Food processor with a face recognition software

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968221-B2
Application number	US-201314647479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 29, 2012
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An electrically operated food processor with a mixing bowl and a mixer in the mixing bowl, wherein the mixing bowl can be heated, is provided with a camera, in particular an electronic camera, which is potentially directed towards the user of the food processor, and with stored face recognition software, as well as a face data bank, it being possible to use face recognition to cause the food processor to carry out a routine task.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrically operated food processor with:
a mixing bowl;
a mixer in the mixing bowl;
a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;
an acoustic transducer; and
a computer comprising a computer processor, having a face recognition software and a face data bank both stored on the computer, and configured to receive images captured by the camera and an audio signal from a spoken word captured by the acoustic transducer; and
wherein at least one of a speech control software and a gesture control software is further stored on the computer;
wherein the face recognition software is programmed to use an image captured by the camera and the face data bank to perform face recognition;
wherein the computer processor is programmed to activate at least one of the speech control software and the gesture control software when a positive face recognition is achieved via the face recognition, the speech control software performing speech recognition using the audio signal and/or the gesture control software performing gesture recognition using a plurality of images captured by the camera; and
wherein the computer processor is programmed to cause the food processor to operate when a positive speech recognition is achieved via the speech recognition or when a positive gesture recognition is achieved via the gesture recognition.

2. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the computer processor is programmed to activate the food processor when the positive speech recognition is achieved via the speech control software or when the positive gesture recognition is achieved via the gesture control software.

3. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the food processor is configured so that turning on the food processor activates the computer, the camera, and the face recognition software.

4. The food processor according to claim 1 , wherein the face recognition software can be deactivated only by turning off the food processor.

5. The food processor according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a voice command captured by the acoustic transducer and processed via the speech control software.

6. The food processor according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a gesture captured by the camera in the plurality of images and processed via the gesture control software.

7. The food processor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor; and
an input device selected from the group consisting of a button and a switch;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via an input into the input device.

8. A food processing system comprising:
an electrically operated food processor with:
a mixing bowl;
a mixer in the mixing bowl;
a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;
an acoustic transducer; and
a first computer comprising a first computer processor and configured to receive images captured by the camera and to receive an audio signal from a spoken word captured by the acoustic transducer; and

a second computer comprising a second computer processor, the second computer being located externally to the electrically operated food processor, wherein a face recognition software, a face data bank, and at least one of a speech control software and a gesture control software are stored on the second computer;
wherein the first computer is configured to transmit a first image captured by the camera and the audio signal to the second computer;
wherein the second computer processor is configured to use the face recognition software, the first image, and the face data bank to perform face recognition;
wherein the second computer is configured to transmit a positive face recognition signal to the first computer when the face recognition achieves a positive face recognition;
wherein the first computer is programmed so that when a positive face recognition signal is received by the first computer, the first computer causes the acoustic transducer to capture the spoken word or causes the camera to capture a plurality of images, and the first computer transmits the audio signal or the plurality of images to the second computer;
wherein the second computer is programmed to activate the speech control software or the gesture control software when the second computer receives the audio signal or the plurality of images from the first computer, respectively, and the speech control software performs speech recognition using the audio signal or the gesture control software performs gesture recognition using the plurality of images; and
wherein when the speech recognition at the second computer achieves a positive speech recognition or when the gesture recognition at the second computer achieves a positive gesture recognition, the second computer sends an activation signal to the first computer, and the first computer processor is programmed to cause the food processor to operate when the first computer receives the activation signal.

9. The food processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the first computer processor is programmed to activate the food processor when the first computer receives the activation signal.

10. The food processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the food processor is configured so that turning on the food processor activates the first computer, the camera, and the second computer.

11. The food processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the face recognition software can be deactivated only by turning off the food processor.

12. The food processing system according to claim 8 , further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a voice command captured by the acoustic transducer and processed via the speech control software.

13. The food processing system according to claim 8 , further comprising a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via a gesture captured by the camera and processed via the gesture control software.

14. The food processing system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a display configured to display a suggestion from the food processor; and
an input device selected from the group consisting of a button and a switch;
wherein a heating and/or a running of the mixer is carried out only when speed, temperature and duration of the suggestion are accepted by the user via an input into the input device.

15. A food processing system comprising:
an electrically operated food processor with:
a mixing bowl;
a mixer in the mixing bowl;
a camera configured to be directed towards a user of the food processor;
an acoustic transducer; and
a computer comprising a computer processor and a memory input receiving dev

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Koetz Hendrik

Classifications

• A47J43/07 Primary

  Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools · CPC title

• A47J43/0761

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side · CPC title

• A47J43/0716

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01F2015/062

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00279

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic