JP7525892B2 - Cooking System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking system.

The cooking system in Patent Document 1 includes a gas stove and a smartphone that remotely controls the gas stove. The gas stove is connected to a network such as a LAN or the Internet via an access point. The smartphone is connected to such a network and communicates with the gas stove via the access point. The cooking system transmits remote control information to the gas stove via the network by operating the smartphone. As an example of the remote control information, restriction information that restricts certain functions of the heating unit (such as low heat) is given.

JP 2014-165548 A

Currently, cooking-related information is stored on various websites, and users can obtain various cooking-related information via communication networks such as the Internet. However, with this type of existing technology, cooking information (recipes, etc.) collected by workers and others is stored on a server or the like to create an information provision system, and cooking information is generally distributed unilaterally from the server or the like. With this type of technology, the burden of collecting and storing cooking-related information is large, making it difficult to efficiently collect and store cooking information.

The present invention has been made to solve at least one of the problems described above, and one of its objectives is to provide technology that can collect cooking history information in conjunction with actual cooking and that can exchange cooking-related information bidirectionally between a management device and a stove system.

The cooking system according to the present invention comprises:
A cooking system including a stove system having a stove body equipped with a gas burner and a management device, the stove system being capable of communicating with the management device via a communication network,
The stove system comprises:
an information acquisition unit that acquires cooking history information including at least one of elapsed time information regarding the elapsed time under predetermined conditions during cooking, temperature information regarding the temperature of a cooking container during cooking, and heat information regarding the heat during cooking when cooking is performed, when cooking is performed by the stove body;
a transmitting unit that transmits the cooking history information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the management device;
having
The management device includes:
A storage unit configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of the stove systems and storing the cooking history information transmitted from the transmission unit;
A distribution unit that distributes guide information including at least a part of the cooking history information stored in the storage unit when a distribution request is received from any of the stove systems;
has.

The present invention can collect cooking history information in conjunction with actual cooking, and can exchange cooking-related information bidirectionally between the management device and the stove system.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a cooking system according to a first embodiment in a simplified manner; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a simplified electrical configuration of the cooking system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a simplified application example of the cooking system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a gas stove used in the cooking system of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing gas supply paths to each gas burner in the gas stove of FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic electrical configuration of the gas stove of FIG. 5. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a registration process performed by a relay terminal in the cooking system according to the first embodiment. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a recording process in the registration process of FIG. 7 . FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a data configuration of cooking history information used in the cooking system according to the first embodiment. 1A is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the data structure of registered data (cooking history information) stored in a management device, and FIG. 1B is a specific example thereof. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a usage process performed by a relay terminal in the cooking system according to the first embodiment. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a guide screen (standby screen) using cooking history information. FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed during a guide using cooking history information.

The following description relates to an example embodiment. Note that the features [1] to [7] described below may be combined in any manner that does not contradict each other.

[1] A cooking system comprising a stove system having a stove body equipped with a gas burner and a management device, in which a plurality of the stove systems are capable of communicating with the management device via a communication network,
The stove system comprises:
an information acquisition unit that acquires cooking history information including at least one of elapsed time information regarding the elapsed time under predetermined conditions during cooking, temperature information regarding the temperature of a cooking container during cooking, and heat information regarding the heat during cooking when cooking is performed, when cooking is performed by the stove body;
a transmitting unit that transmits the cooking history information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the management device;
having
The management device includes:
A storage unit configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of the stove systems and storing the cooking history information transmitted from the transmission unit;
A distribution unit that distributes guide information including at least a part of the cooking history information stored in the storage unit when a distribution request is received from any of the stove systems;
A cooking system having

In the cooking system described in [1] above, cooking history information based on cooking actually performed on each stove system is accumulated and managed in a management device, and each stove system can use guide information based on the accumulated cooking history information as necessary.

[2] In the cooking system described in [1] above, the stove system includes the stove main unit and a relay terminal capable of communicating with the stove main unit, and at least the relay terminal is capable of communicating with the management device.

The cooking system of [2] above is equipped with a relay terminal that has the function of communicating with the management device, so that the cooking history information generated by the stove body can be sent to the management device without the stove body directly communicating with the management device. Therefore, this cooking system makes it easy to simplify the essential components of the stove body.

[3] In the cooking system described in [1] or [2] above, the stove system has an output unit that outputs a guide image or a guide voice based on the guide information acquired from the management device.

The cooking system described above in [3] not only allows the stove system to obtain guide information that reflects cooking history information based on cooking that has actually been performed, but also allows the stove system to emit images or sounds based on that guide information. Therefore, this cooking system can further increase convenience for users.

[4] The cooking system described in [3] above has the following features: The stove system includes an input unit for inputting information specifying a dish name. When information specifying the dish name is input by the input unit, the transmission unit transmits a guide request specifying the dish name to the management device. The storage unit stores dish names and registered images in association with each other. When a guide request specifying a dish name is made from any of the stove systems, the distribution unit distributes a registered image corresponding to the dish name specified in the guide request to the stove system that made the request. When the registered image is distributed from the distribution unit to the stove system, the output unit of the stove system displays the guide image including the registered image.

In the cooking system of [4] above, when a user using any of the stove systems inputs information specifying the name of a dish, that stove system can obtain a registered image associated with that dish name from the server. Then, that stove system can display a guide image including the obtained registered image. In other words, if a user inputs information specifying the name of a desired dish into any of the stove systems, the stove system can display a guide image corresponding to that dish name. This further increases convenience for users.

[5] In the cooking system of [3] or [4] above, the cooking history information includes information regarding the timing of adding ingredients or changing the heat, and the output unit provides audio guidance regarding the timing of adding ingredients or changing the heat.

The cooking system of [5] above can obtain information on the timing of adding ingredients or changing heat based on actual cooking, and can accumulate and manage cooking history information including that information in a management device. When a user uses guide information on any stove system, voice guidance can be provided on the timing of adding ingredients or changing heat based on the cooking history information. Therefore, when cooking with that stove system, the user can refer to the guided timing when cooking.

[6] The cooking system described in any one of [1] to [5] above has the following features: The stove system includes a determination unit that determines an appropriate heat state based on the guide information, and a correction unit that performs a heat correction or provides guidance on heat correction when the heat state of the cooking being performed in the stove system differs from the appropriate heat state determined by the determination unit.

In the cooking system of [6] above, the stove system that receives the guide information can identify the appropriate heat state based on the guide information, and can perform a heat correction or provide guidance on heat correction when the heat of cooking proceeding in the stove system differs from the appropriate heat state identified by the identification unit. Therefore, this cooking system makes it easy to optimize the heat in the stove system.

[7] The cooking system described in any one of [1] to [6] above has the following features: The stove system includes an input unit for inputting a dish name to be associated with the cooking history information. The transmission unit transmits the cooking history information to the management device in association with the dish name input by the input unit. The storage unit stores the cooking history information transmitted from the transmission unit together with the dish name associated with the cooking history information. When a distribution request specifying a dish name is received from any of the stove systems, the distribution unit distributes guide information including the cooking history information corresponding to the dish name specified in the distribution request from among the information stored in the storage unit.

The cooking system of [7] above can store and manage cooking history information based on cooking actually performed on the stove system in association with the dish name in the management device. Then, when a distribution request specifying a dish name is made from any stove system, guide information including the cooking history information corresponding to that dish name is distributed from the management device to the stove system that made the request, so that each stove system can reliably obtain guide information related to the requested dish from the management device.

First Embodiment
The following description relates to the first embodiment.
1. Overview of the Cooking System The cooking system 110 shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 mainly includes a stove system 100 and a management device 90. The stove system 100 includes a gas stove 1 and a relay terminal 70. In the example of Fig. 1, the cooking system 110 includes two information terminals 80, but the number of information terminals 80 is not limited, and the information terminal 80 does not have to be provided. In the example of Fig. 1, four cooking systems 110 are provided, but the number of cooking systems 110 is not limited. The stove system 100 is installed in a building, for example, as shown in Fig. 3.

2. Gas stove As shown in FIG. 4, the gas stove 1 is configured as a built-in stove capable of heating cooking utensils such as cooking pots. The gas stove 1 includes a stove body 1A. The gas stove 1 may be configured only by the stove body 1A, or may be configured by combining the stove body 1A with other devices. In the representative example described below, the gas stove 1 is configured by the stove body 1A. The gas stove 1 includes a right stove section 4A and a left stove section 4B, which are exposed from a top plate 2 (top plate) that constitutes the upper surface of the stove body 1A, and a rear stove section 4C is provided between the left and right stove sections 4A and 4B toward the rear. A grill 3 is provided near the center inside the stove body 1A below the top plate 2. The grill 3 includes a grill chamber that can be opened and closed by a grill door 3B. The right burner section 4A, the left burner section 4B, the rear burner section 4C and the grill 3 are provided with gas burners 51, 52, 53 and 54, respectively, as shown in FIG.

5, a plurality of branch supply paths 61, 62, 63, 64 are connected to the plurality of gas burners 51, 52, 53, 54, respectively, and these branch supply paths 61, 62, 63, 64 are configured to branch off from a common supply path 60. A main solenoid valve N1 that opens and closes the common supply path 60 is provided in the common supply path 60. A branch supply path 61 that branches off from the common supply path 60 and continues to the gas burner 51 is provided with a solenoid valve (safety valve) 51G that can open and close the branch supply path 61, a shutoff valve 51F that can open and close the branch supply path 61, and a fire power adjustment valve 51E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 51. A branch supply path 62 that branches off from the common supply path 60 and leads to the gas burner 52 is provided with an electromagnetic valve (safety valve) 52G that can open and close the branch supply path 62, a shutoff valve 52F that can open and close the branch supply path 62, and a fire power adjustment valve 52E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 52. A branch supply path 63 that branches off from the common supply path 60 and leads to the gas burner 53 is provided with an electromagnetic valve (safety valve) 53G that can open and close the branch supply path 63, a shutoff valve 53F that can open and close the branch supply path 63, and a fire power adjustment valve 53E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 53.

The safety valve 51G, the shutoff valve 51F, and the heat adjustment valve 51E are driven by a stepping motor M1 shown in FIG. 6. When the rotation angle of the stepping motor M1 is in a first angle range, the safety valve 51G opens, when the rotation angle of the motor M1 is in a second angle range, the shutoff valve 51F opens, and when the rotation angle of the stepping motor M1 is in a third angle range that is larger than the first angle range and the second angle range, the opening degree of the heat adjustment valve 51E is set according to the rotation angle. Specifically, the opening degree of the heat adjustment valve 51E is controlled by controlling the rotation angle of the stepping motor M1 by the operation of the motor drive circuit 48A according to an instruction from the control circuit 10, and the heat in the gas burner 51 is determined according to the opening degree of the heat adjustment valve 51E. Similarly, the rotation angle of the stepping motor M2 is controlled by the operation of the motor drive circuit 48B in response to an instruction from the control circuit 10, thereby controlling the opening degree of the fire power adjustment valve 52E, and the fire power of the gas burner 52 is determined according to the opening degree of the fire power adjustment valve 52E. Similarly, the rotation angle of the stepping motor M3 is controlled by the operation of the motor drive circuit 48C in response to an instruction from the control circuit 10, thereby controlling the opening degree of the fire power adjustment valve 53E, and the fire power of the gas burner 53 is determined according to the opening degree of the fire power adjustment valve 53E. The gas burner 54 (grill burner) of the grill 3 includes an upper burner 54A arranged on the upper side within the grill 3, and a lower burner 54B arranged below the upper burner 54A within the grill 3. A first supply path 65A that branches off from the common supply path 60 and leads gas to the upper burner 54A and a second supply path 65B that branches off from the branch supply path 64 and leads gas to the lower burner 54B are connected to the branch supply path 64. The branch supply path 64 is provided with an electromagnetic valve (safety valve) 54G and a shutoff valve 54F that can open and close the branch supply path 64, the first supply path 65A is provided with multiple electromagnetic valves 54H and 54J, and the second supply path 65B is provided with an electromagnetic valve 54K. The opening and closing of the electromagnetic valves 54H, 54J, and 54K is controlled by the control circuit 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, four rotation operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are provided to correspond to the right burner unit 4A, the left burner unit 4B, the rear burner unit 4C, and the grill 3, respectively. The rotation operation unit 6A is for igniting, extinguishing, and adjusting the flame power of the right burner unit 4A, the rotation operation unit 6B is for igniting, extinguishing, and adjusting the flame power of the left burner unit 4B, the rotation operation unit 6C is for igniting, extinguishing, and adjusting the flame power of the rear burner unit 4C, and the fourth rotation operation unit 6D is for igniting, extinguishing, and adjusting the flame power of the grill 3, all of which are configured to be operable by pressing and to be operable by rotating. Each time the user presses the rotation operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, they switch between a retracted position and an extended position. As shown in the electrical configuration of Fig. 6, switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D are provided corresponding to the rotary operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, respectively, and ignition signal input circuits 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D are provided corresponding to the switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D, respectively. The switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D all function as ignition switches, and in any of the rotary operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, when each rotary operation unit is operated from the protruding position to the retracted position (extinguishing position), the switch corresponding to each rotary operation unit is turned off, and an off signal is sent from the ignition signal input circuit corresponding to this switch to the control circuit 10. In any of the rotary operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, when the rotary operation unit is operated from the retracted position to the extended position (ignition position), the switch corresponding to the rotary operation unit is turned on, and an on signal is sent from the ignition signal input circuit corresponding to this switch to the control circuit 10.

Furthermore, displacement detection units 32A, 32B, 32C, and 32D are provided to correspond to the rotation operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, respectively, and fire signal input circuits 42A, 42B, 42C, and 42D are provided to correspond to the displacement detection units 32A, 32B, 32C, and 32D, respectively. In each of the rotation operation units 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, the displacement (rotational position) of each rotation operation unit is detected by the displacement detection unit corresponding to each rotation operation unit, and a signal corresponding to the displacement (rotational position) detected by the displacement detection unit is provided to the control circuit 10 from the fire signal input circuit corresponding to this displacement detection unit.

As shown in Fig. 5, a first supply path 65A, solenoid valves 54H and 54J, and a bypass path 66A are provided. When solenoid valve 54H is open and solenoid valve 54J is closed, gas guided by branch supply path 64 is supplied to upper burner 54A through bypass path 66A, so that upper burner 54A has a relatively small firepower, and when solenoid valves 54H and 54J are both open, gas guided by branch supply path 64 is supplied to upper burner 54A through first supply path 65A or bypass path 66A, so that upper burner 54A has a relatively large firepower. In addition, a second supply path 65B, solenoid valve 54K, and bypass path 66B are provided. When the solenoid valve 54K is closed, the gas guided by the branch supply path 64 is supplied to the lower burner 54B through the bypass path 66B, so the lower burner 54B has a relatively small heating power. When the solenoid valve 54K is open, the gas guided by the branch supply path 64 is supplied to the lower burner 54B through the second supply path 65B or the bypass path 66B, so the lower burner 54B has a relatively large heating power.

5 and 6, thermistors 51C, 52C, and 53C are provided near the gas burners 51, 52, and 53, respectively. Temperature signal input circuits 44A, 44B, and 44C are provided corresponding to thermistors 51C, 52C, and 53C, respectively. Specifically, thermistor 51C detects the temperature of the bottom of the cooking vessel placed on the right burner section 4A, and temperature signal input circuit 44A inputs a voltage signal corresponding to the temperature detected by thermistor 51C to control circuit 10. Thermistor 52C detects the temperature of the bottom of the cooking vessel placed on the left burner section 4B, and temperature signal input circuit 44B inputs a voltage signal corresponding to the temperature detected by thermistor 52C to control circuit 10. The thermistor 53C detects the temperature of the bottom of the cooking vessel placed on the rear burner section 4C, and the temperature signal input circuit 44C inputs a voltage signal corresponding to the temperature detected by the thermistor 53C to the control circuit 10. Although the thermistors 51C, 52C, and 53C are conceptually shown in Fig. 5, the thermistors 51C, 52C, and 53C may be located in any position close to the cooking vessel placed on the right burner section 4A, the left burner section 4B, and the rear burner section 4C (specifically, in a position that can contact the cooking vessel directly or indirectly via another member). The thermistor 54C is located in the grill 3 and detects the temperature at a predetermined position inside the grill 3, and the temperature signal input circuit 44D inputs a voltage signal corresponding to the temperature detected by the thermistor 54C to the control circuit 10. Although not shown in Figures 5 and 6, a thermocouple is provided adjacent to each of the gas burners 51, 52, 53, 54A, and 54B, and a temperature signal input circuit is provided corresponding to each thermocouple. Each of these temperature signal input circuits inputs a signal corresponding to the electromotive force generated in the corresponding thermocouple to the control circuit 10.

Igniters 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D are provided adjacent to the gas burners 51, 52, 53, and 54, respectively, and igniter circuits 46A, 46B, 46C, and 46D are provided corresponding to the igniters 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D, respectively. For example, an igniter 26A is provided corresponding to the gas burner 51, and the igniter circuit 46A drives the igniter 26A in response to the ignition operation of the switch 30A, and the igniter 26A discharges a spark to ignite the gas burner 51.

The control circuit 10 is configured as, for example, a microcomputer, and includes a CPU 10A, a ROM 10B, a RAM 10C, etc., as shown in FIG. 6, and further includes a timer, an I/O interface, etc. (not shown). The control circuit 10 can control the above-mentioned solenoid valves (not shown in FIG. 6), igniters 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, and a plurality of motors M1, M2, M3, M4, etc. The operation unit 12 is configured with a known input interface such as an operation button or a touch panel, and can input information according to a user's operation to the control circuit 10. In addition, a power supply circuit 48 is provided to supply power to various electrical components, including the above-mentioned electrical components. The power supply circuit 48 has a function of receiving power from batteries 49 (e.g., two dry batteries) housed in a battery box and generating a predetermined power supply voltage, and the power supply voltage generated by the power supply circuit 48 is supplied to various electrical components via a path (not shown).

The gas stove 1 is provided with a communication unit (stove-side communication unit) 11, which is a communication circuit for wireless communication with the relay terminal 70 described later. The communication unit 11 corresponds to an example of a stove-side communication unit, and is a device that can perform wireless communication with the relay terminal 70 by a communication method (second wireless communication method) according to the well-known Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication standard. The communication unit 11 is also a device that can perform wireless communication with the information terminal 80 via the relay terminal 70. The communication unit 11 may have not only a function for performing wireless communication, but also a function for performing wired communication. The memory unit 13 has a function for storing various information. The control circuit 10 has a function for writing various information to the memory unit 13 and a function for reading various information stored in the memory unit 13. The memory unit 13 stores, for example, unique information (such as identification information and passwords) of devices registered as communication partners in the gas stove 1 in the second wireless communication method (Bluetooth communication method). The gas stove 1 can use the unique information stored in the memory unit 13 to perform wireless communication using the second wireless communication method with a device identified by the unique information.

3. Relay Terminal The relay terminal 70 shown in Fig. 2 can directly access the wide area communication network 120 or indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via another device 92 by wireless communication according to a first wireless communication method described later. For example, the relay terminal 70 may directly access the wide area communication network 120 by wireless communication with a base station, or indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via a wireless router, an access point, or the like. In Figs. 1 to 3, the wide area communication network 120 configured as an Internet communication network is exemplified. In Fig. 3, another device 92 that functions as an access point is exemplified.

2, the relay terminal 70 includes a control device 71, a display unit 72, an operation unit 73, a first communication unit 74, and a second communication unit 75. The relay terminal 70 is configured as a portable information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and is capable of operating using a secondary battery (not shown) as a power source. Note that although the relay terminal 70 configured as a tablet terminal is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the information processing terminal may be any other information processing terminal other than a tablet terminal as long as it is a portable terminal having an information processing function. Also, in FIG. 2, only some parts of the gas stove 1 are illustrated, and other parts are not illustrated.

The control device 71 is configured as a known information processing device such as a microcomputer, and is equipped with a known arithmetic device such as a CPU and other peripheral circuits, and can perform various controls and calculations. The display unit 72 is, for example, a display unit that forms part of a known touch panel display device, and is configured as a known image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The operation unit 73 is, for example, configured as a known touch panel arranged to cover the front of the display unit 72, and is configured to cover the display unit 72 with a transparent configuration that allows the image on the display unit 72 to be visible from the outside. Note that the example shown here is merely an example, and the display unit 72 may be configured to display an image in a state that the user can see. The operation unit 73 may be configured to input information by user operation, and may be equipped with other input interfaces (buttons, voice input interfaces, image input interfaces, etc.) instead of or in combination with the touch panel.

The first communication unit 74 is a communication device capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method (first wireless communication method) conforming to a known wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE, 4G, or 5G other than Bluetooth (registered trademark). The first communication unit 74 can perform wireless communication with the communication unit 84 of the information terminal 80 via the management device 90. The second communication unit 75 is a communication device capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method (second wireless communication method) conforming to the known wireless communication standard of Bluetooth (registered trademark). The second communication unit (input unit) 75 can perform wireless communication with the communication unit 11 of the gas stove 1.

The control circuit 10 and the control device 71 of the gas stove 1 control the communication unit 11 and the second communication unit 75 so that the gas stove 1 performs wireless communication with the relay terminal 70 using the second wireless communication method.

The audio output unit 77 is composed of a sound generating device such as a speaker, and has the function of outputting various sounds in cooperation with the control device 71.

The memory unit 76 has a function of storing various information. The control device 71 has a function of writing various information to the memory unit 76 and a function of reading out various information stored in the memory unit 76. The memory unit 76 stores, for example, unique information (such as identification information and passwords) of devices registered in the relay terminal 70 as communication partners in the second wireless communication method (Bluetooth communication method). The relay terminal 70 can use the unique information stored in the memory unit 76 to perform wireless communication in the second wireless communication method with a device identified by the unique information.

The memory unit 76 also stores identification information (e.g., URLs (Uniform Resource Locators)) for accessing sites, information, programs, etc. managed by the management device 90 via the wide area communication network 120.

4. Management device 90
2 can directly access the wide area communication network 120 or indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via another device, for example, by wireless communication according to the first wireless communication method described above. For example, the management device 90 may be configured to directly access the wide area communication network 120 by wireless communication with a base station, or may be configured to indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via a wireless router or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the management device 90 includes a control device 91, a display unit 92, an operation unit 93, a communication unit 94, and a storage unit 96. The management device 90 may be any device having an information processing function. The management device 90 is configured as a computer including, for example, a CPU, a storage medium, a communication device, etc.

The control device 91 includes a known arithmetic device such as a CPU and other peripheral circuits, and can perform various controls and calculations. The display unit 92 is configured as a known image display device. The operation unit 83 is configured as, for example, a known input device. The communication unit 94 is a communication device that can perform wireless communication using a communication method (first wireless communication method) that complies with a known wireless communication standard such as WiFi (registered trademark), LTE, 4G, or 5G. The communication unit 94 can access the wide area communication network 120 directly or indirectly via another device.

5. Information terminal The information terminal 80 shown in FIG. 2 can directly access the wide area communication network 120 or indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via another device, for example, by wireless communication according to the first wireless communication method described above. For example, the information terminal 80 may be configured to directly access the wide area communication network 120 by wireless communication with a base station, or may be configured to indirectly access the wide area communication network 120 via a wireless router or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the information terminal 80 includes a control device 81, a display unit 82, an operation unit 83, and a communication unit 84. The information terminal 80 is configured as a portable information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and is configured to operate using a secondary battery (not shown) as a power source. Note that, although the information terminal 80 configured as a smartphone is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, it may be configured as a portable terminal having an information processing function other than a smartphone.

The control device 81 is configured as a known information processing device such as a microcomputer, and is equipped with a known arithmetic device such as a CPU and other peripheral circuits, and can perform various controls and calculations. The display unit 82 is, for example, a display unit that forms part of a known touch panel display device, and is configured as a known image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The operation unit 83 is, for example, configured as a known touch panel arranged to cover the front of the display unit 82, and is configured to cover the display unit 82 with a transparent configuration that allows the image on the display unit 82 to be visible from the outside. Note that the example shown here is merely an example, and the display unit 82 may be configured to display an image in a state that the user can see. The operation unit 83 may be configured to input information by a user's operation, and may be equipped with other input interfaces (buttons, voice input interfaces, image input interfaces, etc.) instead of or in combination with the touch panel. The communication unit 84 is a communication device capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method (first wireless communication method) that complies with a known wireless communication standard such as WiFi (registered trademark), LTE, 4G, or 5G.

6. Acquisition of cooking history In the stove system 100, the gas stove 1 and the relay terminal 70 are capable of communicating with each other. The gas stove 1 attempts to communicate with the relay terminal 70 registered in advance when a predetermined communication start condition is met. For example, when the gas stove 1 is turned on, it attempts to communicate with the relay terminal 70 whose identification information is registered in the memory unit 13 as a communication partner in the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system. The relay terminal 70 attempts to communicate with the stove main body 1A registered in advance when a predetermined communication start condition is met. For example, when the relay terminal 70 is turned on, it attempts to communicate with the gas stove 1 whose identification information is registered in the memory unit 76 as a communication partner in the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system. When pairing is established between the gas stove 1 and the relay terminal 70 in the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system, the two devices wirelessly communicate with each other. The cooking history acquisition process described below is a process that is performed when the gas stove 1 and the relay terminal 70 are in a state where they can communicate with each other.

The relay terminal 70 has a program stored in advance that performs the control shown in FIG. 7, and when a predetermined program start condition is met (for example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 73, or when other start conditions are met), the control device 71 executes the control shown in FIG. 7.

The control device 71 starts the control of FIG. 7 in response to the establishment of the above program start condition, and first determines whether or not a predetermined operation has been performed to instruct the recording of a log in step S1. The "predetermined operation to instruct the recording of a log" is an operation that is predetermined in the relay terminal 70, and may be, for example, one or more predetermined operations on a touch panel or a voice input operation. If the control device 71 determines in step S1 that the "predetermined operation to instruct the recording of a log" has been performed in the relay terminal 70, the control device 71 advances the process to step S2 and sets the relay terminal 70 to a standby state. The standby state is a state in which the control device 71 monitors whether or not a predetermined ignition operation has been performed in the gas stove 1, and is a state in which the control device 71 waits until the ignition operation is performed. After advancing the process from step S1 to step S2, the control device 71 repeats the determination in step S3 until the ignition operation is performed.

When Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing is established between the gas stove 1 and the relay terminal 70, the gas stove 1 operates to wirelessly transmit information about the gas stove 1 to the relay terminal 70 periodically or whenever a predetermined condition is met. In the following description, it is assumed that the stove unit 4A in the gas stove 1 is defined as the stove unit for recording. When an ignition operation is performed on the stove unit 4A, the control circuit 10 and the communication unit 11 of the gas stove 1 cooperate to transmit ignition information indicating that an ignition operation has been performed on the stove unit 4A (i.e., information indicating that ignition of the stove unit 4A has started) to the relay terminal 70. In addition, when the above pairing is established, the control circuit 10 and the communication unit 11 of the gas stove 1 cooperate to wirelessly transmit heat information and temperature information (temperature at the bottom of the cooking container and temperature inside the grill) of the stove unit 4A to the relay terminal 70 periodically or whenever a predetermined condition is met.

If the control device 71 receives the above-mentioned ignition information (information indicating that an ignition operation has been performed on the stove unit 4A) from the gas stove 1 during the period in which the determination in step S3 is repeated, the control device 71 advances the process to step S4.

The control device 71 performs the recording process of step S4, for example, according to a flow as shown in FIG. 8. When the control device 71 performs the recording process of FIG. 8, in step S21, it acquires temperature and heat information from the gas stove 1. In step S21, the control device 71 acquires from the gas stove 1 the heat information of the stove unit 4A and the bottom temperature of the cooking vessel placed on the stove unit 4A acquired by the gas stove 1 at the time of step S21 or at a predetermined timing immediately prior to step S21, together with information on the generation time at which the heat information and bottom temperature information were generated. The generation time is, for example, information that can identify the elapsed time from the start of cooking, and if step S21 is after the start of ignition, it is information that can identify the elapsed time from the start of ignition.

After step S21, the control device 71 determines whether or not a separate input has been made in step S22. The control device 71 determines whether or not a separate input operation (for example, an input operation to input text information, voice information, or image information) has been made within a predetermined time after acquiring information in step S21, and if there is no input operation, the process proceeds to step S24, and the temperature information and heat information acquired in the most recent step S21 are recorded in association with information on the time when these information were generated by the gas stove 1. On the other hand, if the control device 71 determines in step S22 that the separate input operation has been made, the control device 71 records the temperature information and heat information acquired in the most recent step S21 and the information input by the input operation (text information, voice information, image information, etc.) in association with information on the time when the temperature information and heat information were generated by the gas stove 1. The information input by the separate input operation may be text information or voice information indicating the timing of "inserting ingredients" or "timing of changing heat", or both. Specifically, this includes text information and audio information such as "Put chicken in the pot," "Add water and turn off the heat," and "Add curry roux." In the control of FIG. 7, the control device 71 accumulates temperature information and heating power information for each time by repeating this recording process (S4) until cooking is completed. FIG. 9 conceptually shows the temperature information and heating power information for each time that is generated and accumulated by this control.

7 is performed, the relay device 70 is provided with heat information (information specifying the heat of the stove unit 4A at each time) and temperature information (information specifying the bottom temperature of the cooking container at each time) for each time from the start of cooking to the end of cooking, and these pieces of information are recorded as shown in FIG. 9. Such information is cooking history information. As shown in FIG. 9, the cooking history information can include the ID of the user who generated the cooking history information and the name of the dish that was cooked for which the cooking history information was generated. The cooking history information may also include the classification of the dish, the main ingredients, the cooking time, and the like. Information other than the history data in the cooking history information can be input in a form associated with the history data by the user performing an input operation on the gas stove 1 or the relay terminal 70. The user's ID may be stored in advance in the gas stove 1 or the relay device 70. As a method for inputting the dish name, when the process proceeds to Yes in step S1, the relay device 70 may prompt the user to input the dish name, and the dish name input in response to this may be used. Alternatively, input of a dish name may be added as one of the conditions for proceeding to Yes in step S1. In this case, when a dish name is input in the relay device 70, the process from step S1 onwards is executed, and the cooking history information generated in the process from step S1 onwards includes the dish name.

After the recording process in step S4, the control device 71 advances the process to step S5 and determines whether cooking has finished. Cooking may end when the stove unit 4A is turned off, or when a predetermined operation indicating the end of cooking is performed on the gas stove 1 or the relay device 70. If the control device 71 determines in step S5 that cooking has not finished, it returns the process to step S4 and performs the recording process in FIG. 8 again. If the control device 71 determines in step S5 that cooking has finished, it advances the process to step S6 and performs post-processing. The post-processing is a process in which the cooking history information (see FIG. 9) generated in the processes in steps S1 to S5 is sent to the management device 90.

As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 90 is capable of communicating with multiple stove systems 100. When cooking history information as shown in FIG. 9 is transmitted from the relay terminal 70 of any of the stove systems 100, the management device 90 accumulates this cooking history information in the memory unit 96. In this way, the management device 90 can collect cooking history information generated by various users and store it in the memory unit 96.

The cooking history information as shown in FIG. 9 can also be represented by an image such as a graph as shown in FIG. 10. For example, a narrowing down condition may be set from any information terminal or stove system to the management device 90, and cooking history information that matches the condition may be requested. In this case, the management device 90 may transmit cooking history information that matches the condition to the requesting device. For example, when the management device 90 transmits cooking history information as shown in FIG. 9 to the requesting device, the requesting device can obtain cooking history information as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the requesting information terminal may display the cooking history information in a format as shown in FIG. 9, or may display the cooking history information in an image format as shown in FIG. 10.

The cooking history information stored in the management device 90 may include not only the information shown in FIG. 9, but also additional information. For example, in addition to the name of the dish shown in FIG. 9, a list of ingredients may be added, a dish classification such as Japanese, Western, or Chinese may be added, the main ingredients may be added as ingredient classifications, comments from the user may be added, recipe information that briefly explains the cooking method may be added, and videos or still images taken inside the cooking container or its surroundings for some or all of the period from the start to the end of cooking may be added.

7. Use of Cooking History Information The following description relates to the use of the cooking history information stored in the management device 90.
Each cooking history information stored in the management device 90 includes index data indicating the classification, name, main ingredient, and cooking time of the dish. The classification of the dish is Japanese food, Western food, Chinese food, noodles, etc. The name of the dish is a specific dish name such as chicken curry, mapo tofu, and spaghetti carbonara. The name of the dish may be a more specific name. The main ingredient may be one or more. In addition, each cooking history information may be added with a numerical evaluation score. The evaluation score added to each cooking history information may be automatically generated and updated by a known method in the management device 90, or may be input or updated by a manual operation. Each cooking history information is stored in the management device 90 as registered data as shown in FIG. 10(A). FIG. 10(A) conceptually shows the data configuration of each cooking history information (registered data). FIG. 10(B) shows a specific example of each cooking history information of FIG. 10(A).

The control device 71 of the relay terminal 70 executes a program as shown in FIG. 11 when a predetermined start condition is met. The start condition for executing the program of FIG. 11 may be, for example, a predetermined start operation being performed on the relay terminal 70, or may be another condition. When the start condition is met, the control device 71 executes the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11, and first displays an initial screen in step S40. The initial screen is a screen that provides guidance on downloading information and guidance on executing a guide. When the initial screen is displayed, an operation to request downloading information can be performed on the relay terminal 70 by following the guidance, and an operation to request execution of a guide can also be performed.

After step S40, the control device 71 determines whether an operation to request information download has been performed in step S41, and if it is determined that an operation to request information download has been performed, the process proceeds to step S42, and if not, the process proceeds to step S46. The operation to request information download is, for example, an operation to specify a condition and to request the management device 90 to download registered data (cooking history information) that corresponds to the specified condition. In this case, the condition may include, for example, the name of the dish, and other conditions such as classification, cooking time, and evaluation points may be specified as conditions other than the name of the dish. For example, if the name of the dish is specified as "chicken curry" as a condition, in step S42, request information is sent to the management device 90 requesting the management device 90 to download registered data (cooking history information) with the name of the dish being "chicken curry". Multiple conditions may be set. For example, if the condition specifies that the dish name is "chicken curry" and the cooking time is "50 to 70 minutes," in step S42, request information is sent to the management device 90 requesting the download of registered data (cooking history information) for which the dish name is "chicken curry" and the cooking time is "50 to 70 minutes."

In this configuration, the request information corresponds to an example of a guide request. The operation unit 73 corresponds to an example of an input unit, and has a function of inputting information that specifies the name of a dish in response to an external operation (an operation of inputting the name of a dish). The control device 71 and the first communication unit 72 correspond to an example of a transmission unit, and function to transmit a guide request specifying the name of a dish to the management device 90 when information that specifies the name of a dish is input by the input unit.

When the management device 90 receives the request information from an external device (e.g., relay terminal 70), it determines whether or not there is registered data (cooking history information) that matches the conditions set in the received request information. If matching registered data (cooking history information) exists, it transmits first response information indicating that matching registered data exists to the requesting external device (e.g., relay terminal 70). On the other hand, if matching registered data (cooking history information) does not exist, it transmits second response information indicating that matching registered data does not exist to the requesting external device (e.g., relay terminal 70).

In this configuration, the storage unit 96 of the management device 90 stores a correspondence between dish names and registered images (still images, videos, etc.). The control device 91 and communication unit 94 correspond to an example of a distribution unit, and when a guide request specifying a dish name is made from any of the stove systems 100, the registered image corresponding to the dish name specified in the guide request is distributed to the stove system that made the request.

After step S42, the control device 71 determines in step S43 whether or not there is a proper response (first response information) from the management device 90, and if there is a proper response (first response information), executes a download process in step S44. The control device 71 also performs a process of storing the registration data (cooking history information) downloaded from the management device 90 in the memory unit 76. If there is no proper response (first response information) (for example, if there is a reply of second response information), a notification that downloading is not possible is performed in step S45 (for example, a message is displayed or an audio notification is given).

If the answer is No in step S41, the control device 71 performs the process of step S46 after step S44 or after step S45. In step S46, the control device 71 determines whether or not an operation has been performed to request execution of a guide. For example, if an operation has been performed after step S44 to request a guide based on the registration data (cooking history information) downloaded in step S44 (for example, if the guide button is pressed while index data related to the registration data (cooking history information) downloaded in step S44 is displayed), the control device 71 performs a guide process based on the registration data (cooking history information) in step S47. Not limited to this example, if a guide process based on any of the cooking history information recorded in the relay terminal 70 is requested before step S46, the control device 71 performs a guide process based on the cooking history information in accordance with the request in step S47. In any case, the control device 71 performs a guide process based on the designated cooking history information in step S47.

When the control device 71 performs the guide process of step S47, it displays a standby screen using the cooking history information used in the guide process. FIG. 12 is an example of the standby screen. The image of the standby screen is a graph of the heat information and bottom temperature information included in the cooking history information selected to be used in step S47. In the guide process of step S47, when the burner unit 4A is ignited in the standby screen state, the guide is started. When the control device 71 starts the guide, it displays a time bar indicating the passage of time as shown in FIG. 13, superimposed on the standby screen of FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is an example of a screen during the guide. Although not shown in FIG. 13, the screen during the guide may display a graph of the actual heat and a graph of the actual bottom temperature in addition to the image of the standby screen as shown in FIG. 12. In addition, information such as a still image, a video, or a comment included in the cooking history information may be displayed in parallel with or in switching to the screen as shown in FIG. 13. For example, when information is registered in association with an elapsed time, the information may be displayed at the timing when the elapsed time arrives. This allows the user to determine whether the contents are correct, whether the procedure is correct, etc.

In addition, if the cooking history information includes audio data, the audio data can be played back. For example, if audio data is registered in association with an elapsed time, the audio data can be played back when the elapsed time arrives. In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 12, the cooking history information includes information regarding the timing of adding ingredients or changing the heat, and the output unit provides audio guidance regarding the timing of adding ingredients or changing the heat.

In this configuration, the control device 71 and the display unit 72 correspond to an example of an output unit, and when a registered image (such as a still image or video included in the cooking history information) is distributed from the distribution unit to the stove system 100, the output unit operates to display a guide image including the registered image under specified conditions.

In addition, the registered heat power and the actual heat power may be compared for each time period, and if the difference in heat power is greater than a certain level, adjustment control may be performed to bring the heat power closer to the registered heat power, or a display or audio guide may be provided to bring the heat power closer to the registered heat power. In this example, the control device 71 corresponds to an example of a determination unit, and operates to determine the appropriate heat power state based on the guide information. The control circuit 10 and the control device 71 correspond to an example of a correction unit, and operate to correct the heat power or provide guidance on correcting the heat power when the heat power of cooking proceeding in the stove system 100 differs from the appropriate heat power state determined by the determination unit.

8. Example of Effects The following description relates to the effects of this configuration.
In the cooking system 110, cooking history information based on cooking actually performed in each stove system 100 is accumulated and managed in the management device 90. Then, each stove system 100 can use guide information based on the accumulated cooking history information as necessary.

By equipping the relay terminal 70 with a function for communicating with the management device 90, the cooking system 110 is able to transmit cooking history information generated by the gas stove 1 to the management device 90 without the gas stove 1 directly communicating with the management device 90. Therefore, this cooking system 110 makes it easy to simplify the essential configuration of the gas stove 1.

In the cooking system 110, the stove system 100 has an output unit that outputs a guide image or a guide sound based on the guide information acquired from the management device 90. In other words, in the cooking system 110, not only can the stove system 100 acquire guide information that reflects cooking history information based on cooking that has actually been performed, but the stove system 100 can also emit an image or sound based on the guide information. Therefore, this cooking system 110 can further increase convenience for the user.

When a user using any of the stove systems 100 inputs information specifying a dish name, the stove system 100 in the cooking system 110 can obtain a registered image associated with that dish name from the server. The stove system 100 can then display a guide image including the obtained registered image. In other words, if a user inputs information specifying a desired dish name into any of the stove systems 100, the stove system 100 can display a guide image corresponding to that dish name. This further increases convenience for users.

The cooking system 110 can obtain information on the timing of adding ingredients or changing heat based on actual cooking, and can accumulate and manage cooking history information including that information in the management device 90. When a user uses guide information with any of the stove systems 100, audio guidance can be provided on the timing of adding ingredients or changing heat based on the cooking history information. Therefore, when cooking with that stove system 100, the user can refer to the guided timing when cooking.

The cooking system 110 allows the stove system 100, which has received the guide information, to identify the appropriate heat state based on the guide information, and can perform a heat correction or provide guidance for heat correction when the heat of cooking in the stove system 100 differs from the appropriate heat state identified by the identification unit. Therefore, this cooking system 110 makes it easy to optimize the heat in the stove system 100.

The cooking system 110 can store and manage cooking history information based on cooking actually performed in the stove system 100 in the management device 90 in association with the dish name. When a distribution request specifying a dish name is made from any stove system 100, guide information including the cooking history information corresponding to that dish name is distributed from the management device 90 to the stove system 100 that made the request, so that each stove system 100 can reliably obtain guide information related to the requested dish from the management device 90.

<Other embodiments>
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, the features of the above or later described embodiments can be combined in any combination within a range that does not contradict. Furthermore, any feature of the above or later described embodiments may be omitted unless it is clearly stated as essential. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiment may be modified as follows.

The stove system 100 includes the gas stove 1 and the relay terminal 70, but the function of the relay terminal may be incorporated into the gas stove 1. In this case, the stove system is made up of the gas stove 1.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is intended to include all modifications within the scope of the claims or within the scope equivalent to the claims.

1... Gas stove 1A... Stove body 10... Control device (information acquisition unit, correction unit)
51, 52, 53, 54, 54A, 54B... Gas burners 70... Relay terminal 71... Control device (information acquisition unit, transmission unit, identification unit, correction unit)
72...Display section (output section)
73...Operation unit (input unit)
74...First communication unit (transmission unit)
77...Audio output unit (output unit)
80: Information terminal 90: Management device 91: Control device (distribution unit)
92...Communication department (distribution department)
96: Memory unit 100: Stove system 110: Cooking system

Claims (8)

A cooking system comprising a stove system having a stove body including a stove part equipped with a gas burner, and a management device, wherein a plurality of the stove systems are capable of communicating with the management device via a communication network,
The stove system comprises:
an information acquisition unit that acquires cooking history information including at least one of elapsed time information regarding the elapsed time under predetermined conditions during cooking, temperature information regarding the temperature of a cooking container during cooking, and heat information regarding the heat during cooking when cooking is performed, when cooking is performed by the stove body;
a transmitting unit that transmits the cooking history information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the management device;
having
The management device includes:
A storage unit configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of the stove systems and storing the cooking history information transmitted from the transmission unit;
A distribution unit that distributes guide information including at least a part of the cooking history information stored in the storage unit when a distribution request is received from any of the stove systems;
having
The information acquisition unit acquires the cooking history information including heat information of the stove unit for each time period from the start of ignition of the stove unit to the end of ignition of the stove unit by acquiring heat information of the stove unit from the stove body during the period from the start of ignition of the stove unit to the end of ignition of the stove unit.
Cooking system. The cooking system according to claim 1 , wherein the stove system comprises the stove main body and a relay terminal capable of communicating with the stove main body, and at least the relay terminal is capable of communicating with the management device. The cooking system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stove system has an output unit that outputs a guide image or a guide voice based on the guide information acquired from the management device. The stove system includes an input unit for inputting information for identifying a dish name,
the transmission unit transmits a guide request specifying the dish name to the management device when information specifying the dish name is input by the input unit;
The storage unit stores a dish name and a registered image in association with each other,
When a guide request specifying a dish name is received from any of the stove systems, the distribution unit distributes a registered image associated with the dish name specified in the guide request to the stove system that is the request source;
The cooking system according to claim 3 , wherein when the registered image is distributed from the distribution unit to the stove system, the output unit of the stove system displays the guide image including the registered image. The cooking history information includes information regarding timing of adding ingredients or changing heat,
The cooking system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the output unit provides voice guidance on the timing to add ingredients or the timing to change heat. The stove system comprises:
A determination unit that determines an appropriate firepower state based on the guide information;
A correction unit that performs a heat correction or a guide for a heat correction when the heat of cooking proceeding with the stove system is different from the appropriate heat state identified by the identification unit;
The cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: The stove system includes an input unit for inputting a dish name to be associated with the cooking history information,
The transmission unit transmits the name of the dish inputted by the input unit and the cooking history information to the management device in association with each other,
The storage unit stores the cooking history information transmitted from the transmission unit together with a dish name associated with the cooking history information,
The cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when a delivery request specifying a dish name is received from any of the stove systems, the delivery unit delivers guide information including the cooking history information corresponding to the dish name specified in the delivery request from among the information stored in the memory unit. When an input operation for inputting at least one of text information, audio information, and image information into the stove system is performed within a predetermined time after the information acquisition unit acquires the flame power information of the stove unit from the stove main body, the information acquisition unit stores the acquired flame power information in association with the time when the flame power information was generated and the information input by the input operation.
A cooking system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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