JP7016003B2 - Cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cooker for heating food.

A microwave oven, which is a typical cooking device, has convenience because it can heat food in a container without using a pan and a frying pan.

At a store that sells bento boxes or delicatessen items in a container, a service is provided in which a store clerk heats the purchased product using a microwave oven and provides it.

Such a heating service will be described. In general, bento or delicatessen containers are labeled with the optimal heating time for heating in the microwave. Then, the clerk of the store sees the display, sets the heating time in the microwave oven, and heats the lunch box or the prepared food. Numeric keys and the like are provided in the operation unit of the microwave oven, and the clerk of the store manually sets the heating time (minutes, seconds).

Further, the microwave oven may have a plurality of operation buttons, and each operation button may be assigned a different heating time. In this case, the store clerk selects the operation button corresponding to the product to be heated from the plurality of operation buttons. Thereby, the product or the like can be heated by the heating control suitable for the product, and the product can be provided to the purchaser.

However, when the heating time (minutes, seconds) is set by the numerical keys as in the former configuration, the number of operations is large, which is troublesome and may cause the clerk to perform an erroneous operation. In addition, in the latter configuration, that is, when a different heating time is assigned to each of a plurality of operation buttons, the number increases because the store clerk needs to memorize the correspondence between the product and the button. And it becomes difficult to remember.

In any case, there is a possibility that the wrong operation will be performed.

In order to eliminate these annoyances and mistakes, the heating control contents for each product are stored in advance in a microwave oven, and the store clerk or the purchaser attaches the product to the product using a barcode reader. It is proposed to read the barcode information (code information). The microwave oven calls the heating control content corresponding to the product from the code information and performs appropriate heating.

Furthermore, instead of using a barcode reader, the microwave oven is equipped with a camera that takes a picture of the inside of the refrigerator, and there is also a method of extracting the barcode part from the image of the product put in the refrigerator and reading the barcode. Proposed. The microwave oven calls the heating control content corresponding to the product from the code information and performs appropriate heating (for example, Patent Document 1).

As described above, in the background technology, a microwave oven is used to read the code information by using a barcode reader or a camera. Then, the microwave oven calls the heating control content corresponding to the product from the code information and performs appropriate heating. By doing so, the troublesome operation is eliminated, the operation error is eliminated, and the usability is improved.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-349546

The present disclosure makes effective use of the waiting time for heating.

The heating cooker of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber in which a heated object is stored, a display, a heating unit for heating the heated object stored in the heating chamber, a photographing unit for photographing the inside of the heating chamber, and a photographing unit. It includes a recognition unit that recognizes information on the object to be heated from the image taken by the unit, and a display control unit that controls the content displayed by the display. Then, the display control unit displays the information of the product recommended to the user on the display while the heating unit is heating, and the information of the product recommended to the user to purchase is based on the information of the heated object. It is configured to determine .

According to the present disclosure, the waiting time for heating can be effectively utilized.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a microwave oven, which is an example of a cooking device, according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microwave oven, which is an example of a cooking device, according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information on a seal attached to a product in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of display of the first half of heating in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of display in the latter half of heating in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data table stored in the display storage unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation flow of the recognition unit, the display control unit, and the heating control unit in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a data table for storing a display in the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data table for storing a display in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

(Findings underlying this disclosure)
However, with the prior art described above, there is still a waiting time while heating the goods. There is a request from the purchaser to know the recommended product information by effectively utilizing such a waiting time. The recommended product information is information on products recommended and sold by the store for a limited time, and information on products recommended to be eaten and eaten at the same time as the purchased product. In addition, the store wants to effectively utilize the waiting time and provide recommended product information to the purchaser.

For this reason, for example, a method is assumed in which a store clerk verbally recommends to the purchaser, "How about XX together?" However, this method is difficult to implement when the clerk needs to do other work. In addition, it is difficult for the clerk to memorize the recommended product because there is a limit.

The first aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber in which a heated object is stored, a display, a heating unit for heating the heated object stored in the heating chamber, and a photographing unit for photographing the inside of the heating chamber. It includes a recognition unit that recognizes information on the object to be heated from the image captured by the photographing unit, and a display control unit that controls the content displayed by the display. Then, the display control unit displays the information of the product recommended to the user on the display while the heating unit is heating, and the information of the product recommended to the user to purchase is determined based on the information of the heating unit. It is something to do .

According to this, it is possible to display the display contents according to the information of the object to be heated while the object to be heated is being heated. Thereby, for example, it is possible to provide information on products that the store wants to recommend and information on products that are recommended to eat and drink at the same time as the purchased products. Therefore, the waiting time for heating can be effectively utilized.

As a second aspect of the present disclosure, the information recognized by the recognition unit may be information on the type of the object to be heated.

According to this, since it is possible to display the display contents according to the type information of the object to be heated, it is possible to provide information on products and the like that are recommended to be eaten and eaten at the same time as the purchased products.

As a third aspect of the present disclosure, a heating control unit that controls the heating unit is further provided, the recognition unit further recognizes the heating control information of the object to be heated, and the heating control unit uses the heating unit based on the heating control information. The contents to be controlled and displayed on the display may be different based on the heating control information.

According to this, it is possible to further display the display contents according to the type information and the heating information of the object to be heated while the object to be heated is being heated. Thereby, the recommended product information can be displayed in an manner suitable for the heating time. Therefore, the purchaser can also know the passage of the heating time from the aspect of the displayed content.

As a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the recognition unit may read at least one of the characters and codes given to the object to be heated and recognize the information on the object to be heated.

Further, according to this, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of the store clerk to memorize and confirm the recommended product information suitable for the object to be heated.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy of the following description and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

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

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a microwave oven 1 which is an example of a cooking device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the microwave oven 1 is provided with a housing 2 for storing products, and the housing 2 is provided with a door 3 for loading and unloading products. The door 3 includes a liquid crystal display 4 as a display and a handle 5 to be gripped when opening and closing the door 3. Further, the microwave oven 1 may include an operation unit 6. As will be described later, when the heating is automatically performed based on the read heating control information 26 or the like, the operation unit 6 may not be provided.

The liquid crystal display 4 is preferably capable of displaying in color, but may be displayed in black and white. Further, it may be a display of a display method other than the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display 4 is provided on the front surface of the door 3. The liquid crystal display 4 provides information to the user by performing various displays before, during, or after heating the microwave oven 1.

The operation unit 6 is provided on the side of the door 3. The operation unit 6 includes a time setting button group 7, a heating start button 8, a cancel button 9, and a pause button 10. As will be described later, the microwave oven 1 photographs a product to be heated (object to be heated) by a photographing unit, and reads the product name, heating power, and heating time displayed on the product. The liquid crystal display 4 displays at least one of the read heating time and the characters of the notification. Further, the microwave oven 1 heats the product with the read heating time. Then, during heating, a display suitable for the product being heated (details will be described later) is displayed on the liquid crystal display 4.

The microwave oven 1 is provided with a time setting button group 7 in case the heating time cannot be read well from the image taken by the photographing unit and when the product whose heating time is not displayed is heated. ing. The user can set the heating time using the number buttons and the "minute" and "second" buttons. In this case, the liquid crystal display 4 displays the set heating time.

The heating start button 8 is a button that the user presses when starting heating after confirming the heating time displayed on the liquid crystal display 4.

The cancel button 9 is pressed when the user presses the heating start button 8 to start heating and then stops heating in the middle of heating, or when the setting of the heating time displayed on the liquid crystal display 4 is canceled. It is a button that is pressed.

The pause button 10 is a button pressed by the user when the heating is temporarily stopped during heating. Further, when the heating is temporarily stopped, the user presses the heating start button 8 again, so that the remaining heating is performed from the middle.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microwave oven 1 in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

The microwave oven 1 can heat a product or the like by a high frequency, and has a magnetron 12 which is a heating unit for outputting a high frequency in a heating chamber 11 for storing a heated object such as the product. The microwave oven 1 uses a magnetron 12 to supply a high frequency to the heating chamber 11 to heat the product. The magnetron 12 is controlled by the heating control unit 20 described later.

The microwave oven 1 includes a lighting 13 and a camera 14 which is a photographing unit and is provided on the same surface as the side surface where the lighting 13 is provided. The camera 14 captures an image in the heating chamber 11. Since the camera 14 is arranged on the same surface as the illumination 13, the inside of the heating chamber 11 can be photographed without being affected by the backlight.

The housing 2 is provided with a door switch 15 for detecting the opening / closing of the door 3. The door 3 is provided with a protrusion 16 for pushing the door switch 15 when it is closed.

The microwave oven 1 includes a microcomputer and a control unit 17 which is a peripheral circuit thereof, which controls the entire device. The microwave oven 1 executes various controls by a program running on a microcomputer. In FIG. 2, a functional block representing a function realized by the microcomputer of the microwave oven 1 is shown in the frame shown as the control unit 17.

The microcomputer and peripheral circuits may be in any form as long as they perform control described later. The control unit 17 may be composed of an arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit that stores a control program. Examples of the arithmetic processing unit include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). A memory is exemplified as a storage unit. The control program recorded in the storage unit is executed by the arithmetic processing unit.

Further, the control unit 17 may be configured by hard logic. If it is configured with hard logic, it is effective in improving the processing speed. Each component may be composed of one semiconductor chip or may be physically composed of a plurality of semiconductor chips. When it is composed of a plurality of semiconductor chips, each control described later can be realized by different semiconductor chips.

The control unit 17 includes a recognition unit 18, a display control unit 19, and a heating control unit 20. Further, the recognition unit 18 includes a heating control information recognition unit 21, a type recognition unit 22, and a storage unit (not shown). The display control unit 19 includes a display storage unit 23. The storage unit and the display storage unit 23 may be physically configured on the same memory.

A product (heated object), which is a food product selected from lunch boxes, rice balls, prepared foods, cooking bread, and the like, is stored in the heating cabinet 11. A sticker 24 (see FIG. 3), which is a sticker on which the heating power and the heating time are displayed, is attached to each of the plurality of products as the product name and the heating control information of the product. The recognition unit 18 extracts the part where the product name and the heating control information are displayed from the information of the sticker 24 affixed to the product from the image taken by the camera 14, and the characters of the product name, And, the character of the heating control information (character information including at least a number) is read.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information on the seal 24 attached to the product in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

At least the product name 25 and the heating control information 26 are displayed on the seal 24. Further, even if various information such as amount information 27, expiration date information 28, bar code 29 which is an example of a code symbol for identifying a product, nutrition information 30, and notification information 31 is displayed on the seal 24. good. The seal 24 is a rectangular position designation formed so as to surround the product name 25 and the heating control information 26 so that the product name 25 and the heating control information 26 can be easily extracted from these various information. It is provided with a mark frame 32 which is a mark.

The seal 24 has a first mark frame, which is a rectangular position designation mark formed so as to surround the product name 25, and a rectangular position designation mark formed so as to surround the heating control information 26. It may be provided with a second mark frame which is.

The heating control information 26 of the seal 24 includes two types of heating control information. Specifically, the heating control information 26 of the seal 24 of the present embodiment includes, for example, the heating time when heating with a heating power of 500 W as a guideline when heating in a general household microwave oven. As a guideline for heating with a large heating power for a short time in a commercial microwave oven, for example, the heating time when heating with a heating power of 1500 W is also described. For example, "500W 2 minutes 00 seconds 1500W 0 minutes 40 seconds" and the like are displayed.

As an example, the heating control information 26 has a first character string “500” representing a heating amount at a predetermined heating power, a second character string “W” representing a unit of the heating power, and heating at the heating power. The third character string, which is an hour, "2", the fourth character string, which represents the unit of the heating time, "minute", the fifth character string, which indicates the heating time at the heating power, "00", and the heating thereof. It is a character string that includes the sixth character string representing the unit of time, "second", in this order (each character string is an example). The heating control information 26 further includes a seventh character string, "1500", which represents a heating amount of a heating power larger than the predetermined heating power described above, an eighth character string, "W", which represents a unit of the heating power. The 9th character string, "0", which is the heating time with the heating power, the 10th character string, "minute", which indicates the unit of the heating time, and the 11th character string, "40", which indicates the heating time with the heating power. , And the twelfth character string representing the unit of the heating time, "second", is a character string including in this order. The above-mentioned character strings are examples.

In this example, the character string indicating the heating amount and the heating time is described by a number.

In the present embodiment, "W (watt)", which is an SI unit representing the amount of heat, is used as the second character string and the eighth character string, but if it represents a unit of heating power, it is used. It may be another character or unit. Further, as the 4th character string, the 6th character string, the 10th character string, and the 12th character string, "minute" or "second" is used as the character representing the unit of time, but the unit of time is represented. If it is, it may be another character or unit.

The recognition unit 18 first extracts the marker frame 32 from the image taken by the camera 14. Next, the heating control information recognition unit 21 in the recognition unit 18 reads the alphanumerical characters enclosed in the mark frame 32. That is, the heating control information recognition unit 21 reads the alphanumerical characters surrounded by the mark frame 32 by the character string "500W2001500W040". Here, the heating control information recognition unit 21 does not read characters representing units of time such as "minutes" and "seconds", or even if they are read, they are not used for analysis.

Then, the heating control information recognition unit 21 sets the character string as a number string up to "W", a three-digit number string after "W", and "W" following the number string according to a predetermined analysis rule. It is decomposed into four numbers up to and a three-digit number string after "W" to obtain "500", "200", "1500", and "040". Further, each of the second digit string and the fourth digit string is analyzed assuming that the first digit is "minute" and the last two digits are "second". Further, in the heating control information recognition unit 21, the first number string is the heating power and corresponds to the time of the second number string, the third number string is the heating power, and the fourth number string is the fourth number string. Analyze as corresponding to the time of. As a result, the heating control information recognition unit 21 recognizes the heating control information of "500W for 2 minutes" and "1500W for 40 seconds".

Next, the product name 25 displayed on the sticker 24 will be described. The product name 25 of the seal 24 is, for example, the name of a bento such as "Makunouchi bento", "baked meat bento", or "fried bento", "salmon onigiri", "ume onigiri", or "mentaiko onigiri" onigiri. The name, or the name of the bread of "curry bread", "yakisoba bread", or "tamago bread". The product name 25 is composed of a combination of type information indicating the type of the product and food material information, but may not include either one.

The type information is a specific character string (word) registered in the storage unit. The type information is, for example, "lunch box", "rice ball", and "bread". Ingredient information is a name indicating the conventional name of the product (for example, "inside the curtain"), the ingredient contained in the product or food, or the name of the dish. Examples of ingredient information are, for example, "grilled meat", "fried chicken", "salmon", "plum", "mentaiko", "curry", "fried noodles", and "egg".

Further, the product name 25 that does not include the type information is, for example, the side dish products “nikujaga”, “mapo tofu”, and “saba misoni”.

The type recognition unit 22 searches for a specific word registered in the storage unit as type information from the character string surrounded by the mark frame 32. For example, the type recognition unit 22 searches for the word "lunch box", "rice ball", or "bread" in the character string. "Makunouchi Bento", "Yakiniku Bento", "Fried Bento", etc. include the word "Bento", and "Salmon Onigiri", "Ume Onigiri", "Mentaiko Onigiri", etc. include the word "Onigiri". "Curry bread", "yakisoba bread", "rice ball bread", etc. include the word "bread". On the other hand, "nikujaga", "mapo tofu", "mackerel misoni" and the like do not include any of the above words.

As a result, the recognition unit 18 determines whether the product is a bento box containing the word "lunch box", a rice ball containing the word "rice ball", or a cooked bread containing the word "bread". Recognize whether it is a side dish that does not contain words. In this example, the recognition unit 18 recognizes the types of products in four ways.

That is, the recognition unit 18 searches for the type information from the character string surrounded by the mark frame 32, and if it matches the type information registered in the storage unit, classifies the type according to the type information and matches. If there is nothing to do, classify it into other types. As a result, the recognition unit 18 classifies the products into the number of product types (hereinafter referred to as product types) in which "1" is added to the number of type information registered in the storage unit.

Next, the operation of the microwave oven 1 will be described. The user opens the door 3, puts the product in the heating chamber 11, and closes the door 3. When the control unit 17 detects that the door 3 is opened and closed by the door switch 15, the control unit 17 takes a picture of the camera 14.

As described above, the heating control information recognition unit 21 recognizes the heating control information and the type recognition unit 22 recognizes the type of the product from the image of the inside of the heating chamber 11 taken by the camera 14.

The heating control information recognition unit 21 sends the recognized two types of heating control information to the heating control unit 20. The heating control unit 20 selects, among the two types of heating control information, heating control information having a larger power within the range of the heating power that can be used in the microwave oven 1, and sends it to the display control unit 19. The display control unit 19 displays the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20 on the liquid crystal display 4.

The user confirms that the appropriate heating time is displayed on the liquid crystal display 4, and then presses the heating start button 8. When the heating control unit 20 receives a signal from the door switch 15 indicating that the door 3 is closed and a signal from the operation unit 6 indicating that the heating start button 8 has been pressed, the heating control unit 20 controls heating. The magnetron 12 is controlled so that the unit 20 heats the product with the selected heating power and heating time.

4 and 5 show an example of the display of the liquid crystal display 4 during heating.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the liquid crystal display 4 in the first half of heating in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the liquid crystal display 4 in the latter half of heating in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

The images displayed on the liquid crystal display 4 during heating are a text display portion 33 arranged in the screen information, an image display portion 34 arranged in the center of the screen, and a heating control information display portion 35 arranged in the lower part of the screen. And include. The contents displayed in the text display portion 33 and the image display portion 34 are stored in advance in the display storage unit 23, respectively.

A standard text is displayed on the text display portion 33 as a message to the purchaser. One or more standard texts are registered in the display storage unit 23. For example, there are two types of content to be displayed on the text display part 33, one is the first standard text that says "We recommend that you purchase it together", and the other is "It will be on sale from next week." It is a product that is planned to be sold. "

The display control unit 19 switches between the first fixed form text and the second fixed form text according to the remaining heating time. The display control unit 19 displays the text display unit 33 from the start of heating until a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) of the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20 elapses. The first standard text "Recommended to purchase together" is displayed, and after a predetermined percentage (for example, 50%) of the heating time has elapsed, the time until the end of heating is "From next week". It is a product to be sold "is displayed.

Further, from the start of heating until a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) of the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20 elapses, the display control unit 19 displays the image on the image display unit 34. , Display the recommended product information (hereinafter referred to as recommended product information) to the purchaser of the product being heated. The recommended product information is, for example, an image including an external image of the product, a product name, and a character image of the amount of money (hereinafter referred to as a recommended product image). The recommended product image is stored in advance in the display storage unit 23. A plurality of recommended product images are registered in the display storage unit 23 for each product type. Then, a plurality of recommended product images are registered together with the priority. That is, a plurality of recommended product images are classified according to product types such as lunch boxes, rice balls, breads, and prepared foods, which are product types, and are prioritized and stored in each product type. Has been done.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data table stored in the display storage unit 23 in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

For example, if the product type is a bento such as "Makunouchi bento", "Yakiniku bento", and "fried chicken bento", soup products such as miso soup and beverage products such as tea are registered as recommended product images. Has been done. If the product type is rice balls such as "salmon rice balls", "plum rice balls", and "mentaiko rice balls", side dish products and beverage products such as tea are registered as recommended product images. If the product type is bread such as "curry bread", "yakisoba bread", and "tamago bread", milky beverage products such as milk and soft beverage products such as juice are registered as recommended product images. Has been done. If the product type is a side dish such as "nikujaga", "mapo tofu", and "mackerel misoni", the recommended product image is a rice product such as white rice or rice balls, and tea, etc. Beverage products and are registered.

When the heating is started, the display control unit 19 recognizes the type until the heating time elapses a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) of the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20. From the information classified and stored in the display storage unit 23 according to the product type recognized by the unit 22, the recommended product image having the highest priority is switched in order at predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds). While repeating the process of displaying the image on the image display portion 34.

For example, if the product type recognized by the type recognition unit 22 is a lunch box, the product image of a soup product such as miso soup and the product image of a beverage product such as tea are recommended to be purchased accordingly. , Are displayed sequentially according to the priority. If the product type is rice balls, the product image of the prepared food product and the product image of the tea-based beverage product such as tea, which are recommended to be purchased together, are displayed in order according to the priority. Further, if the product type is bread, a product image of a dairy beverage product such as milk and a product image of a soft drink product such as juice, which are recommended to be purchased together, are displayed. If the product type is a side dish, the product image of the rice ball product and the product image of the tea-based beverage product such as tea, which are recommended to be purchased together, are displayed in order according to the priority. To.

Next, the heating time is included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20 after a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) has elapsed from the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20. The display performed by the display control unit 19 before the lapse of time will be described.

The display storage unit 23 also stores a plurality of product images of information on new products to be released in the future (hereinafter referred to as new product information). In the new product information, a plurality of product images are prioritized and stored without being related to the product type.

After a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) of the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20 elapses, the heating time elapses in the heating time included in the heating control information selected by the heating control unit 20. By then, the display control unit 19 causes the image display unit 34 to sequentially display the product image of the new product information while switching the product image at predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds).

In this way, in the first half of the heating time, the product image of the product that is recommended to be purchased at the same time as the product being heated is displayed on the liquid crystal display 4, and in the second half, the new product scheduled to be released in the future. The product image of is displayed on the liquid crystal display 4. The order may be reversed.

The heating control information display portion 35 displays the remaining time until the end of heating. Further, the heating power during heating may be displayed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation flow of the recognition unit 18, the display control unit 19, and the heating control unit 20 in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows the operation from the state where the door 3 is open. That is, the flowchart of FIG. 7 starts from a state in which the purchaser of the product opens the door 3 and puts the product inside.

In step S601, the control unit 17 detects whether or not the door 3 is closed by the door switch 15. When the control unit 17 detects that the door 3 is closed (S601, YES), the process proceeds to step S602. On the other hand, if the control unit 17 does not detect that the door 3 is closed (S601, NO), the control unit 17 waits for the door 3 to be closed in step S601.

In step S602, the control unit 17 captures an image in the heating chamber 11 by the camera 14.

In step S603, the recognition unit 18 searches for the mark frame 32 from the image of the product in the heating chamber 11 taken by the camera 14, and recognizes whether or not the mark frame 32 exists. If the marker frame 32 is found (S603, YES), the process proceeds to step S604. On the other hand, if the mark frame 32 is not found (S603, NO), the process proceeds to step S613.

In step S604, the type recognition unit 22 has the word "lunch box", "rice ball", or "bread" as the type information (keyword) from the product name 25 in the found marker frame 32. Is recognized and the process proceeds to step S605.

In step S605, the type recognition unit 22 classifies the products as lunch boxes if a "lunch box" is found, rice balls if a "rice ball" is found, breads if a "bread" is found, and prepared foods if none of them is found. .. Then, the type recognition unit 22 sends the classified information to the display control unit 19, and proceeds to step S606.

In step S606, the heating control information 26 recognizes the heating control information written in the mark frame 32 as, for example, "500W for 2 minutes" and "1500W for 40 seconds", and recognizes the recognition result as the heating control unit. Send to 20. Then, the process proceeds to step S607.

In step S607, the heating control unit 20 waits for the heating start button 8 to be pressed. At the same time, the heating control unit 20 confirms that the door 3 is closed by the door switch 15. If the heating control unit 20 can detect that the door 3 is closed and the heating start button 8 is pressed (S607, YES), the process proceeds to step S608. On the other hand, if either of the condition that the heating start button 8 is pressed and the condition that the door 3 is closed is not satisfied (S607, NO), step S607 is repeated.

In step S608, the heating control unit 20 drives the magnetron 12 to start heating. Of the two types of heating control information sent from the heating control information recognition unit 21, the heating control unit 20 determines the heating power and heating time of the larger power within the range of the heating power that can be used in the microwave oven 1. select. For example, if the microwave oven 1 is a microwave oven for business use, the heating control unit 20 selects 1500 W and 40 seconds, and controls to heat for 40 seconds with a heating power of 1500 W. Then, the process proceeds to step S609.

In step S609, the display control unit 19 causes the liquid crystal display 4 to display the contents classified by the type recognition unit 22 according to the classification of the products. For example, if the product in the heating cabinet 11 is a Makunouchi lunch box and the type recognition unit 22 classifies it as a lunch box, the display control unit 19 has a recommended product corresponding to the product, for example, a soup product such as miso soup, and tea. An image of a tea-based beverage product or the like is called from the display storage unit 23. Further, the display control unit 19 calls the corresponding standard text, for example, "It is recommended to purchase together" from the display storage unit 23.

Then, the display control unit 19 causes the image display unit 34 to display a plurality of images while switching them at predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) intervals. In addition, the display control unit 19 displays the characters "It is recommended to purchase together" on the text display portion 33. Further, the display control unit 19 causes the heating control information display unit 35 to display the remaining heating time while counting down. Then, the process proceeds to step S610.

In step S610, the display control unit 19 determines whether or not the heating time has elapsed a predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) of the heating time selected by the heating control unit 20. For example, if the heating time performed by the heating control unit 20 is 40 seconds, the display control unit 19 determines whether or not the time from the start of heating has passed 20 seconds. If the predetermined ratio (for example, 50%) has elapsed (S610, YES), the process proceeds to step S611. On the other hand, if the predetermined ratio has not elapsed (S610, NO), the process returns to step S609.

In step S611, the display control unit 19 displays the new product information called from the display storage unit 23 on the liquid crystal display 4. Specifically, the display control unit 19 displays a product image of a product to be released in the future on the image display unit 34 while switching a plurality of product images at predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) intervals. Further, the display control unit 19 displays a standard text called from the display storage unit 23, for example, the characters "It is a product scheduled to be sold from next week" on the text display unit 33. Further, the display control unit 19 causes the heating control information display unit 35 to display the remaining time until the end of heating while counting down, and proceeds to step S612.

In step S612, the display control unit 19 determines whether or not the heating has been completed after the heating time selected by the heating control unit 20 has elapsed, and if the heating has been completed (S612, YES), the process is terminated. .. On the other hand, if the heating is not completed (S612, NO), the process returns to step S611.

If the mark frame 32 is not found in step S603 (S603, NO), the process proceeds to step S613.

If the process proceeds to step S613, the heating time cannot be set automatically, so the user sets the heating time using the time setting button group 7. In this case, since the product classification is not known, the process proceeds to step S611 without proceeding to step S609. In step S611, as described above, the product image of the product to be released in the future is displayed.

In this way, according to the present embodiment, the type recognition unit 22 of the recognition unit 18 recognizes the type of the product from the image inside the heating chamber 11 taken by the camera 14. Then, the display control unit 19 controls the display content of the liquid crystal display 4 based on the recognition result of the type recognition unit 22. As a result, information on products that the store wants to recommend and product information that is recommended to eat and drink at the same time as the purchased product can be notified during the heating waiting time. Therefore, the heating waiting time can be effectively utilized.

(Second embodiment)
Next, as a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a system example in which the display storage unit 23 is provided in the server device 36 different from the microwave oven 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

In FIG. 8, the control unit 17 of the microwave oven 1 includes a communication unit 37, and the product type information recognized by the type recognition unit 22 is transmitted from the communication unit 37 to the server device 36. In the server device 36, the communication unit 38 receives the type information and stores it in the display storage unit 23. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the display storage unit 23 in the microwave oven 1.

Based on the received type information, the server device 36 extracts display contents according to the type information from a plurality of display information stored in the display storage unit 23, and transmits the display contents from the communication unit 38. The control unit 17 receives information indicating the display content in the communication unit 37, and the display control unit 19 controls and displays the liquid crystal display 4.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the server device 36 can be connected to a plurality of microwave ovens 1, for example, one server device 36 is installed in an information aggregation center, and many of the series are installed. By connecting to the microwave oven of the store, it is possible to efficiently update the displayed information.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the type recognition unit 22 recognizes and classifies the product type from the keywords included in the product name, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, classification may be performed based on symbol information such as a barcode instead of a character keyword. In addition, product types such as rice, bread, and prepared foods may be recognized and classified from the image, for example, by analyzing the color distribution.

9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of a data table that stores a display in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the type of the product is recognized and classified, but the product may be classified based on the amount information 27 instead of the type. For example, if the products are classified based on the amount information 27, as shown in FIG. 9, the total amount of the amount is determined in advance to be, for example, 1000 yen, and the difference from the recognized amount information 27, that is, the remaining amount. Products that can be purchased for a price may be displayed as recommended products.

Further, the products may be classified based on the nutrition information 30 instead of the product type and price information.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper limit of calories is determined in advance to be, for example, 1000 kcal, the difference from the calorie amount in the recognized nutrition information 30 is calculated, and the product within the range of the remaining calories is regarded as the recommended product. It may be displayed. In addition, among the nutrients in the recognized nutrition information 30, a product that supplements the deficient nutrient may be displayed as a recommended product. Then, the recommended product may be displayed by combining at least one of the type information, the amount information, and the nutrition information.

Further, the product image described in each embodiment may be a still image or a moving image. When the product image is a moving image, the display control unit 19 may compress or expand the reproduction time of the moving image according to the heating time selected by the heating control unit 20.

Since each of the above embodiments is for exemplifying the technique in the present disclosure, various changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of claims or the equivalent thereof. can.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, when a user puts a product in a heating chamber and heats the product, the product information recommended to be eaten or drunk at the same time as the product being heated is notified during the heating waiting time. be able to. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of the clerk, etc., so that it can be applied to all cooking cookers such as microwave ovens for home use, rice cookers, and IH cooking heaters, in addition to microwave ovens used in stores, and is useful. Is.

1 Microwave oven 2 Housing 3 Door 4 Liquid crystal display (display)
5 Handle 6 Operation unit 7 Time setting button group 8 Heating start button 9 Cancel button 10 Pause button 11 Heating cabinet 12 Magnetron (heating unit)
13 Lighting 14 Camera (shooting section)
15 Door switch 16 Protrusion 17 Control unit 18 Recognition unit 19 Display control unit 20 Heating control unit 21 Heating control information recognition unit 22 Type recognition unit 23 Display storage unit 24 Seal 25 Product name 26 Heating control information 27 Amount information 28 Expiration date information 29 Bar code 30 Nutrition information 31 Notification information 32 Mark frame 33 Text display part 34 Image display part 35 Heating control information display part 36 Server device 37,38 Communication part

Claims (4)

A heating cabinet that stores the object to be heated,
Display and
A heating unit that heats the object to be heated stored in the heating chamber,
The photographing unit that photographs the inside of the heating chamber and
A recognition unit that recognizes information on the object to be heated from an image captured by the photographing unit, and a recognition unit.
It is provided with a display control unit that controls the content displayed by the display.
The display control unit is a cooking device that displays information on products recommended for purchase by the user on the display while the heating unit is heating.
The information on the product recommended to be purchased by the user is determined based on the information on the object to be heated. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the information recognized by the recognition unit is information on the type of the object to be heated. A heating control unit for controlling the heating unit is further provided.
The recognition unit further recognizes the heating control information of the object to be heated.
The heating control unit controls the heating unit based on the heating control information.
The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit makes the contents displayed on the display different from each other based on the heating control information. The recognition unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recognition unit reads at least one of the characters and codes given to the object to be heated and recognizes the information of the object to be heated. Heating cooker.

Images