Automatic Oven with Sensor-Based Food Recognition and Self-Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face challenges in cooking various food items due to a lack of understanding of cooking methods and inaccuracies in estimating food quantities, leading to incorrect programming of cooking appliances.
Innovation Solution
An automatic cooking appliance that detects the type, amount, and initial state of food, and automatically cooks based on consumer preferences using sensors and a user interface for input, including a camera, IR sensor, and temperature probe for precise cooking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If consumers manually program cooking appliances, then they can control cooking parameters, but user error occurs due to lack of understanding of cooking methods and inaccurate food quantity estimation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking appliance automatically detects food type, quantity, and initial state using sensors and cameras, then self-programmes the cooking cycle without requiring user knowledge of cooking methods. The system serves itself by making intelligent decisions about cooking parameters based on detected food characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual programming operations are replaced by automated sensing and control systems. The appliance uses optical sensors, cameras, and temperature probes to detect food properties and automatically adjusts cooking parameters, substituting human judgment and manual input with electronic detection and control mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If automatic detection systems are added to the appliance, then cooking accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly performs multiple functions simultaneously - detecting food type, quantity, initial temperature, and cooking progress using integrated optical sensors, cameras, and temperature probes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sensing functions are combined into a single integrated sensor assembly located in the cooking chamber. The system merges optical detection, thermal sensing, and visual recognition capabilities into one unified detection system, reducing overall system complexity compared to separate independent systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The appliance ensures accurate cooking by automatically recognizing food items and adjusting cooking parameters, reducing user error and improving cooking outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
recognizing a food item by sensing the food item with a camera
Implementation Method 2
sensing the food item with a camera, an IR sensor, and a temperature probe
Implementation Method 3
sensing the food item with a camera, an IR sensor, and a temperature probe
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic oven (10) having a controller (356) and a sensor assembly (340) for automatically determining a food type for a food item placed in a cooking chamber (142) of the automatic oven (10), and cooks the automatically determined food item according to a cooking profile selected based on the determined food type, while optionally accommodating a user input on the determining of the food type, and the cooking profile, including an optional degree of doneness.