and A control method comprising the step of identifying the number of containers based on the identified detection history.

14. In Paragraph 9, The step of displaying a screen corresponding to the above identification result A control method for displaying a screen including an image of the main body of the cooking device and images of the multiple containers placed at each identified location on the main body, when the above-mentioned containers are identified as a plurality.

15. In Paragraph 9, A control method further comprising the step of: selecting at least one of the plurality of container images and inputting a driving condition for the selected container image, and driving at least one sheet coil on which a container corresponding to the selected container image is placed according to the input driving condition.

Images