Multi-Sensor Cooking Control With Thermal Imaging Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking technologies fail to accurately control the cooking process across various appliances, leading to over or under cooking, energy inefficiency, and lack of real-time temperature profiling, especially for diverse food types and cooking methods.
Innovation Solution
A multi-sensor system integrating thermal and visible light sensors with AI algorithms to analyze the temperature and visible profiles of food, controlling energy flow through smart knobs or valves to maintain optimal cooking conditions and conserve energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional temperature sensors are used to monitor cooking temperature, then the system is simple and low-cost, but the temperature profiling is inaccurate and cannot capture spatial temperature distribution across the food surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical contact temperature sensors with an optical-based thermal imaging camera system. The camera captures infrared radiation emitted by the food surface to generate temperature profiles without physical contact, thereby achieving high-resolution spatial temperature mapping while avoiding the limitations of point-contact sensors. This substitution enables accurate full-field temperature measurement rather than single-point measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional temperature measurement (single point) to two-dimensional temperature profiling across the food surface. The thermal imaging camera captures temperature distribution as a matrix of pixels, providing spatial information in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. This dimensional expansion allows identification of hot and cold zones across the entire food surface, enabling precise control of cooking uniformity.
2Reliability
If manual monitoring and adjustment of cooking parameters is performed, then the system is simple to implement, but the cooking quality consistency is poor and energy efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback control mechanism where the thermal imaging camera continuously monitors the food surface temperature, the processor analyzes the temperature profile data, and the controller automatically adjusts the cooking appliance power output based on the analysis. This real-time feedback loop ensures consistent cooking quality by maintaining optimal temperature distribution throughout the cooking process, eliminating variability introduced by manual monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-regulating cooking control where the automated control unit independently monitors temperature profiles and adjusts cooking parameters without human intervention. The processor interprets thermal images and the controller executes power adjustments autonomously, allowing the system to self-correct temperature deviations and maintain optimal cooking conditions throughout the process.
3Productivity
If high power is continuously applied to ensure food is cooked through, then the cooking time is reduced, but energy consumption increases and the risk of overcooking or burning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic scanning of the food surface using the thermal imaging camera at predetermined time intervals during cooking. Rather than continuous monitoring, the camera captures temperature profiles at specific moments, allowing the system to track temperature evolution over time while reducing unnecessary energy consumption from constant operation. This periodic measurement approach balances monitoring accuracy with energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically adjusts the cooking power parameter based on real-time temperature profile analysis. When the system detects that the food interior has not yet reached the target temperature, it maintains or increases power output to accelerate cooking. Once the interior temperature approaches the target or the surface shows signs of excessive heating, the controller reduces power to prevent burning while maintaining cooking progress, thereby optimizing energy utilization throughout the cooking cycle.
4Loss of information
If multiple separate sensors are used to measure different cooking parameters, then the measurement coverage is comprehensive, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal imaging camera serves multiple functions simultaneously: it measures temperature distribution across the food surface, determines food type based on thermal patterns, monitors cooking progress, and detects potential burning conditions. This single multi-functional device replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate sensors (temperature sensors, cameras, detectors), thereby achieving comprehensive parameter monitoring while reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines temperature measurement, visual monitoring, and cooking analysis functions into an integrated system. The thermal imaging camera captures both thermal and visible light information, and the processor combines this data with cooking appliance parameters to generate comprehensive cooking analysis. This merging of functions into a unified system reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining complete monitoring capability.
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 precise cooking control, reduces energy consumption, and prevents food wastage by providing real-time monitoring and adjustment of cooking parameters, applicable to various cooking methods and appliances.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal imaging camera which identifies a food item in a cooking environment... The controller monitors a thermal value of the food item
Implementation Method 2
a visible camera which captures a visible image of the food item... the visible image is being analyzed by a processor unit
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a multi-sensor system and method for automatic control of cooking appliances, and more particularly it relates to the save of energy when cooking food, on any kind of cooking ware.