Cooking Appliance Error Detection Using Food Presence Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooking appliances lack the ability to detect and prevent operator errors such as failing to switch off the appliance after use or not placing food in the cooking chamber, leading to energy wastage and potential safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an electronic evaluation device with software that utilizes the food recognition sensor system to query the cooking chamber's status and emit signals for warning or automatic switching off when specific criteria are met, such as the appliance being turned on and empty, or not in heating mode when food is present.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the appliance is switched on without food in the cooking chamber, then the appliance can be prepared for operation, but energy is wasted and operational risks arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereadiness for operationVSAvoidenergy wastage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit continuously monitors the cooking chamber status via the sensor system and provides feedback by comparing the current state (empty or occupied) with the expected state for the active operating mode. When a mismatch is detected (e.g., empty chamber in heating mode), the system generates a warning signal or automatically switches off the heating function to prevent energy wastage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-monitoring and self-correction by automatically detecting incorrect operating conditions and taking corrective actions (warning signals or automatic switch-off) without requiring external intervention, thereby preventing energy wastage and operational risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of energy

If the heating function is switched off after removing food, then energy wastage is prevented, but the appliance may not be ready for immediate reuse

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy wastageVSAvoidreadiness for operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit monitors the cooking chamber status and provides feedback by comparing it with the expected state. When food is removed and the chamber is detected as empty while heating mode is still active, the system generates a warning signal or automatically switches off the heating function, preventing energy wastage while allowing the user to quickly restart the appliance for immediate reuse.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If the appliance operates without detecting incorrect usage, then the system remains simple, but operational risks and safety hazards increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidoperational risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit continuously monitors the cooking chamber status via the sensor system and compares it with the expected state for the active operating mode. When a mismatch is detected (e.g., empty chamber in heating mode), the system generates a warning signal or automatically switches off the heating function to prevent energy wastage and operational risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If the food recognition sensor system is used only for cooking process improvement, then the system remains focused on its primary function, but operator errors cannot be detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking process optimizationVSAvoidoperator error detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The food recognition sensor system is extended to perform multiple functions: it continues to optimize the cooking process by detecting food presence and characteristics, while simultaneously monitoring the cooking chamber status to detect operator errors such as operating the appliance empty or forgetting to switch it off, thereby enhancing both versatility and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3904769A1Cooking device with electronic operator error detection

Publication Date: 2021.11.03 MIELE & CO KG

Figure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to an operating electronics unit (34) for operating a cooking appliance (30) equipped with an on/off switch (42) and electronic food detection sensors. To detect and report or correct an operator error using the operating electronics unit, it is proposed that the operating electronics unit (34) include an electronic evaluation device (40) with operating software (46) which queries the food detection sensors for at least the following criteria: whether the cooking chamber (6) is empty and what the switching state of the on/off switch (42) is. These query values form the values for query criteria specified in the operating software (46) of the evaluation device (40). The evaluation device (40) outputs a signal (44) to the operating electronics unit (34) when a combination of values specified in the operating software (46) is met during the query.