Kitchen Utensil Motion Sensing for Adaptive Cooking Hob Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intelligent kitchen utensils fail to accurately determine the position and action of the utensil during cooking, leading to inconsistent sensor readings and difficulties in interpreting food state due to lack of context awareness, especially for average cooks who struggle with manual regulation of cooking parameters.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen utensil equipped with a multi-axis accelerometer and gyroscope that assesses the context of use, combining temperature, conductivity, and spatial position data to interpret and conditionally process sensor readings, enabling the cooking hob to adapt its output based on the utensil's actions and food state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature probes are used to monitor food state, then temperature information is obtained, but the ability to determine actual utensil position and action is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing capabilities (temperature sensing, acceleration sensing, and orientation sensing) into a single integrated utensil system. The temperature probe incorporates both temperature sensors and motion sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) to simultaneously monitor food state and utensil action, eliminating the need to choose between different measurement types.
Solution Approach 2:
The utensil is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a temperature monitoring device and as a motion tracking device. By integrating multiple sensor types into one universal tool, the system can perform diverse functions including temperature measurement, acceleration detection, orientation detection, and cooking action recognition without requiring separate devices.
2Measurement precision
If multiple temperature measuring points are used along the probe, then core temperature detection is improved, but the ability to detect actual probe position remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges temperature sensing with motion sensing in the same probe assembly. While multiple temperature sensors monitor thermal conditions at different depths, motion sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) simultaneously track the probe's spatial position, orientation, and movement patterns, providing comprehensive data for both temperature and position determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion sensors act as intermediaries that provide positional information complementary to temperature measurements. By detecting acceleration and orientation, these sensors serve as mediators that translate physical probe position into measurable data, enabling the system to correlate temperature readings with specific spatial locations and cooking actions.
3Measurement precision
If temperature-based determination of probe inclination is used, then orientation assessment is achieved, but results are highly disturbed by food anisotropy and heat gradient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal-based orientation determination with mechanical sensing using accelerometers and gyroscopes. These motion sensors directly measure gravitational force and rotational motion to determine probe orientation, eliminating reliance on temperature gradients that are affected by food anisotropy and heat distribution variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the measurement parameter for orientation detection from thermal parameters (temperature gradients) to mechanical parameters (acceleration and rotational velocity). This parameter substitution provides more reliable and direct orientation data that is independent of food thermal properties and heat transfer characteristics.
4Ease of operation
If manual regulation of burner power is required, then cook control is maintained, but cooking consistency deteriorates for average cooks
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated feedback control where sensors continuously monitor cooking parameters (temperature, motion, orientation) and this data is fed back to the cooking hob control system. The hob automatically adjusts power output based on real-time sensor data, maintaining cooking consistency without requiring manual intervention from the cook.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking system performs self-regulation through automated control algorithms that process sensor data and adjust heating parameters independently. The system serves itself by automatically monitoring its own state and making necessary adjustments to maintain optimal cooking conditions, reducing reliance on cook expertise while ensuring consistent results.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking system includes a kitchen utensil and a cooking hob, wherein the kitchen utensil is provided with one or more sensors arranged on the kitchen utensil. The sensors include acceleration sensors, gyroscopic sensors, and inclination sensors. The cooking appliance is provided with a control unit configured to receive data from the sensors and to elaborate information on how the kitchen utensil is being used, and to control the cooking appliance accordingly.