Sensor-Based Cooking Assistive Device for Automated Meal Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home cooking is often laborious and time-consuming, leading to a decline in home meal preparation as people prefer the convenience of eating out, due to the effort and uncertainty of achieving desired meal outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A portable cooking assistive device equipped with sensors, a network interface, and a processor that monitors cooking operations, provides controlled responses, and communicates with mobile devices to assist in preparing personalized meals by accessing data from a remote database and dispensing substances as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If home cooking is performed manually, then meal preparation can be done at home, but it is laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking device automatically monitors cooking conditions using sensors and adjusts cooking parameters without user intervention. The system self-manages the cooking process by comparing sensor readings with target values and making autonomous adjustments, freeing the user from continuous manual monitoring and adjustment tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors cooking conditions through sensors and uses feedback control to adjust cooking parameters. The processor compares actual cooking conditions with target conditions and automatically modifies cooking parameters to maintain optimal cooking state, reducing both manual effort and cooking time.
2Reliability
If cooking parameters are manually monitored and adjusted, then cooking can be performed, but there is uncertainty in achieving desired meal outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs continuous feedback control where sensors monitor cooking conditions and the processor automatically adjusts cooking parameters to maintain target conditions. This closed-loop control ensures consistent meal outcomes by eliminating manual judgment errors and maintaining precise control throughout the cooking process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring and adjustment with automated electronic sensing and control. Sensors electronically detect cooking conditions and the processor electronically adjusts parameters, substituting human manual operations with automated systems that provide greater precision and consistency.
3Measurement precision
If automated monitoring and adjustment systems are added to cooking devices, then cooking accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking device integrates multiple functions into a single system: sensing, processing, display, and control. The same processor handles both monitoring and adjustment tasks, and the display serves both informational and control feedback purposes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines sensing elements, processing unit, display device, and control mechanisms into an integrated cooking system. The processor serves as a central hub that coordinates all functions, merging what could be separate independent systems into a unified device that achieves high precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking assistive device comprises a portable housing configured to be disposed on or proximate a food item. The device includes a plurality of sensors situated within the housing, a dispenser, and a utensil holder. The device has a memory storing computer-readable instructions, and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the instructions to: (a) obtain a wireless input from a mobile device; (b) access data stored in a remote database; (c) obtain a reading from at least one of the plurality of sensors; and (d) cause the dispenser to dispense a substance in response to the reading.