Food preparation control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking methods often require trial and error to achieve desired textures and tastes, as variations in cooking time and temperature significantly impact the final product, and users struggle to precisely follow recipes to achieve desired results.
Innovation Solution
A processor-based food preparation guidance system that uses graphical prompts to help users select the desired characteristics of a food product, generates a cooking program based on user inputs, and controls a cooking appliance to execute the program, ensuring precise cooking conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional cooking methods are used without precise control, then cooking process is simple and easy to operate, but the texture and taste of the food product vary significantly and cannot achieve desired results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a processor-based guidance system as an intermediary between the user and the cooking appliance. This system receives user inputs about desired food characteristics, generates appropriate cooking programs with specific temperature and time parameters, and transmits them to the cooking appliance. The intermediary system bridges the gap between simple user intentions and complex cooking control requirements, enabling precise cooking without burdening the user with system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking appliance is equipped with its own processor and control capabilities that enable it to autonomously execute cooking programs. Once the guidance system provides the cooking parameters, the appliance self-regulates temperature, timing, and cooking processes without continuous user intervention. This self-service capability maintains operational simplicity while achieving precise cooking results through the appliance's internal control mechanisms.
2Reliability
If precise cooking control is implemented, then the texture and taste of the food product can be consistently controlled, but the operation becomes more complex and difficult for users
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system acts as an intelligent intermediary that translates simple user preferences (desired texture, taste characteristics) into complex cooking programs. Users only need to input high-level requirements rather than managing detailed temperature and time parameters. The system handles the complexity of converting these requirements into precise, reliable cooking instructions, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring cooking consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts multiple cooking parameters (temperature, time, heating power) based on user inputs about desired food characteristics. Instead of requiring users to manually control each parameter, the system dynamically changes these parameters according to pre-programmed relationships and cooking science principles, ensuring consistent results while keeping the user interface simple.
3Ease of manufacture
If users manually control cooking parameters, then the system remains simple, but trial and error is required to achieve desired textures and tastes
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system performs preliminary calculations and program generation before the actual cooking process begins. It pre-determines the optimal cooking parameters based on the desired food characteristics, eliminating the need for trial and error during the cooking process itself. This preliminary action ensures that the first cooking attempt is successful, reducing the time lost to repeated trials while keeping the physical system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where cooking progress is monitored and compared against the target characteristics. If deviations are detected, the system can adjust parameters in real-time or provide guidance for corrections. This feedback loop prevents wasted cooking time by identifying issues early and enabling corrective actions, reducing the need for complete trial-and-error cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and articles to provide customized control of a cooking appliance, such as a sous vide cooker. A user provides a selection of one or more ending characteristics for a food product. A processor-based device determines one or more output food preparation parameters based on the user's selection of the one or more ending characteristics. Measurements of temperature, power delivery, or other characteristics may be obtained during cooking process. A cooking program controlling the cooking process may be revised or updated based at least in part on the obtained measurements or analysis of the measurements. Estimations or projections about the cooking process may be presented to a user via a user interface of the cooking appliance or a user interface of one or more computing devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer) associated with the user.