Heating power control device, heating power control method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803871-B2
Application number	US-201514791278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A terminal includes a storage in which control method information is stored, the control method information indicating a relationship between each of a plurality of heating methods of an ingredient and each of a plurality of corresponding control methods for reducing heating power of a cooking appliance; and a controller that, in a case where the absence of a user of the cooking appliance from a kitchen is detected for a predetermined period of time during execution of one of the plurality of heating methods, determines a first control method corresponding to the one of the plurality of heating methods based on the control method information stored in the storage and then causes the cooking appliance to execute the first control method. The first control method is a method for reducing the heating power used in the one of the plurality of heating methods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating power control device comprising:
a storage in which control method information is stored, the control method information indicating a relationship between a plurality of heating methods of at least one ingredient and a plurality of corresponding control methods of reducing heating power of a cooking appliance; and
a controller that (i) receives first information indicating absence of a user of the cooking appliance or presence of the user, (ii) determines whether or not the user is absent for a predetermined period of time during execution of one of the plurality of heating methods based on the received first information, (iii) reads the control method information from the storage, when it is determined that the user is absent for the predetermined period of time, (iv) determines a first control method corresponding to the one of the plurality of the heating methods based on the read control method information, and (v) causes the cooking appliance to execute the first control method.

2. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined period of time is a period of time required for cooking using the one of the plurality of heating methods.

3. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller receives second information indicating presence of a person;
when the second information is received within the predetermined period of time from a start of detection of the absence of the user, the controller determines whether or not the person is the user;
when it is determined that the person is not the user, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute the first control method; and
when it is determined that the person is the user, the controller does not cause the cooking appliance to execute the first control method.

4. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the first information indicating the presence of the user, is received after execution of the first control method, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute a second control method that changes the heating power to a heating power set for the one of the plurality of the heating methods.

5. The heating power control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller receives second information indicating presence of a person;
when the second information is received after execution of the first control method, the controller determines whether or not the person is the user;
when it is determined that the person is not the user, the controller causes the cooking appliance to keep executing the first control method; and
when it is determined that the person is the user, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute the second control method.

6. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller receives temperature information indicating a temperature detected in the cooking appliance;
when the first information, indicating the presence of the user, is received after execution of the first control method, the controller determines whether or not a difference between a first temperature and a second temperature is smaller than a threshold value, the first temperature being indicated by the temperature information that is received when the first information indicating the absence of the user, is received and the second temperature being indicated by the temperature information when the first information indicating the presence of the user, is received; and
when the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is not smaller than the threshold value, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute a third control method that changes the heating power to a heating power higher than a predetermined heating power set for the one of the plurality of the heating methods, and after the execution of the third control method, when the controller determines a temperature indicated by the received temperature information reaches the first temperature, causes the cooking appliance to return the heating power to the predetermined heating power.

7. The heating power control device according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller receives second information indicating presence of a person;
the controller determines whether or not the person is the user after execution of the first control method;
when it is determined that the person is not the user, the controller causes the cooking appliance to keep executing the first control method; and
when it is determined that the person is the user, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute the third control method.

8. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller receives power information indicating heating power of the cooking appliance;
when heating power indicated by the power information that is received at a start of the one of the plurality of heating methods does not match a predetermined heating power set for the one of the plurality of heating methods, the controller causes the cooking appliance to execute a fourth control method that changes the heating power to the predetermined heating power.

9. The heating power control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first control method is a method of reducing the heating power used in the one of the plurality of heating methods.

10. A heating power control method comprising:
receiving information indicating absence of a user of a cooking appliance or presence of the user;
determining whether or not the user is absent for a predetermined period of time base on the received information;
when it is determined that the user is absent for the predetermined period of time during execution of one of a plurality of heating methods of at least one ingredient, reading control method information from a storage in which the control method information is stored, the control method information indicating a relationship between the plurality of heating methods and a plurality of corresponding control methods of reducing heating power of the cooking appliance;
determining a first control method corresponding to the one of the plurality of heating methods that is being executed in the cooking appliance based on the read control method information; and
controlling the cooking appliance to execute the first control method.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute operations of:
receiving information indicating absence of a user of a cooking appliance or presence of the user;
determining whether or not the user is absent for a predetermined period of time base on the received information;
when it is determined that the user is absent for the predetermined period of time during execution of one of a plurality of heating methods of at least one ingredient, reading control method information from a storage in which the control method information is stored, the control method information indicating a relationship between the plurality of heating methods and a plurality of corresponding control methods of reducing heating power of the cooking appliance;
determining a first control method corresponding to the one of the plurality of heating methods that is being executed in the cooking appliance based on the read control method information; and
controlling the cooking appliance to execute the first control method.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Aso Mitsuhiro
• Nonaka Masao

Classifications

• H05B1/0261

  of food · CPC title

• H05B6/6441

  allowing the input of coded operation instructions, e.g. bar code reader · CPC title

• F24C7/082 Primary

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

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• H05B6/668

  Microwave heating devices connected to a telecommunication network · CPC title