Automated cooking control via enhanced cooking equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092129-B2
Application number	US-201514830581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

Techniques are described for automated control of portions of a cooking process, such as to control activation and heating for a cooking location having a piece of cooking equipment. Such automated control may include executing an automated control recipe having defined instructions used to automatically control at least some aspects (e.g., surface temperature) of the cooking equipment piece (e.g., a pan on a stove cooking surface) as part of a cooking episode to prepare one or more dishes, and may further include coordinating actions of a human user who is participating in the cooking episode by providing instructions or other information to the user. Related food preparation systems and cookware devices and components are also provided in connection with which the described automated cooking control techniques and methods may be used.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food preparation system comprising:
an implement having at least one temperature sensor integrated therein to sense temperature information indicative of a temperature of a food item during a cooking episode and having a wireless communication module to transmit the temperature information from the implement;
a control knob for adjusting a characteristic of a cooking environment in a vicinity of the implement during the cooking episode, the control knob being controllably adjustable via a drive motor contained within the control knob while also remaining manually adjustable by a user, the control knob including a base assembly fixedly secured to a cooking apparatus and further including a cover rotatably supported by the base assembly, the control knob further including a rotatable drive shaft contained within the control knob, the rotatable drive shaft being coupled to each of the drive motor, a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of the cooking apparatus, and the cover; and
a cooking control system configured to receive the temperature information from the implement and to provide cooking adjustment information for adjusting the control knob during the cooking episode based at least in part on the received temperature information, wherein the drive motor and the rotatable drive shaft enable, during operation, selective rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly in response to the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

2. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob includes a display unit for communicating information to a user to facilitate manual adjustment of the control knob during the cooking episode.

3. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further comprises a position sensor communicatively coupled to the cooking control system to communicate data indicative of a position of the control knob upon manual adjustment thereof.

4. The food preparation system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera positioned to observe and communicate information to the cooking control system, and wherein the cooking adjustment information is based at least in part on said information.

5. The food preparation system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supplemental sensor integrated into the implement to sense supplemental non-temperature information associated with the food item and communicate said supplemental non-temperature information to the cooking control system.

6. The food preparation system of claim 5 wherein the supplemental sensor comprises one of the following:
a moisture sensor to sense moisture characteristics of the food item; a color sensor to sense a color of the food item; and a chemical sensor to sense acidity, alkalinity and/or other properties related to flavor of the food item.

7. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further comprise a printed circuit board assembly and a power source concealed therein to implement at least some aspects of the cooking control system.

8. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob further includes a wireless communication module concealed therein to receive the temperature information from the implement for controllably adjusting a rotational position of the control knob.

9. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the control knob includes a drive gear for rotating the rotatable drive shaft, and wherein the control knob remains manually adjustable by a user while the drive motor of the control knob is engaged with the drive gear.

10. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the implement is a piece of cooking equipment comprising:
a base defining at least a portion of a receptacle to receive the food item, the at least one temperature sensor being integrated into the base to sense the temperature information indicative of the temperature of the food item during the cooking episode; and
a handle for manipulating the piece of cooking equipment in the cooking environment, the wireless communication module being located in the handle.

11. The food preparation system of claim 10 ,
wherein the base of the piece of cooking equipment includes a base passage that extends between a first location underlying a cooking surface thereof and a second location at or near a periphery of the receptacle,
wherein the handle includes a handle passage in communication with the base passage of the base,
wherein the at least one temperature sensor is a thermocouple having a lead end positioned at the first location and an intermediate portion that extends through the base passage and the handle passage to a cold junction located near the wireless communication module, and
wherein the thermocouple is communicatively coupled to the wireless communication module to enable temperature information sensed by the thermocouple to be transmitted from the piece of cooking equipment by the wireless communication module.

12. The food preparation system of claim 1 wherein the implement is a temperature probe including a handle and an elongated probe member extending from the handle, and wherein a wireless communication module is sealed within the handle along with a power source.

13. A control knob operable with a cooking control system to prepare a food item during a cooking episode, the control knob comprising:
a base assembly fixedly secured to a cooking apparatus;
a cover rotatably supported by the base assembly;
a rotatable drive shaft contained within the control knob and coupled to the cover, the drive shaft being configured to interface with a shaft of a heat source adjustment assembly of the cooking apparatus; and
a drive motor contained within the control knob and operatively coupled to the drive shaft to enable, during operation, selective rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system in response to temperature information received by the cooking control system.

14. The control knob of claim 13 wherein the drive shaft is rotatable relative to the base assembly via the drive motor to enable controlled rotation of the shaft of the heat source adjustment assembly.

15. The control knob of claim 13 , further comprising:
a display unit configured to display the cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

16. The control knob of claim 13 , further comprising:
an audio input device configured to receive audio signals for adjusting the control knob in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

17. The control knob of claim 13 , further comprising:
an audio output device configured to output an audible signal containing cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode.

18. The control knob of claim 13 wherein the drive shaft is manually adjustable about a rotation axis by a user in response to cooking adjustment information provided by the cooking control system during the cooking episode by manipulating the cover relative to the base assembly.

19. The control knob of claim 13 , further comprising: a position sensor concealed within control knob for sensing and tracking a rotational position of the cover upon manual adjustment of the control knob by a user.

20. The control knob of claim 13 , further compri

Assignees

• Meyer Intellectual Properties Ltd

Inventors

• Jenkins Jonathan A
• Vengroff Darren Erik
• Goyer Matthew

Classifications

• H05B3/0014

  Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances · CPC title

• H05B6/1209

  induction cooking plates or the like and devices to be used in combination with them · CPC title

• F24C3/12

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F24C7/082

  on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination · CPC title

• F24C3/126 Primary

  on ranges · CPC title