Moisture-Sensing Cooking Parameter Control for Consistent Dish Finish

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooking support systems fail to account for the internal state of ingredients, leading to varying dish finishes, especially when dealing with fresh, unripe, or dry ingredients, making it difficult for inexperienced cooks to reproduce recipes accurately.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device that detects the moisture amount of cut ingredients using sensors and calculates optimal heating cooking time and temperature based on this data, allowing for personalized cooking adjustments without interrupting the cooking process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional cooking support systems use fixed recipe instructions, then cooking process is simple to follow, but dish finish varies due to ingredient internal state differences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking process simplicityVSAvoiddish finish consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes cooking parameters (heating temperature and time) based on detected moisture amounts of ingredients. The processor unit adjusts these parameters in real-time according to the internal state of each ingredient, allowing the same recipe to adapt to variations in ingredient freshness, ripeness, and moisture content, thereby ensuring consistent dish finishes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the sensor unit continuously detects the moisture amount of ingredients during cooking, and this information is fed back to the processor unit which then adjusts the cooking parameters. This closed-loop control ensures that cooking conditions are optimized based on the actual state of ingredients, resolving the contradiction between simple following and consistent results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If cooking parameters are adjusted for each ingredient's internal state, then dish finish consistency improves, but cooking process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedish finish consistencyVSAvoidcooking process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting ingredient moisture content and adjusting cooking parameters without requiring cook intervention. The sensor unit and processor unit work autonomously to monitor and control cooking conditions, eliminating the need for experienced cooks to manually assess and adjust for ingredient variations, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical system of human sensory assessment and manual adjustment with automated sensing and control. Instead of relying on a cook's experience to evaluate ingredient internal state and adjust cooking accordingly, the system uses sensor units to detect moisture amounts and automatically modifies cooking parameters, reducing complexity for the user while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If moisture amount detection is performed during cooking, then cooking parameter accuracy improves, but measurement time is required during cooking process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemoisture amount detection accuracyVSAvoidcooking process time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains continuous monitoring of ingredient moisture content throughout the cooking process rather than performing discrete measurements. The sensor unit operates continuously during cooking, allowing for real-time detection of moisture changes and immediate adjustment of cooking parameters, thereby eliminating the need to pause cooking for measurements and ensuring both accuracy and time efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

Ensures consistent dish finishes by accurately measuring and adjusting cooking parameters in real-time, enabling inexperienced cooks to achieve professional-quality results.

Implementation Method 1

a sensor unit that measures a moisture amount of a cross section of the cut ingredient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMoisture sensing:

Data Source

PatentUS20240272070A1Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Publication Date: 2024.08.15 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

An information processing device (IP) includes a processor unit (PR). The processor unit (PR) detects a moisture amount of a cut ingredient (CI) on the basis of a sensing result of a cross section of the cut ingredient (CI) cut in accordance with progress of cooking. The processor unit (PR) calculates heating cooking time and a heating temperature of the cut ingredient (CI) on the basis of the moisture amount of the cut ingredient (CI).