JP7776291B2 - Rice Cookers and Rice Cooker Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker and rice cooker system that allows users to select a brand.

Conventionally, rice cookers that allow the user to select a brand of rice in order to cook rice appropriately for each brand have been well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker that allows the user to select a category list for searching for rice brands, select a desired category from the selected category list, and then select a brand of rice from the brand selection screen that displays the selection results.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-143647

With the rice cooker in Patent Document 1, users select a desired category and choose a brand of rice from the brand selection screen that results from that selection. However, if the category is, for example, "brands characterized by hardness," only brands of rice with a hard texture are displayed on the brand selection screen. If users want to select a brand of rice with a different texture, they cannot select it on the brand selection screen, making it impossible to select a brand of rice that prioritizes texture. Therefore, to select a brand of rice based on a desired texture, such as "sticky, chewy texture," "soft, refreshing texture," or "balanced texture of stickiness and hardness," users must independently research brands of rice with the desired texture and then select that brand of rice on the rice cooker, which raises the risk of selecting a brand of rice that does not have the desired texture. Additionally, because it is difficult to choose the desired brand of rice from the more than 800 varieties available, most people choose from a limited selection of around 50 to 70 varieties, taking into account taste information from magazines, TV, word of mouth, and recommendations from retailers, for example, and selecting a brand that is easy to purchase based on factors such as name recognition, regionality, ease of purchase, and price. This has led to complaints that the selection of rice brands with the desired texture is limited.

The present invention aims to provide a rice cooker that allows you to select a brand of rice that prioritizes texture.

The rice cooker of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a texture selection means for selecting the texture of rice; a brand selection means for selecting the brand of rice; a production area selection means for selecting the production area of the rice; a display means for displaying a first screen that allows the texture to be selected by the texture selection means; a second screen that allows the brand associated with the texture to be selected by the brand selection means by selecting the texture; and a third screen that allows the production area selection means to select multiple production areas associated with the selected brand by selecting the brand; and a rice cooking control means for cooking rice according to the brand selected by the brand selection means and the production area selected by the production area selection means .

With the rice cooker of the present invention, the user can select the desired brand of rice from the brands of rice that match the user's preferred texture listed on the display means, and can select a brand of rice that prioritizes texture. Since multiple brands of rice with the desired texture are displayed, the user has a wider range of rice brand options. Furthermore, if the brand of rice they are trying to select does not match the desired texture, they can easily decide to select a different brand of rice, preventing the user from cooking rice with a brand that does not match the desired texture.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a rice cooker system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the same. FIG. 10 is a top view of the operation panel displaying the top screen. FIG. 10 is a top view of the screen display unit displaying the texture selection screen. FIG. 10 is a top view of the screen display unit displaying the stock selection screen. FIG. 10 is a top view of the screen display unit displaying the brand-specific texture selection screen. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the pressure inside the pot and gas molecules. This is a graph showing the changes in the detected temperature of the pot sensor, the detected temperature of the lid temperature sensor, the output of the heating coil, the output of the lid heater 44, and the pressure during decompression and degassing in the pot during the rice cooking process and the keep-warm process. This is a table showing the relationship between the amount of rice cooked and the water absorption of the rice in the rice cooking process, and the corresponding parameters for controlling rice cooking. FIG. 10 is a top view of a screen display unit displaying a rice selection screen of a rice cooker in a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a top view of the screen display unit displaying the brand search screen.

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

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a rice cooker system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the diagram, reference numeral 1 denotes a rice cooker that enables cooking of rice, and reference numeral 2 denotes the Internet, a network that connects information devices such as computers around the world. Rice cooker 1, installed in house H, exchanges various data with cloud server 3, which is connected to Internet 2, via an access point (not shown), which provides access to Internet 2.

4 is an information terminal such as a smartphone that allows the display of recipe information related to rice cooking menus for rice cooked in rice cooker 1. Information terminal 4 functions as a means for accessing Internet 2, and is configured to exchange various data between information terminal 4 and server 3 via an access point. Information terminal 4 is also configured to exchange various data directly with rice cooker 1 without going through Internet 2, using a communication method such as Bluetooth.

Server 3 stores brand information such as the name of the rice, texture information such as the texture of each brand of rice, and rice origin information such as the place of origin of each brand of rice. The administrator of Server 3, who is usually the manufacturer of rice cooker 1, can update various information on Server 3, such as the rice brand information, texture information, and origin information, and keeps this information up to date by updating it with information such as the annual establishment, discontinuation, name change, and change of origin of brand rice.

2 and 3, the overall structure of rice cooker 1 will be described. Viewed from above, rice cooker 1 has a generally rectangular shape with opposing front and rear, left and right sides, and an open top. The entire structure is made up of a main body 11 and a lid 12 that can be opened and closed to cover the top opening of main body 11. Main body 11 has a pot housing section 13 that is open at the top, and when lid 12 is opened, a bottomed pot 14, which serves as a container for water and rice (food S) to be cooked, is removably housed in pot housing section 13. Main body 11 is primarily composed of an upper frame 15 that forms the top and upper side surfaces, and an outer frame 16 that forms the side and bottom surfaces. Top frame 15 and outer frame 16 are made of synthetic resin, such as PP or ABS polycarbonate. The top and sides of the concave pot accommodating section 13 are formed integrally with the upper frame 15, while the bottom of the pot accommodating section 13 is formed by an inner frame 17, which is a separate member from the upper frame 15. The inner frame 17 is made of a synthetic resin such as PET.

A cord heater 18 is provided at the top end of the pot housing portion 3, and is covered with a metal plate portion 19, such as an aluminum plate, which has good thermal conductivity. The cord heater 18 and metal plate portion 19 together form a flange heater 20, which serves as a heat-generating device. The underside of a flange portion 21, which extends from approximately the center of the pot 14 to the entire periphery, is placed on the flange heater 20, and the pot 14 is housed in a suspended state in the pot housing portion 13. The flange heater 20 heats the flange portion 21 and the sides of the pot 14 during cooking and keeping warm, and radiates heat from the metal plate portion 19 toward the gap between the main body 11 and the lid 12 and the gap between the pot housing portion 13 and the pot 14, thereby preventing the pot 14 from cooling and preventing moisture generated by the food S from condensing on the upper inner surface of the pot 14 due to heating.

The pot 14 has a main material 22 made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity. A heating element 23 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is bonded to the outer surface of the main material 22 from the lower side to the bottom. The outer surface of the inner frame 17, which faces the lower side of the pot 14 toward the bottom, is equipped with a heating coil 24 as a heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the heating element 23 of the pot 14. The heating coil 24 made of Litz wire is spirally wound on the outer surface of the bowl-shaped inner frame 17. A cord heater 25, separate from the flange heater 20, is also installed on the inner surface of the lid 12, facing the outer surface of the upper part of the pot 14. The cord heater 25, which serves as a body heater, is fixed to an inner lid ring 26 made of a metal plate such as stainless steel or aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, to form an inner lid ring heater 27 as a lid side heating means.

A pot sensor 28, which serves as a pot temperature detection means, is disposed in the center of the bottom of the inner frame 17 so as to make elastic contact with the outer bottom surface of the pot 14. In this embodiment, the pot sensor 28 is configured to detect the temperature of the pot 14 and primarily control the heating temperature of the bottom of the pot 14 by the heating coil 24.

A lid-opening button 31 is located in an exposed position on the front upper surface of the lid 12. Pressing this lid-opening button 31 disengages the main body 11 from the lid 12, and the lid 12 automatically opens around a hinge shaft 32, driven by a hinge spring (not shown) located at the upper rear of the main body 11. A steam vent unit 34 is detachably attached to the rear upper surface of the lid 12. The steam vent unit 34 has a steam vent 33 that exhausts steam generated from the food being cooked in the pot 14 to the outside of the rice cooker 1.

The lid 12 is primarily composed of an outer lid 41, which serves as the exterior part forming the upper surface of the lid; a heat sink 42, which forms the underside of the lid 12; and an outer lid cover 43, which serves as the lid base material that connects the outer lid 41 and the heat sink 42 to form the framework of the lid 12. A unitized inner lid assembly 45 is disposed below the lid 12 and serves as the lower component of the lid 12. The inner lid assembly 45 is made of a metal material and has a disk shape with approximately the same diameter as the upper opening of the pot 14. It includes an inner lid 46 that covers the upper opening of the pot 14, a lid gasket 47 that serves as an elastic member attached around the entire outer periphery of the inner lid 46 to seal the gap between the inner lid 46 and the pot 14, and a pressure regulator 48 that adjusts the internal pressure of the pot 14. As shown in Figure 3, when the lid 12 is closed, the annular lid gasket 47 abuts against the top surface of the pot 14, which is the opening, to seal the gap between the pot 14 and the inner lid 46 and seal in steam generated from the pot 14.

A lid heater 44, serving as a lid heating means, and a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 51 for controlling the temperature of the inner lid 46 by the lid heater 44 are provided inside the lid body 12 and on the top surface of the heat sink 42. The lid heater 44 may be an electric heater such as a cord heater, or an electromagnetic induction heating coil. A steam exhaust path 52 is also provided, connecting the steam vent unit 34 and the pressure adjustment unit 48, as a passageway for releasing steam generated inside the pot 14 to the outside. The pressure adjustment unit 48 is provided with a pressure adjustment valve 53 that opens and closes the steam exhaust path 52 between the inside of the pot 14 and the steam vent unit 34. Pressure regulating valve 53 is ball-shaped and works in conjunction with solenoid 54 located inside lid 12. Solenoid 54 rotates pressure regulating valve 53 to open steam exhaust path 52 when steam inside pot 14 is to be released to the outside, and to close steam exhaust path 52 when the pressure inside pot 14 is to be pressurized or reduced. When pressurizing, high-frequency current is passed through heating coil 24 to heat the food inside pot 14, and when the internal pressure of pot 14 reaches a predetermined value, pressure regulating valve 53 opens steam exhaust path 52 against its own weight, thereby maintaining the pressure inside pot 14 at or above atmospheric pressure. Additionally, pressure sensor 30 (see Figure 4) is located inside lid 12 facing pressure regulating section 48 and detects the pressure inside pot 14.

55 denotes a pressure reduction device for reducing the pressure inside the pot 14 below normal atmospheric pressure when the lid 12 is closed to the main body 11. The pressure reduction device 55 accommodates the pot 14 in the pot housing 13, closes the lid 12, and then energizes the solenoid 54 to reduce the internal pressure of the sealed pot 14 while the pressure regulating valve 53 blocks the steam exhaust path 52. Furthermore, when the pressure inside the pot 14 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of the pressure reduction pump 56, which serves as the power source for the pressure reduction device 55, is stopped, maintaining the pressure reduction state inside the pot 14. Here, the pressure reduction pump 56 in this embodiment is PMW (Pulse Width Modulation) controlled, and the on/off of the motor of the pressure reduction pump 56 is pulse-controlled to change the pump's driving speed, but other control methods may also be used. Furthermore, when returning the pressure inside the pot 14 from a reduced pressure state to the same as the outside air pressure, the operation of the vacuum pump 56 is stopped and a path (not shown) connecting the vacuum pump 56 to the inside of the pot 14 is opened. In other words, the vacuum means 55 also serves as a pressure return means that returns the pressure inside the pot 14 from a reduced pressure state to the same as the outside air pressure.

In addition to the lid-opening button 31 and steam vent unit 34, the top surface of the lid 12 is also equipped with an operation panel 37, which serves as the display and operation unit for the rice cooker 1. The operation panel 37 is equipped with a display means 35 that displays various cooking-related information and an operation means 36 for starting cooking and selecting the time and cooking course. Beneath these is a control PC (Printed Circuit) board 38 equipped with a control IC 67 (see Figure 4) for controlling various parts of the rice cooker. The control PC board 38 has a patterned conductive circuit, and by mounting control ICs and other components related to operation and display on this control PC board 38, a display and operation control means 59 is formed that works in conjunction with the heating control means 57, which will be described later.

Additionally, a unitized heating board assembly 58 including a heating control means 57 is disposed inside the main body 11. The heating control means 57 is configured to include a microcomputer equipped with a control IC 61 and memory means 62 (see Figure 4) in combination with a display and operation control means 59 to electrically control each part of the rice cooker 1. Here, the heating control means 57 receives temperature detection signals from the pot sensor 28 and lid temperature sensor 51, as well as operation signals from the operation means 36 via the display and operation control means 59, and controls the heating coil 24 that heats the pot 14 during cooking and keeping warm, and the lid heater 44 that heats the inner lid 46 of the lid body 12, as well as the operation of the solenoid 54 and the vacuum pump 56. In particular, the heating control means 57 controls the temperature of the bottom of the pot 14 by mainly controlling the heating coil 24 based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 28, and controls the temperature of the inner lid 24 facing the food being cooked by mainly controlling the lid heater 44 based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 51.

Next, the control system for the heating control means 57 and the display/operation control means 59 will be described with reference to Figure 4. In this figure, the heating control means 57 mounted on the main body 11 includes a control IC 61, memory means 62, and a timing means (not shown), which constitute a microcomputer. It receives temperature detection signals from the pot sensor 28 and lid temperature sensor 51, pressure detection signals from the pressure sensor 30, and control signals from the display/operation control means 59 to control the heating coil 24 and cord heater 25 that heat the pot 14 during cooking and keeping warm, and the lid heater 44 that heats the inner lid 24, as well as the solenoid 54 that operates the pressure regulating valve 53 and the pressure reducing means 55. In particular, the heating control means 57 primarily controls the heating coil 24 based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 28 to control the temperature of the bottom of the pot 14, and primarily controls the lid heater 44 based on the temperature detected by the lid sensor 34 to control the temperature of the inner lid 24. The heating coil 24, lid heater 44, and the aforementioned cord heater 25 correspond to the heating means 66 that heats the food to be cooked placed in the pot 14.

The heating control means 57 has a rice cooking control means 64 and a keep-warm control means 65 in the control IC 61 as functions in the control sequence of the program read from the storage means 62. The rice cooking control means 64 receives a control signal from the display/operation control means 59, which has received an instruction to start cooking rice from the operation means 36, for example, the rice cooking key, and sequentially executes the following processes: a soaking process to promote the absorption of water by the rice placed in the pot 14; a boiling and heating process to quickly raise the temperature of the food to a boil; a boiling continuation process to maintain the boiling state of the food; and a high-temperature maintenance process to maintain the rice at a high temperature that does not burn, thereby cooking and heating the food in the pot 14 at the desired pressure. The keep-warm control means 65 also controls the keep-warm process to maintain the rice in the pot 14 at a predetermined keep-warm temperature.

On the other hand, the display/operation control means 59 includes a control IC 67, memory means 68, and a timing means (not shown), which constitute a microcomputer. It controls the display operation of the display means 35 in response to operation signals from the operation means 36 and control signals from the heating control means 57, and transmits control signals to the heating control means 57. It also exchanges information with the outside via the Internet 2 or a communication method such as Bluetooth using a communication means 73, such as a communication module, which is installed as a transmitter/receiver to enable wireless communication between the rice cooker 1 and the server 3 or information terminal 4. As a function of the control sequence of the program stored in the memory means 68, the display/operation control means 59 includes an operation unit control means 69 that generates various control signals based on operation signals from the operation means 36, a display control means 71 that controls the display operation of the display means 35, and a condition setting means 72 that works in conjunction with the operation unit control means 69 and display control means 71 to select and set conditions selectable by the operation means 36, such as selecting and setting a desired cooking course or rice cooking course from multiple cooking courses or rice cooking courses.

Figure 5 is a top view of the operation panel 37. Figure 5 is a top view of the operation panel 37, and Figures 6 to 8 are top views of the screen display unit 93. In Figures 5 to 8, the upper side of each drawing will be described as the "front," the lower side as the "rear," the left side as the "left," and the right side as the "right." The front side of each drawing will be described as the "top" and the back side as the "bottom." The display means 35 in Figure 5 shows the top screen G1. When the user inserts the power plug provided in the main body 1 into a household outlet, the necessary power is supplied to each part of the rice cooker 1. At this time, the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to display the top screen G1 layout as shown in Figure 5 as the initial screen for everyday use displayed on the display means 35 after a predetermined time has elapsed. The display control means 71 also controls the screen display unit 93 to display the layout of this top screen G1 on the display means 35 during the rice cooking process, keep-warm process, and scheduled cooking process, and controls the screen display unit 93 to transition to a dedicated screen when selecting or setting a menu or setting a reservation. In Figure 5, the "Cooking" LED 95 on the display means 35 of the operation panel 37 is lit, indicating that the rice is in the cooking process, and the screen display unit 93 of the display means 35 shows that "White Rice Koshihikari Minamiuonuma," "3.0," and "Normal" have been selected.

Referring to FIG. 5, the operation means 36 is composed of a reservation key 81, a forward key 82, a back key 83, a menu key 84, a texture key 85, and an off key 86, which are arranged in a row on the right side of the operation panel 37, as well as a rice cooking amount key 87, a rice cooking key 88, and a keep warm key 89, which are arranged in a row on the rear side of the operation panel 37, and a touch sensor 90 arranged on the top surface of the screen display unit 93. Here, each of the keys 81 to 89 cannot be operated by touch operation by the user, but function as push-type operation means such as tactile switches that can be operated by pressing, and the touch sensor 90 functions as a non-push-type operation means such as a touch key that can be operated by touch operation by the user, by being connected to a control PC board (not shown).

The rice cooking key 88 is operated to start cooking rice. When the rice cooking key 88 is pressed, the operation signal from the rice cooking key 88 is received by the operation unit control means 69 and a control signal is sent to the heating control means 57, and the rice cooking control means 64 then controls the start of cooking the food S to be cooked in the main body 1. The keep warm key 89 is operated to keep the food warm. When the keep warm key 89 is pressed, the operation unit control means 69 receives the operation signal from the keep warm key 89 and sends a control signal to the heating control means 57, and the keep warm control means 65 then controls the start of keeping the food warm and reheating it in the main body 1.

The off key 86 is operated to stop cooking or keeping warm. When the off key 86 is pressed, the operation signal from the off key 68 is received by the operation control means 69, which sends a control signal to the heating control means 57. The cooking control means 64 or keep-warm control means 65 then stops heating the food S in the main body 1 and switches off the cooking state.

The reservation key 81 is operated to schedule rice cooking. After pressing the reservation key 81 and setting the reservation time and cooking course, pressing the rice cooking key 88 causes the operation control means 69 to accept the operation signal from the rice cooking key 88 and send a control signal to the heating control means 57. The rice cooking control means 64 then starts cooking the rice so that the food S in the main unit 1 is cooked at the pre-set reservation time, and then the keep-warm control means 65 starts keeping the food warm.

The forward key 82 and back key 83 are used to set the menu, texture, and amount of rice cooked on the selection screen described below, as well as to adjust the reservation time, current time, and cooking time.

The menu key 84 is operated when setting the rice menu, such as "white rice" or "brown rice." When the menu key 52 is pressed, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the menu key 52, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to transition to the texture selection screen G2 as shown in Figure 6. The texture key 85 is operated when setting the rice cooking method, such as the hardness and stickiness of the cooked rice, such as "crisp" or "fluffy." When the texture key 85 is pressed, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the texture key 85, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to transition to the rice texture selection screen (not shown). The rice cooking amount key 87 is operated to set the amount of rice cooked for the food item S. When the rice cooking amount key 87 is pressed, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the rice cooking amount key 87, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to transition to a rice cooking amount selection screen (not shown). On these selection screens, the forward key 82, back key 83, and touch sensor 90 are used to select and set the rice menu, texture, and amount of rice cooked, respectively.

The touch sensor 90 is configured so that multiple components, each connected by pattern wiring between a transparent electrode made of conductive polymer and a contact point connected to a control PC board (not shown), are arranged as touch keys. By touching one of the multiple display elements 97 displayed on the screen display section 93 below the touch sensor 90 with a fingertip, the touch key arranged above that display element 97 and corresponding to that display element 97 is touched and selected.

The display means 35 is composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor) liquid crystal, organic EL (Electro Luminescence), or the like, and is composed of a screen display unit 93 that displays the current time, the scheduled time for completion of rice cooking, the selected rice menu and texture, and the amount of rice cooked, and a "Reservation" LED 94, a "Cooking" LED 95, and a "Keep Warm" LED 96 that are arranged side by side on the front part of the operation panel 37 and serve as status indicators that display the rice cooking process as a rice cooker.

With reference to Figure 5, the display elements 97 arranged on the screen display unit 93 are as follows: a clock display element 97-1 that displays the current time; cooking reservation display elements 97-2 and 97-3 that display the reserved time for rice cooking completion when reservation cooking is set; a rice cooking amount display element 97-4 that displays the selected amount of cooked rice; a selection menu display element 97-5 that lights up to display the selected type of rice (in Figure 5, "White Rice Koshihikari Minamiuonuma" is displayed); a "brown rice" display element 97-7 and a "porridge" display element 97-8; a "crisp" display element 97-9 that lights up to display the selected texture; a "normal" display element 97-10 and a "fluffy" display element 97-11.

Figure 6 shows the texture selection screen G2, which is displayed when the menu key 84 is pressed. Referring to this figure, the texture selection screen G2 is described below. The right side of the screen displays five button display sections B1-B5, arranged in a front-to-back order. The left side of the texture selection display section A2 displays the following texture-related information: an explanation display element 97-26 displaying information about sticky and chewy textures; a forward arrow display element 97-27; an explanation display element 97-28 displaying information about balanced textures; a backward arrow display element 97-29; and an explanation display element 97-30 displaying information about soft and refreshing textures. The "1" button display section B1 includes a "1" display element 97-21. The "2" button display section B2 includes a "2" display element 97-22. Additionally, the "3" button display section B3 includes a display element 97-23 for "3." The "4" button display section B4 includes a display element 97-24 for "4." The "5" button display section B1 includes a display element 97-25 for "5."

The button display sections B1-B5 in the texture selection display area A2 are operated to select the texture of the brand of rice to be cooked. When one of the button display sections B1-B5 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the respective button display section B1-B5, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to transition to the corresponding brand selection screen G3 shown in Figures 7(A)-7(E). In addition, the explanatory display element 97-26 for "sticky, chewy texture" is located to the left of the "1" button display section B1, reminding the user that the texture of the brand of rice displayed on the screen transitioned to by selecting the "1" button display section B1 is the stickiest and chewiest. Similarly, the explanatory display element 97-28 for "balanced texture" is positioned to the left of the "3" button display section B3 to remind the user that the texture of the brand of rice displayed on the screen transitioned to by selecting the "3" button display section B3 is a texture with a good balance of stickiness and hardness, and the explanatory display element 97-30 for "soft, refreshing texture" is positioned to the left of the "5" button display section B5 to remind the user that the texture of the brand of rice displayed on the screen transitioned to by selecting the "5" button display section B5 is the softest, refreshing texture. A forward arrow display element 97-27 is placed on the left side of the "2" button display section B3, between the explanatory display element 97-26 for "sticky, chewy texture" and the explanatory display element 97-28 for "balanced texture," so that as the number displayed in the button display section decreases, the user is reminded that the texture of the rice of the brand of rice displayed on the screen to which the screen transitions becomes sticky and chewy. Similarly, a backward arrow display element 97-29 is placed on the left side of the "4" button display section B3, between the explanatory display element 97-28 for "balanced texture" and the explanatory display element 97-30 for "soft, refreshing texture," so that as the number displayed in the button display section increases, the user is reminded that the texture of the rice of the brand of rice displayed on the screen to which the screen transitions becomes soft and refreshing.

Figures 7(A) to 7(E) show the brand selection screen G3, which is accessed when button display sections B1 to B5 in the texture selection display area A2 of the texture selection screen G2 are touched. In this embodiment, the brand selection screen G3 corresponds to button display sections B1 to B5, and therefore brand selection screens G3-1 to G3-5 exist. However, the present invention is not limited to this. All rice brands on the brand selection screen G3 may be listed in order of texture, and the screen may be configured to access the texture corresponding to button display sections B1 to B5. Referring to Figure 7(B), the brand selection screen G3 is described in detail below. A texture number display element 97-41, which indicates the number of button display sections B1 to B5 selected on the texture selection screen G2, is located at the front of the screen; in Figure 7(B), "2" is displayed. Behind the texture number display element 97-41, a brand selection display area A3 is formed, displaying rice brand button display sections B11 to B17 in a front-to-back order.

The button display sections B11 to B17 in the brand selection display area A3 are displayed for selecting the brand of rice to be cooked. When any of the button display sections B11 to B17 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above each button display section B11 to B17, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to transition to the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4 shown in FIG. 8.

Here, button display sections B11 to B17 display different rice brands and representative producing areas for each brand selection screen G3-1 to G3-5. For example, the brand selection screen G3-2 shown in Figure 7 (B) has seven button display sections B11 to B17, and display element 97-31 of button display section B11 displays "Koshihikari, Niigata, Honshu, etc." Similarly, display element 97-32 of button display unit B12 displays "Koshiibuki, Niigata," display element 97-33 of button display unit B13 displays "Hinohikari, Shikoku, Kyushu, etc.", display element 97-34 of button display unit B14 displays "Nikomaru, Shikoku, Kyushu," display element 97-35 of button display unit B15 displays "Haenuki, Yamagata," display element 97-36 of button display unit B16 displays "Forest Bear, Kumamoto," and display element 97-37 of button display unit B17 displays "Kinuhikari, Kansai."

For example, the brand selection screen G3-1 shown in FIG. 7(A) has three button display sections B11 to B13, with "Yumepirika Hokkaido" displayed in display element 97-31 of button display section B11, "Milky Queen South of Tohoku" displayed in display element 97-32 of button display section B12, and "Yumegokochi Yamagata" displayed in display element 97-33 of button display section B13. Similarly, the brand selection screens G3-3, G3-4, and G3-5 have four, three, and seven button display sections, respectively, each displaying a different rice brand, configured so that there is no overlap with the rice brands displayed on other brand selection screens G3. Therefore, the user can select the desired rice brand from the listed rice brands that match the user's preferred texture, allowing them to select a rice brand that prioritizes texture. For the sake of explanation, in this embodiment, the brand selection screens G3-1 to G3-5 are configured to have three, seven, four, three, and seven button display sections, respectively, allowing a total of 24 different rice brands to be selected from. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of button display sections displayed on each brand selection screen G3 may be different, and the types of rice brands displayed may also be different. Furthermore, rice texture information, rice brand information, and rice production area information stored on the server 3 may be obtained via the network, and the number of button display sections displayed on the brand selection screen G3 and the rice brands displayed in the button display sections may be updated.

Figures 8(A) and 8(B) show the brand-specific texture selection screen G4, which is accessed when button display sections B11 to B17 in brand selection display area A3 of brand selection screen G3 are touched. In this embodiment, the brand-specific texture selection screen G4 corresponds to the rice brands displayed in button display sections B11 to B17, and therefore there are as many brand-specific texture selection screens G4 as there are rice brands displayed on brand selection screens G3-1 to G3-5. For example, Figure 8(A) shows the brand-specific texture selection screen G4 that appears when button display section B11, which displays "Koshihikari, Niigata, Honshu, etc." in display element 97-31, is selected on brand selection screen G3-2.

Referring to Figure 8(A), the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4 has a brand display element 97-43 at the front, which indicates the brand of rice displayed in button display areas B11-B17 selected on the brand selection screen G3. In Figure 8(A), "Koshihikari" is displayed. Behind the brand display element 97-43, on the right side of the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4, is a brand-origin selection display area A4, which displays three button display areas B21-B23 arranged in front of and behind each other. On the left side of the brand-by-brand texture selection display area A4, a "chewy" display element 97-51, a forward-pointing arrow display element 97-52, a "balanced" display element 97-53, a backward-pointing arrow display element 97-54, and a "refreshing" display element 97-55 are arranged in front of and behind each other.

The button display sections B21 to B23 within the brand and origin selection display area A4 are displayed to select the origin of the selected brand of rice. When one of the button display sections B21 to B23 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above each button display section B21 to B23, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to transition to the top screen G1 and change the display of the selection menu display element 97-5 to the brand of rice selected on the brand selection screen G3 and the origin of the rice selected on the brand-specific texture selection screen G4.

Here, button display sections B21 to B23 display the name of the region of origin corresponding to the selected brand of rice. For example, brand origin selection display area A4 shown in FIG. 8(A) has three button display sections B21 to B23. Display element 97-44 of button display section B21 displays "All of Niigata." Similarly, display element 97-45 of button display section B22 displays "Minamiuonuma," and display element 97-46 of button display section B23 displays "Toyama." This allows multiple brands of rice with the desired texture to be displayed, expanding the options for rice brands. Furthermore, if the brand of rice to be selected does not have the desired texture, it is easy to decide to select a different brand of rice. This prevents the user from cooking rice with a brand of rice that does not have the desired texture, thereby preventing the user from purchasing brand rice that does not have the desired texture.

Also, on the brand-specific texture selection screen G4, similar to the texture selection screen G2, the "chewy" display element 97-51, the forward arrow display element 97-52, the "balanced" display element 97-53, the backward arrow display element 97-54, and the "refreshing" display element 97-55 are arranged front to back on the left side of the brand-origin selection display area A4, and the "balanced" display element 97-53 is arranged on the left side of the button display section B22, indicating that the texture of Minamiuonuma Koshihikari has a good balance of stickiness and hardness. Button display unit B21 is located in front of button display unit B22 to remind the user that the texture of "Niigata-wide" koshihikari is stickier and chewier than the texture of "Minamiuonuma" koshihikari, and button display unit B23 is located behind button display unit B22 to remind the user that the texture of "Toyama" koshihikari is softer and lighter than the texture of "Minamiuonuma" koshihikari. In this way, the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4 displays the selection of rice production area in association with the hardness and stickiness of the rice, which is the texture selected on the texture selection screen G2, allowing the user to select a brand of rice with a texture that better suits their preferences.

The display and operation control means 59 also uses the communication means 73 to acquire rice texture information, rice brand information, and rice production area information stored on the server 3 via the network. After the rice cooker 1 is first used, it can acquire information such as the establishment, discontinuation, name change, and production area change of rice brands by year, and can always update the texture selection screen G2, which lists texture information for rice brands, the brand selection screen G3, which lists rice brands, and the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4, which lists rice production areas. Furthermore, because the rice brand information and rice production area information are stored on the server 3, the administrator of the server 3 can update this information at any time, keeping it up to date.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as described above during the rice cooking process will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the pressure inside the pot 14 and gas molecules, Figure 10 is a graph showing the changes in the temperature _t1 detected by the pot sensor 28, the temperature _t2 detected by the lid temperature sensor 51, the output W _C of the heating coil 24, the output W _L of the lid heater 44, and the pressure P during degassing in the pot 14 during the rice cooking process and the keep-warm process of the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, and Figure 11 is a table showing the relationship between the amount of rice cooked for the food item S, the water absorbency of the rice for the food item S, and the corresponding parameters for rice cooking control, such as time, duty ratio, and output, during the rice cooking process.

It is known that the balance of appropriate hardness and stickiness in the texture of rice that is preferred in Japanese food culture depends on the amylose and protein content. Low-amylose rice, which is considered to have good taste, is known to have a high amylopectin content, which allows it to absorb a lot of water during pre-soaking before cooking and retain a large amount of water during gelatinization. Low-protein rice is also known to have protein granules that do little to inhibit starch absorption and expansion.

For example, when cooking rice using the same pot 14, the same heating means 66, the same amount of rice to be cooked, the same amount of water to be added, and the same cooking heat amount using the same cooking course, there is a difference in the amount of water absorbed by the rice between low-amylose rice or low-protein rice and high-amylose rice or high-protein rice, and when cooking low-amylose rice or low-protein rice, the temperature of the water in the food being cooked S will rise more quickly during the cooking process. The reasons for this are that the rice absorbs more water before boiling, so it takes less time to boil when boiling, the amount of water absorbed and retained by the rice during boiling gelatinization is also large, so there is less water not absorbed by the rice after boiling, and the time it takes to dry out is shorter, and because more water is absorbed by the rice, less water evaporates during the cooking process, and when rice is cooked immediately after washing without using a timer or a soaking cooking process to pre-absorb water, the rice absorbs more water when the water is heated to increase the rice's water absorption, and the amount of water not absorbed by the rice over time is less, so the water temperature rises quickly in a fixed heating environment.

This is also related to differences in the precision of the pounding during milling, the freshness of the polished rice after milling, and the hardness and pH of the water used for the food item S. For example, the higher the pounding precision, the better the water absorption of the rice, and the fresher the rice is after milling, the better the water absorption of the rice. For example, if the pH of the water for the food item S is set to a weak acidity of around 6.8 (6.5 to 7.0), which is considered suitable for cooking rice, if the water quality is hard, the rice will have poor water absorption, but if the water hardness is soft, with a hardness of 30 to 50 mg/L, the water will have good water absorption. It is known that rice's water absorption characteristics vary depending on the precision of rice pounding, its freshness after washing, and water quality. These differences in water absorption characteristics theoretically correspond to changes in the temperature rise of the water for the food item S, which are caused by differences in the thermal water absorption characteristics of rice during the cooking process for amylose rice and low-protein rice, as mentioned above. Therefore, if the rice for the food item S is pounded with good precision, is fresh after washing, and the water for the food item S has a quality suitable for cooking rice, the temperature of the water for the food item S will rise more quickly for the reasons mentioned above.

In addition to protein content and amylose content, it is known that differences in rice variety and the enzymatic activity of rice endosperm enzymes, which vary even for the same variety depending on the region of origin, affect the stickiness of cooked rice. However, enzyme activity promotes rice gelatinization, which is the catalytic action that converts beta starch to alpha starch, and because gelatinization involves heat and water, all rice has good thermal and water absorption properties that result in sticky rice when cooked. For this reason, the rice cooker of this embodiment is configured as follows to enable optimal cooking that brings out the characteristics of each brand of rice from each region of origin.

Referring to Figure 9, the relationship between pressure and gas molecules within the pot 14 will be explained. Henry's law is a well-known law relating to pressure and gas molecules, stating that "when a dilute solution containing a volatile solute is in equilibrium with the gas phase, the partial pressure of the solute in the gas phase is proportional to its concentration in the solution." In other words, when a liquid and a gas are in contact, reducing the pressure on the gas side also reduces the amount of gas dissolved in the liquid. The rice cooker 1 of this embodiment applies this law by reducing the pressure inside the pot surrounded by the pot 14 and inner lid 22, promoting degassing of oxygen and volatile odor components dissolved in the water of the food item S from the liquid water to gaseous air A. This degassing, which reduces the amount of gas dissolved in the liquid, promotes water permeability into the rice. Furthermore, the reduced pressure reduces the air pressure on the water surface, lowering the boiling point of water while also increasing the activity of water molecules below the boiling point. This increases the movement of water in the food item S and improves water absorption. Furthermore, heating this water activates the molecular movement of the water molecules, more effectively reducing the oxygen dissolved in the water and improving the rice's water absorption.

To explain the operation of this embodiment when cooking rice, rice and water are placed in the pot 14 as the food to be cooked S, and then the pot is placed in the pot accommodating section 13 of the main body 11, and the lid 12 is then 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 neither cooking nor keeping rice warm is being performed, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to display the top screen G1, the current time in the clock display element 97-1, and the current cooking amount, cooking menu, and texture settings stored in the storage means 68 in the cooking amount display element 97-4, the cooking menu related display elements 97-5, 97-7, 97-8, and the texture related display elements 97-9 to 97-11; for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the display control means 59 displays "8:00" in the clock display element 97-1, "3.0" in the cooking amount display element 97-4, and "White rice Koshihikari" in the selection menu display element 97-5. The screen display unit 93 is controlled to display "Minamiuonuma" and to light up the "normal" display element 97-10 among the display elements related to texture.

Here, as described above, the brand of rice and the region of origin of the rice are selected. For example, pressing the menu key 84 moves to the texture selection screen G2, touching the button display section B2 marked "2" in the texture selection display area A2 moves to the brand selection screen G3-2, touching the button display section B11 displaying "Koshihikari, Niigata, Honshu, etc." moves to the brand-specific texture selection screen G4, and touching the button display section B22 displaying "Minamiuonuma." As shown in FIG. 8(B), this button display section B22 is selected, and the display control means 71 moves to the top screen G1 and controls the screen display unit 93 to display "White rice, Koshihikari, Minamiuonuma" in the selection menu display element 97-5.

When the rice cooking key 88 on the operation unit 36 is pressed after setting the rice cooking amount, rice cooking menu, and texture, the operation signal is accepted by the operation control unit 69, and the condition setting unit 72 stores the selected rice cooking amount, rice cooking menu, and texture in the memory unit 57 as the current rice cooking course setting, based on the "3.0" displayed in the rice cooking amount display element 97-4, the rice displayed in the selection menu display element 97-5, and the lit "normal" in the texture display element, and sends information on the heating pattern corresponding to the set rice cooking course to the heating control unit 40. In response to this, the heating control unit 40, using the rice cooking control unit 64 incorporated in the control IC 61, performs the rice cooking process, including the soaking process, boiling heating process, continued boiling process, and high-temperature maintenance process (steaming process), on the food in the pot 14 in accordance with the heating pattern of the set rice cooking course. The display control means 59 also controls the screen display unit 93 to display the set rice cooking menu settings on the selection menu display element 97-5 during each rice cooking operation in the rice cooking process, and to light up the display element related to the selected texture, and controls the "cooking rice" LED 95 to light up.

Explaining the operation of the rice cooking process, upon receiving information sent from the display/operation control means 59, the rice cooking control means 64 transitions to the soaking process, and during the soaking process, the rice cooking control means 64 controls the operation of the solenoid 54 and the pressure reduction means 55 so that the pressure inside the pot 14 is reduced below atmospheric pressure. Specifically, when the soaking process begins, the rice cooking control means 64 switches the solenoid 54 from a non-energized state to an energized state, and closes the steam exhaust path 52 with the pressure adjustment valve 53. Then, in this state, based on pressure detection by the pressure sensor 30, the rice cooking control means 64 opens the path of the pressure reduction means 55 and continuously operates the pressure reduction pump 56, thereby vacuuming the air inside the sealed pot 14 with the pressure reduction pump 56. Thereafter, based on pressure detection by the pressure sensor 30, the rice cooking control means 64 controls the pressure reduction pump 56 so that the pressure inside the pot 14 is maintained at a reduced pressure below a certain value. In this way, the inside of the pot 14 is kept under reduced pressure throughout the entire soaking process.

The rice cooking control means 64 also performs a first soaking process to promote water absorption by the rice and at the same time determine the amount of rice cooked for the food S in the pot 5 and the water absorption of the rice for the food S from the time and amount of heat required to reach a predetermined temperature. In the first soaking process, the rice cooking control means 64 first controls the heating coil 24 to heat the pot 14 with a fixed amount of heat at a fixed output W1 for a fixed time T1, and then controls the heating coil 24 to stop heating the pot 14 for a fixed time T2. Here, the rice cooking control means 64 determines the amount of cooked rice for the food S in the pot 14 from the difference (A) between the detected temperature _t1 of the pot sensor 28 at (1), which is the highest detected temperature _t1 during the time T2 period, and at (2), which is the detected temperature _t1 after the time T2 has elapsed. For example, if the difference (A) in the detected temperature _t1 is 3°C or more ((2) ≥ (1) + 3°C), it is determined that the amount of cooked rice for the food S is small because the temperature of the food S rose even after the heating of the pot 14 was stopped. On the other hand, if the difference (A) in the detected temperature _t1 is below -2°C ((2) < (1) - 2°C), it is determined that the temperature of the food S dropped immediately after the heating of the pot 14 was stopped, so the amount of cooked rice for the food S is large. If the difference (A) in ₁ is less than 3°C and equal to or greater than -2°C ((1) + 3°C > (2) ≥ (1) - 2°C), it is determined that the amount of food S to be cooked is medium. The rice cooking control means 64 then compares the amount of rice cooked for the set rice cooking course, for example, in this case, "3.0" displayed in the rice cooking amount display element 97-4 on the top screen G1 in Figure 5, with the amount of rice cooked for the food S determined this time, and if the amounts match, it continues the rice cooking process with the same amount of rice cooked, but if they differ, it changes the amount of rice cooked to the determined amount and continues the rice cooking process.

After determining the amount of rice to be cooked for the food item S, the rice cooking control means 64 controls the heating coil 24 to heat the pot 14 at a fixed amount of heat at a fixed output W2 for a time T3, and then controls the heating coil 24 to stop heating the pot 14 for a fixed time T4. Here, the rice cooking control means 64 of this embodiment changes the length of time T3 according to the amount of rice to be cooked for the food item S determined from the difference (A) in the detected temperature _t1 , and sets time T3 to be longer the greater the amount of rice to be cooked; for example, it is set to 30 seconds if the amount of rice to be cooked for the food item S is small, 60 seconds if it is a medium amount, and 90 seconds if it is a large amount.

The rice cooking control means 64 determines the water absorption characteristics of the rice of the food S to be cooked in the pot ₁₄ from the difference (b) in the temperature _t1 detected by the pot sensor 28 when (3), which is the highest temperature of the detected temperature _t1 during the time T4 period, is reached, and when (4), which is the detected temperature t1 after the time T4 has elapsed.For example, if the difference (b) in the detected temperature _t1 is 0°C or higher ((4) ≧ (3)), it is determined that the rice of the food S has good water absorption.On the other hand, if the difference (a) in the detected temperature _t1 is below -5°C ((4) < (3) -5°C), it is determined that the rice of the food S has poor water absorption.If the difference (b) in the detected temperature _t1 is less than 0°C but -5°C or higher ((3) > (4) ≧ (3) -5°C), it is determined that the rice of the food S has poor water absorption. After that, when time T4 has elapsed and the determination of the water absorption of the rice of the food S in the pot 14 has been completed, the process moves to the second soaking cooking step.

During the second soaking step of the soaking cooking process, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 24 to heat the pot 14 to a predetermined temperature based on temperature detection by the pot sensor 14 and maintain the temperature set for the rice cooking course based on the selected brand of rice and rice origin, thereby promoting water absorption by the rice. The set temperature is preferably 45 to 55°C. The duration of the second soaking step, time T5, is set, for example, between 10 and 20 minutes, based on the selected brand of rice and rice origin, the amount of cooked rice (S) determined in the first soaking step, and the water absorption of the rice (S). The length of time T5, which is set based on the amount of cooked rice (S) and the water absorption of the rice (S) determined in the first soaking step, is calculated, for example, according to the table in Figure 11 (A). In the table of Figure 11 (A), time T5 is configured to increase as the amount of cooked rice in the food item S increases, and also as the water absorption of the rice in the food item S decreases. Time T5 is also set based on the selected texture; when the "crisp" display element 97-9 is selected, time T5 is configured to be shorter by a predetermined percentage, such as 20%, from the set time T5, while when the "fluffy" display element 97-11 is selected, time T5 is configured to be longer by a predetermined percentage, such as 20%, from the set time T5.

In the second soaking process, the vacuum pump 56 is operated to reduce the pressure inside the pot 14. In this embodiment, the internal pressure of the pot 14 is adjusted by changing the duty ratio of the PMW-controlled vacuum pump 56. The duty ratio of the vacuum pump 56 in the second soaking process is set based on the amount of rice cooked for the food item S determined in the first soaking process and the water absorption of the rice in the food item S. For example, if the set temperature for the food item S is 50°C, the duty ratio of the vacuum pump 56 is calculated according to the table in Figure 11(B). The higher the duty ratio, the lower the pressure at which the reduced pressure is maintained inside the pot 14. In the table in Figure 11(B), the duty ratio increases as the amount of rice cooked for the food item S increases, and also increases as the water absorption of the rice in the food item S decreases. After time T5 has elapsed, the second soaking process ends and the process moves on to the next boiling and heating process.

When the process moves to the boiling heating step, the rice cooking control means 64 controls the heating coil 24 to continuously energize until boiling of the food item S is detected. This heats the food item S in the pot 14 more strongly than in the soaking cooking step, raising the food item S to boiling temperature in a short period of time. The output W3 of the heating coil 24 at this time is set based on the selected brand of rice, the region of origin of the rice, and the amount of rice cooked for the food item S determined in the first soaking step. The magnitude of the output W3, which is set based on the amount of rice cooked for the food item S determined in the first soaking step, is calculated, for example, according to the table in Figure 11 (C). The table in Figure 11 (C) is configured so that the output W3 increases as the amount of rice cooked for the food item S increases.

The rice cooking control means 64 also stops the operation of the pressure reduction pump 56, closes the path of the pressure reduction means 55, and temporarily de-energizes the solenoid 54, controlling the pressure adjustment valve 53 to retract. This causes the steam exhaust path 52 to open, connecting the inside and outside of the pot 14 without sealing it, and the inside of the pot 14 immediately returns to normal pressure, the same as the outside air. After that, the rice cooking control means 53 quickly switches the solenoid 27 to an energized state, sealing the inside of the pot 5 again. As the food being cooked continues to be heated strongly inside the pot 5, pressure builds up inside the pot 5.

Thereafter, when the rice cooking control means 64 detects from the temperature detection signal from the pot sensor ₁₄ that the pot temperature _t1 has reached a predetermined temperature or above, for example 90°C, and also detects from the temperature detection signal from the lid temperature sensor 34 that the lid temperature t2 has reached a predetermined temperature or above, for example 90°C, it begins boiling detection control to detect boiling of the food to be cooked S under pressure. The rice cooking control means 64 continues to control the continuous flow of electricity to the heating coil 24 and cord heater 25 to strongly heat the food to be cooked S inside the pot 14, while calculating the slope of the detected temperatures, or how much the temperatures detected by the pot sensor 28 and the lid temperature sensor 51 will rise over a predetermined period of time.

Specifically, when the rice cooking control means 64 calculates that the rise in pot temperature _t1 , which is the temperature at the bottom of pot 14, from the temperature detected by pot sensor 28 has fallen below a predetermined rate of temperature rise, such as 3°C or less in 120 seconds, it determines that boiling has been detected due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of pot temperature _t1 , as shown in (5) of Figure 10. Also, when the rice cooking control means 64 calculates that the rise in lid temperature _t2 , which is the temperature of inner lid 46, from the temperature detected by lid temperature sensor 51 has fallen below a predetermined rate of temperature rise, such as 1°C or less in 60 seconds, it determines that boiling has been detected due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of lid temperature _t2 , as shown in (6) of Figure 10. The predetermined temperature rise rates of pot temperature _t1 and lid temperature _t2 used to detect boiling may be adjusted and set according to the amount of rice cooked for the food item S determined in the first soaking step. When the rice cooking control means 64 detects boiling due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of the pan temperature _t1 and also detects boiling due to a change in the rate of temperature rise of the lid temperature _t2 , it determines that boiling of the food to be cooked S has been detected, and stores the temperature ST of the pan temperature _t1 at which boiling was detected and the time when boiling was detected in the memory means 62. When boiling of the food to be cooked S is detected, the process moves to the next boiling continuation step.

When the process moves to the continuing boiling step, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 12 and body heater 11 to be turned on or off so that the pot temperature _t1 , based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14, is maintained at a predetermined temperature, for example, 98°C or higher, and controls the lid heater 33 to be continuously energized so that the lid temperature _t2 , based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34, is maintained at a predetermined temperature, for example, 98°C or higher, thereby continuing the boiling of the food to be cooked. Here, the rice cooking control means 53 determines the water absorption of the rice of the food to be cooked S based on the time (C) from the time when the pot temperature _t1 , based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14, is detected to be, for example, 60°C, to the time when boiling is detected, and compares this with the water absorption of the rice of the food to be cooked S determined in the first soaking step. If there is a difference, the water absorption setting is changed to the water absorption setting determined this time, and the subsequent rice cooking steps are performed. For example, if the time (c) is less than 4 minutes ((c) < 4 minutes), the rice cooking control means 53 determines that the rice has been overcooked or that the rice has good water absorption properties, and controls the heating coil 24 to reduce the output after boiling is detected to, for example, about 50% of the boiling heating, and if the time (c) is 6 minutes or more ((c) ≥ 6 minutes), the rice cooking control means 53 determines that the rice has been undercooked or that the rice has poor water absorption properties, and controls the heating coil 24 to reduce the output after boiling is detected to, for example, about 80% of the boiling heating.

Specifically, the output W4 of the heating coil 24 at this time is set based on the selected brand of rice, the region of origin of the rice, the amount of cooked rice of the food item S determined in the first soaking step, and the water absorption of the rice of the food item S determined in the continuous boiling step. The magnitude of the output W4, which is set based on the amount of cooked rice of the food item S determined in the first soaking step, is calculated, for example, according to the table in Figure 11 (D). In the table in Figure 11 (D), the output W4 increases as the amount of cooked rice of the food item S increases, and also increases as the water absorption of the rice of the food item S decreases. The output W4 is also set based on the selected texture; when the "crisp" display element 97-9 is selected, the output is reduced by a predetermined percentage, such as 20%, from the set output W4; on the other hand, when the "plump" display element 97-11 is selected, the output is increased by a predetermined percentage, such as 20%, from the set output W4.

Furthermore, once the boiling continuation process begins, the rice cooking control means 53 periodically controls the on/off of the solenoid 27 to repeatedly change the pressure inside the pot 5 between normal pressure and a pressure P higher than atmospheric pressure, and periodically opens and closes the steam exhaust path 25 with the pressure regulating valve 26. The rice cooking control means 53 also controls the on/off of the lid heater 44 to manage the temperature and prevent condensation from forming on the inner lid 46.

When the water inside the pot 14 runs out during the continuing boiling process and the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14 reaches the predetermined dry-up temperature as shown in (7) of Figure 10, the rice cooking control means 53 determines that the food S inside the pot 5 is cooked, and calculates the time (d) from the time of boiling detection stored in the memory means 62 to the time when the dry-up temperature (7) is detected and the food S is cooked. When the food S is detected as cooked, the continuing boiling process ends and the process moves to the next high temperature maintenance process.

During the high temperature maintenance step, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the temperature by turning the lid heater 44 on and off based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34, preventing condensation from forming on the inner lid 46 and controlling the temperature at the bottom of the pot 14 by turning the heating coil 24 on and off so that the rice inside the pot 14 is maintained at a high temperature so that it does not burn. Here, the rice cooking control means 53 determines the water absorption of the rice of the food item S based on the calculated time (d) from the time when boiling is detected to the time when the cooked food item S is detected to be done, and if there is a difference between this and the water absorption of the rice of the food item S determined in the boiling continuation step, it changes the setting to the water absorption of the rice determined this time and performs the subsequent rice cooking steps. For example, if time (d) is four minutes or less ((c)≦4 minutes), the rice cooking control means 53 will determine that the rice is overcooked or that the rice has good water absorption properties; on the other hand, if time (d) is six minutes or more ((c)≧6 minutes), the rice cooking control means 53 will determine that the rice is undercooked or that the rice has poor water absorption properties.

The time T6 for the continuous boiling step + high temperature maintenance step is set based on the selected brand of rice, the rice's origin, the amount of cooked rice for the food item S determined in the first soaking step, and the water absorbency of the rice for the food item S determined in the high temperature maintenance step. The length of time T6, which is set based on the amount of cooked rice for the food item S determined in the first soaking step and the water absorbency of the rice for the food item S determined in the high temperature maintenance step, is calculated, for example, according to the table in Figure 11 (E). In the table in Figure 11 (E), time T6 is longer as the amount of cooked rice for the food item S increases, and also as the water absorbency of the rice for the food item S decreases.

During the high temperature maintaining step, the rice cooking control means 53 controls the heating coil 24 to turn on and off at a predetermined output, such as 500 W, based on the temperature detected by the pot sensor ₁₄ , using the temperature ST at which the boiling of the pot temperature _t1 is detected as stored in the memory means 62 as a reference. The heating coil 24 is controlled so that the pot 14 is heated when the pot temperature _t1 is detected to be below the temperature ST, and the heating coil 24 is stopped when the pot temperature t1 is detected to be equal to or higher than the temperature ST. The output of the heating coil 24 is also set based on the selected texture, and when the display element 97-9 for "crisp" is selected, the output is increased by a predetermined percentage, such as 800 W. The heating coil ₂₄ is controlled so that the pot 14 is heated when the pot temperature _t1 is detected to be below the temperature ST + 5°C, and the heating coil 24 is stopped when the pot temperature t1 is detected to be equal to or higher than the temperature ST + 5°C. On the other hand, when the "Fluffy" display element 97-11 is selected, the output is configured to be reduced by a predetermined percentage, for example, 400 W, and the heating coil 24 is controlled so that the pot ₁₄ is heated when it is detected that the pot temperature _t1 is below the temperature ST-2°C, and the heating of the pot 14 is stopped when it is detected that the pot temperature t1 is above the temperature ST-2°C.

The rice cooking control means 53 controls the temperature by turning on and off the lid heater 44 during the high temperature maintenance step, but as the water in the pot 14 evaporates and the amount of evaporated water decreases, the amount of condensation on the inner lid 46 decreases, and therefore the lid temperature _t2 of the inner lid 46 rises due to the heating of the lid heater 44. Then, when the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34 reaches the predetermined dry-up temperature (8), the rice cooking control means 53 controls the lid heater 44 to reduce its output and the amount of heat, preventing the rice in the pot 14 from burning. The rice cooking control means 53 also calculates the time (E) from when the temperature detected by the pot sensor 14 reaches the dry-up temperature (7) to when the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34 reaches the dry-up temperature (8). If the time (E) is greater than, for example, three minutes and it is not possible to detect that the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 34 has reached the predetermined dry-up temperature within three minutes, the heating coil 24 is controlled to increase the output W5 of the heating coil 24 to intensify the heating of the pot 14, thereby promoting evaporation of moisture around the rice grains of the rice to be cooked S and preventing the rice from becoming watery. When time T6 has elapsed, the high-temperature maintenance step ends, completing the rice cooking step and moving on to the next keep-warm step.

As described above, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment includes the button display units B11 to B17 and touch sensor 90 on the brand selection screen G3 as brand selection means for selecting a brand of rice, the rice cooking control unit 64 for cooking rice according to the brand of rice selected using the button display units B11 to B17 and touch sensor 90, and the texture selection screen G3, which displays button display units B1 to B5 corresponding to texture information related to the texture of rice, such as the explanatory display element 97-26 for "sticky, chewy texture" and the explanatory display element 97-30 for "soft, refreshing texture." The display unit 93 of the display means 35 displays a brand selection screen G3 showing rice brands G2 and rice brands associated with this texture information, and includes button display sections B1-B5 and a touch sensor 90 on the texture selection screen G2 as texture selection means for selecting texture information. By selecting texture information using the button display sections B1-B5 and the touch sensor 90, button display sections B11-B17 on the brand selection screen G3 showing the brands associated with this texture information are displayed on the screen display unit 93.

This configuration allows users to select the desired brand of rice from button display sections B11-B17, which display brands of rice that match the user's preferred texture listed on the texture selection screen G2, allowing them to select a brand of rice that prioritizes texture. Since multiple brands of rice with the desired texture are displayed, the user has a wider range of rice brand options. Furthermore, if the brand of rice they are trying to select does not match the desired texture, they can easily decide to select a different brand of rice. This prevents users from cooking rice with a brand that does not match the desired texture, and therefore prevents them from purchasing a brand of rice that does not have the desired texture.

The rice cooker 1 of this embodiment also includes button displays B11-B17 and a touch sensor 90 on a brand selection screen G3 as brand selection means for selecting a brand of rice, button displays B21-B23 and a touch sensor 90 on a brand-specific texture selection screen G4 as origin selection means for selecting a rice origin, rice cooking control means 64 that cooks rice according to the brand of rice selected using the button displays B11-B17 and the touch sensor 90 and the origin of the rice selected using the button displays B21-B23 and the touch sensor 90, and a screen display unit 93 of the display means 35 that displays the brand selection screen G3 showing the brand of rice and the brand-specific texture selection screen G4 showing the origin of the rice. By selecting a brand of rice using the button displays B11-B17 and the touch sensor 90, the brand-specific texture selection screen G4 showing the multiple origins of that brand of rice is displayed on the screen display unit 93.

With this configuration, after selecting a desired brand of rice from button display sections B11-B17, which show the brand of rice, the user can then select the desired region of origin of the rice from button display sections B21-B23, which show the region of origin of the rice. Because texture varies depending on the region of origin of rice, the user can select a brand of rice that prioritizes texture, thereby expanding the options for brands of rice with the desired texture. Furthermore, if the brand of rice or region of origin of rice to be selected does not match the desired texture, the user can easily decide to select a different brand of rice or a different region of origin. This prevents the user from selecting a brand of rice that does not have the desired texture, thereby preventing the user from purchasing a brand of rice that does not have the desired texture.

In addition, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the rice origins indicated in the button display sections B11 to B17 on the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4 are displayed on the screen display section 93 in association with the texture information displayed as "chewy" 97-51 and "refreshing" 97-55, which are associated with the button display sections B1 to B5 on the texture selection screen G2, allowing the user to select a brand of rice with a texture that better suits their preferences.

The rice cooker system 100 of this embodiment also includes a rice cooker 1 and a server 3 connected to the rice cooker 1 via the Internet 2 as a network, and is configured so that brand information on rice brands and texture information for these rice brands are stored on the server 3. Therefore, after starting to use the rice cooker 1, brand information on rice brands and texture information for these rice brands can be obtained, and the texture selection screen G2, which lists texture information for rice brands, and the brand selection screen G3, which lists rice brands, can be kept up to date at any time.

The rice cooker system 100 of this embodiment also includes a rice cooker 1 and a server 3 connected to the rice cooker 1 via the Internet 2 as a network, and is configured so that brand information on rice brands and origin information on these brand rice are stored on the server 3. Therefore, after starting to use the rice cooker 1, brand information on rice brands and origin information on these brand rice can be obtained, and the brand selection screen G3, which lists rice brands, and the brand-by-brand texture selection screen G4, which lists rice origins, can be kept up to date at any time.

Figures 12 and 13 show a modified version of this embodiment. The rice cooker 1' of this modified version displays rice brands categorized into rows of a predetermined alphabetical chart, and further includes a brand search means that can search for rice brands based on the rows of the alphabetical chart. As the rest of the system is the same as the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 12 shows the rice selection screen G5, which is displayed when the menu key 84 is pressed. Referring to the figure, the rice selection screen G5 is explained as follows: At the front of the screen is a display element 97-61 that reads "Please select rice," and behind the display element 97-61 is a rice selection display area A5 that displays six button display sections B31 to B36 arranged front to back and left to right. Here, the button display section B31 for "White rice, random brand" includes a display element 97-62 for "White rice, random brand," the button display section B32 for "White rice, brand selection" includes a display element 97-63 for "White rice, brand selection," the button display section B33 for "White rice, texture selection" includes a display element 97-64 for "White rice, texture selection," the button display section B34 for "Brown rice" includes a display element 97-65 for "Brown rice," the button display section B35 for "Mixed grain rice" includes a display element 97-66 for "Mixed grain rice," and the button display section B36 for "No-wash rice, random brand" includes a display element 97-67 for "No-wash rice, random brand."

Also, at the rear of the rice selection screen G5, a button display section B37 including a display element 97-68 for "Back" and a button display section B38 including a display element 97-69 for "Cancel" are arranged side by side.

The button display sections B31 to B36 within the rice selection display area A5 are operated to select the type of rice to be cooked. When one of the button display sections B31, B34 to B36, for example the "No-wash rice, random brand" button display section B36, is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the respective button display section B31, B34 to B36, for example the "No-wash rice, random brand" button display section B36. The display control means 71 then controls the screen display section 93 to transition to the top screen G1 and change the display of the selection menu display element 97-5 to the display of the button display section that was touched, for example "No-wash rice, random brand."

Furthermore, when the "White Rice Brand Selection" button display section B32 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the "White Rice Brand Selection" button display section B32, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to display the brand search screen G6 as shown in FIG. 13.

When the "White rice texture selection" button display B33 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the "White rice texture selection" button display B33, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to display the texture selection screen G2 as shown in FIG. 6. The subsequent operations are the same as those described above, so further explanation will be omitted.

The "Back" button display section B37 is operated to discard the settings on the current screen, for example, the rice selection screen G5, and return to the previous screen, for example, the top screen G1. When the "Back" button display section B37 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 arranged above the "Back" button display section B37, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to discard the settings currently displayed on the screen display section 93, return to the previous screen, for example, the top screen G1, and display the settings that were displayed on the previous screen.

The "Cancel" button display section B38 is operated to discard the settings on the current screen, for example, the rice selection screen G2, and return to the top screen G1. When the "Cancel" button display section B38 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 arranged above the "Cancel" button display section B38, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to discard the settings currently displayed on the screen display section 93, return to the top screen G1, and display the settings that were displayed on the most recent top screen G1.

Figure 13 shows the brand search screen G6, which is accessed when the "White Rice Brand Selection" button display B32 is touched on the rice selection screen G5. Referring to the figure, the brand search screen G6 is explained as follows: At the front, eight button display sections B41-B48 are displayed side-by-side, and behind these button display sections B41-B48, an alphabetical selection display area A6 is formed, displaying position indicator bars P1 and P2. The brand selection display area A7, described below, currently displayed on the brand search screen G6 is displayed as a colored display element in the categorized button display section; for example, in Figure 13, the white characters of display element 97-71 in the "A" row button display section B41 are displayed in color.

Here, the button display section B41 for the "a" row includes a display element 97-71 for "a", similarly, the button display section B42 for the "ka" row includes a display element 97-72 for "ka", the button display section B43 for the "sa" row includes a display element 97-73 for "sa", the button display section B44 for the "ta" row includes a display element 97-74 for "ta", the button display section B45 for the "na" row includes a display element 97-75 for "na", the button display section B46 for the "ha" row includes a display element 97-76 for "ha", the button display section B47 for the "ma" row includes a display element 97-77 for "ma", and the button display section B48 for the "ya" row includes a display element 97-78 for "ya". For the sake of explanation, in this modified example, rice brands beginning with the characters in the "ra" and "wa" rows are not stored in the storage means 59, and therefore the button display units for the "ra" and "wa" rows are not displayed in the alphabetical order selection display area A6. However, if rice brands beginning with the characters in the "ra" and "wa" rows are stored in the storage means 59, button display units categorized for those rice brands are displayed in the alphabetical order selection display area A6.

Furthermore, behind the alphabetical selection display area A4, there is formed a brand selection display area A7 displaying six button display sections B51 to B56 arranged front to back and left to right. Here, the display control means 71 of this embodiment controls the display means 35 to arrange the rice brands stored in the storage means 59 in alphabetical order and display rice brand display elements 97-81 to 97-86 for a predetermined number of button display sections B51 to B56 in this modified example. For example, on the brand search screen G6 shown in FIG. 13, the display elements 97-81 to 97-86 of the first button display section B51 to the sixth button display section 56 display "Aichi no Kaori," "Akisakari," "Akita Komachi," "Autumn Poem," "Autumn Sparkle," and "Akihonami," respectively.

Also, at the rear of the stock search screen G6, a "Back" button display section B37, a button display section B61 including a "<" display element 97-87, a button display section B62 including a ">" display element 97-88, a button display section B63 including a "History" display element 97-89, and a "Cancel" button display section B38 are arranged side by side.

The "<" button display section B61 and the ">" button display section B62 are operated to change the display in the brand selection display area A7 of the brand search screen G6. For example, when the ">" button display section B62 is touched on the brand search screen G6 of Figure 13, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 arranged above the ">" button display section B62, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to display the six rice brands in alphabetical order after "Akihonami," such as "Akiroman" and "Akebono," in the six button display sections B51 to B56 of the brand selection display area A7. For example, when the "<" button display section B61 is touched on the brand search screen G6, which displays the first six brands of rice stored in the storage means 59 in alphabetical order, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the "<" button display section B61, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to display the last six brands of rice stored in the storage means 59 in alphabetical order in the six button display sections B51 to B56 of the brand selection display area A7. Therefore, the user can easily search for and confirm brands of rice by touching the "<" button display section B61 and the ">" button display section B62. Therefore, the "<" button display section B61 and the ">" button display section B62 also function as search means for searching for a brand of rice to select.

The button display sections B41 to B48 in the alphabetical selection display area A6 are operated to change the display of the brand selection display area A7 on the brand search screen G6. When any of the button display sections B41 to B48, for example the button display section B45 in the "Na" row, is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 arranged above the respective button display section B41 to B48, for example the button display section B45 in the "Na" row, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display unit 93 to display the brand selection display area A7 displayed in the six button display sections B51 to B56, in alphabetical order, of the rice brands stored in the memory means 59, with the brand of rice that appears first in the selected row, for example the brand that appears first in the "Na" row, for example "Nasu Hikari." The button display units B41 to B48 also indicate which row of the alphabetical order rice brand the first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56 currently displayed on the screen display unit 93 are displaying. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, on the brand search screen G6, the display element 97-71 of the "A" row button display unit B45 is displayed in color, suggesting to the user that the current button display units B51 to B56 are displaying the "A" row rice brand in alphabetical order. Therefore, the user can directly select a rice brand by touching the button display units B41 to B48 in the alphabetical order selection display area A4. Therefore, the button display units B41 to B48 also function as search means for searching for the rice brand to select. In this way, this modified example allows searches using the "<" button display B61 and ">" button display B62, as well as searches using button display B41-B48, allowing users to quickly search for, check, and select rice brands across the board with minimal operations.

The first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56 in the brand selection display area A7 are operated to select the type of brand of rice to be cooked. For example, when one of the first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56, such as the third button display unit B53, is touched on the brand selection screen G6 of FIG. 13, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 disposed above the respective first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56, such as the third button display unit B53. The display control means 71 then controls the screen display unit 93 to transition to the top screen G1 and change the display of the selection menu display element 97-5 to the display of the button display unit that was touched, such as "Akita Komachi." Therefore, the first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56 and the touch sensor 90 on the brand search screen G6 also function as brand selection means for selecting a brand of rice.

The "History" button display section B63 is operated to select the brand of rice to be cooked this time from the brands of rice that have been cooked up until now. When the "History" button display section B63 is touched, the operation control means 69 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 90 arranged above the "History" button display section B63, and the display control means 71 controls the screen display section 93 to display the brand history screen (not shown). When a brand of rice is selected on this brand history screen, the display control means 71 transitions to the top screen G1 and controls the screen display section 93 to display the selected brand of rice in the selection menu display element 97-5. Therefore, the "History" button display section B63 also functions as a search means for searching for the brand of rice to select.

The position display bars P1 and P2 indicate which row of the Japanese alphabet the rice brands displayed in the first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56 in the brand selection display area A7 currently displayed on the screen display unit 93, as well as the rice brands adjacent to the displayed rice brands, belong to. For example, on the brand search screen G6 in Figure 13, the position display bar P1 is colored and displayed so that it is positioned below the button display unit B41 in the "A" row, reminding the user that the rice brands displayed in the first button display unit B51 to the sixth button display unit 56 represent rice brands in the "A" row in Japanese alphabetical order. Additionally, the position display bar P2 is displayed in gray and is also positioned below the "A" row button display section B45, reminding the user that the rice brand adjacent to the currently displayed rice brand, for example, "Akihonami" on the brand search screen G6 of FIG. 13, is also a rice brand in the "A" row of the Japanese alphabet. This configuration allows the user to instantly know which row of the Japanese alphabet the rice brand currently displayed in the first button display section B51 through the sixth button display section 56 belongs to. It also allows the user to instantly know which row of the Japanese alphabet the rice brand adjacent to the currently displayed rice brand belongs to, which can be used as a reference when searching for rice brands. Therefore, the position display bars P1 and P2 also function as position display means that indicate the row to which the rice brand currently displayed in the first button display section B51 through the sixth button display section 56 belongs.

As described above, in this modified rice cooker 1', the screen display unit 93 displays rice brands categorized by row of the Japanese alphabet using button display units B41-B48 and position display bars P1 and P2 in the Japanese alphabetical selection display area A6, and is configured to include a "<" button display unit B61 and a ">" button display unit B62 as brand search means for searching for rice brands based on these rows, as well as button display units B41-B48 in the Japanese alphabetical selection display area A4. This allows the user to quickly search for, check, and select rice brands across the screen with minimal operation.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, data may be exchanged between the information terminal 4 and the rice cooker 1, and the information terminal 4 may display the top screen G1, texture selection screen G2, brand selection screen G3, or brand-specific texture selection screen G4 to select the texture, rice brand, or rice origin, and then send the results to the rice cooker 1, allowing the rice cooking course settings to be set by the information terminal 4. In this case, data may be exchanged between the information terminal 4 and the server 3, allowing the information on the top screen G1, texture selection screen G2, brand selection screen G3, and brand-specific texture selection screen G4 to be updated to the latest information. Furthermore, the numerical values exemplified in the embodiments and variations are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the rice cooker, etc.

1, 1' Rice cooker 2 Internet (network)
3 Server 64 Rice cooking control means 90 Touch sensor (brand selection means, texture selection means, origin selection means)
93 Screen display section (display means)
100 Rice cooker system B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 Button display unit (texture selection means)
B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17 Button display section (stock selection means)
B11, B12, B13 Button display section (production area selection means)
G2 Texture selection screen (first screen)
G3 Stock selection screen (second screen)
G4 Brand Texture Selection Screen (Third Screen)

Claims (4)

A texture selection means for selecting the texture of rice;
a brand selection means for selecting a brand of the rice ;
A means for selecting a place of origin for the rice;
a display means for displaying a first screen that allows the texture to be selected by the texture selection means, a second screen that allows the brand associated with the texture to be selected by the brand selection means by selecting the texture, and a third screen that allows the multiple origins associated with the selected brand to be selected by the origin selection means by selecting the brand;
and a rice cooking control means for cooking rice in accordance with the brand selected by the brand selection means and the place of origin selected by the place of origin selection means . 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the third screen displays the place of origin in association with the texture on the display means. The display means displays the brands by classifying them,
3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a brand search unit for searching for the brand based on the classification. The rice cooker according to claim 1,
A rice cooker system comprising the rice cooker and a server connected via a network,
A rice cooker system characterized in that brand information regarding the rice brand, texture information regarding the texture , and origin information regarding the origin of the rice are stored in the server.