Method for controlling cooker

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cookers require users to manually intervene during automatic cooking for tasks like food turning or ingredient addition, without adequate notification, leading to potential errors in cooking quality.

Innovation Solution

A method for controlling a cooker that informs users of required manual operations through visual and auditory alarms, displaying the operation time on a display, and ensuring the alarm is efficiently ended when the operation is acknowledged.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If automatic cooking mode is used without user operation notification, then automation level is improved, but cooking quality deteriorates due to lack of timely user intervention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic cooking modeVSAvoidcooking quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit provides feedback to the user through display messages and alarm signals when manual operations are required during automatic cooking. The system monitors cooking progress and notifies the user at appropriate times to perform operations like turning over food or adding ingredients, ensuring cooking quality while maintaining automation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit determines in advance whether a dish type requires manual operations and prepares notification messages beforehand. The display unit shows operation requirements and timing information before the cooking process begins, allowing users to prepare for necessary interventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If user operation notification is added to automatic cooking, then cooking quality is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooking qualityVSAvoidcontrol system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs multiple functions: it manages the automatic cooking process, determines when manual operations are needed, generates notification messages, and controls alarm signals. The display unit serves both to show cooking status and to present operation instructions, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If alarm is continuously output to notify user operation, then user awareness is improved, but user experience deteriorates due to excessive noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser awarenessVSAvoidexcessive alarm noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The alarm signal is output periodically or at specific intervals rather than continuously. The control unit manages the alarm to be activated only when needed and deactivated when the user performs the required operation or after a predetermined time, avoiding excessive noise while maintaining user awareness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

4Loss of time

If display shows operation time information, then user preparation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser preparation timeVSAvoiddisplay system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display unit combines multiple information functions: it shows the cooking status, presents operation requirement messages, and displays timing information for user operations. By merging these functions into a single display interface, the system provides comprehensive user guidance without adding separate dedicated display components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3141819B1Method for controlling cooker
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3141819B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3141819B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3141819B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a method for controlling a cooker, including selecting a menu in which one of a manual cooking mode and an automatic cooking mode is selected and a cooking start signal is input into a control unit, determining whether a type of dish to be cooked requires a user operation in which, when the automatic cooking mode is selected and input, whether an input type of dish to be cooked requires a manual user operation during cooking is determined, and performing a user operation mode in which, when it is determined, in the determining of whether a type of dish to be cooked requires a user operation, that the type of dish to be cooked requires the manual user operation, the user is allowed to recognize a time point at which a preset user operation has to be performed.