Cooker Image Sensor Display for Real-Time Food State Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cookers lack accurate and user-friendly methods to detect and display the inner state of the cooking chamber, making it difficult for users to determine the cooked degree and completion of cooking.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an image sensor that scans the food inside the cooking chamber and a display part to show the scanned image, along with a control system that determines the cooked degree and finishes cooking based on RGB color value variations, and optionally connecting to an external terminal for data transmission and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature sensors or humidity sensors are used to sense the cooking chamber, then the cooking process can be controlled, but the accuracy of detecting the inner state of the food is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an image sensor to capture visual images of the food in the cooking chamber, creating a visual copy of the food's state. This image copy provides detailed information about the food's surface condition, color, and texture, enabling accurate detection of the cooking state without physically contacting or disturbing the food.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or contact-based sensing methods (temperature sensors, humidity sensors) with an optical detection system (image sensor). This substitution allows for non-contact, real-time visualization and analysis of the food's cooking state, significantly improving measurement precision and information acquisition.
2Ease of operation
If no visual display is provided, then the device structure remains simple, but users cannot easily recognize the inner state of the cooking chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a display device as an intermediary between the image sensor and the user. The image sensor captures the food's state, and the display device presents this information visually to the user, making the cooking state easily recognizable without requiring the user to open the cooking chamber or physically inspect the food.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device creates a visual representation (copy) of the food's actual state in the cooking chamber. This visual copy allows users to monitor the cooking process in real-time with ease, transforming complex internal chamber conditions into simple, recognizable visual information.
3Measurement precision
If manual monitoring of food cooking state is required, then the control system remains simple, but cooking completion cannot be precisely determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the image sensor continuously monitors the food's cooking state, and the control unit analyzes the captured images to determine when the food is properly cooked. The system provides feedback by comparing the current food state against target cooking criteria, automatically adjusting or terminating the cooking process to achieve precise cooking completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual monitoring and judgment with an automated optical detection and analysis system. The image sensor and control unit work together to automatically assess the food's cooking state based on visual characteristics, eliminating the need for manual inspection and enabling precise, objective determination of cooking completion.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a cooker. An image of the inside of a cooking chamber scanned by an image sensor is displayed to the outside through a display part. Thus, a user may more easily and accurately recognize the inner state of the cooking chamber.