JP7534950B2 - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker that can change the cooking method depending on the characteristics of the rice brand.

As a technique for changing the cooking method to the optimum one depending on the characteristics of each brand of rice, the applicant has proposed, for example, a technique for selectively cooking rice under pressure or normal pressure, which can give rice stickiness, as in Reference 1; a technique for determining the water absorption characteristics of rice based on the weight of the rice when it has stabilized in the pot after boiling during the cooking process, as in Reference 2; and a technique for cooking rice in response to delicate conditions such as the type of white rice, as in Reference 3. In addition, techniques for cooking rice in a way that is suitable for a specific brand are also known, as in References 4 to 7.

JP 03-146014 A JP 03-236812 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-115359 JP 2008-146196 A JP 2008-161698 A JP 2015-066065 A JP 2018-143647 A

There are said to be around 50,000 to 100,000 varieties of rice in the world, and about 500 varieties of rice in Japan. For example, the Japan Grain Inspection Association ranked rice produced in 2019 (Reiwa 1) by over 150 varieties of rice grown in different regions, and there are many varieties and brands of rice produced in different regions. In addition, even if the rice is the same variety, the texture of rice grown in multiple prefectures varies depending on the region of production. For example, Koshihikari rice in Niigata Prefecture has different textures depending on the region of production, such as Joetsu, Chuetsu, Uonuma, Iwafune, and Sado, and is therefore a branded rice variety produced in different regions. However, the conventional technology described above is a rice cooking method for at most 50 to 60 varieties due to various constraints, and there was a risk that the cooking method for the cooked texture of the above-mentioned rice varieties and brands would not be selected appropriately.

In addition, the rice varieties and brands of rice produced in different regions change from year to year, depending on the crop conditions each year, but the conventional technology described above was unable to provide cooking methods for brands of rice that are no longer needed or for new brands of rice that would be added.

The present invention aims to provide a rice cooker that can select the cooking method settings for a variety of branded rice, even if the variety is not a specific branded rice that has been pre-stored in the rice cooker.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the rice cooker of the present invention comprises a pot that contains rice and water as the food to be cooked, a heating means for heating the pot, a selection means for selecting a cooking method setting for the food to be cooked, a control means for controlling the heating means based on the selected cooking method setting, a display means for displaying the cooking method setting, and a memory means for storing the selected cooking method setting, wherein the selection means is capable of selecting the cooking method setting based on cooked texture information of a variety of branded rice, and further comprises a transceiver unit capable of communicating with an information terminal, the transceiver unit is capable of acquiring location information of the area in which the rice cooker is installed, the cooking method settings stored in the memory means include cooking method settings according to the producing area, variety, and branded rice, and the display means is configured to preferentially display the cooking method setting according to the producing area, variety, and branded rice of the producing area of the location information .

The rice cooker of the present invention allows you to select the cooking method settings for a variety of branded rice other than the specific variety of branded rice previously stored in the storage means.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the first embodiment. 1A is a top view of the main part of the rice cooker, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the relationship between the operation of each key and the transition of settings. As above, this is a table in which brands are arranged in the corresponding matrix columns according to the texture of the variety and brand of rice from each producing region, based on cooked texture information of the variety and brand of rice. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing transitions of an LCD screen in a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a top view of a main part of a rice cooker in a further modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing transitions of an LCD screen in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a top view of a main part of a rice cooker according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a top view of a main part of a rice cooker in a further modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing transitions of an LCD screen in a further modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a top view of a main part of a rice cooker according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a top view of a main part of a rice cooker in a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing transitions of an LCD screen in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the changes in the LCD display from before the power is turned on until the rice cooking method setting screen appears. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display of display elements for rice brands. A top view of the main parts of a rice cooker in a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a rice cooker according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Each embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that common parts are designated by common reference numerals throughout these drawings.

Figures 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention. The overall structure of the rice cooker will be explained with reference to Figure 1. 1 is a rice cooker, which is generally rectangular when viewed from above with a front and rear and a left and right side facing each other, and is generally made up of a main body 2 of the rice cooker 1 with an open top, and a lid 3 that can be opened and closed to cover the top opening of the main body 2. The main body 2 has a pot housing 4 that is open at the top, and when the lid 3 is opened, a bottomed pot 5 that serves as a container for holding water and rice to be cooked is detachably housed in the pot housing 4. The pot housing 4 is composed of a bowl-shaped resin inner frame 6 and other components, and the whole is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape.

The pot 5 has a main material 8 made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 9 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel, which is joined from the lower side to the bottom of the outer surface of the main material 8. In addition, the outer surface of the inner frame 6, which faces the lower side to the bottom of the pot 5, is equipped with a heating coil 12 as a heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the heating element 9 of the pot 5.

A pot sensor 14, which serves as a pot temperature detection means, is disposed in the center of the bottom of the inner frame 6 so as to make elastic contact with the outer bottom of the pot 5. In this embodiment, the pot sensor 14 is configured to detect the temperature of the pot 5 and mainly control the heating temperature of the bottom of the pot 5 by the heating coil 12.

A lid-opening button 15 is provided in an exposed state on the front upper surface of the lid body 3. When this lid-opening button 15 is pressed, the engagement between the main body 2 and the lid body 3 is released, and the lid body 3 is automatically opened around the hinge shaft 16 by a hinge spring (not shown) provided at the upper rear of the main body 2. A steam vent unit 17 is detachably attached to the rear upper surface of the lid body 3, which exhausts steam generated from the food being cooked in the pot 5 to the outside of the rice cooker 1.

In addition to the lid opening button 15 and steam vent unit 17, the top surface of the lid body 3 is provided with an operation panel 20, which serves as the display and operation unit of the rice cooker 1. The operation panel 20 is equipped with a display section 18 that displays various information related to cooking, and an operation section 19 for starting rice cooking and selecting the time and cooking course, and below these is a control PC (Printed Circuit) board 47 equipped with a display and operation control means 46, which is the control means of the operation panel 20. The control PC board 47 has a patterned conductive circuit section, and by mounting a control IC related to operation and display on this control PC board 47, the display and operation control means 46 linked to the heating control means 40 described below is formed.

An inner lid assembly 21 is disposed under the lid 3 as a lower member of the lid 3. The inner lid assembly 21 is made of a metal material having a disk shape with approximately the same diameter as the upper opening of the pot 5, and includes an inner lid 22 that covers the upper opening of the pot 5, a lid packing 23 as an elastic member provided around the entire outer circumference of the inner lid 22 to seal between the inner lid 22 and the pot 5, and a pressure adjusting section 24 that adjusts the internal pressure of the pot 5. The annular lid packing 23 abuts against the upper surface of the opening of the pot 5 when the lid 3 is closed as shown in FIG. 1, blocking the gap between the pot 5 and the inner lid 22 and sealing off the steam generated from the pot 5.

Inside the lid body 3, a lid heater 33 as a lid heating means for heating the inner lid 22 and a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 34 for controlling the temperature of the inner lid 22 by the lid heater 33 are provided. In addition, a steam exhaust path 25 that connects the steam port unit 17 and the pressure adjustment section 24 is formed as a passage for releasing steam generated in the pot 5 to the outside. The pressure adjustment section 24 is provided with a pressure adjustment valve 26 that opens and closes the steam exhaust path 25 between the inside of the pot 5 and the steam port unit 17. The pressure adjustment valve 26 is ball-shaped and works in conjunction with a solenoid 27 provided inside the lid body 3. The solenoid 27 rotates the pressure adjustment valve 26 so that the steam exhaust path 25 is opened when steam in the pot 5 is released to the outside, and the steam exhaust path 25 is closed when the inside of the pot 5 is pressurized or depressurized. During pressurization, the food in the pot 5 is heated by high-frequency current passing through the heating coil 12, and when the internal pressure of the pot 5 reaches a predetermined value, the pressure inside the pot 5 is maintained at or above atmospheric pressure by opening the steam exhaust path 25 against the weight of the pressure adjusting valve 26.

28 is a pressure reducing means for lowering the pressure inside the pot 5 below normal atmospheric pressure when the lid 3 is closed on the main body 2. The pressure reducing means 28 accommodates the pot 5 in the pot container 4, closes the lid 3, and then energizes the solenoid 27 to reduce the internal pressure of the sealed pot 5 when the pressure regulating valve 26 blocks the steam exhaust path 25. When the pressure inside the pot 5 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 29, which is the operating source of the pressure reducing means 28, is stopped, and the inside of the pot 5 is kept in a reduced pressure state. Furthermore, when the inside of the pot 5 is to be returned from the reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 is stopped, and a path (not shown) that connects the pressure reducing pump 29 to the inside of the pot 5 is opened. In other words, the pressure reducing means 28 also serves as a pressure return means for returning the inside of the pot 5 from the reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air.

In addition, a unitized heating board assembly 41 including a heating control means 40 is disposed inside the main body 2. The heating control means 40 is configured to include a microcomputer (microcomputer) equipped with a control IC 42 and a memory means 51 (see FIG. 2) in order to electrically control each part of the rice cooker 1 in combination with the display/operation control means 46. Here, the heating control means 40 receives temperature detection signals from the pot sensor 14 and the lid temperature sensor 34 and an operation signal from the operation unit 19 to control the heating coil 12 that heats the pot 5 during cooking and keeping warm, and the lid heater 22 that heats the lid body 3, respectively, and also controls the operation of the solenoid 27 and the pressure reduction pump 29. In particular, the heating control means 40 mainly controls the heating coil 12 based on the detected temperature of the pot sensor 14 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the pot 5, and mainly controls the lid heater 22 based on the detected temperature of the lid temperature sensor 34 to manage the temperature of the inner lid 24 facing the food to be cooked.

Next, the control system of the heating control means 40 and the display/operation control means 46 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In the figure, the heating control means 40 equipped in the main body 2 includes a control IC 42 and a memory means 51 that constitute a microcomputer, and receives temperature detection signals from the pot sensor 14 and the lid temperature sensor 34 and a control signal from the display/operation control means 46 to control the heating coil 12 that heats the pot 5 during cooking and keeping warm, and the lid heater 33 that heats the inner lid 24, respectively, and also controls the operation of the solenoid 27 that operates the pressure regulating valve 26 and the pressure reducing means 28. In particular, the heating control means 40 mainly controls the heating coil 12 based on the detected temperature of the pot sensor 14 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the pot 5, and mainly controls the lid heater 22 based on the detected temperature of the lid sensor 34 to manage the temperature of the inner lid 24. These heating coils 12, lid heater 22, and the aforementioned body heater 11 correspond to the heating means 52 that heats the food to be cooked in the pot 5.

The heating control means 40 has a rice cooking control means 53 and a warming control means 54 in the control IC 42 as functions in the control sequence of the program read from the storage means 51. The rice cooking control means 53, upon receiving an instruction to start cooking rice from the operation unit 19, for example, the rice cooking key, sequentially executes a soaking process to promote the absorption of water by the rice put into the pot 5, a heating process to raise the temperature of the food to boiling in a short time, a boiling continuation process to keep the food boiling, and a steaming process to keep the rice at a high temperature but not burnt, thereby cooking and heating the food in the pot 5 at the desired pressure. The warming control means 54 controls the rice in the pot 5 to be kept at a predetermined warming temperature.

On the other hand, the display/operation control means 46 includes a control IC 48, a storage means 57, a timer means (not shown), and the like that constitute a microcomputer, and controls the display operation of the display unit 18 upon receiving an operation signal from the operation unit 19 or a control signal from the heating control means 40, and also transmits a control signal to the heating control means 40. As a function of the control sequence of the program stored in the storage means 57, the display/operation control means 46 includes an operation unit control means 58 that generates various control signals based on an operation signal from the operation unit 19, a display operation control means 59 that controls the display operation of the display unit 18, and a condition setting means 60 that cooperates with the operation unit control means 58 and the display operation control means 59 to select and set conditions that can be selected by the operation unit 43, for example, to select and set a desired cooking course or rice cooking course from a plurality of cooking courses or rice cooking courses.

3A is a top view of the operation panel 20 of the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment. The operation panel 20 is disposed on the top surface of the lid 3, and the hardness "3", the stickiness "3", and the sweetness "4" are selected and displayed on the LCD 71 of the display unit 18 of the operation panel 20, which will be described later. Referring to FIG. 3, the operation unit 19 is composed of a "hardness" key 63, a "stickiness" key 64, and a "sweetness" key 65 arranged side by side on the right side of the operation panel 20, a "cooking" key 66 arranged side by side on the left side of the operation panel 20, a "off" key 67, and a touch sensor 68 arranged on the top surface of the LCD 71. Here, each key 63 to 67 cannot be operated by the user's touch operation, but functions as a push-type operation means such as a tact switch that can be operated by pressing, and the touch sensor 68 functions as a non-push-type operation means such as a touch key that can be operated by the user's touch operation by being connected to the control PC board 47. Additionally, each key, numbered 63 to 67, has the name of the key printed on it.

The off key 67 is operated to stop cooking or keeping the rice warm. When the off key 67 is pressed, the operation unit control means 58 accepts an operation signal from the off key 67 and sends it to the heating control means 40, and the rice cooking control means 53 stops heating the food inside the main body 1 and switches the cooking state to the off state.

The rice cooking key 66 is operated to start cooking rice. When the rice cooking key 66 is pressed, the operation control means 58 accepts an operation signal from the rice cooking key 66 and sends it to the heating control means 40, and the rice cooking control means 53 controls the start of cooking the food inside the main body 1.

The "hardness" key 63 is operated to set the hardness of the rice to be cooked. When the "hardness" key 63 is pressed, the operation unit control means 58 accepts an operation signal from the "hardness" key 63, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display of the hardness selection display element 72-2 described below. In addition to the name "hardness" corresponding to this key, the "hardness" key 63 is also printed with the description "1 firm ←→ soft 5", so that when the user operates the "hardness" key 63, they can intuitively grasp at a glance that the larger the number on the hardness selection display element 72-2, the softer the rice will be cooked.

The "stickiness" key 64 is operated to set the stickiness of the cooked rice. When the "stickiness" key 64 is pressed, the operation unit control means 58 accepts an operation signal from the "stickiness" key 64, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display of the stickiness selection display element 72-3 described below. In addition to the name "stickiness" corresponding to this key, the "stickiness" key 64 is also printed with the description "1 light ←→ chewy 5". When the user operates the "stickiness" key 64, the user can intuitively grasp at a glance that the larger the number on the stickiness selection display element 72-3, the chewier the cooked rice will be.

The "sweetness" key 65 is operated to set the sweetness of the cooked rice. When the "sweetness" key 65 is pressed, the operation unit control means 58 receives an operation signal from the "sweetness" key 65, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display of the sweetness selection display element 74-4, which will be described later.

The touch sensor 73 is a configuration in which a plurality of components are arranged as touch keys, each of which is formed by connecting a transparent electrode section made of a conductive polymer to a contact section connected to the control PC board 47 with pattern wiring. When a fingertip is touched with any of a plurality of display elements 72 displayed on the LCD 71 below the touch sensor 68, the touch key arranged above that display element 72 corresponding to that display element is touched and the display element 72 is selected.

The display unit 18 is composed of an LCD 71 which displays the currently selected values for hardness, stickiness and sweetness. Referring to FIG. 3(A), the display elements 72 arranged on the LCD 71 are explained as follows: below the "Favorite brand" display element 72-1, a hardness selection display element 72-2 which displays the selected hardness value, a stickiness selection display element 72-3 which displays the selected stickiness value, and a sweetness selection display element 72-4 which displays the selected sweetness value are arranged side by side. The display operation control means 59 of this embodiment controls the LCD 71 to display the display elements 72-1 to 72-4 in the lower left of the LCD 71, and on the operation panel 20, the word "hardness" 75, the word "stickiness" 76, and the word "sweetness" 77 are printed below the area where the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness, the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness, and the display element 72-4 for selecting sweetness are displayed, respectively, allowing the user to see at a glance which of the display elements 72-2 to 72-4 are displaying what numerical value.

Next, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the operation of the rice cooker 1 in the rice cooking process will be described. In this embodiment, in order to appropriately and easily select the cooking method for the cooked rice texture depending on the region of origin, the amount of heat for cooking the rice is adjusted by changing the combination of temperature and time in the rice cooking process, such as the water temperature and time for initial water absorption by the rice in the soaking process, the time until boiling in the pressure increase process, the boiling duration and cooking temperature in the boiling duration process, and the soaking time and temperature in the soaking process, and multiple cooking patterns are provided according to the user's preferences without compromising the texture characteristics of rice, which differ depending on the variety and brand.

The operation of this embodiment during rice cooking is as follows: rice and water are placed in the pot 5 as the food to be cooked, and then the pot is placed in the pot housing 4 of the main body 2, and the lid 3 is closed. Around the same time, when the power plug of the rice cooker 1 is inserted into an outlet and power is applied, the rice cooker 1 goes into an initial off (standby) state in which no cooking or warming is taking place, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display the current settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" stored in the memory means 57 on the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness, the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness, and the display element 72-4 for selecting sweetness. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display "3" on the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness, "3" on the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness, and "4" on the display element 72-4 for selecting sweetness.

Figure 4 is an example of a table in which brands are arranged in the corresponding matrix columns according to the texture of the variety and brand of rice from each production area based on cooked texture information of the variety and brand of rice. This cooked texture information of the production area, variety and brand of rice is created based on information published in magazines, on the Web, at rice stores, etc., as well as physicochemical taste trends such as protein and amylose content published in the Japan Grain Inspection Association's "Rice Information System," and texture data of each brand of rice from taste test results. This cooked texture information covers information on the increase in new brands of rice and changes in rice texture depending on the year of planting, as well as a wide variety of information on blended rice, in which rice stores mix multiple varieties of rice according to texture; "pearl rice" that is collected, purchased, polished, wholesaled, and sold by the JA Group; "locally polished rice," in which harvested rice is polished on the spot, such as JA Niigata's "Niigata Koshihikari" and "Shirayukimai"; and various types of branded rice, such as brown rice, germ rice, and partially polished rice.

In this table, the texture of rice varieties from each region is organized into a matrix of 25 patterns, with five levels of hardness and five levels of stickiness, and a map of the cooking method suitable for each rice variety is created. This table is described, for example, in the instruction manual for the rice cooker 1 or on the website of the manufacturer of the rice cooker 1, and the user refers to this table to set the "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" of the rice cooker 1. For example, when cooking Koshihikari rice from Minami-Uonuma, the "hardness" setting is set to "3" and the "stickiness" setting is set to "3" according to the table in FIG. 4. The sweetness setting is usually set to "3," and if you want to cook rice with more sweetness, you can shift the sweetness setting up to "4" or "5," and if you want to cook rice with less sweetness, you can shift the sweetness setting down to "2" or "1." Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the descriptions and values in this table are merely examples.

Furthermore, if the cooking method setting for the desired brand rice is not registered in the table in Figure 4, the user can obtain trend information on the "hardness" and "stickiness" of the desired brand rice from the information described above in the explanation of Figure 4 and select a setting as desired, for example, setting the "hardness" to "3" and the "stickiness" to "3" based on published information on the production area and variety of brand rice and texture information, which indicates that "Sasanishiki" is less sticky.

With reference to the table in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the texture of cooked rice differs depending on the place of origin, even for the same variety of "Koshihikari," for example, Toyama-produced rice has a "hardness" setting of "3" and a "stickiness" setting of "2," while Niigata-produced rice has a "hardness" setting of "3" and a "stickiness" setting of "4." It is also well known that the texture of cooked rice differs depending on the place of origin, even for the same variety of "Koshihikari" within the same prefecture, for example, Minamiuonuma-produced rice has a "hardness" setting of "3" and a "stickiness" setting of "3," while Niigata-produced rice has a "hardness" setting of "3" and a "stickiness" setting of "4." The same is true for other brands of rice, such as "Hitomebore," "Hinohikari," and "Akitakomachi." In the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the cooking method according to the cooked texture of the branded rice of the production area can be selected, and the method can be displayed on the LCD 71. In addition, depending on the user's preference, the "stickiness" setting for "Koshihikari Toyama" can be adjusted to "3" or "4" to shift up the texture to a "chewy" texture, for example.

Specifically, when the "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64, and "sweetness" key 65 of the operation unit 19 are operated, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 by the condition setting means 60 are changed. Therefore, the "hardness" key 63, the "stickiness" key 64, and the "sweetness" key 65 function as selection means for arbitrarily selecting the setting of the rice cooking method of the rice cooker 1. Furthermore, the changed setting is displayed each time on the display element 72-2 for hardness selection, the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection, and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection on the LCD 71 by the display operation control means 59. Therefore, these display elements 72-2 for hardness selection, the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection, and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection function as display means for displaying the setting of the rice cooking method selected by the selection means, and the user can visually confirm this.

For example, when the setting in Fig. 3(A) is displayed on the LCD 71, each time the "hardness" key 63 is pressed, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the hardness selection display element 72-2 from "4" to "5", as shown in Fig. 3(B), and also controls the LCD 71 to return to "1" after "5". The condition setting means 60 is also configured to store the setting at this time, i.e., the setting of the selected rice cooking method, in the memory means 57. The same is true when the "stickiness" key 64 or the "sweetness" key 65 is pressed; as shown in FIG. 3B, each time the "stickiness" key 64 is pressed, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display element 72-2 for selecting stickiness from "4" to "5" to "1," and each time the "sweetness" key 65 is pressed, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display element 72-2 for selecting sweetness from "5" to "1" to "2," and the condition setting means 60 stores the settings at this time in the storage means 57.

When the cooker key 66 on the operation unit 19 is operated after setting "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness," the operation signal is accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the condition setting means 60 stores the settings displayed on the display unit 18 in the memory means 57 as the settings for the current cooking course, and sends information on the heating pattern corresponding to the set cooking course to the heating control means 40. In response to this, the heating control means 40 performs each of the cooking operations of the soaking process, the temperature increase process, the boiling continuation process, and the steaming process for the food in the pot 5, according to the heating pattern of the set cooking course, using the cooking control means 53 built into the control IC 42. The display operation control means 59 also controls the LCD 71 to display the set settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" on the display element 72-2 for hardness selection, the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection, and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection during each cooking operation of the cooking process. In addition to when the rice cooking key 66 is operated, the condition setting means 60 may be configured to store the settings displayed on the display unit 18 in the memory means 57 as the settings for the current rice cooking course, for example, when the "off" key 67 is operated.

When the rice cooking control means 53 receives information sent from the display and operation control means 46, it controls the heating coil 12 to be turned on and off based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14 at the bottom of the pot 5 to heat the pot 5, and performs a soaking process to raise the water temperature in the pot 5 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 45 to 60°C, and promote the rice's absorption of water. The soaking process is configured to maintain the water temperature in the pot 5 at the predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, for example, 3 minutes. Here, based on the received information, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 to be turned on and off so that the higher the value of the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness, i.e., the more the "hardness" setting is "soft," the longer the predetermined time is, and also controls the heating coil 12 to be turned on and off so that the higher the value of the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness, i.e., the more the "stickiness" setting is "soft," the longer the predetermined time is.

During the soaking process, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the operation of the solenoid 27 and the pressure reducing means 28 so that the pressure inside the pot 5 is reduced below atmospheric pressure. Specifically, when the soaking process begins, the rice cooking control means 53 switches the solenoid 27 from a non-energized state to an energized state, and closes the steam exhaust path 25 with the pressure regulating valve 26. In this state, the path of the pressure reducing means 28 is opened and the pressure reducing pump 29 is operated continuously to perform a vacuum extraction by removing the air inside the sealed pot 5 with the pressure reducing pump 29. Thereafter, when the pressure inside the pot 5 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 is stopped. In this way, the inside of the pot 5 is kept reduced pressure for a specified time, which is the entire period of the soaking process.

After that, when the soaking process is completed for a specified time and the process moves to the next heating process, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 to be continuously energized until the food boiling is detected, thereby heating the food in the pot 5 more strongly than in the soaking process and raising the food to boiling temperature in a short time. Here, based on the received information, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 so that the higher the "stickiness" setting is, the longer the time it takes to raise the temperature to boiling so that the food boils more slowly, and also controls the heating coil 12 so that the higher the value of the sweetness selection display element 72-4 is, i.e., the sweeter the "sweetness" setting is, the longer the time it takes to raise the temperature to boiling so that the food boils more slowly.

The rice cooking control means 53 also controls the path of the pressure reducing means 28 to be closed in order to maintain the inside of the pot 5 at a reduced pressure lower than atmospheric pressure following the soaking process. Therefore, even after the soaking process is followed by the heating process, the reduced pressure state is maintained for a while without operating the pressure reducing pump 29. In this way, the food inside the pot 5 is kept in a reduced pressure state even during the heating process after the soaking process, and the water boils at a temperature of 100°C or less during the heating process. Therefore, by boiling the food under reduced pressure at 60°C to 100°C, which is the gelatinization temperature of rice, the rice is made to dance with the bubbles generated by the boiling process, eliminating uneven heating, and the food is also placed under reduced pressure, allowing the rice to absorb water to the core in a short time.

Next, the rice cooking control means 53 takes in the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 14, and when the detected temperature at the bottom of the pot 5 reaches the predetermined temperature of 100°C, it determines that the food inside the pot 5 has boiled under reduced pressure, closes the path of the pressure reducing means 28, does not operate the pressure reducing pump 29, and temporarily de-energizes the solenoid 27 to retract the pressure regulating valve 26. This causes the steam exhaust path 25 to be in an open state where the inside and outside of the pot 5 are not sealed but are connected, and the inside of the pot 5 immediately returns to normal pressure, the same as the outside air. After that, the rice cooking control means 53 switches the solenoid 27 to a conductive state in a short time and seals the inside of the pot 5 again, so that the food inside the pot 5 continues to be strongly heated, and the food inside the pot 5 is pressurized until it reaches atmospheric pressure or higher, for example 1.2 atm, and the food can be boiled under that pressurized state. In this way, when the rice cooking control means 53 determines that the food inside the pot 5 has boiled under reduced pressure during the heating process, it instantly switches the inside of the pot 5 from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state higher than atmospheric pressure, and controls the operation of the solenoid 27 and, in turn, the pressure adjustment valve 26 constituting the pressure adjustment section 24 to temporarily open the steam exhaust path 25 in order to apply a pressure shock to the food. This ensures a balance between the hardness and stickiness of the rice, and allows the rice to be gelatinized all the way to the core in one go by boiling the food inside the pot 5 from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state of 105°C (at 1.2 atmospheres).

Then, when the rice cooking control means 53 detects that the temperature of the bottom of the pot 5 has reached a predetermined temperature or higher, for example 90°C, from the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 14, and also detects that the temperature of the inner lid 22 has reached a predetermined temperature or higher, for example 90°C, from the temperature detection signal from the lid temperature sensor 34, it starts boiling detection to detect boiling of the food under pressure. Specifically, it continues to control the continuous current flow to the heating coil 12 and the body heater 11 to strongly heat the food inside the pot 5, while calculating the slope of the detected temperature, which is the degree to which the detected temperature of the lid temperature sensor 34 rises in a predetermined time. Then, when the slope of the detected temperature of the lid temperature sensor 34 reaches a certain value or less and stabilizes, the rice cooking control means 53 determines that the food inside the pot 5 has reached boiling under pressure, and moves to the next boiling continuation process.

When the process moves to the continuing boiling step, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the lid heater 33 to start heating the lid. The amount of heat from the lid heater 33 is controlled by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34 so that the temperature of the inner lid 22 becomes a predetermined temperature, for example 100°C. When the process moves to the continuing boiling step, the rice cooking control means 53 periodically controls the solenoid 27 to be turned on and off, and periodically opens and closes the steam exhaust path 25 with the pressure regulating valve 26, in order to repeatedly change the pressure inside the pot 5 between normal pressure and a temperature higher than atmospheric pressure. Here, based on the received information, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 so that the more "sticky" the setting for "stickiness" is, the longer the time for which boiling continues.

The rice cooking control means 53 detects that the water inside the pot 5 has run out during the continuing boiling process and that a predetermined temperature rise has occurred due to the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 14 at the bottom of the pot 5, and detects that the food is cooked based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14. Here, when the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14 reaches the predetermined dry-up temperature, it detects that the food inside the pot 5 is cooked and the continuing boiling process ends. Here, based on the information received, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the predetermined dry-up temperature to be higher the lower the numerical value of the hardness selection display element 72-2, i.e., the more the "hardness" setting is "firm". When the boiling heating process ends, it moves to the next steaming process.

During the steaming process, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the temperature by turning on and off the lid heater 22 according to the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34 to prevent condensation on the inner lid 22, and controls the temperature of the bottom of the pot 5 by turning on and off the heating coil 12 so that the temperature is maintained high enough to prevent the rice inside the pot 5 from burning. The steaming process continues for a predetermined time, for example 12 minutes. Here, based on the received information, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 so that the higher the "hardness" setting is, the longer the predetermined time is, and also controls the heating coil 12 so that the lower the value of the sweetness selection display element 72-4 is, i.e., the lighter the "sweetness" setting is with less sweetness, the longer the predetermined time is. When the steaming process is completed, the rice moves to the warming process by the warming control means 54.

As described above, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment includes a pot 5 that contains rice and water as the food to be cooked, a heating coil 12 as a heating means for heating the pot 5, a "hardness" key 63, a "stickiness" key 64, and a "sweetness" key 65 as selection means for selecting the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness," which are the settings of the cooking method for the food to be cooked, a rice cooking control means 54 as a control means for controlling the heating coil 12 based on the selected settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness," and The display means for displaying the settings of "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness" includes an LCD 71 that displays a display element 72-2 for selecting hardness, a display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness and a display element 72-4 for selecting sweetness, and a storage means 57 that stores the selected settings of "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness". The "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64 and "sweetness" key 65 are configured to select the settings of "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness" based on the cooked texture information of the variety of branded rice, for example, the table in FIG. 4. Therefore, it is possible to select the settings of "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness" that are cooking methods corresponding to all the variety of branded rice listed in the table in FIG. 4, for example, other than the specific variety of branded rice stored in advance in the storage means 57.

In addition, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 can be changed as desired using the "hardness" key 63, the "stickiness" key 64, and the "sweetness" key 65. The settings changed by operating the "cooking" key 66 or the "off" key 67 are automatically stored in the storage means 57, so the user does not need to store the changed settings in the storage means 57 again, saving the user time and effort.

In addition, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the settings for "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 can be set, for example, from the table in FIG. 4 according to the origin of the branded rice variety, such as "Koshihikari Minami-Uonuma" or "Koshihikari Toyama," and the settings according to this origin of the branded rice variety can be selected using the "hardness" key 63, the "stickiness" key 64, and the "sweetness" key 65. This makes it possible to select the cooking method settings according to the branded rice variety, which has different cooked textures depending on the origin.

In the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the settings for "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness" include settings other than those stored in the storage means 57, such as the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings for "Sasanishiki" that are not registered in the table of FIG. 4, and the "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64 and "sweetness" key 65 are configured to select settings other than those stored in the storage means 57 based on published information and texture information on the origin, variety and brand of rice, which are created based on information published in magazines, the Web, rice stores, etc., and information published in the "Rice Information System" of the Japan Grain Inspection Association, such as physicochemical taste trends such as protein and amylose content, and texture data of each brand of rice from taste test results. Therefore, the user can freely select the cooking method setting according to his/her preference by referring to the published information and texture information on the origin, variety and brand of rice.

Figure 5 shows a modified version of the first embodiment. In this modified version, instead of the "hardness" key 63 and the "stickiness" key 64, the "cooking method" key 78, the increase adjustment key 79, and the decrease adjustment key 80 are used to select the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description will be omitted.

Figures 5(A) to 5(C) are top views of the main parts of a modified example of the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment. The "cooking method" key 78 is located on the right side of the operation panel 20, and below it are arranged side by side an increase adjustment key 79 with the writing "▲" printed on it, and a decrease adjustment key 80 with the writing "▼" printed on it. To explain the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above, when the "cooking method" key 78 of the operation unit 19 is pressed once to select the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings in Figure 5(A), the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in Figure 5(B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to flash the display element 72-2 for hardness selection. The display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to increase the numerical value displayed on the hardness selection display element 72-2 each time the increase adjustment key 79 is pressed while the hardness selection display element 72-2 is flashing, and controls the LCD 71 to decrease the numerical value each time the decrease adjustment key 80 is pressed. In this way, the increase adjustment key 79 and decrease adjustment key 80 are operated to increase or decrease the numerical value of the hardness selection display element 72-2, thereby selecting the "hardness" setting.

After selecting the "hardness" setting, when the "cooking method" key 78 on the operation unit 19 is pressed once, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in FIG. 5(C), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the flashing display element 72-2 for hardness selection to a lit state and to flash the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection. When the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection is flashing, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to increase the value displayed on the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection each time the increase adjustment key 79 is pressed, and controls the LCD 71 to decrease the value each time the decrease adjustment key 80 is pressed. In this way, the increase adjustment key 79 and decrease adjustment key 80 are operated to increase or decrease the value of the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection, thereby selecting the "stickiness" setting. The selection of the "sweetness" setting and the subsequent actions are as described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the configuration of this modified example achieves the same effects as the first embodiment, and the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness," which are the cooking methods according to the variety of branded rice, can be selected even for varieties other than the specific variety of branded rice pre-stored in the storage means 57.

Figure 6 shows a further modified example of the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment. In this modified example, the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings are selected using only the "cooking method" key 78 of the modified example described above. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment and the modified example, so a description will be omitted.

The operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. 6. When selecting the settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" in FIG. 6, each time the "cooking method" key 78 of the operation unit 19 is pressed, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the numerical value displayed in the display element 72-2 for hardness selection and the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection. For example, each time the "cooking method" key 78 is pressed in FIG. 6, the numerical value of the display element 72-2 for hardness selection changes from "4" to "5" to "1", and when the numerical value of the display element 72-2 for hardness selection is "2", pressing the "cooking method" key 78 changes the numerical value of the display element 72-2 for hardness selection to "3", and accordingly the numerical value of the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection changes to "4".

In this way, each time the "cooking method" key 78 is pressed, the value of the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness and the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness changes, and when the "cooking method" key 78 is pressed 25 times, the value of the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness and the value of the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness become "3" from the original settings. In this way, by operating the "cooking method" key 78 and changing the value of the display element 72-2 for selecting hardness and the value of the display element 72-3 for selecting stickiness, the desired "hardness" and "stickiness" settings are selected. Therefore, the configuration of this modified example also exerts the same effects as the first embodiment and modified examples, and it is possible to select the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness," which are the cooking methods according to the variety of branded rice, even for varieties other than the specific variety of branded rice stored in advance in the storage means 57.

Figure 7 shows the second embodiment. In this embodiment, settings for multiple rice cooking methods are stored in the storage means 57, and these settings are displayed on the LCD 71 and can be selected using the "Favorite Brand" key 83. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description will be omitted.

Referring to Figure 7 (A), the "Favorite brand" key 83 is located on the lower part of the operation panel 20, below the "hardness" entry 75, the "stickiness" entry 76, and the "sweetness" entry 77. Regarding the display elements 72 located on the LCD 71, a display element 72-1' for "Favorite brand (1)" is located in place of display element 72-1, and to the right of that is a display element 72-5 for "Favorite brand (2)". Located below this display element 72-5 are a display element 72-6 for a second hardness selection, a display element 72-7 for a second stickiness selection, and a display element 72-8 for a second sweetness selection, arranged side by side. In addition, the display operation control means 59 of this embodiment controls the LCD 71 to display the display elements 72-5 to 72-8 in the lower right of the LCD 71, and on the operation panel 20, the words "hardness" 84, "stickiness" 85, and "sweetness" 86 are printed below the areas where the display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection, the display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection, and the display element 72-8 for the second sweetness selection are displayed, respectively, allowing the user to see at a glance which of the display elements 72-6 to 72-8 are displaying what numerical value.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as described above will be explained. When selecting the settings for "hardness" and "stickiness" in Figure 7 (A), when the "Favorite Brand" key 83 on the operation unit 19 is pressed once, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in Figure 7 (B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to flash the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)." As explained in the first embodiment, when the "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64, and "sweetness" key 65 on the operation unit 19 are operated, the operation signal is accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" of "Favorite Brand (1)" stored in the memory means 57 are changed by the condition setting means 60, and the changed settings are displayed each time on the display element 72-2 for hardness selection, the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection, and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection on the LCD 71 by the display operation control means 59. Here, when the "cooking rice" key 66 is pressed, the operation signal is accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the condition setting means 60 stores the setting of "Favorite Brand (1)" displayed on the display unit 18 in the memory means 57 as the setting of the current cooking course, and sends information on the heating pattern corresponding to the set cooking course to the heating control means 40.

On the other hand, when the "Favorite brand" key 83 is pressed once instead of the "Cooked rice" key 66, the operation signal is accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the flashing display element 72-1' of "Favorite brand (1)" to a lit state and to flash the display element 72-5 of "Favorite brand (2)". At this time, when the "Hardness" key 63, "Stickiness" key 64, and "Sweetness" key 65 of the operation unit 19 are operated, the operation signals are accepted by the operation unit control means 58, the settings of "Hardness", "Stickiness", and "Sweetness" of "Favorite brand (2)" stored in the storage means 57 by the condition setting means 60 are changed, and the changed settings are displayed each time by the display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection, the display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection, and the display element 72-8 for the second sweetness selection on the LCD 71. When the "cook rice" key 66 is pressed, the operation signal is received by the operation control means 58, and the condition setting means 60 stores the setting for "Favorite brand (2)" displayed on the display unit 18 in the memory means 57 as the setting for this rice cooking course, and sends information on the heating pattern corresponding to the set rice cooking course to the heating control means 40.

As described above, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the memory means 57 stores the settings of multiple rice cooking methods, "Favorite brand (1)" and "Favorite brand (2)," and the LCD 71 displays the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" of "Favorite brand (1)" stored in the memory means 57 on the hardness selection display element 72-2, the stickiness selection display element 72-3, and the sweetness selection display element 72-4 of the LCD 71, and displays the settings of "Favorite brand (2)" stored in the memory means 57 on the second hardness selection display element 72-6, the second stickiness selection display element 72-7, and the second sweetness selection display element 72-8, so that all of "Favorite brand (1)" and "Favorite brand (2)" stored in the memory means 57 are displayed on the LCD 71. Therefore, for example, multiple settings for the cooking method for the desired rice variety shown in the table in Figure 4 can be stored, and by simply selecting "Favorite Brand (1)" or "Favorite Brand (2)," the user does not need to reset the "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" settings every time, saving the user time and effort.

In this embodiment, two settings, "Favorite Brand (1)" and "Favorite Brand (2)," have been described, but a configuration with three or more settings may also be provided.

Figure 8 shows a modified example of the second embodiment. In this modified example, when the "hardness" and "stickiness" are set, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display the name of the variety of branded rice for that "hardness" and "stickiness" setting on the brand selection display elements 72-10, 72-12 based on the table in Figure 4.

Referring to FIG. 8, the display elements 72 arranged on the LCD 71 are as follows: under the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)", a display element 72-10 for the first brand selection is arranged, and under that, a display element 72-11 for "sweetness" and a display element 72-4 for sweetness selection are arranged side by side. Under the display element 72-5 for "Favorite Brand (2)", a display element 72-12 for the second brand selection is arranged, and under that, a display element 72-13 for "sweetness" and a display element 72-8 for the second sweetness selection are arranged side by side. On the operation panel 20, the descriptions 75 and 84 for "hardness", the descriptions 76 and 85 for "stickiness", and the descriptions 77 and 86 for "sweetness" are not printed. The storage means 57 is configured to store, for example, a table of branded rice varieties as shown in FIG. 4. The other configurations are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described. When selecting the settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" in FIG. 8, pressing the "Favorite Brand" key 83 on the operation unit 19 once will cause the operation signal to be accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 will cause the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)" to blink, and control the LCD 71 to display the display element 72-2 for hardness selection and the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection in the place of the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection, for example. Then, as in the second embodiment, when the "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64, and "sweetness" key 65 on the operation unit 19 are operated, the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" for "Favorite Brand (1)" stored in the storage means 57 by the condition setting means 60 will be changed.

The display operation control means 59 checks the changed settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" against the table of rice varieties and brands stored in the storage means 57, and controls the LCD 71 to display the corresponding rice brand in the first brand selection display element 72-10. For example, if the "hardness" setting of "Favorite Brand (1)" is set to "3" and the "stickiness" setting is set to "3", "Koshihikari Minami-Uonuma" corresponds in the table of rice varieties and brands, so the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display "Koshihikari Minami-Uonuma" in the first brand selection display element 72-10. If there is no corresponding rice brand in the table of rice varieties and brands, the display operation control means 59 may control the LCD 71 to display the changed settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" in the hardness selection display element 72-2 and the stickiness selection display element 72-3, as in the second embodiment.

The setting of "Favorite brand (2)" is performed in the same manner, and when the "hardness" key 63, "stickiness" key 64, and "sweetness" key 65 of the operation unit 19 are operated while the display element 72-5 of "Favorite brand (2)" is flashing, the settings of "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" of "Favorite brand (1)" stored in the storage means 57 by the condition setting means 60 are changed. Here, the display operation control means 59 checks the changed settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" against the table of variety and brand rice stored in the storage means 57, and controls the LCD 71 to display the corresponding brand of rice in the display element 72-12 for the second brand selection. For example, if the "hardness" setting of "Favorite brand (2)" is set to "3" and the "stickiness" setting to "2," "Hitomebore" corresponds to this in the table of variety and brand rice, so the condition setting means 60 controls the LCD 71 to display "Hitomebore" in the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection. The subsequent operations are the same as in the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

As described above, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the memory means 57 stores a number of settings for the rice cooking method, namely "Favorite brand (1)" and "Favorite brand (2)," and the LCD 71 displays the settings for "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" of "Favorite brand (1)" stored in the memory means 57 on the LCD 71's first brand selection display element 72-10 and sweetness selection display element 72-4, and displays the settings for "Favorite brand (2)" stored in the memory means 57 on the second brand selection display element 72-12 and second sweetness selection display element 72-8. Therefore, the settings for "Favorite brand (1)" and "Favorite brand (2)" are displayed with the rice brand and "sweetness" setting, allowing the user to better understand the settings for the rice cooking method.

Figure 9 shows a further modified example of the second embodiment. In this modified example, as in the modified example of the first embodiment, only the "cooking method" key 78 is used to select the "Favorite brand (1)" setting and the "Favorite brand (2)" setting. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the second embodiment and the modified example, so a description will be omitted.

The operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. 9. When selecting the setting "Favorite Brand (1)" in FIG. 9, pressing the "Favorite Brand" key 83 on the operation unit 19 once causes the display operation control means 59 to control the LCD 71 to blink the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)". At this time, each time the "Cooking Method" key 78 is pressed, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to change the display of the first brand selection display element 72-10, for example, from "Koshihikari Minami-Uonuma" to "Hitomebore" to "Hinohikari".

The "Favorite Brand (2)" is set in the same manner, and each time the "Cooking Method" key 78 is pressed while the display element 72-5 for "Favorite Brand (2)" is flashing, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 so that the display element 72-12 for the second brand selection changes its display, for example, from "Hitomebore" to "Hinohikari" to "Nanatsuboshi." The rest of the configuration is the same as in the second embodiment, so a description will be omitted.

As described above, in this modified rice cooker 1, the settings for "brand of rice" and "sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 can be changed as desired using the "cooking method" key 78 and the "sweetness" key 65, and the changed settings are automatically stored in the storage means 57 by operating the "cooking" key 66 or the "off" key 67. This eliminates the need for the user to store the changed settings in the storage means 57 again, saving the user time and effort.

Figure 10 shows a further modified example of the second embodiment. In this modified example, the LCD 71 is controlled to display only the "Favorite Brand (1)" setting or only the "Favorite Brand (2)" setting, and the "Favorite Brand (1)" setting and the "Favorite Brand (2)" setting are switched using the "Favorite Brand" key 83.

Referring to FIG. 10(A), the display element 72 for the setting "Favorite Brand (1)" displayed on the LCD 71 will be described. Below the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)," the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection is arranged, and to the right of these, the display element 72-11 for "sweetness" and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection are arranged side by side. The display operation control means 59 of this embodiment also controls the LCD 71 to display the display elements 72-1' and 72-10 at the bottom left of the LCD 71, and to display the display elements 72-11 and 72-4 at the bottom right of the LCD 71.

Furthermore, referring to FIG. 10(B), the display element 72 for the setting of "Favorite Brand (2)" displayed on the LCD 71 will be explained. Similar to the arrangement of the setting of "Favorite Brand (2)", the display element 72-12 for the first brand selection is arranged below the display element 72-5 for "Favorite Brand (1)", and to the right of these, the display element 72-13 for "sweetness" and the display element 72-8 for sweetness selection are arranged side by side, with the display elements 72-5 and 72-12 displayed at the bottom left of the LCD 71, and the display elements 72-13 and 72-8 displayed at the bottom right of the LCD 71.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 having the above configuration will be described. When the setting of "Favorite Brand (2)" is selected in FIG. 10(A), the "Favorite Brand" key 83 of the operation unit 19 is pressed once, and the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in FIG. 10(B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display the setting of "Favorite Brand (2)". When the setting of "Favorite Brand (1)" is selected in FIG. 10(B), the "Favorite Brand" key 83 of the operation unit 19 is pressed once, and the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in FIG. 10(A), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display the setting of "Favorite Brand (1)". Therefore, by simply selecting "Favorite Brand (1)" or "Favorite Brand (2)", it is no longer necessary to reset the settings of "hardness", "stickiness" and "sweetness" every time, which saves the user time.

Here, when changing the setting of "Favorite Brand (1)" or "Favorite Brand (2)," if the "Hardness" key 63, "Stickiness" key 64, and "Sweetness" key 65 of the operation unit 19 are operated while the setting to be changed is displayed on the LCD 71, these operation signals are accepted by the operation unit control means 58, and the settings of "Hardness," "Stickiness," and "Sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 by the condition setting means 60 are changed, and the changed settings are displayed on the LCD 71 by the display operation control means 59 each time. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the second embodiment and the modified example, so a description will be omitted.

Figure 11 shows the third embodiment. In this embodiment, in addition to setting the favorite brand, a list of branded rice varieties is displayed on the LCD 71, and the brand of rice can be selected from there with the "Brand" key 87 to set the "hardness" and "stickiness" of the rice cooking method. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first and second embodiments, so a description will be omitted.

With reference to FIG. 11, the "brand" key 87 is located on the right side of the operation panel 20, and the "favorite brand" key 83, the "cooking method" key 78, and the "sweetness" key 65 are arranged side by side on the lower part of the operation panel 20. Regarding the display elements 72 arranged on the LCD 71, the display element 72-15 of "Koshihikari", which is a list of branded rice varieties, the display element 72-16 of "Hitomebore", the display element 72-17 of "Hinohikari", the display element 72-18 of "Akitakomachi", the display element 72-19 of "Nanatsuboshi", the display element 72-20 of "Kinuhikari", the display element 72-21 of "Nikomaru", and the display element 72-22 of "Tsuyahime" are arranged on the upper part of the LCD 71. These branded rice varieties are also included in the table of branded rice varieties stored in the storage means 57, and in this embodiment, the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 so that all the branded rice varieties in the table of branded rice varieties are displayed. Note that these rice brands are just examples, and other rice brands may be displayed. In this embodiment, all brands of rice in the table stored in the storage means 57 are displayed, but it may be configured to display only 8 to 12 brands, for example.

The table of branded rice varieties stored in the storage means 57 includes rice varieties and brands that are widely planted, rice varieties and brands that are produced in multiple prefectures, popular branded rice, and locally produced rice varieties and brands throughout Japan. It is particularly preferable to register rice varieties and brands that are recommended by local areas throughout Japan. For example, rice varieties and brands that are sold in large quantities at local supermarkets, rice stores, and department stores and that are in high demand locally can be displayed in conjunction with the "favorite brand" setting.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described. When selecting the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings in Fig. 11, each time the "brand" key 87 on the operation unit 19 is pressed, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to move the cursor display among the display elements 72-15 to 72-22. For example, when the "brand" key 87 is pressed once in Fig. 11, the display operation control means 59 displays the cursor with a black background and white characters for the "Koshihikari" display element 72-15, and also controls the LCD 71 to display "Koshihikari Minamiuonuma" on the first brand selection display element 72-10. When the "Brand" key 87 is pressed once more in this state, the display operation control means 59 returns the display element 72-15 for "Koshihikari" to its original display with a white background and black text, and controls the LCD 71 to display the "Hitomebore" display element 72-16 as a cursor and to display "Hitomebore" on the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection. The subsequent operations are the same as in the second embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the brand of rice is selected by operating the "Brand" key 87, but the brand of rice may also be selected directly by touching the touch sensor 68 located above the display elements 72-15 to 72-22 displayed on the LCD 71.

As described above, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the storage means 57 stores cooked texture information of branded rice, for example, as shown in the table in FIG. 4, as the setting of the cooking method, and the LCD 71 is configured to display display elements 72-15 to 72-22, which are the brands of rice in the cooked texture information of the branded rice, in addition to the setting of "favorite brand" as the setting of the cooking method. Therefore, by registering in advance in the table of branded rice, rice of a variety that is widely planted, rice of a variety that is produced in multiple prefectures, popular branded rice, and locally produced variety that is produced throughout Japan, for example, in the cooked texture information of the branded rice, and setting "hardness" and "stickiness," for example, the cooking method can be set simply by selecting the display on the LCD 71, and the trouble of checking the table of cooked texture information of the branded rice can be eliminated, for example, by checking the instruction manual or the website of the manufacturer of the rice cooker 1.

Figure 12 shows a modified example of the third embodiment. In this modified example, the functions of the rice cooker 1 of the third embodiment are added to the rice cooker 1 of the second embodiment.

The operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described with reference to Figure 12. When selecting the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings in Figure 12, pressing the "Favorite Brand" key 83 once causes the display operation control means 59 to control the LCD 71 to blink the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)," as described in the second embodiment. Here, each time the "Brand" key 87 is pressed, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to move the cursor display among the display elements 72-15 to 72-22. The display operation control means 59 then controls the LCD 71 to display the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings for the brand of rice displayed by the cursor in the display element 72-2 for hardness selection and the display element 72-3 for stickiness selection. With this configuration, the rice cooking method can be set simply by selecting the display on the LCD 71, eliminating the need to check a table of cooked rice texture information for branded rice varieties in, for example, an instruction manual or on the website of the rice cooker 1 manufacturer.

Figure 13 shows the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, in addition to the third embodiment, the display element 72-5 for "Favorite brand (2)" is also displayed at the same time, and the setting of the rice cooking method for the display element 72-5 for "Favorite brand (2)" is configured to display the display element 72-6 for selecting the second hardness and the display element 72-7 for selecting the second stickiness. The rest of the configuration is the same as the first to third embodiments, so a description will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 13(A), the display elements 72 arranged on the LCD 71 will be described. In addition to the display elements 72 of the third embodiment, a display element 72-5 for "Favorite Brand (2)" is arranged between the display element 72-1' for "Favorite Brand (1)" and the display element 72-11 for "Sweetness", and a display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection and a display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection are arranged side by side between the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection and the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection. In addition, a display element 72-26 for "hardness" is arranged to the left of the display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection, and a display element 72-27 for "stickiness" is arranged to the left of the display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection. In addition, the display element 72-4 for sweetness selection in this embodiment is configured to display a sweetness evaluation of "slightly strong" in addition to a numerical value.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described. When selecting a brand of rice and setting the "hardness" and "stickiness" as shown in Figure 13 (A), as described in the third embodiment, for example, when the touch sensor 68 arranged above the display element 72-24 for "Aichi no Kaori" is touched, the operation signal is received by the operation unit control means 58, and as shown in Figure 13 (B), the display operation control means 59 displays a cursor on the display element 72-24 for "Aichi no Kaori", and also controls the LCD 71 to display "Koshihikari Minamiuonuma" on the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection. Furthermore, when setting "hardness" and "stickiness" to one's liking, pressing the "Favorite Brand" key 83 on the operation unit 19 once causes the operation signal to be received by the operation unit control means 58, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display the cursor on the display element 72-5 for "Favorite Brand (2)", the display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection, and the display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection. The method for setting "hardness" and "stickiness" at this time is the same as in the first to third embodiments, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 14 shows the transition of the display on the LCD 71 from before the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment is plugged in and turned on to when the power is turned on and the screen for setting "Favorite Brand (1)" appears. Explaining with reference to Figure 14 (A), the "Menu" key 88 is operated when selecting a rice cooking menu, which will be described later. When the "Menu" key 88 is pressed, the operation unit control means 58 receives an operation signal from the "Menu" key 88, and the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display a rice cooking menu selection screen as shown in Figure 14 (B). In addition, when the rice cooking menu selection screen is displayed, the LCD 71 is controlled so that the cursor display of the display element of the rice cooking course moves to the right each time the forward key 89 printed with "→" is pressed, and the LCD 71 is controlled so that the cursor display of the display element of the rice cooking course moves to the left each time the back key 90 printed with "←" is pressed.

Explaining the display elements 72 displayed on the LCD 71, a clock display element 72-29 that displays the current time is located at the top left of the LCD 71, and to the right of that, display elements 72-15 to 72-24, which are display elements for rice brands, are arranged vertically and horizontally. To the right of the display element 72-1' for "Favorite brand (1)" and the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection, the display element 72-30 for "White rice", which is a display element for the rice cooking course, is located. The display element 72-1' for "Favorite brand (1)", the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection, and the display element 72-30 for "White rice" are displayed with a cursor.

The operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described. Before the rice cooker 1 is turned on, the LCD 71 displays as shown in Fig. 14(A) using a battery or the like (not shown) as a power source. At this time, when the rice cooker 1 is plugged in and turned on, as shown in Fig. 14(B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display a rice cooking menu selection screen that displays the rice cooking course display element 72-31, the display element 72-32, the display element 72-33, the display element 72-34, the display element 72-35, the display element 72-36, the display element 72-36 for "rice cooking," arranged vertically and horizontally in addition to the display element 72-30 for "white rice," and controls the LCD 71 to turn off the display elements 72-15 to 72-24, which are display elements for rice brands.

When the "Favorite brand" key 83 is operated in the state shown in Figure 14 (B), the operation unit control means 58 receives an operation signal from the "Favorite brand" key 83, and as shown in Figure 14 (B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to turn on the rice brand display elements 72-15 to 72-24, and also turns off the display elements 72-30 to 72-36 which are the display elements for the rice cooking course, and controls the LCD 71 to display the display element 72-5 for "Favorite brand (2)," the display element 72-26 for "hardness," the display element 72-6 for the second hardness selection, the display element 72-27 for "stickiness," the display element 72-7 for the second stickiness selection, the display element 72-11 for "sweetness," and the display element 72-4 for the sweetness selection. As a result, the user can view all the branded rice varieties stored in advance in the storage means 57 and the setting for "Favorite Brand (2)" that the user has registered as their preference without switching the screen on the LCD 71. This eliminates the need to switch the screen on the LCD 71 when setting the rice cooking method, eliminating the inconvenience to the user.

In addition, display elements 72-15 to 72-24, which are the display elements for the rice brands in this embodiment, are simplified and displayed as pictograms, for example, as shown in Figures 14(A) (C) and 15. This allows the name of the rice variety to be displayed in a compact manner, allowing more rice brands to be displayed within the limited display space of the LCD 71 and making the LCD 71 more compact. On the other hand, the name of the rice variety can also be displayed in a larger size, and a more distinct display that is easier to see than a string of the same type of characters can be produced, improving the visibility of display elements 72-15 to 72-24.

As described above, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment is configured to simultaneously display on the LCD 71 the display element 72-6 for selecting the second hardness and the display element 72-7 for selecting the second stickiness, which are the settings for the rice cooking method, and the display elements 72-15 to 72-24 for the rice brand, which are the rice brand of cooked rice texture information for the variety brand rice. Therefore, the user can view all the variety brand rice previously stored in the storage means 57 and the setting for "Favorite Brand (2)" registered by the user as a preference, without switching the screen of the LCD 71, and since there is no need to switch the screen of the LCD 71 when setting the rice cooking method, this eliminates the inconvenience to the user.

In addition, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the LCD 71 is configured to display the rice brand display elements 72-15 to 72-24 as pictograms, which allows the display elements 72-15 to 72-24 to be displayed clearly within the limited display space of the LCD 71, improving the visibility of these display elements 72-15 to 72-24.

Figure 16 shows a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention. In this modified example, recommended branded rice of a particular region and a particular region and a particular variety of branded rice with a different texture are displayed on the LCD 71.

Referring to FIG. 16, the display elements 72 arranged on the LCD 71 will be described. Instead of the display elements 72-15 to 72-22, which are the rice brands of cooked texture information for branded rice varieties in the third embodiment, a display element 72-38 for "recommended brand," a display element 72-39 for selecting a recommended brand, a display element 72-40 for "different texture than usual," and a display element 72-41 for selecting a different texture are arranged vertically and horizontally.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as above will be described. As described in the fourth embodiment, before the rice cooker 1 is turned on, the LCD 71 displays as shown in Fig. 14(A) using a battery (not shown) as a power source. At this time, when the rice cooker 1 is plugged in and turned on, as shown in Fig. 16, the display operation control means 59 selects from the table of Fig. 4 stored in the storage means 57 a brand of rice with a setting close to the setting of the brand of rice previously selected, for example, a brand of rice with a "hardness" setting within "1" and a "stickiness" setting within "1", and controls the LCD 71 to display it on the display element 72-39 for recommended brand selection. For example, if the previously selected brand of rice was "Koshihikari Minamiuonuma" with a "hardness" setting of "3" and a "stickiness" setting of "3," the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display "Yumepirika" with a "hardness" setting of "4" and a "stickiness" setting of "4" in the display element 72-39 for selecting recommended brands. By configuring in this way, it is possible to suggest to the user a brand of rice with a texture similar to the texture of the rice that the user usually eats.

The display operation control means 59 also controls the LCD 71 to select a brand of rice that is far different from the setting of the previously selected brand of rice from the table of FIG. 4 stored in the storage means 57, and to display it in the different texture selection display element 72-41. For example, in the case of the aforementioned "Koshihikari Minamiuonuma," the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to display "Akitakomachi," which has a "hardness" setting of "1" and a "stickiness" setting of "2," in the different texture selection display element 72-41. By configuring in this way, it is possible to suggest to the user a brand of rice with a different texture from the rice that the user usually eats.

After that, when the "Favorite Brand" key 83 is operated in FIG. 16, the operation unit control means 58 receives an operation signal from the "Favorite Brand" key 83, and as shown in FIG. 14(B), the display operation control means 59 controls the LCD 71 to turn off the "Recommended Brand" display element 72-38, the recommended brand selection display element 72-39, the "Different Texture" display element 72-40, and the different texture selection display element 72-41, and turn on the rice brand display elements 72-15 to 72-24. The subsequent operations are the same as in the fourth embodiment, so a description will be omitted.

As described above, in the rice cooker 1 of this modified example, the storage means 57 stores the table shown in FIG. 4, for example, in which cooked texture information of branded rice varieties is organized into a matrix and the cooking method is mapped, and the LCD 71 is configured to display brands of rice with settings close to and distant from the selected cooking method based on the table shown in FIG. 4. This makes it possible to suggest to the user brands of rice with a texture close to the texture of the rice the user usually eats, and also to suggest to the user brands of rice with a texture different from the rice the user usually eats.

Figure 17 shows a fifth embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention. In this embodiment, the display and operation control means 46 further includes a transmission/reception unit 91 capable of communicating with an information terminal, so that the setting information for "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" stored in the storage means 57 can be confirmed on this information terminal, and the setting information for "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" can be transmitted from this information terminal to the storage means 57.

Figure 17 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment. In the figure, the display and operation control means 46 further includes a transmission/reception unit 91. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 having the above configuration will be described. For example, when a user transmits a signal requesting transmission of the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings to the rice cooker 1 using an information terminal, the signal is accepted by the transmitting/receiving unit 91, and the condition setting means 60 controls the transmitting/receiving unit 91 to transmit the "hardness" and "stickiness" setting information stored in the storage means 57 to the information terminal. Therefore, by receiving the transmitted "hardness" and "stickiness" setting information, which is cooked texture information of the origin variety brand rice, at the information terminal, the user can confirm the "hardness" and "stickiness" setting information stored in the storage means 57. The condition setting means 60 may control the transmitting/receiving unit 91 to transmit not only the "hardness" and "stickiness" setting information stored in the storage means 57, but also the "sweetness" setting currently stored in the storage means 57 and displayed on the LCD 71 to the information terminal. It may also be possible to install a dedicated app on the user's information terminal, and when information is received from the transmission/reception unit 91, the information may be displayed on the screen of the information terminal so that the user can easily view the information.

When the user transmits the setting information for "hardness" and "stickiness" based on the cooked texture information of the local variety brand rice to the rice cooker 1 using an information terminal, the information is accepted by the transmission/reception unit 91, and the condition setting means 60 stores the transmitted setting information for "hardness," "stickiness," and "sweetness" in the storage means 57. Therefore, without sending the rice cooker 1 to the manufacturer to input additional information into the storage means 57, the user can import and update the setting information for "hardness" and "stickiness" of the local variety brand rice that is not stored in the storage means 57 with the rice cooker 1 as purchased by the user, and can use the information to set "hardness" and "stickiness," thus saving the user time and effort. A dedicated app may be installed on the user's information terminal to make it easier to transmit the setting information for "hardness" and "stickiness" based on the cooked texture information of the local variety brand rice to the transmission/reception unit 91.

In addition, if an information terminal such as a smartphone capable of communicating with the transmitting/receiving unit 91 of the rice cooker 1 has a location information acquisition means such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), the transmitting/receiving unit 91 may be configured to receive the location information of the information terminal acquired by the location information acquisition means. In this case, when the transmitting/receiving unit 91 accepts the location information of the information terminal acquired by the location information acquisition means of the information terminal, the condition setting means 60 stores the transmitted location information in the storage means 57. The display operation control means 59 may determine that this location information is within the user's living space, that is, the area where the rice cooker 1 is installed, and control the LCD 71 to display the brand of the area of this location information as a recommended rice brand by default in the display element 72-10 for the first brand selection after the power is turned on, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 (B). The display operation control means 59 may also control the LCD 71 to display the brand of the area of this location information by priority in a conspicuous position, such as the upper left corner, on the screen for selecting rice brands, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 (C). In these cases, the cooked texture information of the branded rice variety in the table stored in the storage means 57 may be configured to incorporate a "region" setting in addition to the "hardness" and "stickiness" settings related to the brand of rice. By configuring it in this way, the branded rice variety produced in the region where the user is located can be preferentially displayed on the LCD 71, and this branded rice variety can be easily selected on the screen for selecting the brand of rice.

The rice cooker 1 may also be configured to have a location acquisition means. In this case, the condition setting means 60 stores the location information acquired by the location acquisition means in the storage means 57. The display operation control means 59 then determines that this location information is the area where the rice cooker 1 is installed, and performs the control described above. With this configuration, it is possible to preferentially display on the LCD 71 the local variety brand rice produced in the user's area, and also to easily select this local variety brand rice on the screen for selecting the rice brand.

As described above, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment further includes a transceiver 91 capable of communicating with an information terminal such as a smartphone, and the settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" stored in the storage means 57 can be confirmed on the information terminal, and the settings of "hardness" and "stickiness" based on cooked texture information of the variety of branded rice can be transmitted to the storage means 57 from the information terminal. Therefore, for example, when new brands of rice are added or the texture of rice changes depending on the planting year, the cooking information of the variety of branded rice of the production area that changes due to the increase in the number of new brands of rice or the change in the texture of rice depending on the year of planting, "locally polished rice" that manages blended rice and polished rice recommended by rice shops, and brown rice, germ rice, partially polished rice, etc., can be stored in the storage means 57 according to the user's preferences and updated, and the setting information of "hardness" and "stickiness" stored in the storage means 57 can be confirmed.

The rice cooker 1 of this embodiment further includes a transmission/reception unit 91 capable of communicating with an information terminal, and the transmission/reception unit 91 can acquire location information of the area in which the rice cooker 1 is installed by communicating with the information terminal. The rice cooking method settings stored in the storage means 57 include settings of rice cooking methods according to the origin, variety, and brand of rice, and the LCD 71 is configured to preferentially display display elements 72-15 to 72-22, which are brands of rice according to the origin, variety, and brand of rice of the area in the location information. Therefore, origin, variety, and brand rice produced in the area where the user is located can be preferentially displayed on the LCD 71, and this origin, variety, and brand rice can be easily selected on the screen for selecting a rice brand.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configurations characteristic of the first to fifth embodiments may be combined. Furthermore, the numerical values exemplified in the embodiments are merely examples, and may be modified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the rice cooker, etc.

1 Rice cooker 5 Pot 12 Heating coil (heating means)
53 Rice cooking control means (control means)
57 Storage means 63 “Hardness” key (selection means)
64 "Tenacity" key (selection means)
65 "Sweetness" key (selection means)
71 LCD (display means)
72-2 Display elements for selecting hardness (setting of rice cooking method)
72-3 Display elements for stickiness selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-4 Display elements for sweetness selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-6 Display element for second hardness selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-7 Display element for second stickiness selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-8 Display element for second sweetness selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-10 Display element for first brand selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-12 Display elements for second brand selection (rice cooking method setting)
72-15 Display elements of "Koshihikari" (rice brand name of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-16 Display elements of "Hitomebore" (rice brand name with cooked texture information of rice variety)
72-17 Display elements of "Hinohikari" (rice brand name of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-18 Display elements of "Akitakomachi" (rice brand name with cooked texture information of rice variety)
72-19 Display elements of "Nanatsuboshi" (rice brand name of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-20 Display elements of "Kinuhikari" (rice brand of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-21 Display elements of "Nikomaru" (rice brand of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-22 Display elements of "Tsuyahime" (rice brand of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-23 Display elements of "Kinumusume" (rice brand of cooked rice texture information of variety brand rice)
72-24 Display elements of "Aichi no Kaori" (rice brand name and cooked texture information of rice varieties)
78 "Cooking method" key (selection means)
91 Transmitter/receiver

Claims (10)

A pot for storing rice and water as food to be cooked;
A heating means for heating the pan;
A selection means for selecting a cooking method setting for the food to be cooked;
A control means for controlling the heating means based on the selected setting of the rice cooking method;
A display means for displaying the setting of the rice cooking method;
A storage means for storing the setting of the selected rice cooking method,
The selection means is a rice cooker capable of selecting the setting of the rice cooking method based on cooked texture information of a variety of branded rice,
Further comprising a transmitting/receiving unit capable of communicating with an information terminal;
The transmitting/receiving unit is capable of acquiring location information of an area in which the rice cooker is installed,
The setting of the rice cooking method stored in the storage means includes a setting of a rice cooking method according to a producing area, variety, and brand of rice,
The rice cooker is characterized in that the display means is configured to preferentially display settings for a rice cooking method according to a rice variety and brand name of a region of the location information . The storage means stores a plurality of settings of the rice cooking method,
2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays all of the settings of the plurality of rice cooking methods stored in the storage means. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the setting of the rice cooking method stored in the storage means can be changed arbitrarily by the selection means. The storage means stores cooked texture information of the branded rice as a setting of the rice cooking method,
2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the brand of the cooked rice in the cooked texture information of the variety of the branded rice in addition to the setting of the rice cooking method. The rice cooker according to claim 4, characterized in that the setting of the rice cooking method and the brand of rice in the cooked texture information of the branded rice variety are simultaneously displayed on the display means. The rice cooker according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the display means displays the rice brand in the form of a pictogram. The setting of the rice cooking method stored in the storage means includes a setting of a rice cooking method according to a producing area, variety, and brand of rice,
7. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the selection means is configured to be able to select a rice cooking method according to the producing area, variety, and brand of rice. The setting of the rice cooking method includes settings other than the settings stored in the storage means,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the selection means is configured to select a setting other than the setting stored in the storage means based on published information on the origin, variety, and brand of rice and texture information. The setting of the rice cooking method stored in the storage means can be confirmed on the information terminal,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the setting of the rice cooking method based on cooked texture information of the branded rice variety can be transmitted from the information terminal to the storage means. The storage means stores a table in which cooked texture information of branded rice varieties is converted into a matrix and the rice cooking method is mapped,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the display means is configured to display brands of rice with settings close to and distant from the selected rice cooking method based on a table that maps the rice cooking method.

Images