JP7503761B2 - How to provide information - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information provision method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system.

A known conventional rice cooker is a fully automatic rice cooker that integrates the rice container, water injection, and rice cooking processes. A conventional rice cooker has a storage section for storing rice, a rice washing space for washing the rice, and a rice cooking section (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-220047

If you try to start cooking rice in a fully automatic rice cooker and find that there is no rice in the rice bin inside the rice cooker, you will not be able to cook the amount of rice you had expected. The same is true for fully automatic rice cookers that store water in an internal container if you find that there is no water when you start cooking.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide information at the right time so that a shortage of rice or water is not discovered when cooking begins.

A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system. The rice cooking system includes a housing, a pot housed in the housing, a heating unit for heating the pot, a container for storing at least one of water and rice, an introduction path for introducing the ingredient from the container to the pot, a control unit for controlling the heating operation by the heating unit, and a communication unit. The method includes the steps of (a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation by the control unit to estimate the remaining amount of the ingredient based on the initial amount of the ingredient and the usage history of the ingredient and/or based on the detection value of a sensor that detects the remaining amount of the ingredient, and (b) providing the ingredient maintenance information by outputting, via the communication unit, ingredient maintenance information that is maintenance information related to the ingredient and associated with the remaining amount.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide information at the appropriate time so that a shortage of rice or water is not discovered when cooking begins.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooking system according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a display of a user terminal when the user terminal is a smartphone; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a rice cooker according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the rice cooker shown in FIG. A plan view of the rice cooker of FIG. A cross-sectional view of the rice cooker taken along the line V-V in FIG. A perspective view of a rice cooker with the rice container lid open. A perspective view of a rice cooker with the door open. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker with the water container removed; Cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the rice container and the rice storage sensor FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a water level sensor. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment. A flowchart showing the flow of the maintenance information providing process S9 in FIG. 14. FIG. 13 shows an example of a display when a user specifies the amount of rice to be cooked using a user terminal. A diagram to explain the process of estimating the amount of rice cooked this time from the change in the temperature of the pot over time. A diagram showing the display of a user terminal on which information indicating the amount of rice that can be cooked is displayed. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of material maintenance information in which characters indicating the storage amount are displayed. A flow chart showing the flow of the rice storage amount detection process of FIG. A flowchart showing the flow of the rice sending amount measurement process of FIG. A flowchart showing the flow of the water supply process of FIG. A diagram for explaining a method for programming rice cooking in a rice cooking system. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of displaying storage amounts according to various brands and types registered in the favorites menu by the user as material maintenance information.

Below, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to make it easier for those skilled in the art to understand.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.
(Embodiment)

The rice cooking system according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that substantially the same components in the drawings are given the same reference numerals.

In the following, for the sake of convenience, terms indicating directions such as "upper," "lower," "front," and "rear" are used assuming a normal state of use. However, these terms are not intended to limit the state of use of the rice cooker of the present invention.

[1. Configuration]
[1-1. Overview of overall configuration and operation]
1 is a configuration diagram of a rice cooking system 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment. The rice cooking system 1000 includes a rice cooker 1, one or more user terminals 500, and a server device 1001. The rice cooker 1, each user terminal 500, and the server device 1001 are communicatively connected to each other via a communication network 1002.

The rice cooker 1 has a container for storing ingredients. "Ingredients" refers to the materials necessary for cooking rice, typically water and rice. The rice cooker 1 has a water container for storing water and a rice container for storing rice. If the rice cooker 1 is directly connected to a water pipe, the rice cooker 1 does not particularly need a container for storing water, and only needs to be equipped with a rice container. Alternatively, the rice cooker 1 does not need to be equipped with a rice container, and may only be equipped with a water container.

Rice cooker 1 houses a pot (not shown) for cooking rice inside its housing. Depending on the date and time specified by the user, or in response to an instruction for immediate cooking, rice cooker 1 measures the amount of rice and/or water to be cooked specified by the user, introduces the ingredients into the pot via an introduction passage, and heats them using a heating unit. This allows rice to be cooked fully automatically.

As shown in the figure, the rice cooker 1 has a control unit 20 and a communication unit 25. The control unit 20 and the communication unit 25 cooperate to execute the following method or process to provide the user with maintenance information. An example of the maintenance information is shown below.
- Maintenance information regarding ingredients (ingredient maintenance information): Information indicating the remaining amount and stored amount of ingredients, and notifications encouraging the rice cooker 1 to be replenished with ingredients such as rice and water.
- System maintenance information: Guidance for encouraging maintenance of containers.

The control unit 20 executes a step (a) of performing a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate the remaining amount of an ingredient, and a step (b) of providing the ingredient maintenance information by outputting ingredient maintenance information associated with the estimated remaining amount. The remaining amount estimation calculation in step (a) can be performed based on the initial amount of the ingredient and the ingredient usage history, or, if the rice cooker 1 is provided with a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of an ingredient, based on the detection value of the sensor. Step (b) is realized, for example, by the control unit 20 transmitting ingredient maintenance information to the user terminal 500 via the communication unit 25. The user can check the ingredient maintenance information, for example, on his/her own user terminal 500, and when notified that the remaining amount of rice or water is low, can replenish the missing rice or water.

The user terminal 500 may be, for example, a smartphone, a laptop PC, or a desktop PC. FIG. 2 shows an example of the display 501 of the user terminal 500 when the user terminal 500 is a smartphone. The display 501 displays, as the maintenance information 510, material maintenance information 510a indicating the "remaining amount of material" and system maintenance information 510b indicating the time for "maintenance". In addition to or instead of displaying on the display 501, the user terminal 500 may present the contents of the material maintenance information 510a, etc., by voice from the speaker 502. The user terminal 500 includes a control unit realized by an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU, a storage device which is a memory such as a RAM or ROM, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication such as a mobile communication system such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, 4G or 5G, etc. Illustration is omitted.

The control unit 20 performs the above-mentioned process before starting the rice cooking operation. If a shortage of ingredients is discovered when starting the rice cooking operation, the user will not be able to replenish the ingredients while the user is out. An example of the timing for performing the above-mentioned process is as follows.

(1) The control unit 20 determines whether the temperature of the pot detected by a temperature sensor disposed close to the pot is equal to or lower than a first reference value, for example, 30°C, and outputs material maintenance information if the temperature is equal to or lower than the first reference value. This is because the timing when the temperature of the pot drops is likely to be when the pot is put away, and the user is relatively close to the rice cooker 1 and is likely to replenish ingredients. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may determine whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a second reference value, for example, 70°C, which is higher than the first reference value, and output material maintenance information if the temperature drops to or lower than the first reference value after determining that the temperature is equal to or higher than the second reference value. For example, the second reference value is a temperature slightly lower than the temperature during warming, and the first reference value is room temperature. When the temperature changes from warming to room temperature, it is considered that the user is more likely to put away the pot. By the control unit 20 outputting material maintenance information at this timing, the user can easily and reliably replenish ingredients. The sensor may be provided at the bottom and/or top of the pot. This allows the sensor to detect the temperature of the bottom of the pot and/or the temperature of the steam on top of the pot.

(2) When the control unit 20 receives reservation information for reserving rice cooking via the communication unit 25, it outputs ingredient maintenance information in response to receiving the reservation information. This is because the reservation time included in the reservation information is usually a future time, ensuring that the user has an opportunity to replenish ingredients before the rice cooking begins.

When a cooking reservation is made, the control unit 20 may find that the remaining amount of ingredients is insufficient as a result of the remaining amount estimation calculation. In this case, the control unit 20 may notify that the ingredients are insufficient in the ingredient maintenance information 510a, and may output a notification of the maximum alternative amount of rice that can be cooked with the current remaining amount. For example, if cooking of 5 cups of rice is reserved and the remaining amount of rice is 4 cups, the control unit 20 may further notify that a maximum of 4 cups of rice can be cooked. When an approval notification for cooking 3 cups, 4 cups, etc. is received from the user via the communication unit 25, the control unit 20 instructs cooking with the alternative amount of rice after receiving the notification. This makes it possible to avoid a situation where no rice is cooked at all, and to cook up to the maximum amount of rice that can be cooked, even in a situation where the user is out and cannot replenish ingredients.

(3) When the control unit 20 knows in advance the time the user will leave the user's home (facility 1003 in FIG. 1) where the rice cooker 1 is installed, the control unit 20 outputs the material maintenance information at a time before the departure time. As a result, the control unit 20 can output material maintenance information while the user is at home, allowing the user to easily and reliably replenish materials. The time the user will leave the home is, for example, predicted from statistics of daily departure times, predicted by machine learning, or input in advance by the user. For example, the user terminal 500 may notify the control unit 20 that it has switched from a Wi-Fi environment in the facility 1003 to a mobile phone line. Upon receiving a notification from the user terminal 500, the control unit 20 determines that the user has left the home, and can use this as the above-mentioned statistics or as training data for machine learning to perform statistical analysis or machine learning for each day of the week.

The above-mentioned processing may be executed by a device other than the rice cooker 1, for example, the server device 1001 shown in FIG. 1. The server device 1001 shown in FIG. 1 has a control unit 1011 and a communication unit 1012. The control unit 1011 and the communication unit 1012 can execute the processing executed by the control unit 20 and the communication unit 25 of the rice cooker 1 in place of the control unit 20 and the communication unit 25. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rice cooking system 1000 is described as including the server device 1001. If the processing is executed only by the control unit 20 and the communication unit 25 of the rice cooker 1, it is not essential that the rice cooking system 1000 has the server device 1001.

The configuration of the rice cooker 1 will be described in detail below. After that, the processing of the control unit 20 and communication unit 25 of the rice cooker 1 will be described.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker 1 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the rice cooker 1 of Figure 3. In Figures 4 and 5, some of the components of the rice cooker 1 have been removed in order to show the internal structure of the rice cooker 1. Figure 6 is a plan view of the rice cooker 1 of Figure 3. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker 1 as viewed in the V-V direction of Figure 6.

The rice cooker 1 comprises a bottomed cylindrical pot 2, a housing 3 that houses the pot 2, an upper frame 4, a hinge section 5 arranged above the upper frame 4, and a lid 6. The pot 2 can be removed from the housing 3. The housing 3 is arranged to face the outer periphery of the pot 2 with a gap between them. The upper frame 4 is arranged to cover the space between the upper opening of the housing 3 and the upper opening of the pot 2 in a plan view. The lid 6 is attached to the hinge section 5 so that it can rotate around the hinge section 5. As a result, the lid 6 covers the upper opening of the pot 2 in an openable and closable manner. The hinge section 5 is arranged at the rear of the rice cooker 1. As a result, the front side of the lid 6 opens, allowing the user to easily access the pot 2 and serve rice.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rice cooker 1 further includes a heating unit 8 that heats the pot 2, and a control unit 20 that controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 1. The heating unit 8 is an induction heating (IH) type heating device that includes, for example, a heating coil and heats the metal pot 2 by generating eddy currents in the metal pot 2 using a high-frequency magnetic field that is generated when a high-frequency current is passed through the heating coil.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is a pressure rice cooker that cooks rice by pressurizing the inside of the pot 2. Inside the lid 6, a pressure valve 15 (not shown in Figures 3 to 7) is provided that operates to open and close a hole that connects the inside of the pot 2 to the outside space under the control of the control unit 20. The rice cooker 1 also includes a boiling detection unit 16 (see Figure 7) that detects when the water in the pot 2 has boiled, and a pressure sensor 17 (see Figures 4 and 5) that detects the pressure inside the pot 2. The boiling detection unit 16 is, for example, a steam sensor.

The rice cooker 1 is an automatic-add type rice cooker that automatically transfers rice and water to the pot 2 to cook the rice. For this reason, the rice cooker 1 is provided with a rice container 100 for storing rice and a water container 300 for storing water within the housing 3. Furthermore, the rice cooker 1 is provided with a rice sending section 110 that moves the rice stored in the rice container 100 to the pot 2, and a water sending section 310 that moves the water stored in the water container 300 to the pot 2. The rice sending section 110 and the water sending section 310 will be described in detail later.

At the top of the rice container 100, a rice container opening 101 is provided for supplying or refilling rice to the rice container 100. The rice container 100 is disposed in front of the rice cooker 1, and the rice container opening 101 is disposed above the rice container 100. When in use, it is assumed that there are walls at the rear and sides of the rice cooker 1, and that there is also a top plate of the storage space of the rice cooker 1 above the rice cooker 1. Even in such a case, since the rice container opening 101 is located in the front, the user can easily put rice into the rice container opening 101 from, for example, a rice bag. In addition, since the rice container 100 is located in the front, it is possible to prevent the width of the rice cooker 1 from increasing, and it is possible to prevent deterioration in the installation of the rice cooker 1 when there are objects or walls on the side, etc.

The rice container 100 further includes a rice container lid 104 configured to open and close the rice container opening 101. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker 1 with the rice container lid 104 open. When moving from the closed position to the open position, the rice container lid 104 is configured to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction in which the lid body 6 rotates when moving from the closed position to the open position. That is, the rice container lid 104 includes a first rotation shaft 105 arranged to extend left and right in front of the rice container opening 101. As a result, the rice container lid 104 moves from the back to the front to open, and does not interfere with the lid body 6. Therefore, in order to be able to open the rice container lid 104 without interfering with the lid body 6, for example, the rice container opening 101 can be provided further forward, and the depth dimension of the rice cooker 1 is not increased.

The back surface of the lid seat 104b of the rice container lid 104 is approximately horizontal when the lid is in the closed position. The lid seat 104b is configured to rotate from the closed position by an angle θ and not rotate any further. The angle θ is, for example, greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees. In other words, the rice container lid 104 is configured to be able to rotate from the closed position in the open position until at least a part of the rice container lid 104 is positioned in a rest position forward and above the first rotation shaft 105, and to be able to rest in the rest position. When the angle θ is an obtuse angle in this way, in the open position, the lid seat 104b has a slope downward toward the rice container 100, and the rice placed on the lid seat 104b can be guided into the rice container 100. Therefore, the user can easily put rice from the rice bag into the rice container 100. In addition, it is possible to prevent rice from spilling out when supplying rice to the rice container 100.

If the rice container opening 101 of the rice container 100 is located at the top as shown in the figure, dew that adheres to the pot 2 or the bottom of the lid 6 during cooking, and water vapor generated during cooking, may enter through the rice container opening 101 of the rice container 100. If moisture enters the rice container 100, it may cause the rice in the rice container 100 to become soggy or spoil. Therefore, a waterproof wall 9 that protrudes above the rice container opening 101 is provided at the top of the upper frame 4 between the rice container opening 101 of the rice container 100 and the pot 2. The waterproof wall 9 can prevent water from entering the rice container opening 101 of the rice container 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a door 103 that can be opened and closed by a hinge is attached to the front of the rice container 100. The door 103 opens forward. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker 1 with the door 103 open. This allows the user to access the rice container 100 from the front, for example by inserting their hand inside the rice container 100. This allows the user to clean the rice container 100, for example by wiping the inside of the rice container 100. The rice container 100 may be provided with an inner lid 107 for closing the front opening of the rice container 100, so that rice does not spill out of the rice container when the door 103 is simply opened.

The rice container 100 has an inclined side surface 108 that is inclined so that the width of the rice container 100 gradually decreases downward when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, only one side surface of the rice container 100, the inclined side surface 108, is inclined, and the other side surface 109 opposite the inclined side surface 108 is not inclined. This configuration is advantageous because it allows a large space to be secured below the inclined side surface 108, and when the water container 300 is placed in this space as described below, the capacity of the water container 300 can be increased. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and both the left and right sides of the rice container may be inclined. Rice supplied to the rice container 100 slides down the inclined side surface 108 and collects downward.

At least a portion of the water container 300 is disposed below the inclined side surface 108 of the rice container 100. As shown in FIG. 7, a water container storage section 301 for storing the water container 300 is provided below the rice cooker 1. In this way, by disposing the water container 300 below the inclined side surface 108 of the rice container 100, the rice cooker 1 can be made compact.

The water container 300 is detachably stored in the water container storage section 301. A user can pull the water container 300 forward and remove it from the water container storage section 301 to refill it with water. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker 1 with the water container 300 removed, showing the overall configuration of the water container 300. The water container 300 has a lid 302 that can be opened and closed to cover the water supply port, and an outlet 303 that is connected to the water supply path 311 to the pot 2 when attached. The outlet 303 is an example of an "opening" in the present disclosure. After removing the water container 300, the user opens the lid 302 and refills the water container 300 with water from a water supply or the like through the water supply port. When in use, it is assumed that there are walls at the rear and sides of the rice cooker 1, and the configuration of pulling the water container 300 forward to remove it allows the user to easily refill the water container 300 with water.

7, the rice cooker 1 includes a Peltier unit 400 for cooling the water contained in the water container 300, located behind the water container storage section 301. The Peltier unit 400 includes, for example, a Peltier element 401, a heat sink 403, and a cooling fan 407.

[1-2. Rice Delivery Department]
[1-2-1. Metering blade and rice transfer blade]
The rice transport section 110 includes a rice transport path 111 for transporting rice from the rice container 100 to the pot 2, and a rice measuring section 120 for measuring the amount of rice and supplying the specified amount of rice to the rice transport path 111 (see Figures 4 and 5).
[1-2-2. Rice Separator
4 and 5, the rice passage 111 extends from the rice passage inlet 129 to the top of the pot 2. The rice passage section 110 further includes a rice separator 150 at the most downstream of the rice passage 111. The rice passage section 110 further includes an exhaust pipe 113 fluidly connected to the rice passage 111 via the rice separator 150, and a rice fan 112 that moves the air in the rice passage 111, thereby moving the rice from the rice passage inlet 129 to the pot 2.

The rice separating device 150 is disposed inside the lid body 6. Although the present disclosure is not limited to this, disposing the rice separating device 150 inside the lid body 6 can prevent the width of the rice cooker 1 from increasing, and can prevent deterioration in the ease of installation of the rice cooker 1 in cases where there are objects or walls to the side, for example.

The rice sending fan 112 is, for example, an intake fan that is attached to an end of the exhaust pipe 113 that is not on the pot 2 side, and that draws in air from the exhaust pipe 113, the rice separator 150, and the rice sending path 111 to move the air in the rice sending path 111. This prevents heat generated by the operation of the rice sending fan 112, etc. from entering the rice sending path 111, reducing damage caused by heat to the rice during sending. In addition, the configuration of using the intake fan to move the rice by utilizing negative pressure makes it possible to prevent rice from flowing back into the rice container 100.

[1-2-3. Rice storage sensor]
As shown in Fig. 4, the rice cooker 1 further includes a rice storage amount sensor 230 that detects the amount of rice stored in the rice container 100. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the rice container 100 and the rice storage amount sensor 230. For ease of understanding, Fig. 11 shows a cross-section at a different position from the cross-section shown in Fig. 7.

The rice storage amount sensor 230 detects whether there is rice up to a predetermined height in the rice container 100. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the rice storage amount sensor 230 is a capacitance sensor, such as an electrostatic touch sensor, attached to the outer surface of the rice container 100. The rice storage amount sensor 230 may include multiple sensors arranged in the vertical direction. In this case, each of the multiple sensors detects whether there is rice in its own horizontal direction. In this case, the amount of rice in the rice container 100 can be measured more accurately than when there is only one sensor.

The rice storage amount sensor 230 is not limited to the capacitance sensor described above, and may be, for example, a weight sensor, a mechanical switch type sensor provided inside the rice container 100, an infrared sensor that detects the position of the top surface of the rice inside the rice container 100, or the like. However, the capacitance sensor can be attached to the outer surface of the rice container 100, and the sensor will not fall off inside the rice container 100. In addition, when an infrared sensor is used, rice flour and the like can cause a deterioration in detection accuracy, but when a capacitance sensor is used, rice flour and the like do not cause a deterioration in detection accuracy. Therefore, by using a capacitance sensor, the amount of stored rice can be detected stably and accurately.

[1-3. Water supply section]
As shown in FIG. 5, the water supply unit 310 includes a water supply channel 311 for transporting water from the water container 300 to the pot 2, a water supply pump 312 for moving the water, and a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the water container 300. The water pump 312 is an example of a "water supply device" of the present disclosure. The water pump 312 is, for example, a gear pump, a tubing pump, or other pump that can control the direction of water supply. In addition, the use of the water pump 312 increases the freedom in designing the water supply passage 311.

Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the water level sensor 313. In this embodiment, the water level sensor 313 is attached above the water supply channel inlet 315 via a packing 314. The water level sensor 313 is, for example, a pressure sensor that measures the pressure inside the water supply channel 311. Such a water level sensor 313 detects, for example, a pressure corresponding to the difference between the water level inside the water supply channel 311 and the water level inside the water container 300.

The water level sensor disclosed herein is not limited to the pressure sensor described above, but may be, for example, a capacitance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radio wave sensor, etc.

The operating modes of the rice cooker 1 may include a cleaning course, which causes the rice cooker 1 to perform an operation to keep the inside of the water supply channel 311 clean. In the cleaning course, the control unit 20 rotates the water supply pump 312 in the forward direction to send the water remaining in the water supply channel 311 to the pot 2. The control unit 20 can also rotate the water supply pump 312 in the reverse direction to return the water to the water container 300. Silver ions may be kneaded into the tubes that make up the water supply channel 311 to prevent the growth of bacteria on the tube surfaces. This allows the water supply channel 311, where water tends to remain, to be cleaned without disassembling the housing.

In this specification, the rice supply path 111 and the water supply path 311 are sometimes collectively referred to as the "introduction path." In other words, the introduction path introduces the ingredients, that is, rice or water, from the rice container 100 or 300 to the pot 2.

[1-4. Control section]
The rice cooker 1 is an automatic-addition type rice cooker that cooks rice by automatically moving rice and water to the pot 2 under the control of a control unit 20. Fig. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of such a rice cooker 1. The rice cooker 1 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an input unit 22, an output unit 23, and a communication interface (I/F) 25.
As described above in the section [1-1. Overview of overall configuration and operation], the control unit 20 cooperates with the communication unit 25 to execute a step (a) of calculating the remaining amount estimation and a step (b) of providing material maintenance information associated with the estimated remaining amount.

The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 1. The memory unit 21 is a recording medium that records various information including programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the rice cooker 1.

The control unit 20 can be realized in various ways. For example, a processor that cooperates with software to realize a predetermined function may be used as the control unit 20. If a processor is used as the control unit 20, the control unit 20 can execute various processes by reading a program from the storage unit 21 that stores the program and executing it. Since the processing content can be changed by changing the program stored in the storage unit 21, the degree of freedom in changing the control content can be increased. The processor includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). Furthermore, wired logic in which the program cannot be rewritten may be used as the control unit 20. Using wired logic as the control unit 20 is effective in improving the processing speed. Examples of wired logic include ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be realized by combining a processor and wired logic. If the control unit 20 is realized by combining a processor and wired logic, the degree of freedom in software design can be increased while improving the processing speed. Furthermore, the control unit 20 and a circuit having a function different from that of the control unit 20 may be configured with a single semiconductor element. Examples of circuits with other functions include A/D and D/A conversion circuits. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be composed of one semiconductor element, or may be composed of multiple semiconductor elements. When composed of multiple semiconductor elements, each control described in the claims may be realized by a different semiconductor element. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be composed of a configuration including semiconductor elements and passive components such as resistors or capacitors.

The storage unit 21 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, or other storage device alone or in combination as appropriate. The storage unit 21 may also include volatile memory such as a high-speed SRAM or DRAM that temporarily stores various information.

The communication unit 25 may be any unit that enables communication between the rice cooker 1 and an external device. The communication unit 25 can be realized in various forms. For example, the communication unit 25 may be connected to an external device by wire, or may be connected to an external device by wireless communication. The communication unit 25 that connects the device of the present disclosure to an external device by wire is effective in terms of security and stability of communication. Examples of the communication unit 25 for wired connection include a wired LAN based on the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard, or a wired connection using an optical fiber cable. Examples of the communication unit 25 for wireless connection include a wireless connection with an external device via a base station or the like, or a direct wireless connection with an external device. Examples of wireless connections with external devices via base stations include IEEE 802.11-compatible wireless LANs that communicate wirelessly with a WiFi (registered trademark) router, third-generation mobile communication systems (commonly known as 3G), fourth-generation mobile communication systems (commonly known as 4G), fifth-generation mobile communication systems (commonly known as 5G), IEEE 802.16-compatible WiMax (registered trademark), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). Using a communication unit 25 that directly wirelessly connects the device of the present disclosure to an external device is effective in improving the security of communication, and the device of the present disclosure can communicate with an external device even in places where there is no relay device such as a WiFi (registered trademark) router. Examples of communication units 25 that directly wirelessly connect the device of the present disclosure to an external device include Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, NFC (Near Field Communication) communication via a loop antenna, and infrared communication.

The input unit 22 is an input interface that receives signals from the rice cooker 1 or an external device. The input unit 22 includes, for example, the boiling detection unit 16 described above, a pressure sensor 17 that detects the pressure inside the pot 2, a rotation speed sensor 141 that detects the rotation speed of the metering blade 121, a rice storage amount sensor 230, a water level sensor 313, and temperature sensors 405 and 410. The temperature sensor 405 is provided near the bottom of the pot and detects the temperature of the bottom of the pot 2. The temperature sensor 410 is provided near the steam vent of the lid of the pot 2 and detects the temperature of the steam passing through the lid. The input unit 22 may include a button that accepts input from the user, and a user interface (UI) 40 such as a touch panel. The user operates the user interface 40 to set, for example, the amount of rice to be cooked, the cooking method, the time when the rice is cooked, etc.

The user interface 40 is used by the user to input information to the rice cooker 1. Various embodiments of the user interface 40 are possible. For example, the user interface 40 may be configured with mechanical operating members. The user interface 40 may also be configured with a transparent plate-like operating member installed above the display. Such a transparent plate-like operating member may be of the contact type or of the non-contact type. The user interface 40 may also be formed by capturing a picture of the user's actions using a camera and having the rice cooker 1 recognize the action. The user interface 40 may also be formed by having the rice cooker 1 receive sounds made by the user. An example of such a configuration is a smart speaker.

Various embodiments are possible regarding where the user interface 40 is provided. The user interface 40 may be provided in the rice cooker 1, or may be provided separately from the rice cooker 1. When the user interface 40 is provided separately from the rice cooker 1, communication between the user interface 40 and the rice cooker 1 is possible via wired or wireless communication. In this case, the user interface 40 and the rice cooker 1 may be able to communicate directly, or may be able to communicate indirectly via the Internet or an access point. In addition, when communicating wirelessly, communication may be possible using a mobile communication method, or communication may be possible in accordance with other standards. Furthermore, when communicating wirelessly, remote wireless or close-proximity wireless may be used.

The control unit 20 controls the operation of the output unit 23. The output unit 23 includes, for example, the aforementioned heating unit 8, a switching transistor for supplying power to the heating unit 8, a pressure valve 15, a display unit 31, a speaker 32, a rice supply fan 112, a water supply pump 312, a Peltier element 401, and a cooling fan 407.

[2. motion]
14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The rice cooker 1 is an automatic rice cooker, and receives a command via the user interface 40 or the communication unit 25. In response to a rice cooking instruction input from a user, the rice in the rice container 100 and the water in the water container 300 are moved to the pot 2, and the heating unit 8 is operated to cook the rice. The operation of the rice cooker 1 includes step S1 of receiving a rice cooking instruction or a rice cooking reservation as described above, a rice sending step S2, a water sending step S3, a pre-cooking step S4, a cooking step S5, a stirring step S6, and a boiling maintenance step S7. The process includes a step S7 and a steaming step S8. In parallel with steps S1 to S8, the rice cooker 1 executes a maintenance information providing process S9. The process according to the present disclosure relates to step S9.

[2-1. Maintenance information provision process]
Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the flow of the maintenance information providing process S9 of Fig. 14. The maintenance information providing process S9 is executed by the control unit 20 periodically or under conditions to be described later.

In step S10, the control unit 20 performs a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate the remaining amount of the ingredients rice and/or water. In step S11, the control unit 20 outputs ingredient maintenance information associated with the estimated remaining amount via the communication unit 25.

The remaining rice amount estimation calculation is a calculation to estimate the remaining amount of rice. "Remaining amount" means, for example, that the amount of rice in the rice container 100 is 60% of the capacity of the rice container 100, or that there are 10 gou of rice in the rice container 100. The same applies to water. Furthermore, "remaining amount of rice" includes the remaining amount of rice currently stored in the rice container 100 or in an external rice bin, etc. In this specification, the remaining amount of rice stored is sometimes referred to as the storage amount.

Below, we explain the remaining amount estimation calculation for the following two examples, and also provide examples of the material maintenance information output in step S11.

First Example: An example in which a remaining amount estimation calculation is performed based on the initial amount of ingredients put into a container in the rice cooker 1 and the usage history of the ingredients. Second Example: An example in which a remaining amount estimation calculation is performed based on the storage amount.

A first example of the remaining capacity estimation calculation will be described below.
The "initial amount" of an ingredient refers to, for example, the amount of rice put into the rice container 100, or the amount of water put into the water container 300. The put-in amount may be detected by the rice storage amount sensor 230, or the control unit 20 may obtain initial amount data indicating the initial amount input by the user via the communication unit 25.

The amount of rice put into the rice container 100 does not need to be precise. In other words, if more than the upper limit of the amount detectable by the stored rice amount sensor 230, for example 8 go, is put in, the control unit 20 may set an arbitrary upper limit, assuming that at least 8 go of rice has been stored for the time being. This is because if the amount of stored rice detected by the stored rice amount sensor 230 falls below the upper limit, the current amount of stored rice can be updated from the output of the stored rice amount sensor 230. The same applies to the amount of water put in.

The "usage history" of the ingredients includes, for example, the cumulative value of the amount of cooked rice in the rice cooker 1. When cooking rice in the rice cooker 1, the control unit 20 adds the current amount of cooked rice to the cumulative value of the amount of cooked rice so far. The "current amount of cooked rice" may be determined, for example, based on a value designated by the user for the amount of cooked rice, or may be estimated from the temperature change of the pot 2 detected during actual cooking. The "cumulative value of the amount of cooked rice so far" is stored as cumulative cooked rice amount data in the memory unit 21 of the rice cooker 1. The control unit 20 adds the current amount of cooked rice to the cumulative value of the amount of cooked rice so far to obtain the latest cumulative value, and then updates the cumulative cooked rice amount data with the latest cumulative value. The cumulative cooked rice amount data may be reset to 0, for example, when the user adds more rice.

A method for determining the amount of rice to be cooked this time will be explained.
16 shows an example of the display on the display 501 when the user specifies the amount of rice to be cooked using the user terminal 500. The control unit of the user terminal 500 executes an application program that enables the user to specify the amount of rice to be cooked and to program the rice cooker 1 to cook rice.
The amount of cooked rice can be specified, for example, by the number of rice bowls or the number of measuring cups for one rice bowl. In Fig. 16, the specified area 514 shows that it is two rice bowls. The specified area 516 shows that it is "0.4" measuring cups, which corresponds to two rice bowls. When the user increases or decreases the number of rice bowls using the specified area 514a according to the processing of the application program, the control unit of the user terminal 500 updates the numerical value of the total number of measuring cups.

The capacity of one measuring cup for one cup and one rice bowl are each referred to as a "unit quantity" in this specification. A rice bowl is a rice bowl used by a user. It is preferable that the capacity of the rice bowl is registered in advance. For example, the capacity of rice bowls for adults and children, adult men and adult women, etc. may be set in advance, or the unit quantity may be changed depending on the size of the serving. A default value prepared in advance may be set as the unit quantity. By making the unit quantity flexibly customizable, it is possible to cook only the amount of rice needed at any given time, and to prevent overcooking and leftover rice.

Figure 17 is a diagram for explaining the process of estimating the current amount of cooked rice from the change in temperature of the pot 2 over time. Figure 17 shows three reference boiling temperature rise curves 520, 522, and 524 shown by solid lines, and a boiling temperature rise curve 526 of the pot 2 during rice cooking shown by a dashed line. The three reference boiling temperature rise curves 520, 522, and 524 show the change in temperature of the pot 2 over time when cooking, for example, 2 cups, 3 cups, and 5 cups of rice, respectively. The profiles of the reference boiling temperature rise curves 520, 522, and 524 are stored in the memory unit 21, for example, when the rice cooker 1 is shipped.

The control unit 20 determines which of the three reference boiling temperature rise curves 520, 522, and 524 the boiling temperature rise curve 526 of the pot 2 is closest to. In the example of FIG. 17, the boiling temperature rise curve 526 of the pot 2 is closest to the reference boiling temperature rise curve 524. Therefore, the control unit 20 estimates that the amount of rice to be cooked this time is 5 go.

The method for determining the reference boiling temperature rise curve that is closest to the boiling temperature rise curve 526 can be, for example, to select the reference boiling temperature rise curve that has the smallest squared or absolute value of the temperature difference at the same time or a certain time interval as the closest curve.

Once the initial amounts of ingredients put into the container and the ingredient usage history have been determined in this manner, the control unit 20 subtracts the cumulative amount of cooked rice from the initial amounts to calculate an estimate of the remaining amounts of ingredients. Once the estimate of the remaining amounts has been calculated, in step S11 of FIG. 15, the control unit 20 outputs ingredient maintenance information associated with the estimated remaining amounts. FIG. 2 above shows an example of ingredient maintenance information 510a indicating the "remaining amounts of ingredients" presented by video and/or audio on the user terminal 500.

The control unit 20 may further provide the user terminal 500 with information on the number of days that rice can be cooked or the amount of rice that can be cooked, estimated from the remaining amount of rice. FIG. 18 shows the display 501 of the user terminal 500 on which information 512 indicating the amount of rice that can be cooked is displayed. In the example of FIG. 18, the amount of rice that can be cooked is shown as the number of rice bowls and/or how many cups of rice can be cooked.

The remaining amount estimation calculation according to the first example may be performed based on the detection value of the rice storage amount sensor 230 of the rice cooker 1. The remaining amount estimation calculation here is a calculation that converts the voltage value, etc. indicated by the detection value into the remaining amount. However, unlike liquid, rice may become unevenly distributed inside the rice container 100, so the detection result of the rice storage amount sensor 230 may contain errors. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, etc., the inside of the rice container 100 is wider in the +Z direction than the range where the rice storage amount sensor 230 is installed, i.e., the detection range, so there may be cases where the rice storage amount sensor 230 cannot detect it. Therefore, the detection result of the rice storage amount sensor 230 and the above-mentioned calculation may be used in combination.

Next, a second example of the remaining capacity estimation calculation will be described.
The estimated remaining amount of rice in the second example means the amount of rice currently stored by the user in a rice bin or the like outside the rice cooker 1.

The control unit 20 acquires data indicating the total amount of rice acquired by the user as initial rice amount data. For example, the control unit 20 may acquire the initial rice amount data entered by the user on the user terminal 500, or may acquire the initial rice amount data based on the output from a sensor (not shown) that detects the full amount provided in the rice container 100. Alternatively, if the user purchases rice from an online store, the control unit 20 can acquire the initial amount data from the online store if it is linked to the online store after prior authentication or the like.

The method for calculating the "usage history" of rice is the same as the first example of the remaining amount estimation calculation described above. That is, the control unit 20 adds the current amount of cooked rice to the accumulated value of the amount of cooked rice so far, and updates the accumulated value of the amount of cooked rice so far. The current amount of cooked rice can be determined based on the boiling temperature rise curve or the amount of cooked rice instructed by the user. The accumulated value of the amount of cooked rice so far can be determined by using the accumulated cooked rice amount data stored in the memory unit 21.

When the total amount of rice obtained by the user and the ingredient usage history are determined in this manner, the control unit 20 subtracts the cumulative amount of cooked rice from the total amount of rice to calculate an estimate of the current storage amount. After calculating the estimate of the storage amount, in step S11 of FIG. 15, the control unit 20 outputs ingredient maintenance information associated with the estimated remaining amount. FIG. 19 shows an example of ingredient maintenance information 510a in which the text "Remaining: 6 kg" is displayed to indicate the storage amount. The ingredient maintenance information 510a may be presented by voice from the speaker 502 of the user terminal 500.

If the estimated storage amount indicates that the storage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined storage amount threshold, the control unit 20 may present a purchase guide encouraging the purchase of rice at this time as maintenance information related to ingredients. Alternatively, the control unit 20 may estimate the number of days remaining for rice from the usage history, and present a purchase guide informing the user of the timing of purchase before the remaining number of days is reached. Furthermore, by linking the rice cooker 1 to an online calendar in which the user's schedule is registered so that the rice cooker 1 can access the online calendar, the control unit 20 may register a schedule indicating a purchase guide on the day corresponding to the next purchase timing on the online calendar. Also, as in the first example, the control unit 20 may calculate the number of days or amount of rice that can be cooked estimated from the storage amount, as in FIG. 18.

In this way, even if a user purchases more rice than the rice container 100 can hold and puts the rice into the rice container 100 in small portions more than once, the remaining amount estimation calculation in the second example can provide the user with information about the remaining amount of rice stored by the user.

Below, we will outline the processes in steps S2 to S8 in Figure 14. These processes are common to the operation of an automatic rice cooker and are not directly related to the processes of this disclosure, so we will omit a detailed explanation.

[2-2. Rice sending process]
Fig. 20 is a flow chart showing the flow of the rice sending step S2 in Fig. 14. The control unit 20 determines the amount m of rice required for cooking in response to the rice cooking instruction (step S1 in Fig. 14) (S21 The amount of rice to be cooked can be specified by the user, for example, by specifying the volume of rice (g, ml, ^cm3 , etc.), the weight of rice (g), the number of servings, etc. The user inputs the amount of rice to be cooked using the UI 40 such as a button provided on the top of the rice container lid 104 or the rice container lid 104. Alternatively, the user operates a terminal such as a smartphone to input the amount of rice to the control unit 20 of the rice cooker 1 via the communication unit 25. The amount of cooked rice may be transmitted.

Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the amount of stored rice M is greater than a predetermined amount M0 (S22).

If it is determined in step S22 that the amount of stored rice M is equal to or less than the predetermined amount MO (No in step S22), the control unit 20 determines whether the amount of stored rice M is less than the required amount of rice m determined in step S21 (S23).

If it is determined that the amount of stored rice M is equal to or greater than the required amount of rice m (No in step S23), the control unit 20 resets the amount of stored rice M (S24). Specifically, the control unit 20 updates the amount of stored rice M to M-m, and stores the update result in the memory unit 21. This allows the control unit 20 to constantly keep track of the amount of stored rice M.

In addition, when the rice storage amount sensor 230 includes multiple sensors arranged vertically, the control unit 20 may reset the rice storage amount M using the detection results of each sensor. For example, the rice storage amount sensor 230 includes k sensors arranged vertically, and each sensor detects whether the rice storage amount M in the rice container 100 is greater than a predetermined amount (M1, M2, ..., Mk). Here, M1>M2>...>Mk. When the control unit 20 determines that the rice storage amount M is equal to or less than M1, and determines that the rice storage amount M is equal to or greater than the required amount of rice m, the control unit 20 updates the rice storage amount M to M1-m. However, when it is detected that the rice storage amount M is equal to or less than M2, the control unit 20 prioritizes this result and updates the rice storage amount M to M2-m. The same applies to the detection results of other sensors that detect whether the rice storage amount M in the rice container 100 is greater than a predetermined amount (M3, M4, ..., Mk). The control unit 20 may calculate the amount of stored rice M with higher accuracy. For example, in the process of weighing rice in step S26 of FIG. 20, the control unit 20 may detect the amount of rice m1 sent when the stored rice amount sensor 230 reaches Mk. This allows the control unit 20 to calculate the amount of rice to be sent from the time when the stored rice amount sensor 230 reaches Mk as m-m1. The control unit 20 can then calculate that the amount of stored rice in the rice container 100 will be Mk-(m-m1). The control unit 20 can store the amount of stored rice M as Mk-(m-m1) and use this value the next time a cooking instruction is input.

Next, the control unit 20 starts the rice sending fan 112 (S25) and executes the rice measuring unit 120 to measure the amount of rice sent (S26). Details of step S26 will be described later. When rice sending is completed, the control unit 20 stops the rice sending fan 112 (S27).

If it is determined in step S23 that the amount of stored rice M is less than the required amount of rice m (Yes in step S23), the control unit 20 notifies the user via the output unit 23 (step S28). For example, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 31 to display that the amount of rice is insufficient, or causes the speaker 32 to output a warning sound or a message indicating that the amount of rice is insufficient. Alternatively, the control unit 20 may notify the user's terminal such as a smartphone via the communication unit 25. When the notification is made, rice cooking is not performed by the rice cooker 1. The user can know that the amount of rice is insufficient by the notification, and can instruct the rice cooker 1 to replenish rice and cook rice again. Note that, as shown in step S9 of FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 described above, in this embodiment, the remaining amount of rice estimation calculation is performed in relation to the maintenance information provision process, so the determination in step S23 and the process in step S28 may be omitted.

If it is determined in step S22 that the amount of stored rice M is greater than the predetermined amount M0 (Yes in step S22), proceed to step S25.

Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of the rice delivery amount measurement process step S26 in Figure 20. First, the control unit 20 determines the required number of rotations N of the metering blade 121 required to transport the amount of rice specified in the rice cooking instruction (S1 in Figure 14) (S261).

Next, the control unit 20 drives the drive motor 123 to rotate the metering blade 121 in the supply direction (S262). When the rotation starts, the control unit 20 acquires the rotation speed n of the metering blade 121 detected by the rotation speed sensor 141 (S263). The rotation speed n is the rotation speed of the metering blade 121 from the start of rotation. Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the rotation speed n is greater than the required rotation speed N determined in step S261 (S264). If the rotation speed n is less than or equal to the required rotation speed N determined in step S261 (No in step S264), the control unit 20 executes steps S262 and S263 again. If the rotation speed n is greater than the required rotation speed N determined in step S261 (Yes in step S264), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S265. In this way, the control unit 20 drives the drive motor 123 until the rotation speed n of the metering blade 121 reaches the required rotation speed N.

In step S265, the control unit 20 rotates the drive motor 123 in the rice discharge direction, which is opposite to the supply direction, and rotates the metering blade 121 in the rice discharge direction. As a result, after the rice transfer is completed, the metering blade 121 discharges the rice on the metering blade 121 into the rice container 100.

[2-3. Water supply process]
Fig. 22 is a flow chart showing the flow of the water supply step S3 in Fig. 14. First, the control unit 20 calculates the amount of water required for cooking rice based on the amount of rice to be cooked included in the cooking instruction from the user (step S4). w is determined (S31).

Next, the control unit 20 obtains the detection result of the water level in the water container 300 by the water level sensor 313 (S32), and determines the amount of water W0 in the water container 300 based on the detection result (S33). Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the amount of water W0 in the water container 300 is less than the required amount w determined in step S31 (S34).

If it is determined that the amount of water W0 in the water container 300 is equal to or greater than the required amount w determined in step S31 (No in S34), the control unit 20 calculates the drive time T of the water supply pump 312 required to supply the required amount of water w (S35). Next, the control unit 20 operates the water supply pump 312 for the drive time T calculated in step S35 (S36). This moves the specified amount of water from the water container 300 to the pot 2.

In addition to the above means, a means for measuring the flow rate of water flowing out of the water container 300 can be considered as a means for detecting the amount of water to be moved from the water container 300 to the pot 2. In this case, for example, a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of water is used. However, there is a problem that the measurement results of the flow sensor vary widely, and the amount of water poured into the pot 2 cannot be measured with high accuracy. In response to this, the rice cooker 1 according to the present disclosure detects the water level in the water container 300 using a water level sensor 313. By using the water level sensor 313 that detects the static water level, compared to a flow sensor that measures the dynamic water flow rate, it is possible to accurately detect the specified amount of water and pour it into the pot 2. In addition, by using a high-precision, inexpensive pressure sensor as the water level sensor 313, the manufacturing cost of the rice cooker 1 can be reduced.

Next, the control unit 20 controls the water supply unit 310 to move the water in the water supply channel 311 into the water container 300 (S37). For example, the control unit 20 drives the water supply pump 312 to move the water in the water supply channel 311 in the opposite direction to the water supply direction in step S26. This makes it possible to prevent the water remaining in the water supply channel 311 from spoiling, and to prevent the proliferation of bacteria in the water supply channel 311.

In step S34, if it is determined that the amount of water W0 in the water container 300 is less than the required amount w determined in step S31 (Yes in S34), the control unit 20 notifies the user via the output unit 23 (step S38). For example, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 31 to display that the amount of water is insufficient, or causes the speaker 32 to output a warning sound or a message indicating that the amount of water is insufficient. Alternatively, the control unit 20 may notify the user's terminal such as a smartphone via the communication unit 25. When the notification is made, rice cooking is not performed by the rice cooker 1. The user can know that the amount of water is insufficient by the notification, and can instruct the rice cooker 1 to refill the water and cook rice again. Note that, as shown in step S9 of FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 described above, in this embodiment, the remaining amount of water is estimated in relation to the maintenance information provision process, so the determination in step S23 and the process in step S28 may be omitted.

[2-4. Rice cooking operation]
When the water supplying step S3 is completed, the rice and water are set in the pot 2. After that, the rice cooking operation is performed, which includes a pre-cooking step S4, a cooking step S5, a stirring step S6, a boiling maintenance step S7, and a steaming step S8.

In the pre-cooking process S4, the rice is heated by the heating unit 8, but the temperature inside the pot 2 is kept below the gelatinization temperature (e.g. 55°C) to allow the rice to absorb water. In the cooking process S5, the pot 2 is further heated and brought to a boiling state. In the stirring process S6, the pressure inside the pot 2 is controlled to cause bumping, thereby stirring the rice. In the boiling maintenance process S7, the boiling is maintained, and in the steaming process S8, the rice is steamed after cooking.

(Modifications and Applications)
In the above explanation, an example of processing and display related to the provision of material maintenance information related to materials, which is one example of maintenance information, has been explained. As another example of maintenance information, an example of providing system maintenance information related to a guide for encouraging maintenance of a container will be explained.

The best time to provide guidance encouraging the user to maintain the container is when the user is considered to be near the rice cooker 1. As explained above when providing the material maintenance information, when the temperature of the pot 2 drops, for example, when the pot 2 has cooled down to room temperature, or when the pot 2 has changed from the temperature of the warm state to room temperature, the user is more likely to clean up the pot. Therefore, when the temperature sensor 405 provided near the bottom of the pot detects that the temperature of the bottom of the pot 2 has fallen to 30°C or lower, for example, the control unit 20 transmits system maintenance information to the user terminal 500 encouraging the user to maintain the rice cooker 1. Alternatively, similar system maintenance information may be provided to the user terminal 500 after the number of times rice is cooked or after a menu that is likely to get dirty, such as cooked rice, has been used. The user can maintain the rice cooker 1 in a good condition by viewing the system maintenance information provided to the user terminal 500 and maintaining the rice cooker 1.

Figure 23 is a diagram for explaining a method of reserving rice cooking in the rice cooking system 1000. In the rice cooking system 1000, the rice cooker 1 and one or more users from the same family can form a group on a social networking service (SNS) platform. The control unit 20 of the rice cooker 1 sends a message 530 including the reserved rice cooking completion time and the amount of cooked rice to each user in the same group. In this example, the rice cooking completion time is 7 p.m. A user posts a message 532 from the user terminal 500 informing that the user will be home at 7:30 p.m. The control unit 20 then changes the rice cooking completion time to 7:30 p.m. and sends a message 534 including the changed rice cooking completion time and the amount of cooked rice. This allows the user to eat the rice at the most delicious timing immediately after cooking, and only in the amount required at that time. This can prevent additional cooking and leftover rice.

In the above embodiment, an example of performing a remaining amount estimation calculation regarding the amount of stored rice has been described. In this example, it is assumed that the rice has not been put into the rice container 100. As an application of this example, the amount of stored rice of various types may be calculated individually. There are various brands and types of rice (e.g., brown rice, no-rinse rice). Therefore, the control unit 20 holds and updates the initial amount of each brand and type of rice received from the user, and the cumulative amount of cooked rice for each brand and type up to now. This allows the rice cooking system 1000 to present the user with purchasing guidance for each brand and type, as well as the estimated remaining amount.

Figure 24 shows an example of displaying the storage amounts for various brands and types registered by the user in the favorites menu 540a as material maintenance information 540a. Material maintenance information 540a includes storage amounts 542a, 542b, and 542c for each brand and type, and a notification 544 indicating that it is time to purchase. This allows the user to receive information such as the remaining amount and purchase time for various brands and types of rice that have not been put into the rice container 100.

Next, a modified example using the stored rice amount sensor 230 and its relationship with the amount of cooked rice will be described. Now, let us assume that the maximum capacity of the rice container 100 is 13 gou, and 8 gou is set as the threshold. "8 gou" is the value at which the stored rice amount sensor 230 can detect the remaining amount of rice. Within the range between 13 gou, which is the maximum capacity of the rice container 100, and 8 gou, which is the threshold, a remaining amount estimation calculation is performed using the rice cooking history. Then, when it becomes 8 gou or less, the remaining amount may be estimated by using the output value of the stored rice amount sensor 230 in combination. Specifically, the control unit 20 performs a remaining amount estimation calculation using the ingredient usage history to calculate the estimated remaining amount value. In addition, the control unit 20 receives the detection value of the stored rice amount, which is the remaining amount, from the stored rice amount sensor 230. The control unit 20 compares the estimated remaining amount value with the detection value of the stored rice amount and adopts the lower value as the value indicating the current remaining amount. This makes it possible to estimate the remaining amount with as small an error as possible, even if the remaining amount is estimated to be higher due to a calculation error or detection error in the calculation. However, since it is difficult to completely eliminate the existence of errors, a lower limit for rice cooking may be set so that the control unit 20 will not accept cooking instructions or reservations if the remaining amount falls below a certain level. In this case, when there are three cups of rice remaining, cooking of only one cup of rice will essentially be accepted. Therefore, when a certain threshold value, such as three cups of rice remaining, is reached, the control unit 20 may notify the user of the remaining amount as maintenance information and encourage them to replenish the rice. It is possible to set a similar limit for water as for rice.

Illustrative Embodiments
As is apparent from the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the present disclosure includes the following aspects. In the following, reference symbols are given in parentheses only to clarify the correspondence with the above-described embodiment.

The first aspect is an information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system (1000). The rice cooking system includes a housing (3), a pot (2) accommodated in the housing, a heating unit (8) for heating the pot, a container (100) for storing at least one of water and rice, an introduction path (111, 311) for introducing the ingredients from the container to the pot, a control unit (20, 1011), and a communication unit (25, 1012). The information providing method includes a step (S10) by the control unit of (a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation for estimating the remaining amount of an ingredient based on the initial amount of the ingredient and the usage history of the ingredient and/or based on the detection value of a sensor (230, 313) for detecting the remaining amount of the ingredient, and (b) providing the ingredient maintenance information by outputting ingredient maintenance information, which is maintenance information related to the ingredient and associated with the remaining amount, via the communication unit (S11).

The second aspect is an information providing method based on the first aspect. The rice cooking system further includes a terminal (500) capable of wired or wireless communication with the communication unit. In step (b), the control unit outputs ingredient maintenance information to the terminal and provides the ingredient maintenance information via the terminal.

The third aspect is an information providing method based on the second aspect. The terminal has a display device (501) and/or an audio output device (502). In step (b), the control unit provides the material maintenance information via a display on the display device and/or an audio from the audio output device.

The fourth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the first to third aspects. The rice cooking system further includes a temperature sensor (405, 410) arranged in proximity to the pot to detect the temperature of the pot. The information provision method further includes a step (c) of determining by the control unit whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a first reference value. If the temperature of the pot is equal to or lower than the first reference value, step (b) is executed.

A fifth aspect is an information providing method based on the fourth aspect. In the step (c), the control unit determines whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a second reference value that is higher than the first reference value;
Step (b) is carried out if the temperature of the pan is determined to be equal to or greater than the second reference value and then drops to or below the first reference value.

A sixth aspect is an information providing method based on the fourth or fifth aspect. The temperature of the pot is the temperature of the bottom of the pot and/or the temperature of steam at the top of the pot.

The seventh aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the first to sixth aspects. The communication unit receives reservation information for reserving rice cooking. The control unit executes step (b) in response to receiving the reservation information.

The eighth aspect is an information provision method based on the first aspect. A rice cooker (1) having at least a housing, a pot, a heating unit, and a container is installed in a facility (1003) of a user of the rice cooking system. When the time when the user will leave the facility is known in advance, the control unit outputs material maintenance information at a time before the time.

The ninth aspect is an information provision method based on the first aspect. The ingredient is rice. The rice cooking system further has a memory unit (21) that stores accumulated cooked rice amount data indicating an accumulated value of the cooked rice amount. The information provision method includes a step of (d) acquiring initial amount data indicating the initial amount of rice put into the container, (e) estimating the remaining amount of rice in the container calculated from the initial amount of rice based on the initial amount data and the accumulated cooked rice amount data stored in the memory unit after the user obtained the rice, and (f) outputting maintenance information related to the ingredient based on the remaining amount estimation result, by the control unit.

The tenth aspect is an information provision method based on the first aspect. The ingredient is rice. The rice cooking system further has a memory unit (21) that stores accumulated cooked rice amount data indicating an accumulated value of the cooked rice amount. The information provision method includes a step of (d) acquiring initial amount data indicating the total amount of rice obtained by the user via the communication unit, (e) estimating the amount of rice currently stored, calculated from the total amount of rice, based on the initial amount data and the accumulated cooked rice amount data stored in the memory unit after the user obtained the rice, and (f) outputting maintenance information related to the ingredient based on the estimated amount of storage.

The eleventh aspect is an information provision method based on the ninth or tenth aspect. The rice cooking system further includes a temperature sensor (405, 410) disposed adjacent to the pot to detect the temperature of the pot. The memory unit stores in advance boiling temperature rise curve data (520, 522, 524) that indicates the correspondence between the waveform of the temperature change over time of the pot and the amount of cooked rice. For each rice cooking operation, the control unit determines the amount of cooked rice by referring to the boiling temperature rise curve data based on the change over time of the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor, and updates the cumulative cooked rice amount data.

The twelfth aspect is an information providing method based on either the ninth or tenth aspect. The cumulative cooked rice amount data indicates a cumulative value of the cooked rice amount instructed by the user.

A thirteenth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the tenth to twelfth aspects. When a user obtains rice by purchasing rice from an online store, the control unit acquires initial quantity data from the online store in step (d).

A fourteenth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the tenth to thirteenth aspects. In step (f), if the estimated storage amount indicates that the estimated storage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined storage amount threshold, the control unit outputs a purchase guide as maintenance information related to the material.

The fifteenth aspect is an information providing method based on the thirteenth aspect. In step (f), the control unit outputs a purchase guide notifying the user of the next purchase timing as the maintenance information related to the material.

The sixteenth aspect is an information providing method based on the fifteenth aspect. The rice cooking system is linked to an online calendar in which a user's schedule is registered. The control unit registers a schedule showing purchase guidance on the day corresponding to the next purchase timing on the online calendar.

The seventeenth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the tenth to thirteenth aspects. In step (f), the control unit estimates the number of days or the amount of rice that can be cooked based on the estimated storage amount and the number of days since the user obtained the rice until the present time, and outputs the number of days or the amount of rice that can be cooked as maintenance information related to the ingredients.

The eighteenth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the first to seventeenth aspects. The communication unit receives reservation information for reserving rice cooking, the reservation information including a designated amount of cooked rice. The information provision method further includes a step of (g) executing step (a) in response to receiving the reservation information and determining whether the remaining amount is less than the designated amount of cooked rice by the control unit, and (h) outputting a notification of an alternative amount of cooked rice that can be cooked with the remaining amount if the remaining amount is less than the designated amount of cooked rice by the control unit.

The 19th aspect is an information provision method based on the 18th aspect. The information provision method further includes, after step (h), a step of (i) receiving an approval notification via the communication unit by the control unit, and (j) instructing cooking rice with the alternative amount of cooked rice after receiving the approval notification.

The twentieth aspect is an information provision method based on the first aspect. The rice cooking system further includes a temperature sensor (405, 410) disposed adjacent to the pot to detect the temperature of the pot. The information provision method includes a step of (k) determining whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a third reference value by the control unit, and (l) outputting system maintenance information, which is maintenance information related to the care of the container, if the temperature of the pot is equal to or lower than the third reference value.

The twenty-first aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the first to twentieth aspects. The information provision method further includes a step of (m) receiving a designation of the amount of rice to be cooked via the communication unit, and (n) issuing an instruction to cook rice according to the designated amount of rice, by the control unit. The designation of the amount of rice to be cooked is a designation using a unit quantity.

A twenty-second aspect is an information providing method based on any one of the first to twenty-first aspects. The unit quantity is the number of cups of a measuring cup whose capacity is predetermined, or the number of cups of a rice bowl whose capacity is registered in advance.

The 23rd aspect is an information providing method based on the 1st aspect. The sensor (230, 313) is capable of detecting the remaining amount of the ingredient when the remaining amount of the ingredient is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The information providing method performs a remaining amount estimation calculation by step (a) when the remaining amount of the ingredient is within a range between the maximum value of the container and the predetermined threshold, and estimates the remaining amount of the ingredient to be the lower of the result of the remaining amount estimation calculation by step (a) and the detection value of the sensor when the remaining amount of the ingredient is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.

The 24th aspect is an information providing method based on the 23rd aspect. When the remaining amount of an ingredient is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit for rice cooking, the information providing method provides ingredient maintenance information indicating that the ingredient has reached the lower limit in step (b).

The 25th aspect is an information providing method based on the 24th aspect. A warning threshold is further set between the predetermined threshold and a predetermined lower limit value of rice cooking. When the remaining amount of an ingredient falls below the warning threshold value, the information providing method provides ingredient maintenance information in step (b) indicating that the ingredient is close to the lower limit value.

The twenty-sixth aspect is an information provision method based on any one of the first to twenty-second aspects. There are a plurality of terminals. Each terminal has a display device (501) and is capable of executing an application program. The control unit receives updated information on materials from one of the plurality of terminals via the communication unit. In accordance with the processing of the application program, the display device of each terminal displays the maintenance information and/or the updated information output by the control unit.

This disclosure is applicable to a rice cooking system in which a rice cooker, a user terminal, and/or a server device are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Rice cooker 20, 1011 Control unit 21 Memory unit 25, 1012 Communication unit 100 Rice container 230 Rice storage amount sensor 300 Water container 500 User terminal 1000 Rice cooking system 1001 Server device 1002 Communication network 1003 User facility (home, etc.)

Claims (25)

An information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system, comprising:
The rice cooking system comprises:
A housing and
A pan housed in the housing; and
A heating unit for heating the pan;
A container for storing at least one of water and rice;
An introduction passage for introducing the material from the container into the pot;
A control unit;
A communication unit and a control unit.
(a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate a remaining amount of the ingredient based on an initial amount of the ingredient and a usage history of the ingredient and/or based on a detection value of a sensor that detects a remaining amount of the ingredient;
(b) providing the material maintenance information by outputting, via the communication unit, material maintenance information related to the material and associated with the remaining amount;
a rice cooker having at least the housing, the pot, the heating unit, and the container is installed in a facility of a user of the rice cooking system;
When the time when the user will leave the facility is known in advance, the control unit outputs the material maintenance information at a time before the time. An information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system, comprising:
The rice cooking system comprises:
A housing and
A pan housed in the housing; and
A heating unit for heating the pan;
a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the pan to detect a temperature of the pan;
A container for storing at least one of water and rice;
An introduction passage for introducing the material from the container into the pot;
A control unit;
A communication unit and a control unit.
(a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate a remaining amount of the ingredient based on an initial amount of the ingredient and a usage history of the ingredient and/or based on a detection value of a sensor that detects a remaining amount of the ingredient;
(b) providing the material maintenance information by outputting, via the communication unit, material maintenance information related to the material and associated with the remaining amount;
(c) determining whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference value;
(d) outputting system maintenance information, which is maintenance information related to the care of the container, when the temperature of the pot is equal to or lower than the predetermined reference value;
A method of providing information, including: An information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system, comprising:
The rice cooking system comprises:
A housing and
A pan housed in the housing; and
A heating unit for heating the pan;
a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the pan to detect a temperature of the pan;
A container for storing at least one of water and rice;
An introduction passage for introducing the material from the container into the pot;
A control unit;
A communication unit and a control unit.
(a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate a remaining amount of the ingredient based on an initial amount of the ingredient and a usage history of the ingredient and/or based on a detection value of a sensor that detects a remaining amount of the ingredient;
(b) providing the material maintenance information by outputting, via the communication unit, material maintenance information related to the material and associated with the remaining amount;
(c) determining whether or not the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor during a non-cooking operation is equal to or lower than a first reference value;
When the temperature of the pan is equal to or lower than the first reference value, step (b) is carried out.
How to provide information. The rice cooking system further includes a terminal capable of communicating with the communication unit via wired or wireless communication,
4. The information providing method according to claim 3, wherein the control unit outputs the material maintenance information to the terminal in the step (b) and provides the material maintenance information via the terminal. the terminal has a display device and/or an audio output device;
The information providing method according to claim 4 , wherein in the step (b), the control unit provides the material maintenance information via a display on the display device and/or a voice from the voice output device. In the step (c), the control unit determines whether the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a second reference value that is higher than the first reference value;
The information providing method according to claim 3 , wherein step (b) is executed when the temperature of the pot is determined to be equal to or higher than the second reference value and then drops to or below the first reference value. The information providing method according to claim 3 or 6, wherein the temperature of the pot is the temperature of the bottom of the pot and/or the temperature of steam at the top of the pot. The communication unit receives reservation information for reserving rice cooking,
The information providing method according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit executes the step (b) in response to receiving the reservation information. The ingredient is rice,
The rice cooking system further includes a storage unit that stores accumulated cooked rice amount data indicating an accumulated value of the cooked rice amount,
The control unit:
(d) acquiring initial amount data indicative of an initial amount of rice dispensed into the vessel;
(e) estimating the remaining amount of rice in the container, which is a storage amount, calculated from the initial amount of rice based on the initial amount data and cumulative data of the amount of cooked rice since the user obtained the rice, which is stored in the storage unit;
The information providing method according to claim 3 , further comprising: (f) outputting maintenance information related to the material based on the remaining amount estimation result. The ingredient is rice,
The rice cooking system further includes a storage unit that stores accumulated cooked rice amount data indicating an accumulated value of the cooked rice amount,
The control unit:
(d) acquiring initial amount data indicating a total amount of rice acquired by the user via the communication unit;
(e) estimating the amount of rice currently stored, calculated from the total amount of rice, based on the initial amount data and the accumulated amount of cooked rice stored in the storage unit after the user obtained the rice;
The information providing method according to claim 3 , further comprising: (f) outputting maintenance information regarding the material based on the result of the storage amount estimation. The rice cooking system further includes a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the pot to detect a temperature of the pot,
The storage unit stores in advance boiling temperature rise curve data showing a correspondence relationship between a waveform of a time change in the temperature of the pot and an amount of cooked rice,
The information providing method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control unit determines the amount of cooked rice by referring to the boiling temperature rise curve data based on the change over time of the temperature of the pot detected by the temperature sensor for each rice cooking operation, and updates the cumulative cooked rice amount data. The information providing method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the accumulated cooked rice amount data indicates an accumulated value of an amount of cooked rice instructed by the user. If the user obtains the rice by purchasing the rice from an online store,
The information providing method according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit acquires the initial amount data from the online store in the step (d). The information providing method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein in step (f), if the estimated storage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined storage amount threshold, the control unit outputs a purchase guide as maintenance information related to the material. The information providing method according to claim 13, wherein in step (f), the control unit outputs a purchase guide notifying the user of the next purchase timing as the maintenance information related to the material. The rice cooking system is linked to an online calendar in which the user's schedule is registered,
The information providing method according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit registers a schedule showing the purchase guidance on a day corresponding to the next purchase timing on the online calendar. The information provision method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein in step (f), the control unit estimates the number of days that rice can be cooked or the amount of rice that can be cooked based on the result of estimating the storage amount and the number of days since the user obtained the rice until the present time, and outputs the number of days that rice can be cooked or the amount of rice that can be cooked as maintenance information related to the ingredient. The communication unit receives reservation information for reserving rice cooking, the reservation information including a designation of an amount of rice to be cooked,
The control unit:
(g) executing the step (a) in response to receiving the reservation information and determining whether the remaining amount is less than the designated amount of cooked rice;
18. The information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising: (h) outputting, when the remaining amount is less than the specified amount of cooked rice, a notification of an alternative amount of cooked rice that can be cooked with the remaining amount. After the step (h),
(i) receiving an approval notice via the communication unit;
The information providing method according to claim 18, further comprising: (j) a step of instructing cooking of rice with the alternative amount of cooked rice after receiving the notification of approval. The control unit:
(m) receiving a designation of the amount of rice to be cooked via the communication unit;
20. The information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising: (n) a step of instructing cooking of rice according to the designated amount of cooked rice, wherein the designated amount of cooked rice is designated using a unit quantity. The unit quantity is:
The number of cups in a measuring cup with a predetermined capacity, or
The information providing method according to claim 20 , wherein the capacity is a number of rice bowls registered in advance. The rice cooking system includes a plurality of terminals capable of communicating with the communication unit via wired or wireless communication,
Each terminal has a display device and is capable of executing an application program;
The control unit receives updated information regarding the material from one terminal of the plurality of terminals via the communication unit,
22. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein a display device of each of the terminals displays the maintenance information and/or the update information output by the control unit in accordance with processing of the application program. An information providing method for providing maintenance information in a rice cooking system, comprising:
The rice cooking system comprises:
A housing and
A pan housed in the housing; and
A heating unit for heating the pan;
A container for storing at least one of water and rice;
An introduction passage for introducing the material from the container into the pot;
A control unit;
A communication unit and a control unit.
(a) performing a remaining amount estimation calculation to estimate a remaining amount of the ingredient based on an initial amount of the ingredient and a usage history of the ingredient and/or based on a detection value of a sensor that detects a remaining amount of the ingredient;
(b) providing the material maintenance information by outputting, via the communication unit, material maintenance information related to the material and associated with the remaining amount;
The sensor is capable of detecting a remaining amount of the ingredient when the remaining amount of the ingredient is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold;
If the remaining amount of the material is within a range between the maximum value of the container and the predetermined threshold value, a remaining amount estimation calculation is performed according to step (a);
An information providing method in which, when the remaining amount of the ingredient is below the specified threshold, the lower of the result of the remaining amount estimation calculation in step (a) and the detection value of the sensor is estimated as the remaining amount of the ingredient. The information providing method according to claim 23, further comprising providing, in step (b), ingredient maintenance information indicating that the ingredient has reached the lower limit when the remaining amount of the ingredient is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit for cooking rice. A warning threshold is further set between the predetermined threshold and the predetermined rice cooking lower limit value,
25. The information providing method according to claim 24, wherein, when the remaining amount of the material falls below the warning threshold, in step (b), material maintenance information is provided indicating that the material is close to a lower limit.

Images