System for the preparation of at least one food product and method for operating the relevant system

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the preparation of at least one food product (2) as well as a method for the same, wherein the system (1, 50) comprises a cooking chamber (3), in which the food product (2) can be prepared.

Claims

1. A system for a preparation of at least one food product, comprising: a cooking device having a cooking chamber comprising walls defining the cooking chamber for the preparation of the food product located therein, and an energy unit to perform an energy supply specific to the food product into the cooking chamber dependent upon cooking data; at least one camera for capturing at least one image of the food product located in the cooking chamber, and a device for measuring the weight of the food product located in the cooking chamber, and an object detection device configured for determining from the at least one image of the food product the following: a position in the cooking chamber of the food product, a type of the food product and a size of the food product, a control unit, which determines the cooking data-based upon: the weight, and a plurality of input parameters comprising: the position, the type, the size and the food product type weight and the position in the cooking chamber of the food product, the cooking data comprising a cooking duration, and a cooking temperature, wherein the control unit determines a preparation provision for cooking the food product located in the cooking chamber based on the preparation provision and automatically using the preparation provision without additional engagement by a user further to putting the food product in the cooking chamber.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cooking data is calculated based on at least one food product parameter selected from a group consisting of: size quantity temperature.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is a cooking device; wherein the object detection device comprises the at least one camera and the control unit calculates the weight of the food product based on the volume determined based on the at least one image and the type of food product.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera includes multiple cameras are provided.

5. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a device for measuring said at least one food product parameter.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the weight of the product is determined based on the at least one food product parameter.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device is a scale.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein a database comprising functional data, which are at least partially in correlation with said input parameters.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device comprises walls, which delimit the cooking chamber.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the energy unit is arranged in at least one wall, wherein the energy unit comprises a plurality of energy elements, which are arranged in or on the at least one wall in such a way that a planar energy unit results.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the planar energy unit is adjusted to dimensions of the at least one wall, in which or on which the energy unit is arranged, wherein the planar energy unit corresponds to at least 50% of the dimension of the at least one wall, the planar energy unit corresponds to at least 80% of the dimension of the at least one wall.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the energy element is formed as an antenna, by means of which energy as a high-frequency radiation emitted into the cooking chamber.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the antennas are formed in such a way that they are controlled individually, so that a plurality of cooking chamber zones are created in the cooking chamber.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device comprises a display, by means of which the cooking data is displayed.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein a cloud is provided, which comprises at least database or the control unit, wherein the system with the cloud is configured to be self-learning.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is outside the cooking chamber.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is located outside the cooking chamber; further comprising one or more communication interfaces, so that a data communication is possible at least between a cloud computing network or the cooking device or the control unit.

18. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a light source for illumination of the cooking chamber.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein a thermal insulation is provided between the at least one camera and the cooking chamber.

20. A method of operating a system for preparation of at least one food product located in a cooking chamber, comprising: operating at least one camera for capturing at least one image of a food product located in a cooking chamber of a cooking device, and operating a device for measuring the weight of the food product located in the cooking chamber, operating an object detection device for determining from the at least one image of the food product, the following: a position in the cooking chamber of the food product, a type of the food product and a size of the food product; operating a control unit to determine cooking data based upon: the weight, and a plurality of input parameters comprising: a position in the cooking chamber of the food product, a type of the food product and a size of the food product, operating the control unit to determines a preparation provision for cooking the food product located in the cooking chamber based on the preparation provision without additional engagement by a user further to putting the food product in the cooking chamber operating and an energy unit to perform an energy supply specific to the food product located in the cooking chamber dependent upon the cooking data, the cooking data comprising a cooking duration, and a cooking temperature determined based on the preparation provision.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the cooking data is calculated based on at least one food product parameter selected from a group consisting of: size, quantity, temperature, wherein the cooking data determines a preparation provision for cooking the food product.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein a database comprises functional data, which are at least partially in correlation with the at least one food product parameter, wherein the at least one food product parameter or the cooking data is determined from the functional data.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the type of the food product is received as an input parameter, and the weight is calculated in consideration of functional data.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one food product parameter includes a size of the food product.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the energy unit comprises a plurality of energy elements, so that energy is continuously supplied to the cooking chamber, wherein energy is supplied to the cooking chamber in such a way, dependent upon at least the at least one food product parameter or the cooking data, that multiple cooking chamber zones are created, which is operated with different cooking data.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control unit is in data communication with an external unit, in order to send cooking data or the at least one image during the cooking process to the external unit, wherein the external unit is at least a mobile computer or a mobile phone or a tablet computer or a display device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features, and details of the invention result from the following description, in which multiple exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and description can each per se or in any combination be essential to the invention. The Figures show in:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a system according to the invention, in particular a cooking device,

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic representation of a system according to the invention, in particular a cooking device, with a cloud,

(4) FIG. 3 a schematic illustration for determining the input parameters and cooking data,

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a system according to the invention, in particular a cooking device in a further exemplary embodiment,

(6) FIG. 5 a schematic representation for determining cooking data,

(7) FIG. 6 another schematic representation of an alternative exemplary embodiment for determining cooking data,

(8) FIG. 7 a further exemplary embodiment for determining cooking data,

(9) FIG. 8 a further exemplary embodiment for determining cooking data,

(10) FIG. 9 a possible exemplary embodiment of an energy unit, which can be used in a system according to the invention,

(11) FIG. 10 a further exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention, in particular a cooking device,

(12) FIG. 11 an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention with a mobile object detection, which is in data communication with a cloud and the cooking device according to the invention

(13) FIG. 12 a further exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(14) FIG. 1 shows a system 1, 50 for the preparation of at least one food product 2. The system 1, 50 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a cooking chamber 3, in which the food product 2 is located. The system 1, 50 comprises an object detection 10 for the automatic determination of input parameters 100 of the food product 2. The object detection 10 is located inside the cooking chamber 3 above the food product 2 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. In addition, the system 1, 50 comprises a control unit 20, which is capable of determining cooking data 110 based upon the input parameters 100. Through an energy unit 30 present in the system 1, 50, energy can be supplied to the food product 2 dependent upon the cooking data 110.

(15) The input parameters 100 can be the following parameters of the food product 2: size 101 of the food product 2, weight 102 of the food product 2, type 103 of the food product 2, quantity 104 of the food product, temperature of the food product 2 as well as position 106 of the food product 2 in the cooking chamber 3.

(16) The listed parameters are not to be understood as a complementary list here.

(17) The cooking data 110 determines a preparation provision for cooking the food product 2, wherein the cooking data 110 can be at least one of the following parameters: cooking duration 111 and cooking temperature 112. In the present exemplary embodiment, the system 1, 50 is a cooking device 50 which is formed as an oven, wherein the cooking device 50 comprises walls 51 that define the cooking chamber 3. Alternatively, the inventive idea also includes that the cooking chamber 3 is configured to be open, i.e. no walls delimit the cooking chamber 3. According to FIG. 1, a bottom 52, side walls 53, a ceiling 54 as well as a door not visibly shown define the cooking chamber 3. The object detection 10 is arranged on the ceiling 54. It is likewise conceivable according to all exemplary embodiments that the object detection 10 is arranged in one of the walls 51 in a completely integrated manner. As an alternative to FIG. 1, the inventive idea also includes that the object detection 10 can likewise be arranged outside the cooking chamber 3, which is schematically indicated in FIG. 4.

(18) The object detection 10 can comprise, for example, at least one camera 14, by means of which at least one of the aforementioned input parameters 100 can be determined. It is conceivable, for example, that the object detection 10 is configured with one or multiple 2D cameras or 3D cameras, in order to determine the input parameters 11 in an efficient manner. In one possible embodiment of the invention, the object detection 10 detects the size of the food product 2. The system of the cooking device 50 can additionally detect the type 103 of the food product 2, the quantity 104 of the food product 2 as well as further input parameters 100, which have been mentioned here already, for example, from the data of the object detection 10. The weight 102 can likewise be determined through the object detection 10, wherein, for example via a database 120 according to FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the control unit 20 obtains corresponding functional data 130 about determined input parameters. The functional data 130 can be used to calculate the weight 102. For example, parameter 101 (volume) can be determined to be an input parameter 100. In addition, the object detection 10 can detect the input parameters 103, 104 as well as 106. In the database 120, the density of the food product 2 can be stored. Due to having learned the input parameter 103, the control unit 20 can calculate the weight 102 as an input parameter as follows: Mass=density*size (volume).

(19) As a result, the cooking data 110 can be determined, wherein the control unit 20 provides this cooking data 110 subsequently to the energy unit 30 in accordance with FIG. 7.

(20) It is shown according to FIG. 8 that cooking data 110 is integrated in the database 120 in addition to the functional data 130, so that the control unit 20 obtains or can read-out at least partially or all cooking data 110 from the database 120.

(21) FIG. 1 schematically shows another alternative for determining the input parameter “weight” 102. The system 1, 50 comprises a device 40 to measure the weight of the food product 2. Thus, the cooking device 50 is an oven with an integrated scale. For example, the device 50 may comprise integrated extension strips, which are not explicitly shown, by means of which the input parameter “weight” 102 of the food product 2 can be determined. Alternative measuring methods are naturally conceivable for the determination of the weight. In this exemplary embodiment, the object detection thus determines some of the input parameters 100, but the device 40 has the function to determine the input parameter 102.

(22) Regardless of whether the object detection 10 determines all input parameters 100 or one input parameter 102 is at least partially determined by the device 40, all input parameters 100 are handed over to the control unit 20, which determines the cooking data 111, 112 dependent upon the input parameters 100, which is schematically shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In FIG. 5, all cooking data 111, 112 can be determined via the object detection 10. In FIG. 6, it is schematically shown that the control unit 20 can determine some of the cooking data 111 from the determined input parameters 100. Another part of the cooking data 112 is, first, measured via the device 40 and subsequently provided to the control unit 20.

(23) The energy unit 30 can be integrated in a wall 51, for example. FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, that the energy unit 30 is arranged on the ceiling 54. It is likewise conceivable, but not explicitly illustrated, that the energy unit 30 is alternatively or additionally arranged on the bottom 52 and/or in at least one side wall 53. It is shown in FIG. 9, for example, that the energy unit 30 is composed of a plurality of energy elements 31, which are arranged in the type of a matrix. The energy unit 30 is of planar design. Advantageously, the planar energy unit 30 is adapted to the dimensions of a wall 53, in particular the ceiling 54, which is shown in FIG. 1, for example. Each energy element 31 is formed as an antenna, by means of which energy can be emitted into the cooking chamber 3 as a high-frequency radiation. What is of particular advantage here, is that the antennas are formed in such a way that they can be controlled individually, so that a multitude of cooking chamber zones 4, 5 are formed in the cooking chamber 3, which is shown in FIG. 10. If, for example, the object detection 10 detects that two different types of food products 2 are present in the cooking chamber 3, first, the above-described determination of the cooking data 110 occurs. Subsequently, each food product located in the cooking chamber 3 can be cooked via the energy unit 30. In this case, the energy elements 31 are controlled correspondingly to emit the high-frequency radiation in the direction of the respective food product 2. The control unit 20 ensures that the energy unit 30 obtains the corresponding cooking data.

(24) FIG. 2 shows that the system 1, 50 may comprise a cloud 60, which, for example, may comprise the database 120 and/or the control unit 20. The cooking device 50 comprises an interface 56 for the communication with the cloud 60. For example, the interface 56 can ensure that the input parameters 100 determined by the object detection 10 are sent to the cloud 60. The cloud 60 can, in accordance with FIG. 3 and/or FIGS. 5 to 8, be configured correspondingly in order to determine cooking data 110, wherein this data is subsequently sent to the cooking device 50. The energy unit 30 can be operated in accordance with the cooking data 110.

(25) FIG. 11 schematically shows that the object detection 10 is located outside the cooking chamber 3, wherein the object detection 10 is a mobile object detection device 10, which, for example, can be carried in the hand of the user. Through the mobile object detection device 10, some or all of the input parameters 100 can be determined outside the cooking chamber 3. Subsequently, the object detection device 10 can emit the input parameters 100 of the cooking device 50 via its communication interface 12, which in turn receives this data via its interface 56. After that, the control unit 20 determines corresponding cooking data 110. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the cooking data 110 is determined within the mobile object detection device 10 and subsequently transmitted to the cooking device 50. In another exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, it is also conceivable that the determined input parameters 100 are sent to a cloud 60 first, which, for example through a database 120 and/or a control unit 20, determines corresponding cooking data 110. The cooking data 110 determined in the cloud 60 can be directly transmitted to the cooking device 50 or, first, to the mobile object detection device 10, via which the cooking data 110 can then subsequently be provided to the cooking device 50.

(26) Advantageously, the object detection 10 comprises a thermal insulation 13, see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 by way of example, to protect the object detection 10 against heat, dirt, dust, etc. Just as well, in one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the system 1, 50 can comprise a light source 15 to provide sufficient light for the object detection 10 for the determination of the input parameters of the food product 2. During the cooking process, the light source 15 can be brought into either an activated or deactivated state, which is advantageously selected by the user or by the system.

(27) For example, in accordance with FIG. 1, the cooking device 50 can be configured with a display 55, which can display all input parameters 100, cooking data 110, for example. The user can also enter individual input parameters 100 via the display 55 and/or change cooking data 110 or enter them anew. The display 55 is advantageously in data communication with the control unit 20 and/or the object detection 10. FIG. 1 also shows that the cooking device 50 can also be used as a scale, wherein the weight 102 can be displayed to the user via the display 55, without that the actual cooking process is started.

(28) FIG. 12 shows another exemplary embodiment of the system 1 according to the invention, which is composed of a plurality of cooking devices 50, which are each in data communication with a cloud 60. The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 and according to FIG. 11 is depictable in FIG. 12. It is likewise conceivable for the database 120 to be listed in the cloud 60. In other words, the cloud 60 can be configured to be self-learning, e.g. the database 120, via a plurality of measured input parameters 100, can be filled with data such that cooking data 110 can be derived for the remaining cooking devices 50 much faster and simpler.

(29) According to FIG. 1, it is conceivable that an external unit 70 is provided, which is in data communication with the object detection 10 in order to obtain images and/or information during the cooking process, which the user can take from the external unit then. The external unit 70 can be a mobile computer and/or mobile phone or a display device, for example.

(30) The features described in FIG. 1 can likewise be implemented in the systems according to FIGS. 2 to 12, to which reference is not explicitly made in order to avoid repetitions.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(31) 1, 50 System 2 Food product 3 Cooking chamber 4 Cooking chamber zone 5 Cooking chamber zone 10 Object detection 12 Communication interlace 13 Thermal insulation 14 Camera 15 Light source 20 Control unit 30 Energy unit 31 Energy element 40 Device (weight measurement) 50 Oven, cooking device 51 Walls 52 Bottom 53 Side wall 54 Ceiling 55 Display 56 Interlace 60 Cloud 70 External unit 100 Input parameter 101 Size 102 Weight 103 Type 104 Quantity 105 Temperature 106 Position in the cooking chamber 110 Cooking data 111 Cooking duration 112 Cooking temperature 120 Database 130 Functional data