Machine vision cook timer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022151431-A1
Application number	US-202016951055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, a door configured to open and close the cooking chamber, a heating element configured to provide heat to the cooking chamber, a camera directed at the cooking chamber, and a controller operably connected to the camera. The controller is configured to initiate a cooking operation including determining that the door is in a closed position, capturing a first image of the cooking chamber using the camera, determining an occupied state of the cooking chamber based on the first image, and initiating a timer sequence upon determining the occupied state of the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a cooking chamber; a door configured to open and close the cooking chamber; a heating element configured to provide heat to the cooking chamber; a camera directed at the cooking chamber; and a controller operably connected to the camera, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a cooking operation, the cooking operation comprising
determining that the door is in a closed position,
capturing a first image of the cooking chamber using the camera,
determining an occupied state of the cooking chamber based on the first image, and
initiating a timer sequence upon determining the occupied state of the cavity.

2 . The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining movement of the door from an open position to the closed position; capturing a second image of the cooking chamber using the camera based on determining movement of the door from the open position to the closed position; determining an unoccupied state of the cooking chamber following determining the occupied state; and stopping the timer sequence upon determining the unoccupied state of the cooking chamber.

3 . The cooking appliance of claim 2 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining movement of the door from the open position to the closed position; capturing a third image of the cooking chamber using the camera after the door is in the closed position; determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber following determining the unoccupied state; and reinitiating the timer sequence in response to determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber.

4 . The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber comprises analyzing the first image using a neural network.

5 . The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining absence of a user-selected cook time for the timer sequence following initiating the timer sequence; and wherein the timer sequence comprises a count-up sequence in response to determining absence of a user-selected cook time.

6 . The cooking appliance of claim 5 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
receiving a selected cook time following determining absence of the user-selected cook time; and reducing, automatically, the selected cook time based on the count-up sequence.

7 . The cooking appliance of claim 6 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises starting the reduced selected cook time in the timer sequence in response to receiving the selected cook time.

8 . The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an oven light provided within the cooking chamber, wherein the cooking operation further comprises illuminating the oven light in response to determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber.

9 . The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining that the heating element has been activated; capturing a second image of the cooking chamber using the camera in response to determining that the heating element has been activated; determining an unoccupied state of the cooking chamber based on the second image; and emitting an alert in response to expiration of a first predetermined amount of time following determining of the unoccupied state of the cooking chamber.

10 . The cooking appliance of claim 9 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises deactivating the heating element after a second predetermined amount of time following emitting the alert.

11 . A method for operating a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber and a camera within the cooking chamber, the method comprising:
determining that a door of the cooking chamber is in a closed position; capturing a first image of the cooking chamber using the camera; analyzing the first image; determining an occupied state of the cooking chamber based on the first image; and initiating a timer sequence upon determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining movement of the door from an open position to the closed position; capturing a second image of the cooking chamber using the camera based on determining movement of the door from the open position to the closed position; determining an unoccupied state of the cooking chamber following determining the occupied state; and stopping the timer sequence upon determining the unoccupied state of the cooking chamber.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining movement of the door from the open position to the closed position; capturing a third image of the cooking chamber using the camera based on determining movement of the door from the open position to the closed position; determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber following determining the unoccupied state; and reinitiating the timer sequence in response to determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber comprises analyzing the first image using a neural network.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining absence of a user-selected cook time for the timer sequence following initiating the timer sequence; and wherein the timer sequence comprises a count-up sequence in response to determining absence of a user-selected cook time.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a selected cook time following determining absence of the user-selected cook time; and reducing, automatically, the selected cook time based on the count-up sequence.

17 . The method of claim 16 , the cooking operation further comprises starting the reduced selected cook time in the timer sequence in response to receiving the selected cook time.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cooking appliance further comprises an oven light provided within the cooking chamber, and wherein the method further comprises illuminating the oven light in response to determining the occupied state of the cooking chamber.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining that a heating element of the cooking appliance has been activated; capturing a second image of the cooking chamber using the camera in response to determining that the heating element has been activated; determining an unoccupied state of the cooking chamber; and emitting an alert in response to expiration of a first predetermined amount of time following determining the unoccupied state of the cooking chamber.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising deactivating the heating element after a second predetermined amount of time following emitting the alert.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lindsey Bobby Lee
• Chapman Jr John Gilman
• Tanquero Nelson
• Schroeder Michael Goodman
• Hendrix Matthew

Classifications

• F24C7/085

  on baking ovens · CPC title

• F24C3/128

  in baking ovens · CPC title

• A47J36/321 Primary

  the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device · CPC title

• H05B6/6447

  Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors · CPC title