Recipe-based cooking aid
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen recipe management systems are inflexible and limited in handling complex cooking processes, as they typically display one step at a time and are tied to specific appliances, lacking the ability to dynamically adapt to user equipment and handle concurrent or branching steps effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that determine the current processing step of a kitchen recipe based on transition conditions, allowing for event-driven transitions, automated control of kitchen appliances, and user input integration, enabling flexible and adaptive recipe execution with support for complex processes and multiple appliances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional recipe system displays one step at a time, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot handle complex cooking processes with concurrent or branching steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic recipe execution system that transitions from static step-by-step display to event-driven processing. The system dynamically adapts its behavior based on detected transition conditions ( timers, appliance states, user inputs) and can execute multiple steps concurrently or in branched sequences, resolving the contradiction between handling complexity and maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the recipe execution into independent processing steps with clearly defined transition conditions. Each step can be executed independently and monitored separately, allowing the system to manage complex recipes by breaking them down into manageable units that can be processed in parallel or sequentially based on conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a recipe system is tied to specific appliances, then the control is precise, but the system lacks flexibility to adapt to different user equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal recipe execution platform that can interface with multiple types of kitchen appliances through standardized communication protocols. The system monitors appliance states and triggers transitions based on generic condition detection, allowing the same recipe system to work across different equipment while maintaining reliable control through state-based transition conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adapts to different appliances by monitoring changing parameters (temperature, time, power states) rather than being hardwired to specific devices. Transition conditions are defined in terms of parameter thresholds and changes, allowing the same recipe logic to work with various appliance types that report their states through compatible interfaces.
3Extent of automation
If manual monitoring of each cooking step is required, then the system requires minimal automation, but the user workload is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback loops where the system continuously monitors appliance states, timer values, and user inputs, then automatically determines when transition conditions are met. This feedback mechanism enables the system to autonomously advance through recipe steps without manual intervention, reducing user workload while maintaining manageable complexity through event-driven architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The recipe execution system serves itself by automatically detecting transition conditions and triggering the next steps without requiring user initiation. The system monitors its own state through appliance feedback and timer events, making autonomous decisions about when to proceed, pause, or repeat steps, thereby reducing the need for manual monitoring while keeping the interface simple.
4Productivity
If concurrent processing steps are supported, then the recipe execution is more efficient, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the recipe into independent processing steps that can be executed concurrently when their transition conditions are met. Each step maintains its own state and monitoring, allowing the system to manage multiple simultaneous operations through modular step definitions rather than complex interdependent control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines which steps to execute concurrently based on real-time evaluation of transition conditions. The execution plan adapts dynamically as conditions change, allowing efficient parallel processing when possible while automatically falling back to sequential execution when conditions prevent it, thereby managing complexity through adaptive rather than rigid control.
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
Enables efficient and flexible preparation of meals by allowing automatic appliance control, dynamic recipe adaptation, and concurrent execution of steps, significantly reducing user workload and improving handling of complex recipes.
Implementation Method 1
The processing device is further configured to take into account, as a transition condition, a change in the consistency of an ingredient in a vessel under the influence of mechanical processing and to determine, on the basis of a frequency distribution of the vibrations, whether the transition condition is met.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A recipe comprises a number of process steps as well as transition conditions that are associated with each of these. The invention relates to a method for processing such a recipe, comprising the steps of: determining a current process step of the recipe and a transition condition that is associated therewith; outputting an item of information depending on the current process step; scanning a parameter the value of which controls the satisfaction of said transition condition; and setting a subsequent process step of the recipe to be the current process step if said transition condition has been satisfied.