JP2007128305A - Cooking support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooking support device displaying information or the like related to a recipe according to skill of a cook. <P>SOLUTION: Skill information of the cook, and the number and the kinds of cookers are inputted, a work schedule according to the skill of the cook, a work procedure, an image or a moving image of the work procedure, and completion-scheduled time of cooking are displayed on a display part together with the stored recipe information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking support device that shows a recipe to a cook and supports the cooking work.

  In recent years, the Internet has been developed, and it is possible to easily search for a recipe of a dish desired by a cook. In such a recipe, ingredients used for cooking, work procedures, and the like are presented.

There has also been proposed a cooking support system that can easily select a dish that matches the taste of the cooking side and the taste of the eating side (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-276171 A

  However, in the recipe presentation and cooking support system as described above, the work procedure is simply presented, so it was not known at all how long the cook finished cooking. .

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention provides a cooking support apparatus that displays information about recipes according to the skill of a cook.

  The present invention relates to a cooking support apparatus that assists a cook in cooking, when cooking, skill information indicating a skill level of cooking by the cook, and types and number of cooking utensils possessed by the cook Input means for inputting the recipe, recipe information storage means for storing the order of the cooking work process, recipe information indicating the work procedure in each work process, the skill information, the type of the cooking utensil A work schedule in which cooking work can be performed according to a cooking time according to the skill of the cook based on the recipe information, the number of pieces, and the recipe information. Calculating means for calculating the scheduled end time, the work schedule, the work procedure, an image or video of the work procedure, and the scheduled end time. And Shimesuru display means, a cooking support device characterized in that it comprises a.

  In the cooking support device of the present invention, the work schedule, work procedure, image or video of the work procedure according to the skill of the cook, and the scheduled end time are displayed, so that the cook can easily perform the cooking work. it can.

  Hereinafter, the cooking assistance apparatus 10 of one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated based on FIGS.

(1) Structure of cooking assistance apparatus 10 The structure of the cooking assistance apparatus 10 is demonstrated based on FIG.1 and FIG.2.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cooking assistance apparatus 10, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram.

  The cooking assistance apparatus 10 has a display unit 14 made of a liquid crystal display device on the front surface of a rectangular case 12. On the side of the display unit 14, an input unit 16 including a switch, a speaker 18, and a microphone 20 are provided. In addition, a transparent touch panel is provided on the surface of the display unit 14 and also serves as a switch. This touch panel is referred to as an input unit 16 together with the switch.

  As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, the control unit 22 of the cooking assistance system 10 includes a microcomputer, and an input unit 16, a display unit 14, a speaker 18, and a microphone 20 are connected to the control unit 22. Further, a database such as a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as DB) 24 is incorporated as a storage device. Further, the control unit 22 is provided with a gateway 26 for transmitting / receiving information to / from other home appliances. Examples of the gateway 26 include Bluetooth and wireless LAN.

  The gateway 26 is connected to an IH cooking heater 28, a microwave oven 30, a rice cooker 32, a refrigerator 34, and other cooking utensils (for example, a mixer, a coffee maker, etc.) via wireless communication, and can transmit and receive data. .

(2) Contents of Cooking Support Method Next, a case where cooking support is performed using the cooking support device 10 will be described.

  First, the skill of the cook, the type and number of cookware owned by the cook, and the name of the cook are input to the input unit 16. Here, the skill of the cook indicates a skill level relating to cooking. For example, the skill level is divided from a first stage to a third stage, and a higher number is input as the skill level increases. The cooking utensil includes home appliances such as the IH cooking heater 28 and the microwave oven 30.

  The DB 24 stores recipes for each dish. In this recipe, information on the ingredients for cooking, the types and number of necessary cooking utensils, the order of work processes, and work procedures in each work process (for example, cutting materials, cooking, etc.) are stored as recipe information. Has been. Note that the recipe information also stores a still image that shows the state of the finished product of the dish, and a moving image and a still image that are being worked on.

  The control unit 22 extracts recipe information stored in the DB 24 from the input dish name, and based on the skill information of the cook and the type and number of cooking utensils owned, the Gantt chart as shown in FIG. Create In this Gantt chart, the first step on the vertical axis is an action performed by the cook, and the second and lower steps are cooking contents performed by each cooking utensil. For example, when shrimp is described on a cutting board, the shrimp is cut with a cutting board. The horizontal axis is the cooking time. The scheduling for creating the Gantt chart by the control unit 22 will be described in detail later.

  After performing scheduling for creating a Gantt chart as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 22 displays a screen as shown in FIG. 3 on the display unit 14.

  In the upper right of this screen, the expected completion time and the current time of the dish are displayed, and in the upper left, the cooking state of each cooking utensil currently proceeding is shown. For example, the remaining time is 23 minutes after punching with a ball, the remaining time is 10 minutes after cooking in a pan, and the remaining time is 10 minutes after baking the fish in the microwave oven.

  The work schedule is described in the lower row. It is displayed from 0 to 30 minutes, and the work processes such as processing of clams, peeling shrimp, and peeling potatoes are shown in order. Then, in the work process currently in progress, the bar at the bottom of each process of the work schedule is color-coded so that the cook can immediately discriminate. In addition, when a work process advances in order, the control part 22 will shift and display the work process from 20 minutes to 50 minutes in order according to the progress of the work. Further, when the scheduled end time of each work process is reached, the control unit 22 outputs the end from the speaker 18 by voice. Thereby, the cook can discriminate | determine whether the work schedule is performed in order. Further, when the end time of the cooking state currently in progress, such as punching or stewing, displayed at the upper left of the screen, is notified from the speaker 18 by voice. For example, when the cooking is finished, the fact is notified. This allows the cook to finish the stew immediately.

  In the next lower stage, the work procedure in the current work process is described. For example, “Peel potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces and expose to water for 5-6 minutes. Cut onions thinly, kinusaya is salted, take in water and cut in half”. Based on this, the cook performs work. And the work schedule calculates the time which can perform this work procedure according to a cook's skill level beforehand, and has assembled the work schedule.

  An image of the cooked dish is displayed on the right side of the work procedure. When the potato is peeled, the work content is displayed as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 also shows a moving image of onion slices. Since it is difficult for the cook to see the screen while working, the control unit 22 synthesizes the content of the work procedure from the speaker 18 and reads it out. This eliminates the need for the cook to look at the screen.

  When each work process is completed, the cook presses the completion button and proceeds to the next process.

  If you want to see the previous or next step, you can do so by operating the button to the right of the complete button.

  When the cooker is operated when the work is completed, the screen of the next work process is displayed when the cooker completes the work, and the control unit 22 changes the display of the work schedule when the complete button is pressed. Then, if it does not end even after a predetermined end time, or conversely ends quickly, the control unit 22 performs scheduling again and updates the screen. For example, the scheduled completion time is delayed or advanced early.

(3) Scheduling Method Next, a scheduling method for creating FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In addition to the “scheduling order conditions” defined in the intermediary product queuing, the implementation of successful cooking procedures complies with “common sense order conditions for cooking” that are not generally written in recipes. Must. For example, when making spaghetti entwined with sauce, there is a cooking knowledge that the “entanglement” work must be carried out immediately after the spaghetti is struck, but considering only waiting for intermediate products Scheduling may create a schedule to start creating sauce after boiling spaghetti, which may violate common sense ordering conditions for cooking. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out as follows.

  1) As mentioned above, if there is a procedure that must be started immediately after completion of a certain procedure regardless of waiting for intermediate products, as a constraint between linear recipes, Next, the linear recipe (ID) to be started is described.

  2) Schedule the above restrictions.

  3) Using the above constraints, it is possible to obtain for each dish “a set of linear recipes that must be serially operated without interruption” toward the completion of the dish. Conversely, the parts not included in this set can be implemented in advance. The part that can be carried out in advance is the part that will be prepared, and by specifying this, you can start preparing the party food from the previous day, making preparations for lunch for one week, etc. A more flexible cooking plan can be made.

  The “linear recipe” is a partial recipe that is a sequence of procedures without waiting for intermediate products from the viewpoint of scheduling.

  Therefore, in the cooking support apparatus 10, a scheduler based on the idea of job shop scheduling performs scheduling considering order conditions based on common sense of cooking, and automatically recognizes the prepared portion, thereby creating a more flexible cooking plan. To be able to.

(3-1) Configuration of Cooking Support Device 10 in Scheduling FIG. 8 is a block diagram in which cooking support device 10 is rewritten from the description of the control relationship. The cooking support apparatus 10 is required for cooking, a menu input unit 101 that specifies a dish to be cooked, a schedule generation unit 102 that generates a cooking procedure corresponding to the menu, a schedule output unit 104 that outputs the generated cooking procedure. A resource DB 105 describing resources, cooks, and cooking utensils, a recipe DB 109 that stores recipes described in a predetermined format, and a preparation preparation recognition unit 106 that analyzes recipes and recognizes portions corresponding to preparations.

  The control unit 22 in FIG. 2 includes the schedule generation unit 102 and the preparation preparation recognition unit 106, the display unit 14 and the speaker 18 correspond to the schedule output unit 104, and the input unit 16 and the microphone 20 correspond to the menu input unit 101. The DB 24 includes a resource DB 105 and a recipe DB 109.

(3-2) Control Processing Contents FIG. 9 shows a flowchart using the cooking assistance device 10. The operation of each element will be described according to this flowchart.

  The user first inputs a dish to be cooked through the menu input unit 101 (step 201).

  FIG. 10 shows an example in which recipes are described as a set of linear recipes, and description of 301 will be described as an example.

lr (7, [xprawn, xclam],
[['Preparation for steaming wine', [cook, pan, heat], [2]],
['Steamed wine', [pan, heat], [5]]], [wine-steamed], []).

  Lr is an identifier representing a linear recipe.

  7 is an identification number representing this specific linear recipe.

  In [xprawn, xclam], describe the intermediate product that must already be completed in order to execute this linear recipe. This is called a start condition deliverable.

  'Wine steaming preparation' represents the cooking method.

  ・ In [cook, pan, heat], enter the resource to be used.

  ・ In [2], enter the time required for cooking. In this case, this procedure (preparing for steaming wine) takes 2 minutes.

  'Wine steaming' represents the cooking method.

  ・ [Pan, heat] describes the resource to be used.

  ・ In [5], describe the time required for cooking. In this case, this procedure (steaming wine) indicates that it takes 5 minutes.

  ・ In [wine-steamed], describe the intermediate product completed by executing this linear recipe. This is called an output product.

  When the menu input in step 201 is completed, the process proceeds to the resource selection process in step 202. In step 202, the resource described in the recipe is selected from the 206 resource DB 105. The resource DB 105 describes information such as available cooks and cooking utensils.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of resources stored in the resource DB 105.

  The resources described in FIG. 11 are one cook, one cutting board, one kitchen knife, one sink, two balls, two frying pans, one pasta pan, two stoves, and one dish. For the description 301 above, the description of the cook, the sink and the frying pan is selected from the resource DB 105. Here, cook ([cook1]) indicates that the skill of the cook is 1.

  When the resource selection process in step 202 is completed, the schedule generation process in step 203 is performed. In the schedule generation process in step 203, a schedule for generating an intermediate product is generated in accordance with the recipe procedure so that the resource selected in step 202 does not overlap. All combinations of resources and procedures are performed to generate the shortest recipe schedule so that waiting for intermediate products does not occur. Limits such as the number of times of combination, recipe schedule time, and recipe schedule generation time can also be provided. When the generation of the schedule ends, the schedule is output and the cooking procedure is presented to the user.

(3-3) Recipe Schedule Generation Processing FIG. 12 shows an example of a flowchart for the recipe schedule generation processing in step 203.

  For the input menu, the corresponding linear recipe is extracted from the recipe DB 109, and a specific schedule is generated while confirming the start condition deliverables of each linear recipe and the availability of resources necessary for executing the procedure. I do.

  In step 501, a linear recipe group corresponding to the selected menu is loaded into the work area.

  In step 502, a variable that holds a set of (intermediate) products completed up to a certain point is initialized with an empty set.

  In step 503, a Gantt chart, which is a standard expression method of a schedule showing a specific cooking procedure, is initialized to be empty. The Gantt chart is a table in which resources are taken on the vertical axis and time is taken on the horizontal axis, and which resources are occupied by which work at which time, and examples thereof are shown in FIG.

  The above is the initialization step.

  In step 504, one linear recipe that can be started is selected nondeterministically based on the intermediate product completed to date. A startable linear recipe is one in which start condition deliverables are included in a set of (intermediate) deliverables completed by a certain point in time. Initially, the completed (intermediate) product set is empty, so a linear recipe with an empty start condition product will be selected.

  In step 505, the operations included in the linear recipe selected in step 504 are arranged on the leftmost side where they can be secured on the Gantt chart based on the resources required and the required time. At this time, it must not be placed before the start condition deliverable of this linear recipe is created.

  In step 506, the output product of the linear recipe selected in step 504 is added to the completed (intermediate) product set.

  In step 507, the linear recipe selected in step 504 is removed from the work area.

  Steps 506 and 507 are processes associated with completion of execution of the linear recipe.

  In step 508, it is checked whether the linear recipe remains in the work area. If not, the desired menu should have been completed and the current Gantt chart can be executed.

  If there is, the menu is not yet completed, and the process returns to step 504.

  When a feasible schedule is created at step 508, at step 509, the schedule is compared with the previous “best” schedule. The goodness of the schedule can be defined in various ways according to the purpose.Typically, the total cooking time is short, but there are other factors such as the small number of pans used and combinations of several indicators. Also good. If the completed schedule in step 508 is better than the previous “best” schedule, then in step 510 this schedule is stored as a new best schedule (candidate schedule). Initially, the first executable schedule is a candidate schedule.

  In step 511, it is determined whether or not to search for a better schedule. In general, there are a plurality of executable schedules for a certain menu, and in this embodiment, they are searched by the non-determinism of selection in step 504. This nondeterminism can be deterministically simulated by a technique called backtracking that is employed in, for example, the programming language Prolog. The determination in step 511 may be terminated when all the possibilities are exhausted by backtracking, or may be terminated when the number of times this step has been reached and it exceeds a predetermined threshold.

  In step 512, the current candidate schedule is presented to the user.

(3-4) Specific Example The above flow will be described in detail by taking the recipe of FIG. 10 as an example. FIG. 10 shows a linear recipe group corresponding to the input menu.

  After performing the initialization procedure steps 501 to 503, in step 504, for example, the linear recipe with identification number 3 is selected as the linear recipe with the start condition deliverable being empty. In step 505, the operation “preparation for clam sanding” is placed on the Gantt chart at the leftmost position where the resource [cook, bowl] can be occupied for 2 minutes, that is, at the 0 minute point, and then the work “clam sanding” is Gantt chart. Above, the resource [cook] is placed at the leftmost position where it can occupy 23 minutes, that is, at 2 minutes. In addition to the completed intermediate product, the output product xclam is removed from the work area, and the linear recipe of the linear recipe with the identification number 3 is removed. Since there is still a linear recipe in the work area (step 508), the process returns to step 504 to select, for example, the linear recipe with identification number 1. In step 505, the work “shrimp leaves its tail, removes shells and backs” on the Gantt chart at the leftmost position that can occupy resources [cook, knife, sink, board] for 5 minutes, that is, 2 minutes Deploy. In addition to the completed intermediate product, the output product xprawn is removed from the work area, and the linear recipe of the linear recipe with identification number 1 is removed. Since there is still a linear recipe in the work area (step 508), the process returns to step 504, and the linear recipe with identification numbers 2, 4, 5, and 6 is selected and the schedule is advanced. The completed intermediate products are now xprawn, xclam, xocto, xparsley, xchili, and xgarlic. Since there is still a linear recipe in the work area (step 508), the process returns to step 504, and for example, 301 linear recipes are selected as linear recipes included in the intermediate product in which the start condition product is completed. In step 505, the operation “preparing wine steaming” can occupy the resource [cook, pan, heat] on the Gantt chart for 2 minutes and is placed at the leftmost position after completion of [xprawn, xclam], that is, 30 minutes. . Thereafter, scheduling will proceed in the same manner.

  FIG. 13 shows an example after schedule generation up to the middle of FIG. FIG. 13 shows a result of scheduling a linear partial recipe with an empty start condition product.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of a schedule generation result in the middle of FIG. As a result of generating the schedule, in preparation for steaming wine, preparation is performed in 2 minutes using a cook, a pot, and a stove, and for steaming wine, work is performed in a pot and stove for 5 minutes.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a Gantt chart when the menu is completed.

  FIG. 15 shows an example of a recipe by the description method used so far. In this description method, when a recipe procedure is generated, when one procedure is completed, the process proceeds to the next procedure and is performed. Then move on to the next step. Inexperienced cooks recognize that they will work in order, and after performing step 901, perform step 902. However, it can be seen in FIG. 1 that the time can be reduced by performing 901 while sand removal of the clams is performed by performing the procedure performed in 902 first. By preparing such a recipe DB 109, resource duplication is eliminated and scheduling of recipes is performed while generating intermediate products, so that an optimal schedule for the user can be provided.

  However, in the scheduling that considers only the waiting of the intermediate product shown in the above example, it is possible to perform the scheduling in which the identification numbers 1 to 8 are selected after the linear recipes having the identification numbers 9 and 10 are selected and the process proceeds to the identification number 11. There is sex. In other words, after spaghetti has been boiled up, the production of the sauce begins and is finally tempered. This is a feasible schedule from a scheduling point of view, but when making spaghetti entwined with the sauce, the “entanglement” work must be performed immediately after the spaghetti is struck. Violate common sense order conditions of cooking. In order to prevent this, as shown at the end of FIG. 10, a linear recipe that must be started immediately after the end of a certain linear recipe is specified. Specifically, the last [11] represents a condition that the linear recipe with the identification number 11 must be selected immediately after execution. Thereby, the production | generation of the schedule which is violating the common sense order condition violation of said cooking can be prevented.

  Using the above constraints, it is possible to obtain “a set of linear recipes that must be serially operated without interruption” for each dish to complete the dish. Conversely, the parts not included in this set can be implemented in advance. The part that can be carried out in advance is the part that will be prepared, and by specifying this and storing it in the recipe DB 109 as a separate recipe, you can start preparing the party dishes from the previous day or for one week. You can make a more flexible cooking plan, such as making preparations for lunch for a holiday.

(4) Modification example (4-1) Modification example 1
In the above embodiment, the case where one dish is cooked has been described. However, even when two dishes are cooked at the same time, if two dish names are input, the control unit 22 adds the two dishes. Schedule to cook at the same time. Introduce the concept of job shop scheduling and configure recipes to optimize the evaluation functions such as total cooking time, taking into account the constraints on cooking resources (cookers' time, pots, stoves, etc.) Assemble the order in which to perform the procedures. Then, in the work process, it is possible to determine which dish the cook is currently cooking by color-coding the background for each dish.

(4-2) Modification 2
In the above-described embodiment, the case where one cook cooks has been described. Alternatively, a plurality of cooks can also display on the screen at the same time. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a work schedule is displayed for each cook.

(4-3) Modification 3
In the above-described embodiment, when the work process is finished, the cook may notify the end through the microphone 20 by voice in addition to pressing the completion button. In addition, the control unit 22 may confirm the completion based on an end signal from the IH cooking heater 28 or the microwave oven 30 without being limited thereto.

It is a perspective view of the cooking assistance apparatus which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of a cooking assistance apparatus. It is a figure of the screen of a display part. It is a figure of a Gantt chart. It is drawing which shows a cooking state. It is drawing which shows another cooking state. It is a figure of a screen in case there are repetitive cooks. It is a block diagram of the cooking assistance apparatus in scheduling. It is a flowchart of scheduling. It is an example of a recipe description. It is an example of description of resource DB. This is a flow of scheduling processing. It is an example of the Gantt chart in preparation. This is an example of a further advancement of the Gantt chart being created. It is a figure of the example of the recipe by the conventional description method.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cooking assistance apparatus 12 Case 14 Display part 16 Input part 18 Speaker 20 Microphone 22 Control part 24 DB
26 Gateway 28 IH Cooking Heater 30 Microwave Oven 32 Rice Cooker 34 Refrigerator 36 Cookware

Claims (14)

In a cooking assistance device that assists a cook in cooking when cooking,
Skill information indicating the skill level of cooking by the cook, input means for inputting the type and number of cookware owned by the cook,
Recipe information storage means storing recipe information showing the order of the cooking work steps and the work procedure in each of the work steps;
Based on the skill information, the type and number of the cooking utensils, the recipe information, a work schedule in which cooking work can be performed according to the cooking time according to the skill of the cook, work procedures in each work step of the work schedule, A calculation means for calculating an image or a video of the work procedure, and the estimated end time of the cooking;
Display means for displaying the work schedule, the work procedure, an image or video of the work procedure, and the scheduled end time;
A cooking support apparatus characterized by comprising: The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays information different from information regarding work performed by the cook. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display unit identifies and displays a work process completed in the work schedule and a work process during cooking. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit recognizes a cue to the next work process by voice recognition or a user's screen operation. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit recognizes a cue to proceed to a next work process from a state of a household electrical appliance that is one of the cooking utensils. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit recalculates the work schedule according to a progress status of a current work process and updates the scheduled end time. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voice output unit that reads out the work procedure by voice. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit simultaneously displays a next work process on the work schedule. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means notifies by voice when the current scheduled end time of the work process is reached. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit notifies the end of a work process that is proceeding simultaneously with the work process performed by the cook. When cooking a plurality of dishes at the same time, the calculation means implements an optimal work schedule so that the plurality of dishes can be cooked,
The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the cooking process that is performed by the cook so that the cooking process can be determined. The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means can confirm a work procedure of a previous work process and a subsequent work process. When there are a plurality of cooks, the computing means computes the optimum schedule for each cook,
The cooking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a work schedule of each cook. The calculation means associates a still image or a moving image with a specific character string displayed on the display means, and displays the information by an instruction by voice or screen operation. Cooking assistance device.

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