Method and device for controlling heat preservation of electronic cooker

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic cookers lack flexibility in controlling heat preservation, often resulting in undesirable serving temperatures due to a predetermined time-based termination of the heat preservation process, which does not account for varying user arrival times or environmental conditions.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that adjust the heat preservation termination time based on predicted serving time, serving temperature, and holding temperature data, using modules to determine the optimal termination time by considering environmental conditions and user travel information, ensuring the food is at the desired temperature upon arrival.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If heat preservation terminates after a preset time period, then the control process is simple, but the food serving temperature cannot be guaranteed to match user needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat preservation controlVSAvoidfood serving temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The heat preservation termination time is changed from a fixed preset value to a dynamic value that is calculated based on real-time environmental temperature, user arrival time, and thermal insulation parameters. The system dynamically adjusts the termination time to ensure the food reaches the optimal serving temperature when the user arrives, resolving the contradiction between simple control and temperature precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces feedback mechanisms by monitoring environmental temperature, user location data, and historical serving records. This feedback is used to continuously optimize the heat preservation termination time, allowing the system to learn from past performance and adapt to changing conditions, thereby improving temperature precision without significantly increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If heat preservation uses a predetermined time-based termination, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to user arrival times and environmental conditions is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat preservation control systemVSAvoidheat preservation control
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameters used for heat preservation control from simple time-based parameters to a multi-parameter model that includes environmental temperature, user arrival time predictions, thermal insulation parameters, and historical serving data. This allows the system to adapt to various user scenarios and environmental conditions while maintaining reasonable device complexity through efficient data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting user arrival time using location data and historical patterns before the user actually arrives. It pre-calculates the optimal heat preservation termination time based on this predicted arrival, ensuring the food is ready at the right temperature without requiring complex real-time adjustments when the user arrives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Extent of automation

If the electronic cooker terminates heat preservation automatically after preset time, then operation is automated, but the food may not be at desired temperature when user arrives

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat preservation processVSAvoidfood serving temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The automated heat preservation process is enhanced with feedback loops that continuously monitor environmental temperature and compare predicted vs. actual serving temperatures from historical records. This feedback enables the system to automatically adjust termination timing to improve reliability of food serving temperature while maintaining full automation of the heat preservation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing user patterns, environmental conditions, and thermal parameters to determine optimal termination times without requiring user intervention. It serves itself by learning from historical data and making autonomous decisions to improve food serving temperature reliability while keeping the automation level high.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances flexibility in heat preservation control, allowing the food to be served at the desired temperature upon user arrival, improving the user experience by eliminating the need for preheating or reheating, thus saving time.

Implementation Method 1

determining a temperature changing period in accordance with the food holding temperature data, the food serving temperature data, the environment temperature data and an insulation parameter of an inner tank of the electronic cooker

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentEP3163977B1Method and device for controlling heat preservation of electronic cooker
Publication Date: 2020.08.19 XIAOMI INC
  • EP3163977B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3163977B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3163977B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~2C

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and device for controlling heat temperature of an electronic cooker. The method includes: acquiring (101) food holding temperature data; predicting (102) food serving time point data; acquiring (103) food serving temperature data at a time point indicated by the food serving time point data; determining (104) time point data of when terminating the food heat preservation in accordance with the food serving time point data, the food serving temperature data and the food holding temperature data; and terminating (105) the food heat preservation at a time point indicated by the time point data of when terminating the food heat preservation.