System and method for food preparation utilizing a multi-layer model

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041629-B2
Application number	US-201616307106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A cooking system is disclosed. The cooking system comprises a controller in communication with a heating apparatus and a user interface. The controller is configured to access a cooking model for a selected food. The cooking model comprises a first layer indicating a first heat absorption relationship and a second layer indicating a second heat absorption relationship. The controller is further configured to receive a first cooking parameter from the user interface for the first layer and a second cooking parameter from the user interface for the second layer. The controller may further calculate a heat exchange model based on the first heat absorption relationship and the second heat absorption relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking system configured to heat a food load comprising:
a heating cavity comprising a heating apparatus;
a user interface configured to receive a user input defining the selected food; and
a controller in communication with the heating apparatus and the user interface, the controller configured to:
access a cooking model for the selected food, wherein the cooking model comprises a first layer indicating a first heat absorption relationship and a second layer indicating a second heat absorption relationship;
receive a first cooking parameter from the user interface for the first layer;
receive a second cooking parameter from the user interface for the second layer;
calculate a heat exchange model based on the first heat absorption relationship and the second heat absorption relationship; and
control the heating apparatus based on the heat exchange model thereby heating the food load such that the first layer conforms to the first cooking parameter and the second layer conforms to the second cooking parameter.

2. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the model corresponds to a segmented model simulating the first layer and the second layer of the food load as segmented layers.

3. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat absorption relationship corresponds to an interaction between the first layer and the heating apparatus through the heating cavity and a conductive interaction between the second layer and the first layer.

4. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the second heat absorption relationship corresponds to an interaction between the second layer and the heating apparatus through the heating cavity and a conductive interaction between the first layer and the second layer.

5. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooking model for the selected food further comprises a third layer indicating a third heat absorption relationship.

6. The cooking system according to claim 5 , wherein the second heat absorption relationship further corresponds to an interaction between the second layer and the third layer.

7. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus comprises a plurality of heat sources.

8. The cooking system according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control each of the heat sources to vary the heat transfer to the first layer and the second layer.

9. The cooking system according to claim 7 , wherein a first heat source of the plurality of heat sources is configured to generate a high intensity heat configured to brown the first layer.

10. The cooking system according to claim 9 , wherein a second heat source of the plurality of heat sources is configured to generate a low intensity heat configured to heat the second layer.

11. A method for heating each of a plurality of layers of a food load to a desired cooking parameter comprising:
receiving an indication of a selected food type;
accessing a model for the selected food type, wherein the model comprises a first layer indicating a first heat absorption relationship and a second layer indicating a second heat absorption relationship;
receiving a first input indicating a first cooking parameter of the first layer;
receiving a second input indicating a second cooking parameter of the second layer;
calculating a heat exchange model based on the first heat absorption relationship and the second heat absorption relationship; and
heating the food load by activating a plurality of heat sources, wherein the heat sources are selectively activated to supply heat according to the heat exchange model thereby heating the food load such that the first layer conforms to the first cooking parameter and the second layer conforms to the second cooking parameter.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first cooking parameter corresponds to a browning level.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second cooking parameter corresponds to a temperature level.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a third input indicating a third cooking parameter of a third layer of the model.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the heat exchange model is further calculated based on a third absorption relationship between the second layer and the third layer.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the heating the food load by activating the plurality of heat sources comprises selectively activating a first heat source corresponding to an electrically resistive heating element and a second heat source corresponding to a microwave heat source.

17. A cooking system configured to heat each of a plurality of layers of a food load to a desired cooking parameter comprising:
a heating cavity comprising a plurality of heat sources;
a user interface configured to receive a user input; and
a controller in communication with the heating apparatus and the user interface, the controller configured to:
receive an indication of a selected food type from the user interface;
access a model for the selected food type, wherein the model comprises:
a first layer indicating a first heat absorption relationship,
a second layer indicating a second heat absorption relationship, and
a third layer indicating a third heat absorption relationship;

receive at least one cooking parameter for each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer;
calculate a heat exchange model based on the cooking parameters; and
selectively activate each of the plurality of heat sources to prepare the food load such that each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer conform to the at least one cooking parameter received.

18. The cooking system according to claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a duty cycle of each of the heat sources to control the heat transfer into each of the plurality of layers.

19. The cooking system according to claim 17 , wherein the at least cooking parameter of the first layer corresponds to a browning level.

20. The cooking system according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one cooking parameter of the third layer corresponds to a moisture level.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Morandotti Alberto
• Guatta Davide

Classifications

• F24C15/166

  with integrated heating means · CPC title

• F24C1/14

  Radiation heating stoves and ranges, with additional provision for convection heating · CPC title

• F24C1/00

  Stoves or ranges in which the fuel or energy supply is not restricted to solid fuel or to a type covered by a single one of the following groups F24C3/00 - F24C9/00; Stoves or ranges in which the type of fuel or energy supply is not specified · CPC title

• F24C7/087

  of electric circuits regulating heat · CPC title

• F24C7/085 Primary

  on baking ovens · CPC title