A method for controlling cooking based on artificial intelligence and an artificial intelligence device are disclosed. In the method for controlling cooking based on artificial intelligence, it is possible to continuously monitor how food ingredients are progressing by generating reference information including image information of completed dishes using food ingredient image information acquired through a monitoring unit provided in a kitchen appliance (for example, oven) and determining the cooked state of the food ingredients based on the reference information. An artificial intelligence device according to the present disclosure may be linked with an artificial intelligence module, a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)), a robot, an augmented reality (AR) device, a virtual reality (VR) device, devices related to 5G services, and the like.

A cooking appliance can include a cooking chamber and an imaging device for capturing an image of a food item inside the chamber. The appliance can include a transparent, touchscreen display for displaying the interior contents of the cooking appliance to a user without requiring the user to open the cooking appliance, as well as providing for the user controlling, operating, and interacting with the cooking appliance.

A dedicated self-cleaning cycle for a camera for imaging a cavity of an oven is provided. An indication is received to perform a localized pyrolytic cycle to clean a view port glass protecting an image sensor of the camera from heat or detritus in the cavity of the oven. Responsive to the indication, a camera viewport heating element configured to provide localized heating to the view port glass is operated to perform the localized pyrolytic cycle. The camera is utilized to view the cavity of the oven.

An apparatus and method for cooking at a constant temperature in an oven including performing a temperature raising operation of operating at least one of at least one heater and at least one circulation fan until a temperature of a preset ratio of a set temperature is reached, continuing the operating at the set temperature for a preset period, and setting an operation level by considering a temperature of the oven at an end of a current period and a temperature of the oven at a start of the current period. The method includes performing a temperature maintaining operation of operating at least one of the at least one heater and the at least one circulation fan for one period according to the set operation level, and repeating the setting of the operation level and the temperature maintaining operation until cooking is completed.

A commercial oven, such as a combination oven providing steam and convection heating, may provide for two different peak power modes and for steam cooking. A temperature sensor sampling temperature from a region of the oven may be used to detect a complete filling of the oven with steam. The temperature of the temperature sensor is compared against different temperature thresholds depending on the selected peak power so that temperature may be used to discriminate steam filling for different peak power levels.

The method for dirty camera detection including: detecting a first predetermined state change event; sampling a set of cavity measurements; optionally determining a set of features of the set of cavity measurements; determining a class label based on the cavity measurements; optionally verifying the classification; and facilitating use of the appliance based on the classification.

An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a plurality of chamber walls, a cooking surface, a top heating element, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The cooking surface may be defined in a cooking chamber. The top heating element may be mounted above the cooking surface to heat the cooking chamber. The temperature sensor may be disposed within the cabinet. The controller may be configured to initiate a cooking operation that includes initiating preheat activation of the top heating element, receiving temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the preheat activation, determining a preheat threshold is met based on the received temperature signals, and initiating cooking activation of the top heating element based on a cooking cycle having a predetermined time interval subsequent to determining the preheat threshold is met. Initiating cooking activation may include directing the top heating element based on the cooking cycle for the predetermined time interval.

A cooking appliance or knob assembly may include a surface panel, a knob switch, a support plate, a control body, a central projection, and a spacing stake. The knob switch may be disposed behind the surface panel. The knob switch may include an internal spring and a slidable stem extending through a central axis. The slidable stem may be in forward-biased mechanical communication with the internal spring. The support plate may be rotabably mounted about the slidable stem. The control body may be mounted to the slidable stem. The control body may be rotationally fixed to the support plate and slidable relative thereto. The control body may include a primary grip extending about at least a portion of the slidable stem. The central projection may be disposed radially inward from the primary grip and define an axially fixed stop surface disposed forward from the control body.

The invention relates to a method for calculating three-dimensional information of food received within a cavity of a food preparation entity, the method comprising the steps of: capturing at least one image of said food received within the cavity by a plenoptic camera, said image comprising information regarding the light intensity and the direction of light rays traveling in space; or capturing at least two images of said food received within the cavity, said images being taken from different positions during movement of a camera; or capturing at least two images of said food received within the cavity using a camera, said images comprising different focus points; and processing the at least one image in order to establish three-dimensional information of said food received within the cavity.

Methods for heat treating food products include controlling a temperature of a heating element to a maximum temperature correlated to a desired temperature for the food product. A sensed temperature of the heating element may be used to control the maximum temperature. An oven includes a heating element and a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the heating element, and a controller that limits the temperature of the heating element based on output from the temperature sensor.