Cooking Appliance Heat Control for User Absence Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliance heat control systems turn off heat regardless of the cooking method, leading to inconvenience and potential inefficiencies, as they do not adjust heating power based on the specific heating method being used.
Innovation Solution
A heating power control device and method that stores control method information relating to various cooking methods, allowing the system to detect user absence and adjust heating power accordingly based on the specific cooking method being executed, using a terminal connected to a cooking appliance and a human detecting sensor to determine the appropriate control method for reducing heating power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat is turned off completely when user absence is detected, then safety is improved, but cooking completion and user convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the heat control strategy based on the specific cooking method being used. Instead of a uniform heat-off policy, the system selectively adjusts heat reduction levels: gentle reduction for methods requiring sustained heat (stewing, simmering) and complete shutdown for methods needing minimal heat (grilling, frying). This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by tailoring the safety response to the specific cooking context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by making the heat control response adaptive rather than static. The controller dynamically selects between multiple heat control methods based on real-time cooking method identification, user absence duration, and safety requirements. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize both safety and cooking completion based on varying conditions.
2Device complexity
If a uniform heat control method is applied to all cooking methods, then device complexity is reduced, but cooking quality and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat control strategy into multiple distinct methods (first heat control method, second heat control method, third heat control method) corresponding to different cooking types. The system divides cooking methods into categories such as those requiring sustained heat and those requiring minimal heat, applying appropriate control strategies to each segment. This segmentation enables optimized cooking efficiency for each type while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured classification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies parameter changes by modifying heat control parameters (heating power level, duration, reduction rate) based on the identified cooking method. Instead of changing the fundamental control structure, the system adjusts operational parameters such as heating power percentage and time duration to match different cooking requirements, thereby improving cooking efficiency without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Loss of energy
If the heating power is reduced immediately upon detecting user absence, then energy consumption is decreased, but cooking quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-classifying cooking methods and pre-determining appropriate heat control strategies before user absence occurs. The controller identifies the cooking method in advance and prepares the corresponding heat control profile, allowing for smooth transitions when absence is detected. This preliminary classification enables energy-efficient heat reduction while maintaining cooking quality by following pre-planned control sequences tailored to each cooking type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through staged heat reduction rather than immediate complete shutdown. The system applies heat control in periodic phases: initial gentle reduction to maintain cooking quality, followed by complete shutdown after a predetermined time period. This periodic approach balances energy conservation with cooking quality preservation by adjusting heat levels in controlled intervals rather than abruptly.
Data Source
AI summary
A heating power control system includes a storage that stores cooking information including a cooking process that is executed using a cooking appliance and is obtained from a server device, a receiver that receives detection information indicating an absence or a presence of a user of the cooking appliance, and a controller that determines whether or not the user is absent for a predetermined period of time based on the detection information, determines, based on the cooking information, whether or not the cooking process is a heating process when the user is determined to be absent for the predetermined period of time, determines, based on the cooking information, a control method of controlling heating power of the cooking appliance when the cooking process is determined to be a heating process, and controls the heating power of the cooking appliance by the control method.