Cooking apparatus and control method therefor

Abstract

A cooking apparatus including a cooking chamber, according to the present disclosure, comprises: a display; a camera for photographing the cooking chamber; a sensor for detecting the humidity of the cooking chamber; a memory storing instructions; and at least one processor including processing circuitry, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the cooking apparatus to: if first cooking of a food in the cooking chamber starts, identify a food area corresponding to the food in an image acquired through the camera, on the basis of the image; divide the food area into a plurality of areas on the basis of a temperature change rate of the food area; if the first cooking is completed, identify the temperature and shape of the food on the basis of the image acquired through the camera; display, on the display, evaluation information about the food, acquired on the basis of the temperature and shape of the food; and if a user input for additional cooking of the food is received, on the basis of a target temperature set based on the user input and humidity acquired through the sensor during the first cooking, cook the food such that the temperature of each of the plurality of areas becomes the target temperature.

Description

Cooking device and control method thereof

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

[0002] Conventionally, when cooking food using a cooking device (e.g., oven, microwave), users could determine the cooking status of the food by touching it directly after cooking was finished or by visually inspecting it. Furthermore, users would consume the food after judging that it was fully cooked based on visual inspection, but they faced the inconvenience of having to re-cook it because the inside was not fully cooked and it was cold.

[0003] Consequently, the need has arisen for technology capable of assessing the condition of the food after cooking is complete and performing additional cooking according to user needs.

[0004] A cooking device including a cooking chamber according to one embodiment comprises a display, a camera for photographing the cooking chamber, a sensor for detecting humidity of the cooking chamber, a memory for storing instructions, and at least one processor including processing circuitry, wherein when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, when a first cooking of a food item in the cooking chamber begins, the cooking device identifies a food item area corresponding to the food item in the image based on an image acquired through the camera, and divides the food item area into a plurality of areas based on the rate of temperature change of the food item area, and when the first cooking ends, identifies the temperature and shape of the food item based on an image acquired through the camera, and displays evaluation information for the food item acquired based on the temperature and shape of the food item on the display, and when user input for additional cooking of the food item is received, the temperature of each of the plurality of areas based on a target temperature set based on the user input and humidity acquired through the sensor during the first cooking is the target temperature The above ingredients can be cooked as much as possible.

[0005] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify the rate of temperature change of pixels in the cooking area based on an image acquired through the camera at preset time intervals, and identify an area in the image where the rate of temperature change is greater than or equal to a preset value as the cooking area.

[0006] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may acquire first information including at least one of the temperature of the food, the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the food, the temperature deviation of the food and the temperature deviation of each of a plurality of regions of the food, the volume change amount of the food and the volume change amount of each of a plurality of regions of the food, based on an image acquired through the camera when the first cooking is completed, and display evaluation information for the food including the first information on the display.

[0007] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify whether to provide additional evaluation information for the food item based on at least one of the cooking mode of the cooking device, the cooking time of the food item, the size of the food item, and the rate of change in volume of the food item when the first cooking is completed.

[0008] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, if the cooking device is identified as providing additional evaluation information for the food item, it may acquire second information including at least one of the temperature change rate and volume change rate of the food item during the preset time based on images acquired through the camera at the time when the first cooking is finished and at the time when a preset time has elapsed from the time when the first cooking is finished, and display the evaluation information for the food item including the first information and the second information on the display.

[0009] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the food to be cooked based on an image acquired through the camera during the first cooking, identify the temperature corresponding to the point in time when the humidity inside the cooking chamber is at its maximum during the cooking period of the food to be cooked based on the humidity acquired through the sensor during the first cooking, identify the temperature of each of the plurality of regions at the point in time when the humidity inside the cooking chamber is at its maximum based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and perform the additional cooking of the food to be cooked such that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on the target temperature and the temperature of the plurality of regions at the point in time when the humidity is at its maximum.

[0010] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify the rate of change of temperature of each of the plurality of regions based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and if the target temperature is lower than the highest temperature among the temperatures of the plurality of regions at the time when the humidity is at its maximum, perform the additional cooking by cooking the food using a constant temperature control method so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature in order of increasing rate of change of temperature of each of the plurality of regions.

[0011] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify the order in which the plurality of regions reach the target temperature based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and if the target temperature is greater than the highest temperature among the temperatures of the plurality of regions at the time when the humidity is at its maximum, the cooking device may use a constant temperature control method to cook the food so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the highest temperature according to the identified order, and perform the additional cooking so that the temperature of the food becomes the target temperature.

[0012] When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device may identify the temperature and volume change rate of each of a plurality of regions of the food based on an image acquired through the camera during the time interval in which the food is cooked, identify the point in time when the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions is maximum within the time in which the food is cooked based on the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions, identify the temperature of each of the plurality of regions at the identified point in time based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and perform the additional cooking based on the largest temperature among the identified temperatures so that the volume change rate of the food becomes a target volume set based on the user input.

[0013] A control method for a cooking device according to one embodiment may include: a step of identifying a cooking area corresponding to the cooking item in an image based on an image acquired through a camera of the cooking device when a first cooking of the cooking item in the cooking chamber begins; a step of dividing the cooking area into a plurality of regions based on the rate of temperature change of the cooking area; a step of identifying the temperature and shape of the cooking item based on an image acquired through the camera when the first cooking ends; a step of displaying evaluation information for the cooking item acquired based on the temperature and shape of the cooking item on a display of the cooking device; and a step of cooking the cooking item such that, when user input for additional cooking of the cooking item is received, the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on a target temperature set based on the user input and humidity acquired through a sensor of the cooking device during the first cooking.

[0014] A non-transient computer-readable recording medium storing one or more instructions executed by a processor of a cooking device to perform an operation according to the present disclosure, wherein the operation may include: a step of identifying a cooking area corresponding to the cooking item in an image based on an image acquired through a camera of the cooking device when a first cooking of the cooking item begins; a step of dividing the cooking area into a plurality of regions based on the rate of temperature change of the cooking area; a step of identifying the temperature and shape of the cooking item based on an image acquired through the camera when the first cooking ends; a step of displaying evaluation information for the cooking item acquired based on the temperature and shape of the cooking item on a display of the cooking device; and a step of, when user input for additional cooking of the cooking item is received, cooking the cooking item such that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on a target temperature set based on the user input and humidity acquired through a sensor of the cooking device during the first cooking.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the appearance of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a method for identifying a cooking area according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining a method for identifying a plurality of regions of a food according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing conditions for performing additional evaluation of a cooked food according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a graph showing the temperature change during additional evaluation of other cooked food in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the volume change during additional evaluation of a cooked product according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a drawing for illustrating providing additional evaluation information according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking device when a target temperature is set, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking device when a target volume is set, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a drawing for illustrating an additional cooking guide according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating the operation of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure to bring the temperature of a food item to a target temperature.

[0029] FIG. 15 is a drawing illustrating the operation of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure to bring the volume of a cooked food to a target volume.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the temperature of the food after additional cooking of the food is finished according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure have been selected to be as widely used and general as possible, taking into account their functions within this disclosure; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Additionally, in specific cases, terms have been arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant explanatory section of this disclosure. Therefore, terms used in this disclosure should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0032] In this specification, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of such features (e.g., numerical values, functions, operations, or components such as parts) and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0033] The expression "at least one of A or / and B" should be understood as representing either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0034] Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in this specification may modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit said components.

[0035] Where it is stated that a component (e.g., Component 1) is "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to" or "connected to" another component (e.g., Component 2), it should be understood that the component may be directly connected to the other component or connected through the other component (e.g., Component 3).

[0036] The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "consisting of" are intended to specify 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.

[0037] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of "modules" or a plurality of "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by at least one processor, except for a "module" or "part" that needs to be implemented in specific hardware.

[0038] In this specification, the term "user" may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

[0039] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] The cooking device (100) may include a cooking chamber (10) and a camera (110). The cooking device (100) is a device that performs various cooking operations by applying high-temperature heat generated using electricity or gas to the food being cooked, and may be an oven, electric range, air fryer, etc., but is not limited to a specific type. In the example described below, the cooking device (100) is described as an oven.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the cooking device (100) can cook food based on user input related to the operation of the cooking device (100). The user can place food to be cooked into the cooking chamber (10) and input operation information (e.g., cooking mode, cooking temperature, cooking time) through a display (120) included in the electronic device (100). The cooking device (100) can cook food according to the operating temperature, operating time, and cooking mode corresponding to the operation information.

[0043] For example, the cooking temperature may refer to the temperature inside the cooking device (100). The cooking device (100) can maintain the internal temperature at the cooking temperature using a heating element mounted on the cooking device (100).

[0044] For example, cooking time may refer to the time from when the cooking device (100) starts the operation until when it ends. The cooking device (100) may end the cooking operation when it is identified that the time taken to perform cooking after starting cooking has reached the cooking time. For example, cooking mode may refer to a cooking style of food. The cooking device (100) may determine the method of transferring heat or controlling internal airflow according to the cooking mode. Cooking modes may include, for example, convection, bake, variable broil, steam bake, steam roast, convection vegetable, air fry, and air sous vide.

[0045] The cooking chamber (10) includes a space for accommodating food and may be a space for performing cooking operations on the food. The cooking chamber (10) may include a driving device capable of rotating and moving the food. The cooking device (100) may provide heat to the cooking chamber (10) using a heating unit for generating heat, thereby cooking the food inside the cooking chamber (10).

[0046] According to one embodiment, the cooking device (100) can photograph a food item (e.g., food) located in the cooking chamber (10) using a camera (110). In the present disclosure, the camera (110) may include a thermal imaging camera and / or an RGB camera.

[0047] The cooking device (100) can acquire an image of the food being cooked using a camera (110). The cooking device (100) can use the image to identify changes in the volume and / or temperature of the food being cooked within the cooking chamber (10), and can cook the food so that the volume and / or temperature of the food being cooked can become the target volume and / or target temperature desired by the user through additional cooking.

[0048] Accordingly, the user can know the condition of the cooked food without directly touching it after cooking is complete. In addition, since the cooking device (100) performs additional cooking by setting the temperature and volume desired by the user, the user can obtain a cooked food of the desired quality.

[0049] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, the cooking device (100) may include a camera (110), a display (120), a memory (130), a sensor (140), and at least one processor (150) (hereinafter referred to as processor (150)).

[0051] The camera (110) can generate an image. For example, the camera (110) may include a thermal imaging camera and / or an RGB camera.

[0052] The camera (110) can capture images by photographing the interior of the kitchen. Thus, the images captured by the camera (110) may include food items. The camera (110) can be placed at various locations on the electronic device (100). For example, the camera (110) can be placed in the center of the ceiling inside the kitchen. The location where the camera (110) is attached is not limited to this and can be attached at various locations inside the kitchen.

[0053] The camera (110) may include a lens assembly and an image sensor. However, such configuration is exemplary, and it is understood that new configurations may be added or some configurations omitted in addition to such configurations when carrying out the present disclosure. For example, the camera (110) may further include an image signal processor (ISP). The image signal processor may be configured as at least part of the processor (150).

[0054] If the camera (110) is an RGB camera, the lens assembly can collect light incident from the outside. The lens assembly may include one or more lenses. For example, the lens assembly can refract light incident from the outside. The refracted light can be collected on an image sensor.

[0055] An image sensor can generate an image corresponding to light received through a lens assembly. The image sensor can be implemented as a CCD (charged coupled device) sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor. The image sensor may include a pixel array composed of multiple pixels. For example, the image sensor can generate an image by converting light into an electrical image signal using multiple pixels. The image signal can be amplified and converted into a digital signal, after which it can be processed. The image generated by the image sensor can be provided to a processor (150).

[0056] If the camera (110) is a thermal imaging camera, the lens assembly can collect infrared radiation incident from the outside. For example, the lens assembly can collect infrared radiation emitted from an object. Additionally, if the camera (110) is a thermal imaging camera, the image sensor can generate a thermal image corresponding to the infrared radiation received through the lens assembly.

[0057] A thermal imaging camera (110) can acquire a thermal image. Specifically, the thermal imaging camera (110) can detect radiant heat emitted by an object and acquire a thermal image showing the intensity and distribution of the detected heat.

[0058] The display (120) can output visualized information to the user. The visualized information may include visual objects displayed on the screen of the display (120). For example, the visual objects may include images, UI (user interface) elements, etc. The UI elements may include icons, GUI (graphic user interface), etc.

[0059] The display (120) may be implemented as a display including a self-emissive element or as a display including a non-emissive element and a backlight. For example, the display (110) may be implemented as various types of displays such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diodes) display, a micro LED display, a Mini LED display, a QLED (Quantum dot light-emitting diodes) display, etc.

[0060] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the memory (130) may store data necessary for the cooking device (100) to operate. Depending on the purpose of data storage, the memory (130) may be implemented as a memory embedded in the cooking device (100) (e.g., volatile memory (e.g., semi-permanent memory such as RAM (random access memory)), non-volatile memory (e.g., permanent memory such as ROM (read-only memory)), flash memory, hard drive or solid-state drive, etc.), or as a memory that can be attached to and detached from the cooking device (100) (e.g., memory card, external memory, etc.).

[0061] Instructions may be stored in the memory (130). The processor (150) may perform the operation of the electronic device (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the instructions in the memory (130) individually or collectively. Additionally, programs and data for operating the cooking device (100) may be stored in the memory (130). For example, the memory (130) may store one or more software applications, such as operating system (or system) software applications, firmware software applications, driver software applications, plugin (e.g., add-in, add-on, and / or applet) software applications, and / or any other suitable software applications.

[0062] Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the term memory (130) may be used to include memory (130), ROM, RAM, or a memory card (e.g., micro SD card, memory stick) mounted in the processor (150). In addition, various information necessary within the scope of achieving the purpose of the present disclosure may be stored in the memory (130), and the information stored in the memory (130) may be updated as it is received from an external device or input by a user.

[0063] The sensor (140) may include a humidity sensor for detecting humidity in the cooking room (10). Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor contained in the air. Humidity may include absolute humidity and relative humidity. Absolute humidity may represent the actual amount of water vapor contained in the air. Relative humidity may be a value expressed as a percentage (%) by comparing the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor in a saturated state at the same temperature. The sensor (140) may measure relative humidity, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The sensor (140) may measure absolute humidity and / or relative humidity.

[0064] A humidity sensor may include a metal electrode and a dielectric located between the metal electrodes. The dielectric may change depending on the humidity in the air. Therefore, the humidity sensor can measure humidity by detecting the dielectric constant, which changes according to the humidity in the air. For example, if water vapor in the air is absorbed by the dielectric, the dielectric constant increases, and the capacitance of the humidity sensor may increase. The humidity sensor can measure humidity by measuring the change in capacitance. The method by which the humidity sensor measures humidity in the air is not limited to the examples described above, and humidity can be measured in various ways.

[0065] Additionally, the sensor (140) may include a gas sensor. As the humidity in the air increases, the relative concentration of oxygen contained in the air may decrease. The gas sensor can measure the humidity in the air based on the degree to which the oxygen concentration decreases.

[0066] The processor (150) can control the overall operations of the electronic device (100). For example, the processor (150) can cause other components of the electronic device (100) to perform various operations by executing instructions stored in memory (130). For example, the processor (150) can control the operation of the cooking device (100) by operatively connecting with the camera (110), display (120), memory (130), and sensor (140). Additionally, the processor (150) can control the operation of the cooking device (100) according to the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in memory (130). The processor (150) may be composed of one or more processors.

[0067] The processor (150) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit (or circuitry)) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (150) may include at least one electrical circuit and may process instructions (or programs, data, etc.) stored in memory (130) individually or collectively. The processor (150) may include a processor assembly comprising one or more processing circuits. The processor (140) may include any processing circuit that is operative to control the performance and operation of one or more components of the electronic device (100) (e.g., camera (110), display (120), memory (130), sensor (140)). For example, the processor (150) (e.g., application processor (AP)) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) (e.g., a single chip or chipset). For example, the processor (150) may be implemented with a plurality of cores (or at least one core circuit), a plurality of chips, or a plurality of chipsets. For example, the processor (150) may include one or more processing circuits. For example, the processor (150) may include one or more processing circuits configured to perform the various functions of the present disclosure individually and / or collectively.

[0068] The processor (150) may include one or more of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), MIC (Many Integrated Core), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator. The processor (150) may control one or any combination of other components of the cooking device (100) and may perform operations or data processing related to communication. The processor (150) may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in the memory (130) of the cooking device (100). For example, the processor (150) may perform a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in the memory (130).

[0069] When a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by a single processor or by a plurality of processors. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to one embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by a first processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be performed by a first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor) and the third operation may be performed by a second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence dedicated processor).

[0070] The processor (150) may be implemented as a single-core processor including one core, or as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicore or heterogeneous multicore). When the processor (150) is implemented as a multicore processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor may include internal processor memory such as cache memory or on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by the multiple cores may be included in the multicore processor. Additionally, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor (or some of the multiple cores) may independently read and execute program instructions for implementing a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some) of the multiple cores may be linked together to read and execute program instructions for implementing a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] When a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by one of the plurality of cores included in a multi-core processor, or may be performed by a plurality of cores. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to one embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by a first core included in a multi-core processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be performed by a first core included in a multi-core processor and the third operation may be performed by a second core included in a multi-core processor.

[0072] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor may mean a system-on-chip (SoC) in which one or more processors and other electronic components are integrated, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, GPU, APU, MIC, DSP, NPU, hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the detailed configuration of a cooking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device (100) may include a camera (110), a display (120), a memory (130), a sensor (140), a processor (150), a heating unit (160), and an interface (170). However, such a configuration is exemplary, and it is understood that in carrying out the present disclosure, new configurations may be added or some configurations may be omitted in addition to such configurations. Meanwhile, detailed descriptions of configurations shown in FIG. 3 that overlap with configurations shown in FIG. 2 will be omitted.

[0075] The heating unit (160) may be a component for providing heat within the cooking chamber (10). The heating unit (160) may heat the cooking chamber (10) to make the temperature within the cooking chamber (10) reach a cooking temperature set by the user. For example, a processor (150) may be electrically connected to the heating unit (160) and control the operation of the heating unit (160) based on operation information. The heating unit (160) may include an upper heating element, a lower heating element, a convection heating element, a grill heating element, etc. The location and number of heating units (160) may be determined in various ways.

[0076] An interface (170) is a configuration created to interact between two or more systems, devices, programs, or users. The interface (170) may include at least one of a communication circuit (171), an input interface (172), and an output interface (173).

[0077] The communication circuit (171) can perform data communication with an external electronic device under the control of the processor (150). The external electronic device may include a server, a home appliance, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet PC, a wearable device, etc.).

[0078] The communication circuit (171) can perform data communication with an external electronic device (e.g., server, home appliance, mobile device, etc.) under the control of the processor (150). For example, the communication circuit (171) can communicate with an external electronic device through a network. For example, the processor (150) can receive data from an external electronic device through the communication circuit (171) and transmit data to an external electronic device through the communication circuit (171).

[0079] The communication circuit (171) may include hardware components to support the transmission and / or reception of electrical signals between the cooking device (100) and an external electronic device. For example, the communication circuit (171) may perform data communication between the cooking device (100) and the electronic device using at least one of the following data communication methods: wired LAN, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, ZigBee, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct), infrared communication (IrDA, infrared Data Association), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (Near Field Communication), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet), WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), SWAP (Shared Wireless Access Protocol), WiGig (Wireless Gigabit Alliances), and RF communication. The communication circuit (171) may also be expressed as a communication interface.

[0080] The input interface (172) includes circuitry. The input interface (172) can receive user input and transmit the user input to the processor (150). For example, the input interface (172) can receive various user inputs for setting or selecting various functions supported by the cooking device (100).

[0081] The input interface (172) may include various types of input devices.

[0082] According to one example, the input interface (172) may include a physical button. The physical button may include a function key or a dial button. The physical button may be implemented as one or more keys.

[0083] According to one example, the input interface (172) can receive user input using a touch method. For example, the input interface (172) can be implemented as a touch screen capable of performing the function of a display (120).

[0084] According to one example, the input interface (172) can receive user voice using a microphone. The processor (150) can perform a function corresponding to the user voice using voice recognition. For example, the processor (150) can convert the user voice into text data using a Speech To Text (STT) function, obtain control command data based on the text data, and perform a function corresponding to the user voice based on the control command data. According to an embodiment, the STT function may be performed on an external server.

[0085] The output interface (173) may include a display and a speaker. The display is as described above. The speaker may output an audio signal. The processor (150) may output a warning sound, a notification message, a response message corresponding to user input, etc., related to the operation of the cooking device (100) through the speaker.

[0086] FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a cooking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. A processor (150) may perform at least one of the operations of FIG. 4. When instructions stored in memory (130) are executed individually or collectively by the processor (150), the cooking device (100) may be made to perform the operations of FIG. 4.

[0087] In operation 410, the cooking device (100) can start cooking the food in the cooking chamber.

[0088] The cooking device (100) can receive user input through an input interface (172). The input interface (172) may include a touchscreen and buttons attached to the electronic device (100). Additionally, the input interface (172) may include a remote control and a user terminal device, etc.

[0089] User input may include input commanding the start of a cooking operation. When the cooking device (100) receives user input for the start of a cooking operation, it may drive the heating unit (160) to perform cooking on the food. According to an embodiment, the cooking device (100) may perform cooking on the food based on operation information (e.g., cooking mode, cooking temperature, cooking time) set in the cooking device (100).

[0090] In operation 420, the cooking device (100) can identify a cooking area corresponding to the cooking in the image based on an image obtained through the camera (110).

[0091] For example, the camera (110) may include a thermal imaging camera, and the image captured by the thermal imaging camera may include a thermal image. When the heating unit (160) of the cooking device (100) is operated, it may take a number of thermal images by taking a picture according to a preset period through the thermal imaging camera (110).

[0092] A thermal image consists of multiple pixels, and each pixel may contain information regarding temperature. For example, a thermal image may contain approximately 5,000 pixels, and pixels with higher temperatures may be represented in darker colors, while pixels with lower temperatures may be represented in brighter colors. However, the resolution and color representation method of the thermal image can be determined in various ways. For example, a thermal image may be represented as a two-dimensional array containing information regarding temperature values ​​for each pixel. When a thermal image is represented as a two-dimensional array, each coordinate of the thermal image can represent an accurate temperature value.

[0093] As described above, the camera (110) can photograph the lower part of the cooking chamber (10) from the upper part of the cooking chamber (10). Accordingly, the thermal image may include a food item placed inside the cooking chamber (10). The food item may include an object containing moisture.

[0094] The cooking device (100) can identify a cooking area corresponding to the cooking material based on the acquired thermal image. The cooking area may be an area occupied by the cooking material included in the thermal image. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the cooking device (100) can identify a cooking material (511) located inside the cooking chamber and identify an area (521) occupied by the cooking material based on images (510, 520) acquired through the camera (110).

[0095] The cooking device (100) can identify the area occupied by the food in the thermal image based on the temperature change of the pixels included in the thermal image. For example, the cooking device (100) can acquire a thermal image at the start of cooking and acquire a thermal image according to a preset time interval through the camera (110) during the cooking process.

[0096] The cooking device (100) can identify the rate of temperature change of pixels in the cooking area based on images acquired at preset time intervals.

[0097] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify color changes of pixels included in a plurality of acquired thermal images. Since the color of the pixels contains temperature information, the cooking device (100) can identify temperature changes within the cooking chamber by identifying color changes of the pixels.

[0098] For example, it is assumed that the time interval at which the cooking device (100) acquires a thermal image is x seconds (sec). The cooking device (100) can identify the amount of temperature change of each pixel included in the thermal image acquired at time t after cooking has started and the thermal image acquired at time t+x. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the difference between the temperature corresponding to each of the multiple pixels included in the thermal image acquired at time t and the temperature corresponding to each of the multiple pixels included in the thermal image acquired at time t+x. The cooking device (100) can acquire multiple thermal images and, as described above, identify the temperature difference corresponding to each of the pixels included in the multiple images.

[0099] The cooking device (100) can identify the amount of temperature change and the rate of temperature change of each pixel based on the temperature difference of each pixel. The cooking device (100) can identify pixels whose rate of temperature change is greater than or equal to a preset value as pixels included in the cooking area. Accordingly, the cooking device (100) can identify an area corresponding to a set of pixels whose rate of temperature change is greater than or equal to a preset value as the cooking area.

[0100] In one embodiment, the cooking device (100) can identify the cooking area using an artificial intelligence model. For example, the artificial intelligence model can be trained to identify the cooking area in a thermal image. The cooking device (100) can input a thermal image into the artificial intelligence model to obtain information about the cooking area from the artificial intelligence model. In this case, a bowl containing the cooking material can be prevented from being identified as the cooking area.

[0101] The method by which the cooking device (100) identifies the food area is not limited to the examples described above. For example, if the camera (110) is an RGB camera, the cooking device (100) may acquire an image of the food through the RGB camera and input the image of the food into an artificial intelligence model to identify the cooking area.

[0102] In operation 430, the cooking device (100) can divide the cooking area into multiple areas based on the rate of change of temperature in the cooking area.

[0103] For example, the cooking device (100) may identify a portion having similar properties in the cooking area and identify the identified portion as a single area. Thus, the area may be a portion having similar properties in the cooking area. In the present disclosure, the properties may include at least one of temperature or volume.

[0104] For example, as in the example described above in operation 420, the cooking device (100) can acquire a plurality of thermal images during cooking when the camera (110) is a thermal imaging camera. The cooking device (100) can identify areas of food with a similar rate of temperature change in the thermal image acquired at time t after cooking has started and the thermal image acquired at time t+x.

[0105] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the rate of temperature change of a specific area in a thermal image acquired at time t after cooking has started. Additionally, the cooking device (100) can identify the rate of temperature change of a specific area from time t to time t+x based on a thermal image acquired at time t+x. The cooking device (100) can identify the rate of temperature change of a specific area as similar if there is a difference of less than a preset value in the rate of temperature change of a specific area. For example, the cooking device (100) can acquire temperature data based on the rate of temperature change of each pixel included in the thermal image. The temperature data may include the rate of temperature change, the average temperature of the cooking area, etc. The average temperature of the cooking area may be the average value of the temperature corresponding to the pixels included in the cooking area.

[0106] The method by which the cooking device (100) identifies the rate of temperature change of a pixel is as described above in operation 420. Based on the acquired temperature data, the cooking device (100) can divide the cooking area into multiple regions using K-means clustering technology. K-means clustering technology is a technology that divides data into groups having similar properties. K may represent the number of groups. For example, if K is 3, it may mean that there are 3 groups among the data that have similar rates of temperature change.

[0107] The cooking device (100) can cluster data by setting multiple K values ​​based on acquired temperature data. The cooking device (100) can identify an error value corresponding to each K value among the multiple K values. The error value may indicate how similar the properties of the data belonging to the group are. For example, the larger the error value, the more different the properties of the data belonging to the group may be. Conversely, the smaller the error value, the more similar the properties of the data belonging to the group may be. The cooking device (100) can generate a graph with each K value on the horizontal axis and the error value on the vertical axis. The cooking device (100) can identify the K value at the point where the slope in the generated graph is less than or equal to a preset value. The cooking device (100) can identify the identified K value as the number of multiple regions.

[0108] For example, referring to FIG. 6, a cooking device (100) can acquire a plurality of thermal images (610, 620) during cooking. The cooking device (100) can identify cooking areas (611, 621) among the plurality of thermal images (610, 620). The cooking device (100) can use K-means clustering technology to divide the temperature data acquired from the cooking areas (611, 612) into groups having similar properties.

[0109] Referring to 630 in FIG. 6, the cooking device (100) can divide the cooking area (631) into three areas when K=3. For example, the cooking device (100) can divide the cooking area (631) into an area where the temperature rises fastest (632), an area where the temperature rises next fastest (634), and an area where the temperature rises slowest (633).

[0110] In the example described below, the region where the temperature rises the fastest (632) is referred to as the first region, the region where the temperature rises the next fastest (634) is the second region, and the region where the temperature rises the slowest (633) is the third region.

[0111] In the aforementioned operation 430, it was described that the cooking device (100) identifies multiple regions based on the rate of temperature change using a thermal imaging camera, but the method of distinguishing multiple regions is not limited to this.

[0112] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify a cooking area in an image acquired using an RGB camera and identify multiple areas in the cooking area based on the rate of change in volume of the identified cooking area. The cooking device (100) can acquire multiple images of the cooking area while performing a cooking operation. The cooking device (100) can identify the movement of pixels included in the image using optical flow technology. Optical flow technology may be a technology that tracks the movement of an object in a series of image frames. The cooking device (100) can identify the rate of change in volume of the cooking area by identifying the speed and direction in which each pixel included in the image moves over time. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify how many pixels the pixels included in the image acquired at time t+x have moved and in which direction the pixels have moved by comparing the images in chronological order.

[0113] The cooking device (100) can divide the movement data of each identified pixel into groups having similar movement properties using K-means clustering technology. Since the method of dividing data into groups using K-means clustering technology has been described above, a redundant description is omitted.

[0114] In operation 440, the cooking device (100) can identify whether the cooking of the food has finished.

[0115] When cooking starts based on user input, a cooking time can be set in the cooking device (100). When the set cooking time ends, the cooking device (100) can stop the operation of the heating unit (160) to end the cooking of the food.

[0116] In operation 440-Y, 450, the cooking device (100) can identify the temperature and shape of the food based on the acquired image.

[0117] When cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can obtain first information including at least one of the temperature of the food, the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the food, the temperature deviation of the food and the temperature deviation of each of a plurality of regions of the food, the volume change amount of the food and the volume change amount of each of a plurality of regions of the food, based on an image obtained through a camera (110).

[0118] When cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can obtain a thermal image of the cooked food through the camera (110).

[0119] The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature of the food immediately after cooking is finished and the temperature of each of the multiple regions of the food based on a thermal image. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the average of the temperatures corresponding to the pixels included in the food region as the temperature of the food. Additionally, the cooking device (100) can identify the average of the temperatures corresponding to the pixels included in each of the multiple regions of the food as the temperature of each of the multiple regions.

[0120] The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature deviation of the food based on a thermal image acquired for the food. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the difference between the temperature corresponding to the pixel with the highest temperature and the temperature corresponding to the pixel with the lowest temperature among the pixels included in the food area as the temperature deviation of the food.

[0121] The cooking device (100) can identify at least one of the temperature deviations of each of the multiple regions of the food being cooked. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify, for each of the multiple regions of the food being cooked, the difference between the temperature corresponding to the pixel with the highest temperature and the temperature corresponding to the pixel with the lowest temperature among the pixels included in each region as the temperature deviation of each of the multiple regions of the food being cooked.

[0122] When cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can identify the volume change amount of the cooked food and the volume change amount of each of the multiple regions of the cooked food based on an image of the cooked food obtained using an RGB camera.

[0123] The cooking device (100) can identify the movement of pixels included in an image using optical flow technology to determine the volume change amount of the cooked food and the volume change amount of each of the multiple regions of the cooked food. The method by which the cooking device (100) determines the volume change amount using optical flow technology is the same as described in operation 440. The aforementioned first information is referred to as evaluation information for the cooked food in the following description.

[0124] When the cooking device (100) finishes cooking the food, it can determine whether to provide additional evaluation information for the food based on at least one of the cooking mode of the cooking device (100), the cooking time of the food, the size of the food, and the rate of change in volume of the food. The additional evaluation information for the food may include at least one of information on whether the food is fully cooked after the cooking of the food is finished, or information on whether a permanent change in volume of the food has occurred.

[0125] A cooking device (100) can be identified as providing additional evaluation information for a cooked food when at least one of a plurality of conditions is satisfied.

[0126] For example, referring to FIG. 7, in operation 710, the cooking device (100) can identify whether a cooking mode has been set. A cooking mode may refer to a cooking style of food. Cooking modes may include, for example, convection, bake, variable broil, steam bake, steam roast, convection vegetable, air fry, and air sous vide. If a cooking mode has been set, the cooking device (100) can identify it by performing an additional evaluation of the condition of the food.

[0127] In operation 720, the cooking device (100) can identify whether the size of the food item is greater than or equal to a reference size. The cooking device (100) can identify that if the size of the food item is greater than or equal to a preset size after cooking is complete, it provides additional evaluation information for the food item. On the other hand, the cooking device (100) can identify that if the size of the food item is less than a preset size after cooking is complete, it does not provide additional evaluation information for the food item.

[0128] In operation 730, the cooking device (100) can identify whether the cooking time is greater than or equal to a reference time. The cooking device (100) can identify that if the time the food is cooked is greater than the cooking time set by the user, it provides additional evaluation information for the food. On the other hand, the cooking device (100) can identify that if the time the food is cooked is less than the cooking time set by the user, it does not provide additional evaluation information for the food.

[0129] In operation 740, the cooking device (100) can identify whether the volume change of the food being cooked is greater than or equal to a reference volume change rate. The cooking device (100) can acquire an image of the food being cooked during cooking and identify the volume change of the food being cooked based on the image. At this time, the cooking device (100) can identify that if the volume change of the food being cooked from the time cooking starts until the time cooking is completed is greater than or equal to a preset rate of change, it provides additional evaluation information for the food being cooked. On the other hand, the cooking device (100) can identify that if the volume change of the food being cooked from the time cooking starts until the time cooking is completed is less than the preset rate of change, it does not provide additional evaluation information for the food being cooked.

[0130] If the cooking device (100) is identified as providing additional evaluation information for the food being cooked, it can acquire second information including at least one of the temperature change rate and volume change rate of the food being cooked during a preset time based on images acquired through the camera (110) at the time when cooking is finished and at the time when a preset time has elapsed from the time when cooking is finished.

[0131] When cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can acquire an image of the cooked food based on a preset period through the camera (110) from the time cooking is finished until a preset time has elapsed. The preset time may be, for example, 30 seconds. Additionally, the cooking device (100) may not operate the heating unit (160) while acquiring the second information.

[0132] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the rate of temperature change for multiple regions of the cooked food based on an image of the cooked food obtained. In this case, the image may include a thermal image.

[0133] For example, FIG. 8 is a graph showing the temperature change of a plurality of regions of a food item during the cooking time in which the food item is cooked according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, the cooking device (100) can identify a graph of the rate of temperature change of a plurality of regions of the food item based on an image of the food item obtained. The x-axis of the graph may represent time, and the y-axis may represent temperature.

[0134] The cooking device (100) can identify the area in the cooked food as being well cooked on the outside and inside if, based on the temperature of the area immediately after cooking is finished, the temperature of the area changes at a rate of change less than or equal to a preset rate of change for a preset period of time.

[0135] For example, referring to the temperature change of the first region in FIG. 8, the temperature of the first region is maintained at a temperature close to 100°C, and the rate of change of the temperature of the first region may be less than or equal to a preset rate of change. The cooking device (100) can identify that the rate of change of the temperature of the first region is less than or equal to a preset rate of change. Therefore, the cooking device (100) can identify the first region in the food as a region where the outside and inside are well cooked.

[0136] The cooking device (100) can identify the area as being cooked only on the outside based on the temperature of the area immediately after cooking is finished, if the temperature of the area changes by a rate of change exceeding a preset rate of change for a preset time.

[0137] For example, referring to the temperature change of the second region in FIG. 8, the temperature of the second region immediately after cooking is finished is 100°C, but the temperature of the second region after a preset time may be about 30°C. The cooking device (100) can identify that the rate of change of the temperature of the second region has exceeded the preset rate of change. Therefore, the cooking device (100) can identify the second region in the food as a region that is only cooked on the outside.

[0138] The cooking device (100) can identify the area as a region where the degree of cooking cannot be identified if the temperature of the region immediately after cooking is similar to room temperature and the rate of change of temperature during a preset time is not large.

[0139] For example, referring to the temperature change of the third region in FIG. 8, the temperature of the third region immediately after cooking ends is 40°C, which is lower than the temperature of other regions immediately after cooking ends (e.g., 100°C), and there is little change for a preset time. Therefore, the cooking device (100) can identify the third region as a region where the degree of cooking in the food cannot be identified.

[0140] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the rate of change in volume of multiple regions of the food based on an image of the food obtained, from the time when cooking is finished until a preset time has elapsed from the time when cooking is finished (e.g., 30 seconds from the time when cooking is finished). At this time, the image may include an image obtained using an RGB camera.

[0141] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the rate of change in volume of a plurality of regions of a food item during a cooking time in which the food item is cooked according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the cooking device (100) can identify a graph of the rate of change in volume of a plurality of regions of a food item based on an image of the food item obtained. The x-axis of the graph may represent time, and the y-axis may represent the rate of change in volume.

[0142] The cooking device (100) can identify the area in the cooked food as an area where the volume has temporarily increased, based on the volume of the area immediately after cooking is finished, if the volume of the area changes by a rate of change exceeding a preset rate of change during a preset time.

[0143] For example, referring to the volume change of the first region in FIG. 9, the volume of the first region decreased significantly from 100% for a preset time. The cooking device (100) can identify that the volume of the first region of the food has changed beyond the preset rate of change. Therefore, the cooking device (100) can identify the first region as a region where the volume has temporarily increased.

[0144] The cooking device (100) can identify the area in the cooked food as an area where the volume has permanently changed based on the volume of the area immediately after cooking is finished, if the volume of the area changes at a rate of change less than or equal to a preset rate of change for a preset period of time.

[0145] For example, referring to the volume change of the second region in FIG. 9, the volume of the second region shows almost no change from 100% for a preset time. The cooking device (100) can identify that the volume of the second region of the food has changed at a rate of change less than the preset rate. Therefore, the cooking device (100) can identify the second region as a region where the volume has permanently increased.

[0146] In operation 460, the cooking device (100) can display evaluation information about the cooked food on the display (120).

[0147] The cooking device (100) may display evaluation information for a dish, including at least one of first information and second information, on a display (120). The display (120) may be attached to the front of the cooking device (100).

[0148] When the cooking device (100) identifies that additional evaluation information regarding the food is provided, the cooking device (100) can display the first information, the second information, the degree of cooking of the food, and the amount of change in humidity of the cooking chamber (10) on the display (120). The cooking device (100) can measure the amount of change in humidity of the cooking chamber (10) using a sensor (140). In addition, the cooking device (100) can identify the degree of cooking of the food based on the amount of change in temperature of the food.

[0149] If the cooking device (100) identifies that it does not provide additional evaluation information for the food being cooked, the cooking device (100) may display the first information and the amount of change in humidity of the cooking chamber (10), etc., on the display (120). For example, referring to FIG. 10, the cooking device (100) may identify the overall average temperature and temperature by region of the food being cooked, the rate of change in volume of the food being cooked, humidity information, and cooking information (1010) of the food being cooked on the display (120).

[0150] The cooking device (100) may display a button (1020) for performing additional cooking on the display (120). When a touch input for the button (1020) is received, the cooking device (100) may display an interface screen on the display (120) that allows setting a target temperature or target volume. This is explained based on operation 470.

[0151] The cooking device (100) may display a button (1030) for ending cooking on the display (120). When the cooking device (100) receives a touch input for the button (1030), it identifies that no further cooking is to be performed and may end the cooking.

[0152] In operation 470, the cooking device (100) can identify whether user input for additional cooking of the food has been received.

[0153] When a touch input for a button (123) for performing additional cooking is received by the cooking device (100), it can display an interface screen on the display (120) that can set a target temperature or target volume.

[0154] An interface screen capable of setting a target temperature or a target volume may include an input field in which a user can input a target temperature and an input field in which a user can input a target volume. The cooking device (100) may receive user input for inputting at least one of the target temperature and the target volume.

[0155] The cooking device (100) may receive a target temperature for the entire cooking material. Additionally, the cooking device (100) may receive a target temperature for each of a plurality of regions of the cooking material. For example, the cooking device (100) may receive a target temperature such as 90°C for the entire cooking material. Additionally, the cooking device (100) may receive a target temperature such as 70°C only for a second region.

[0156] The cooking device (100) may receive a target volume for the entire cooking material. Additionally, the cooking device (100) may receive a target volume for each of a plurality of regions of the cooking material. For example, the cooking device (100) may receive a target volume of 20% volume increase for the entire cooking material. Additionally, the cooking device (100) may receive a target volume of 10% volume increase only for the third region.

[0157] In operation 480, the cooking device (100) can cook the food so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature.

[0158] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking device when a target temperature is set, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0159] In operation 1110, the cooking device (100) can set a target temperature. When the cooking device (100) receives input for a target temperature, it can set the input temperature as the target temperature. Additionally, the cooking device (100) can set a maximum time for performing additional cooking based on user input. For example, if the cooking device (100) is set to set the time for performing additional cooking to 1 hour, the additional cooking can be terminated even if the temperature of the food does not reach the target temperature after 1 hour of additional cooking.

[0160] In operation 1120, the cooking device (100) may set whether to execute a temperature deviation removal operation. The temperature deviation removal operation may include an operation in which the cooking device (100) reduces the temperature deviation of a plurality of areas of the food to less than or equal to a preset value through constant temperature control. Constant temperature control may be an operation to maintain a constant temperature so that the temperature of the food does not deviate significantly from the target temperature. For example, for constant temperature control, the cooking device (100) may operate the heating unit (160) when the temperature of the food is lower than the target temperature, and terminate the operation of the heating unit (160) or lower the output when the temperature of the food reaches the target temperature.

[0161] When a target temperature for some of the multiple regions of a cooking object is input, the cooking device (100) may display an interface screen on a display screen (120) requesting user input regarding whether to perform a temperature deviation removal operation. When the cooking device (100) receives user input regarding the execution of a temperature deviation removal operation, it may identify that constant temperature control is performed during additional cooking.

[0162] On the other hand, if the cooking device (100) receives user input regarding not executing a temperature deviation removal operation, it can identify that it does not perform constant temperature control during additional cooking. In this case, even if the temperature deviation of multiple areas of the food being cooked is large, the cooking device (100) can terminate additional cooking when the temperature of some of the multiple areas reaches the target temperature.

[0163] The cooking device (100) may not display an interface screen on the display (120) requesting user input on whether to perform a temperature deviation removal operation when a target temperature for the entire cooking material is input. This is because when a target temperature for the entire cooking material is input, the temperature for multiple areas is set to the same target temperature without the need for a separate setting to perform a temperature deviation removal operation.

[0164] In operation 1130, the cooking device (100) can provide additional cooking guides.

[0165] The additional cooking guide may be a guide provided to the user to help the food reach a target temperature set by the user based on additional evaluation information. For example, the additional cooking guide may include information about the target temperature set by the user, information about the temperature and heating time of the heating unit (160) to reach the target temperature set by the user, precautions for additional cooking, and a button to receive input for starting cooking.

[0166] The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature and heating time of the heating unit (160) to reach a target temperature set by the user based on the rate of change of temperature of the food identified during cooking. For example, if the temperature of the food identified during cooking has reached the target temperature, the cooking device (100) can identify the time taken from the current temperature to the target temperature. Additionally, if the temperature of the food identified during cooking has not reached the target temperature, the cooking device (100) can predict the time required to reach the target temperature set by the user based on the rate of change of temperature identified during cooking.

[0167] For example, assume that the rate of temperature change is 5°C per minute, the target temperature is 120°C, and the current temperature of the food is 80°C. Since the cooking device (100) has a rate of temperature change of 5°C per minute, it can be identified that it takes 8 minutes for the food to reach the target temperature.

[0168] The cooking device (100) may not predict the cooking time if the temperature of the food identified during cooking has never reached the target temperature and the difference between the target temperature and the current temperature exceeds a preset value. In this case, the cooking device (100) may display the maximum cooking time set by the user as the time required to reach the target temperature set by the user in an additional cooking guide.

[0169] Additional precautions for cooking may include information regarding the condition of the food that may occur when the user sets a target temperature. For example, the cooking device (100) may display information on the display (120) such as that if the target temperature is 120°C, the moisture of the food may be excessively lost, resulting in a dry texture.

[0170] Referring to FIG. 13, the cooking device (100) can display an additional cooking guide (1310) on the display (120).

[0171] The additional cooking guide (1310) may include a target temperature set by the user (e.g., 90°C). Additionally, the additional cooking guide (1310) may display information on the cooking temperature (e.g., 160°C) and cooking time (e.g., 30 minutes) required for the temperature of the food to reach the target temperature.

[0172] Additionally, the cooking device (100) may display a warning in the additional cooking guide (1310) that the volume of the food may increase compared to the current volume during additional cooking. The cooking device (100) may display a button (1320) for receiving input to start additional cooking and a general cooking button (1330) at the bottom of the additional cooking guide (1310).

[0173] In operation 1140, the cooking device (100) can identify whether to perform additional cooking based on the guide provided to the user.

[0174] On the other hand, when the cooking device (100) receives a touch input for a general cooking button (e.g., 1330 in FIG. 13), it may identify that it is not performing constant temperature control according to the additional cooking guide and may start performing additional cooking. In operations 1140-N, 1150, when the cooking device (100) identifies that it is not performing constant temperature control according to the additional cooking guide (1310), it may not consider constant temperature control and the rate of change of temperature for multiple areas of the food being cooked. The cooking device (100) may control the heating unit (160) based on the temperature of the heating unit (160) and the estimated time indicated in the additional cooking guide (1310). For example, referring to FIG. 13, when the cooking device (100) receives a touch input for a general cooking button (133), it may drive the heating unit (160) to make the temperature of the cooking chamber (10) 160°C and perform additional cooking for 30 minutes.

[0175] When a touch input is received for a button to receive the start of cooking (e.g., the start of cooking button (1320) of FIG. 13), the cooking device (100) may start additional cooking according to an additional cooking guide. When additional cooking is performed according to the additional cooking guide, the cooking device (100) may control the heating unit (160) so that the temperature of the food reaches a target temperature through constant temperature control based on the rate of change of temperature for multiple regions of the food. Specific details regarding this are described in operation 1160.

[0176] For example, in operation 1140-Y, 1160, the cooking device (100) can perform step-by-step cooking according to additional cooking guides.

[0177] Step-by-step cooking may include a cooking method in which a first goal is set to reach a target temperature of the food being cooked, cooking is performed to achieve the first goal, and when the first goal is achieved, a second goal is set and cooking is performed to achieve the second goal.

[0178] As described above, the cooking device (100) can perform constant temperature control by performing additional cooking according to an additional cooking guide. The cooking device (100) can perform constant temperature control by comparing the target temperature with the temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum.

[0179] The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity in the cooking chamber is at its maximum. For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the temperature of each of the multiple regions of the food based on images acquired through the camera (110) during the time interval in which the food is cooked. The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity inside the cooking chamber is at its maximum during the time interval in which the food is cooked, based on the humidity acquired through the sensor (140) during the time interval in which the food is cooked.

[0180] Referring to the humidity graph (1420) of FIG. 14, the cooking device (100) can identify that the point in time when 40 seconds have elapsed since the start of cooking is when the humidity of the cooking chamber (10) is at its highest. Based on the temperature graph (1410), the cooking device (100) can identify that at 40 seconds, the temperature of the first region is 90°C, the temperature of the second region is 70°C, and the temperature of the third region is 30°C.

[0181] The cooking device (100) can identify the order in which multiple regions reach a target temperature based on the temperature of each of the multiple regions. That is, the cooking device (100) can identify the region with the largest rate of temperature change among the multiple regions.

[0182] For example, in the temperature graph (1410) of FIG. 14, the cooking device (100) can identify the area where the temperature rises the fastest among the first to third areas as the first area. Additionally, the cooking device (100) can identify that the temperature of the second area rises the fastest after the first area.

[0183] The cooking device (100) can cook food so that the temperature of each of the multiple regions becomes the target temperature in the order in which the temperatures of the multiple regions are identified, using a constant temperature control method, when the target temperature is lower than the highest temperature among the temperatures of the multiple regions at the time when the humidity is at its maximum.

[0184] If the target temperature set by the cooking device (100) is lower than the highest temperature among the temperatures of a plurality of regions at the time when the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum, the cooking device (100) may perform additional cooking based on a first objective. The first objective may include bringing the region with the largest rate of temperature change to the target temperature.

[0185] The cooking device (100) can perform additional cooking based on a second objective when the temperature of a first region reaches a target temperature. The second objective may include bringing the region with the next largest rate of temperature change to a target temperature.

[0186] The cooking device (100) may stop the operation of the heating unit (160) when the temperature of the first region reaches the target temperature. When the temperature of the first region drops below a preset temperature, the cooking device (100) may restart the heating unit (160) to allow the temperature of the first region to reach the target temperature. This operation of the cooking device (100) may be repeated until the difference between the temperature of the second region and the temperature of the first region becomes below a preset range.

[0187] The cooking device (100) can perform additional cooking based on a third objective when the temperature of the first region and the temperature of the second region reach a target temperature. The third objective may include reaching the target temperature in the region with the smallest rate of temperature change.

[0188] The cooking device (100) may stop the operation of the heating unit (160) when the temperature of the first region and the temperature of the second region reach the target temperature. When at least one of the temperatures of the first region and the second region drops below a preset temperature, the cooking device (100) may restart the heating unit (160) to allow the temperature of the third region to reach the target temperature. This operation of the cooking device (100) may be repeated until the temperature of the third region differs from the temperatures of the first and second regions by a preset range or less. When the third target is achieved, the cooking device (100) may terminate additional cooking.

[0189] Additionally, the cooking device (100) can cook food so that the temperature of each of the multiple regions becomes the target temperature based on the temperatures of the multiple regions at the time when the target temperature and humidity are at their maximum. For example, the cooking device (100) can use a constant temperature control method to cook food so that the temperature of each of the multiple regions becomes the highest temperature according to the identified order.

[0190] The cooking device (100) can perform additional cooking based on a first objective. The first objective may include the temperature of the first region reaching a temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber becomes maximum.

[0191] When the cooking device (100) achieves the first goal, it may perform additional cooking based on the second goal. The second goal may include the temperature of the second region reaching a temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber becomes maximum.

[0192] When the cooking device (100) achieves the second goal, it may perform additional cooking based on the third goal. The third goal may include the temperature of the third region reaching a temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum. To achieve the first to third goals, the cooking device (100) may use a constant temperature control method. Thus, as described above, the cooking device (100) may stop the operation of the heating unit (160) when the temperature of the first region reaches the target temperature. When the temperature of the first region drops below a preset temperature, the cooking device (100) may operate the heating unit (160) again to allow the temperature of the first region to reach a temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum. This operation of the cooking device (100) may be repeated until the temperature of the second region differs from the temperature of the first region by a preset range. The cooking device (100) can perform constant temperature control so that the temperature of the third region reaches the temperature corresponding to the first and second regions even when performing additional cooking based on the third goal, but since specific details regarding constant temperature control have been described above, redundant description is omitted.

[0193] The cooking device (100) can cook the food so that the temperature of the food becomes a target temperature. When the temperature of a plurality of areas of the food reaches a temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum, the cooking device (100) can drive the heating unit (160) to control the temperature of the food to reach the target temperature.

[0194] For example, it is assumed that the temperature corresponding to the point where the humidity of the cooking chamber is at its maximum is 90°C, and the target temperature is 120°C. The cooking device (100) can drive the heating unit (160) to raise the temperature of the food to 120°C when the temperature of a plurality of regions reaches 90°C through constant temperature control.

[0195] In the example described above, the case where the target temperature of the entire food item was set was explained.

[0196] The cooking device (100) may set a target temperature for some of the multiple regions of the food being cooked. In this case, the cooking device (100) may control the heating unit (160) so that the temperature of some of the multiple regions reaches the target temperature without performing constant temperature control.

[0197] Additionally, the cooking device (100) may be configured to perform a temperature deviation removal operation when a target temperature is set for some of the multiple regions of the food being cooked. At this time, the cooking device (100) may control the heating unit (160) through constant temperature control so that the temperature of each region reaches a temperature similar to the temperature of the highest region. When the temperature of each region reaches a temperature similar to the temperature of the highest region, the cooking device (100) may stop the operation of the heating unit (160) and terminate additional cooking.

[0198] It is assumed that the cooking device (100) is set to have a target temperature for some of the multiple regions of the food being cooked, but is set not to perform a temperature deviation removal operation. When the temperature of some of the multiple regions of the cooking device (100) reaches the target temperature, the cooking device (100) may stop the operation of the heating unit (160) and terminate additional cooking.

[0199] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cooking device when a target volume is set, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0200] In operation 1210, the cooking device (100) can set a target volume of the food.

[0201] When input regarding a target volume is received, the cooking device (100) can set the input temperature to be the target volume. Additionally, the cooking device (100) can set a maximum time for performing additional cooking based on user input. For example, if the cooking device (100) is set to set the time for performing additional cooking to 1 hour, additional cooking can be terminated even if the volume of the food does not reach the target volume after 1 hour of additional cooking.

[0202] In operation 1220, the cooking device (100) can set a target temperature. The cooking device (100) may set the target temperature directly or may set it based on user input.

[0203] The cooking device (100) can identify the point in time when the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions is maximum within the cooking time based on the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions.

[0204] For example, the cooking device (100) can identify the temperature and volume change rates of each of a plurality of regions of the food based on images acquired through a camera during the time interval in which the food is cooked. The method by which the cooking device (100) identifies the temperature and volume change rates of each of the plurality of regions is as described above.

[0205] Referring to the volume change graph (1510) of FIG. 15, the cooking device (100) can identify that the point in time when the volume change rate of the first region of the food is maximum is 20 seconds, and the point in time when the volume change rate of the second region is maximum is 40 seconds. The cooking device (100) can identify that the point in time when the volume of the first region increases is faster than the point in time when the volume of the second region increases.

[0206] The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature of each of the multiple regions at an identified time based on the temperature of each of the multiple regions.

[0207] For example, by referring to the temperature graph (1520) of FIG. 15, it can be identified that the cooking device (100) has a temperature of 70°C at 20 seconds in the first region and a temperature of 30°C at 40 seconds in the second region.

[0208] The cooking device (100) can perform additional cooking based on the largest temperature among the identified temperatures so that the rate of change in the volume of the food becomes a target volume set based on user input.

[0209] For example, referring to FIG. 15, the cooking device (100) can identify the temperature of the first region as the highest among the identified temperatures. At this time, the cooking device (100) can set the target temperature to 70°C, which is the identified temperature of the first region.

[0210] The cooking device (100) can receive input from the user regarding not only the target volume but also the target temperature.

[0211] For example, it is assumed that the input for a target temperature received by the cooking device (100) from the user is lower than the highest temperature among the identified temperatures. In this case, the cooking device (100) may not set the target temperature and may display an interface screen on the display (120) requesting the user to set the target temperature again. The cooking device (100) may receive the input for the target temperature again from the user. If the temperature entered by the user is greater than or equal to the highest temperature among the identified temperatures, the cooking device (100) may identify the temperature entered by the user as the target temperature.

[0212] For example, it is assumed that the input for a target temperature received by the cooking device (100) from the user is the same as the identified temperature. The cooking device (100) can identify the input temperature as the target temperature.

[0213] For example, it is assumed that the input for a target temperature received by the cooking device (100) from the user is higher than the highest temperature among the identified temperatures. The cooking device (100) can set the temperature received from the user as the target temperature.

[0214] In operation 1230, the cooking device (100) can set whether to execute a temperature deviation removal operation. The specific details regarding this are the same as operation 1120 of FIG. 11.

[0215] In operation 1240, the cooking device (100) can provide additional cooking guides.

[0216] For example, assume that the input for a target temperature received by the cooking device (100) from the user is lower than the highest temperature among the identified temperatures. In this case, the cooking device (100) may not set the target temperature and may display an interface screen on the display (120) that warns the user. The interface screen that warns the user may include text such as “Please set a temperature higher than 70°C.” After displaying the interface screen that warns the user, the cooking device (100) may display a screen requesting the user to input the target temperature and an input field on the display (120) for receiving the input of the target temperature.

[0217] Also, as an example, it is assumed that the input regarding the target temperature received by the cooking device (100) from the user is higher than the highest temperature among the identified temperatures. The cooking device (100) may display an interface screen on the display (120) that notifies the user of a warning. The interface screen notifying the warning may include text such as “When the target temperature set by the user is reached, the volume may become larger than the target volume.” When the cooking device (100) receives a positive response from the user (e.g., receiving a touch input for a “Yes” button on the interface screen), it may start performing additional cooking. Specific details regarding additional cooking guides other than this are the same as operation 1130 of FIG. 11.

[0218] In operation 1250, the cooking device (100) can identify whether to perform additional cooking based on the guide provided to the user.

[0219] When a touch input is received for a button to receive input to start cooking, the cooking device (100) may start additional cooking according to an additional cooking guide. When additional cooking is performed according to the additional cooking guide, the cooking device (100) may control the heating unit (160) through constant temperature control based on the rate of change of temperature for multiple areas of the food to be cooked so that the temperature of the food to be cooked reaches a target temperature and a target volume.

[0220] In operation 1250-N, 1260, the cooking device (100) can perform general cooking.

[0221] The details regarding this are the same as those described above in Operations 1140-N and 1150.

[0222] In operation 1250-Y, 1270, the cooking device (100) can perform step-by-step cooking.

[0223] Step-by-step cooking may include a cooking method in which a plurality of goals are set to bring the temperature of the food to a target temperature as described above in operations 1140-Y, 1160, and a second goal is set when the first goal is achieved.

[0224] For example, the following example assumes that only the target volume is set by the user, or that the temperature entered by the user is the same as the temperature corresponding to the point in time when the volume change rate of the region with the largest volume change rate among multiple regions is the largest.

[0225] The cooking device (100) can identify the input temperature as the target temperature if user input is present. Additionally, if only the target volume is set, the cooking device (100) can identify the temperature corresponding to the point in time when the volume change rate of the region with the largest volume change rate among the multiple regions is the largest as the target temperature to reach the target volume.

[0226] When a target temperature is set, the cooking device (100) can control the heating unit (160) using constant temperature control so that the temperature of the food reaches the target temperature. During additional cooking, the cooking device (100) can acquire an image of the food through the camera (110) to identify the volume of the food. When the volume of the food reaches the target volume, the cooking device (100) can terminate additional cooking.

[0227] In addition, as an example, the example described below assumes that the temperature entered by the user is greater than the temperature corresponding to the point in time when the volume change rate of the region with the largest volume change rate among multiple regions is the largest.

[0228] At this time, the cooking device (100) can set the temperature received from the user as the target temperature. The cooking device (100) can control the heating unit (160) using constant temperature control so that the temperature of the food reaches the target temperature. When the temperature of the food reaches the target temperature, the cooking device (100) can stop additional cooking.

[0229] When additional cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can display the result of the additional cooking on the display (120). When additional cooking is finished, the cooking device (100) can acquire a thermal image of the food using the camera (110). The cooking device (100) can identify the temperature of the food based on the acquired thermal image. Based on the thermal image, the cooking device (100) can generate a graph of the number of pixels included in the food area relative to the temperature. The cooking device (100) can display the generated graph on the display (120).

[0230] Referring to FIG. 16, the cooking device (100) can display a graph (1610) of the temperature of the food before additional cooking and a graph (1620) of the temperature of the food after additional cooking on the display (120). The x-axis of the graph may represent temperature and the y-axis may represent the number of pixels.

[0231] The cooking device (100) can generate a graph based on the temperature of each pixel included in the cooking area in the thermal image and display it on the display (120).

[0232] Accordingly, the user can check the temperature before and after additional cooking and confirm that the temperature difference has decreased.

[0233] Although various embodiments have been described above, each embodiment is not necessarily implemented individually, and may be combined with at least one other embodiment, either wholly or partially, to be implemented together in a single product.

[0234] Meanwhile, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules executed by a computer. A computer-readable medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, and both removable and non-removable media. Additionally, a computer-readable medium may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include both volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented by any method or technique for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media may typically include other data of modulated data signals, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, or program modules.

[0235] Additionally, computer-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. Here, 'non-transitory storage media' simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, 'non-transitory storage media' may include a buffer in which data is stored temporarily.

[0236] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application 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., downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0237] The foregoing description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that other specific forms can be easily modified without altering the technical spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single unit may be implemented in a distributed manner, and components described as distributed may likewise be implemented in a combined form.

[0238] The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In a cooking device including a cooking chamber, display; A camera for photographing the above-mentioned kitchen; A sensor for detecting humidity in the above-mentioned cooking chamber; Memory for storing instructions; and at least one processor including processing circuitry; and When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, When a first cooking of a food item in the above cooking chamber begins, a food item area corresponding to the food item in the image is identified based on an image acquired through the camera, and Based on the rate of temperature change of the above cooking area, the above cooking area is divided into a plurality of areas, and When the first cooking is completed, the temperature and shape of the food item are identified based on an image obtained through the camera, and evaluation information regarding the food item obtained based on the temperature and shape of the food item is displayed on the display. A cooking device that, upon receiving user input for additional cooking of the above-mentioned food, cooks the food so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on a target temperature set based on the user input and humidity obtained through the sensor during the first cooking.

2. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, Identifying the rate of temperature change of pixels in the cooking area based on images acquired at preset time intervals through the camera, and A cooking device that identifies an area in the above image where the rate of temperature change is greater than or equal to a preset value as the cooking area.

3. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, When the first cooking is completed, first information is obtained based on an image acquired through the camera, including at least one of the temperature of the food being cooked, the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the food being cooked, the temperature deviation of the food being cooked and the temperature deviation of each of a plurality of regions of the food being cooked, the volume change amount of the food being cooked and the volume change amount of each of a plurality of regions of the food being cooked. A cooking device that displays evaluation information for the cooking product, including the first information above, on the display.

4. In Paragraph 3, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, A cooking device that identifies whether to provide additional evaluation information for the food based on at least one of the cooking mode of the cooking device, the cooking time of the food, the size of the food, and the rate of change in volume of the food when the first cooking of the food is completed.

5. In Paragraph 4, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, If it is identified that additional evaluation information regarding the above-mentioned cooked product is provided, second information including at least one of the temperature change rate and volume change rate of the cooked product during the preset time is obtained based on images acquired through the camera at the time when the first cooking is finished and at the time when a preset time has elapsed from the time when the first cooking is finished, and A cooking device that displays evaluation information for the food, including the first information and the second information, on the display.

6. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, Identifying the temperature of each of the plurality of regions of the food based on the image acquired through the camera during the first cooking process, and Identifying the temperature corresponding to the point in time when the humidity inside the cooking chamber reaches its maximum based on the humidity obtained through the sensor during the first cooking process, and Based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, the temperature of each of the plurality of regions is identified at the time when the humidity in the cooking chamber becomes maximum, and A cooking device that performs additional cooking on the food to make the temperature of each of the plurality of regions become the target temperature based on the temperature of the plurality of regions at the point where the target temperature and the humidity are at their maximum.

7. In Paragraph 6, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, Identifying the rate of change of temperature of each of the plurality of regions based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and A cooking device that performs additional cooking by using a constant temperature control method to cook the food such that, if the target temperature is lower than the highest temperature among the temperatures of the plurality of regions at the time when the humidity is at its maximum, the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature in order of highest temperature change rate of each of the plurality of regions.

8. In Paragraph 6, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, Identifying the order in which the plurality of regions reach the target temperature based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, and If the above target temperature is greater than the highest temperature among the temperatures of the plurality of regions at the time when the humidity is at its maximum, the food is cooked using a constant temperature control method so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the highest temperature according to the identified order, and A cooking device that performs the additional cooking to cook the food so that the temperature of the food becomes a target temperature.

9. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the cooking device, Identifying the temperature and volume change rates of each of the plurality of regions of the food based on the image acquired through the camera during the first cooking process, and Based on the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions, the point in time when the volume change rate of each of the plurality of regions is maximum during the first cooking is identified, and Based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions, the temperature of each of the plurality of regions is identified at the identified time, and A cooking device that performs additional cooking based on the largest temperature among the identified temperatures so that the rate of change in volume of the above-mentioned food becomes a target volume set based on the user input.

10. In a method for controlling a cooking device, When a first cooking of the food is started, a step of identifying a food area corresponding to the food in the image based on an image acquired through a camera of the cooking device; A step of dividing the cooking area into a plurality of areas based on the rate of change of temperature of the cooking area; When the first cooking step is completed, a step of identifying the temperature and shape of the cooked food based on an image obtained through the camera; A step of displaying evaluation information for the food obtained based on the temperature and shape of the food on the display of the cooking device; and A control method comprising: a step of cooking the food such that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on a target temperature set based on receiving user input for additional cooking of the food and humidity obtained through a sensor of the cooking device during the first cooking.

11. In Paragraph 10, The step of identifying a cooking area corresponding to the above cooking material is, A step of identifying the rate of temperature change of pixels in the cooking area based on images acquired at preset time intervals through the camera; and A control method comprising the step of identifying an area in the above image where the rate of change of temperature is greater than or equal to a preset value as the cooking area.

12. In Paragraph 10, The step of displaying evaluation information for the above-mentioned dish on the display is: When the first cooking is completed, a step of obtaining first information including at least one of the temperature of the cooked object, the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the cooked object, the temperature deviation of the cooked object and the temperature deviation of each of a plurality of regions of the cooked object, the volume change amount of the cooked object and the volume change amount of each of a plurality of regions of the cooked object, based on an image obtained through the camera; and A control method comprising the step of displaying evaluation information for the food containing the first information on the display.

13. In Paragraph 12, A control method further comprising the step of identifying whether to provide additional evaluation information for the food item based on at least one of the cooking mode of the cooking device, the cooking time of the food item, the size of the food item, and the rate of change in volume of the food item when the first cooking of the food item is completed.

14. In Paragraph 13, If identified as providing additional evaluation information for the above-mentioned cooked product, a step of acquiring second information including at least one of the temperature change rate and volume change rate of the cooked product during the preset time based on images acquired through the camera at the time when the first cooking is finished and at the time when a preset time has elapsed from the time when the first cooking is finished; and A control method further comprising the step of displaying evaluation information for the food, including the first information and the second information, on the display.

15. In Paragraph 10, The step of cooking the food so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature is, A step of identifying the temperature of each of a plurality of regions of the food based on an image obtained through the camera during the first cooking process; A step of identifying a temperature corresponding to the point in time when the humidity inside the cooking chamber becomes maximum during the time interval in which the food is cooked, based on the humidity obtained through the sensor during the first cooking; A step of identifying the temperature of each of the plurality of regions at the time when the humidity in the cooking chamber becomes maximum based on the temperature of each of the plurality of regions; and A control method comprising: a step of performing additional cooking on the food so that the temperature of each of the plurality of regions becomes the target temperature based on the temperature of the plurality of regions at the point in time when the target temperature and the humidity are at their maximum.

Images