Recipe Synchronization Control for Multi-Appliance Cooking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-functional cooking apparatuses face challenges in maintaining reproducible cooking results when operating under changing conditions, particularly when using remote kitchen appliances that deviate from the expected technical specifications, leading to inconsistencies in cooking outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A control system is implemented to manage food processing steps by both the cooking apparatus and remote kitchen appliances, ensuring reproducibility by registering available appliances, validating their specifications, adjusting recipe programs as needed, and synchronizing operations to maintain consistent cooking results.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If remote kitchen appliances with different technical specifications are used, then the system becomes more adaptable to available appliances, but the cooking results deviate from the desired reproducible outcomes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to available appliancesVSAvoidreproducibility of cooking results
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control system dynamically adjusts the recipe program based on the actual technical specifications of available remote kitchen appliances. Instead of using fixed parameters, the system modifies cooking parameters in real-time to match the capabilities of the detected appliances, thereby maintaining reliable cooking results across different device configurations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameters of the recipe program (such as cooking time, temperature, power levels) according to the technical specifications of the available remote appliances. By adapting parameters rather than requiring fixed appliance specifications, the system achieves both adaptability to different appliances and consistency in cooking outcomes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the recipe program is adjusted to match available appliances, then the system maintains reproducibility of cooking results, but additional control operations are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereproducibility of cooking resultsVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system automatically detects available remote kitchen appliances, retrieves their technical specifications, and autonomously adjusts the recipe program parameters without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by making the necessary adaptations, which simplifies the user interface while maintaining the underlying complexity needed for reproducibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If the cooking apparatus waits for remote kitchen appliances to complete processing, then synchronization is maintained, but the overall cooking time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization of cooking stepsVSAvoidtotal cooking time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs preliminary actions by detecting available remote kitchen appliances and retrieving their technical specifications before executing the recipe program. This advance preparation enables the system to calculate optimal timing and synchronize subsequent cooking steps more efficiently, reducing overall cooking time while maintaining synchronization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3206096B1System and method for controlling food processing steps of a multi-function cooking apparatus and food processing steps of remote kitchen appliances
Publication Date: 2018.08.01 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3206096B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3206096B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3206096B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A control system (100), method and computer program product for controlling food processing steps performed by a multi-function cooking apparatus (200) and food processing steps performed by one or more remote kitchen appliances (301, 302) for preparing a food product. A recipe program interface (120) is configured to access on a data storage device (400) a recipe program for preparing the food product wherein the recipe program is configured to be executed by the cooking apparatus (200) and to synchronize food processing steps performed by the cooking apparatus with food processing steps performed by the one or more remote kitchen appliances (301, 302). A validation component (130) is configured to check if the one or more remote kitchen appliances are registered with the cooking apparatus (200) in an appliance registry (160), and is further configured to check if technical specifications (150-1) of registered remote kitchen appliances comply with control parameters in respective recipe program instructions. A recipe program adjustment component (140) is configured to adjust the recipe program if a particular technical specification of at least one remote kitchen appliance (301) does not comply with at least one particular control parameter in at least one particular recipe program instruction, wherein recipe instructions affected by the particular control parameter are adjusted in accordance with the particular technical specification of the at least one remote kitchen appliance (301) to preserve synchronization of the cooking apparatus (200) with the one or more remote kitchen appliances (301, 302) during execution of the adjusted recipe program.