WO2009100868A1

WO2009100868A1 - Device and method for giving instructions during cooking and baking

Info

Publication number: WO2009100868A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/000879
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christoph Bendel; Marco Buhr
Original assignee: Leifheit Ag
Priority date: 2008-02-11
Filing date: 2009-02-09
Publication date: 2009-08-20
Also published as: DE102008008712A1; EP2243003A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for giving instructions during cooking and baking, comprising scales and a processor including a memory, an input unit and a display, a recipe being selectable from the memory and the ingredients and steps required for the recipe being displayable depending on the selection, and the weighing of the ingredients and the execution of the steps being carried out interactively via a program.

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for guidance in cooking and baking.

In the preparation of food of all kinds, specifically in cooking and baking, it is regularly necessary to provide ingredients in a certain amount and / or in certain proportions. Scales have been used for quite some time to determine the amount of the ingredient based on a weight measurement.

If ingredients - as usual in cooking and baking - required in certain proportions, in order to achieve the end of the cooking or baking process, a consistently equally tasty product, the respective cook or baker expediently uses a recipe in which at least the proportions between the individual ingredients are fixed.

From DE 10 2005 031 269 B3 a device is known, by means of which ingredients can be dosed according to a recipe. The device has for this purpose an electronic balance, which is equipped with a recipe memory. The recipe memory can be loaded with a recipe containing dosing data. For loading new recipes in the recipe memory is a portable transponder with which recipes can be transferred from a locally separate central memory of a computer system. With the known device ingredients can be dosed according to the respective loaded recipe in exact proportions. The weighing of individual ingredients has to be done in the given order. A beyond the dosing of ingredients beyond the user support in cooking and baking is not provided.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to design the prior art device such and further that it has a beyond the dosing of ingredients functionality for the user in the preparation of a cooking or baking product. In particular, the device should also offer an inexperienced chef and / or baker the opportunity to produce cooked or baked products with consistently high quality. Furthermore, a corresponding method should be specified. According to the invention the above object is solved by the features of claim 1. This is a device for guidance in cooking and baking with a scale and a processor in addition to memory, input unit and display specified, from the memory a recipe selectable and according to the selection of the necessary according to the recipe ingredients and operations are displayed and weighing the ingredients and the processing of the steps interactively via a program.

According to the invention, it has first been recognized that although the device known from the prior art is suitable for exact dosing of ingredients. At the same time, however, it has been seen that when cooking and baking - in addition to the correct dosage of ingredients - very further requirements must be met in order to obtain the result in a product that meets high quality standards. In particular, it was found in the context of these considerations that a recipe for cooking or baking in addition to dosing information of the ingredients usually also contains other important information that contribute significantly to the result of cooking or baking. Specifically, these are the steps to follow in the course of the recipe.

According to the invention, therefore, the device has a processor together with memory, wherein at least one recipe, preferably several recipes, are stored in the memory. According to the invention, an input unit is furthermore provided by means of which a recipe for processing can be selected. An overview of the ingredients required according to the selected recipe and the steps necessary for the recipe can be displayed on the display provided according to the invention. Already by this measure, the user is offered a practical support for the upcoming task, namely for example the provision of the necessary ingredients, the recipe weighing the ingredients and the steps to be performed (cutting, peeling, chopping, mixing, kneading, whisking, baking, roasting, etc.).

In a further inventive manner, the weighing of the ingredients and the execution of the steps is carried out interactively via a program. As a result, the device gains in practical use by the user in addition to the pure information about required ingredients and required steps based on the in the processor of the device running program is followed in the compliance of the recipe. In other words, the program running in the processor ensures a precise recipe compliance through a dialog with the user. Specifically, this means that the actions to be performed according to the recipe by the user (eg cleaning, peeling, weighing, mixing of ingredients) are issued in the form of instructions or tasks to the user, the program basically after each successful completion of the next instruction or task outputs. A secure adherence to the recipe is ensured in this way, including in particular the beneficial integration of balance and processor / calculator contributes. Due to carelessness, inexperience or other influences resulting errors in cooking and baking can be avoided by means of the device according to the invention in any case.

The interaction between user and device provided according to the invention provides that the operation of the device, i. the execution of a recipe, not necessarily has to be done in static order fixed. But the user can certainly influence the program sequence, i.e. the input unit or other input devices. to carry out the processing of tasks to be fulfilled. For example, individual tasks such as weighing an ingredient or even running a single operation could be repeated as needed, or individual operations could be performed before or after others at the user's discretion.

Conveniently, the recipe stored in memory is in the form of a data record. In the context of this invention, therefore, the recipe is structured data that allows application-appropriate access in the context of the running program. It makes sense for the data set of each recipe to comprise at least the ingredients required according to the recipe and the work steps necessary to execute the recipe. For each ingredient, the name of the ingredient, the amount of the ingredient required for a particular number of persons and / or serving, a particular display symbol of the ingredient for the display, etc. can be stored. Further information may be provided in the dataset, for example a description and / or evaluation of the recipe, the expected preparation time for the recipe or the like. The operations that are still stored with each record of a recipe may include information such as the temperature to be used in the operation (eg, baking, frying), the duration of the operation (eg, maximum baking time, minimum resting time for a dough, etc.) Duration of a mixing operation), processing instructions (such as "please chop corms onions"), job descriptions (general descriptions of craft activities, such as broccoli steaming), dependence of the work step on other work steps (whether this step can be done independently of another step , or whether certain conditions must be met at the beginning of this step) and / or other information relevant to the recipe.

Advantageously, the memory is designed such that in this a plurality of data sets and possibly other settings, which relate to, for example, the operation, the program control, the language selection or the like, are loadable. In a particularly user-friendly development of the invention, for example, user profiles could be created, according to which different settings of the device can be stored for different users of the device, user-dependent evaluations for individual recipes can be submitted, preferred units of measure are displayed, etc.

The functionality of the device can advantageously be extended if the processor can access measuring devices, external storage media and / or communication devices by means of suitable interfaces. An access of the processor to a measuring device enables the consideration of events in the context of the interactive program sequence. In this case, the device has its own sensor system, wherein the weight sensors of the balance, temperature sensors (for example for placing in the oven, for insertion into the food), moisture sensors (for example for doughs), time measuring devices, etc. are suitable as measuring devices.

An access of the processor to external storage media advantageously allows the use of external databases. As external storage media hard disks, memory cards, USB sticks etc. can be used, whereby by the Use of external storage media in general also an advantageous data exchange with other devices is possible. In practical application, cooking or baking recipes can be exchanged between different users in this way, by simply exchanging the storage media.

By alternative or supplementary access of the processor to communication devices, the possibilities of data exchange and data processing can be extended almost arbitrarily. Thus, an Internet access could be provided by means of which the device provided recipes for direct application can be downloaded and stored. Conversely, by means of Internet access, the device could be used to order the ingredients needed for a recipe via the Internet, whereby existing ingredient stocks could be queried beforehand by the user to avoid overstocking. In a further practical way could serve as a communication device, a mobile device, so that the user is reminded, for example, even after leaving the house by a call about the expiry of the baking time of his court. Countless other applications are conceivable.

Advantageously, the processor - in addition to the read access - write access to the memory. Accordingly, it is not only possible for the user to read out and execute prescribed prescriptions, but also, for example, to make changes to prescriptions that can be written to the memory or also to external storage media. Such changes can be of practical use if a cooking time specified in the recipe proves to be too long in practice and this error is to be avoided in the future. In a particularly original embodiment, a so-called learning mode could be provided for the device, by means of which own recipes can be created. For example, the user could first create a draft of a recipe by means of the input unit or transfer it into the memory of the device by means of an external storage medium or a communication device, in order then to make individual improvements.

The device has a display for communication with the user. To an attractive, possibly high-resolution and / or color representation to achieve on the display, this could advantageously be a liquid crystal display (LCD). This also has the advantage that - with the appropriate size of the display - a variety of information, possibly even graphics (eg images of ingredients, time courses as bar charts, etc.) or work instructions can be clearly displayed. Alternatively or additionally, an embodiment as a light-emitting diode display, segment and / or matrix display or the like is conceivable.

In addition to the display, one or more further optical display devices can be provided, which output signals to the user while following the recipe. In the simplest case, for example, by means of a variable color display (red and green) provided on the balance, it can be signaled whether the quantity of ingredient applied to the balance corresponds to the target value (green) or not (red).

For convenient operation of the device, it is conceivable that the input unit comprises a keyboard, mouse, a control panel, a touch screen and / or the like.

To achieve an overall compact design, at least the scale and the processor, preferably also the memory, the input unit and / or the display could be arranged as an integral unit, optionally in a housing. Such a compact design allows easy transport of the device and reduces the susceptibility to soiling due to fewer individual components.

Since in commercial ovens, microwaves or the like mostly inaccurate information about the interior temperature are spent, a temperature sensor can be provided to further improve the cooking or baking quality for the device, the local temperature or even the temperature in an ingredient or the food itself captured and transmitted to the processor. The exact temperature information available in this way can, if appropriate, achieve significant improvements in the cooking process in conjunction with cooking times specified in the recipe. at too high or too low temperatures, the user can be alerted or can be done an automatic conversion of the cooking time.

In addition to the display, the device may have a loudspeaker that can output signals and / or information acoustically. In the simplest case, sound signals are output via the loudspeaker, for example an acknowledgment tone, after the desired target value has been reached while weighing out an ingredient. Likewise, alarm sounds can be output, for example, when a baking time or baking temperature is exceeded. In a most practical way, the speaker could output information in the form of speech, and it would be conceivable that all the information needed for the recipe, i. about the ingredients and work steps, in the form of a voice output the user be notified in a timely manner. Such a speech output has the enormous advantage that the user can concentrate on the product preparation by hand, without having to look at the display in the meantime. By means of a microphone and a suitable speech recognition software, the user could even communicate with the device in a non-contact manner, so that, in a further advantageous manner, contamination of the device by the user's work-related, impure hands is avoided.

For measuring time periods, in particular cooking times, cooling times, idle times, etc., it is expedient that the device has a time measuring device. In principle, this can be manually started and stopped in the sense of a stopwatch by the user, but in a particularly practical way, this is used to maintain prescribed time periods in the recipe.

In a further practical way, device conversion functionality is provided for the device. This allows quantities of ingredients - for example, kilograms to pounds - to be conveniently handled, which can be useful when using the device in different countries. Similarly, a functionality for conversion between volume and weight specific quantities can be provided.

The balance expediently comprises a weighing cell and a receptacle for the ingredients to be weighed. In the case of bulk materials, liquids or the like It may be necessary to weigh the ingredient to be weighed in a container (cup, bowl, plate). For this purpose, the balance advantageously has a "tare function" by means of which the empty weight of the weighed container can be deducted from the gross weight detected by the balance in order to obtain the net weight of the ingredient.

In a further practical way, a quantity tolerance can be set for weighing the ingredients. This includes that when weighing an ingredient, a quantity deviation from the target value to a certain, determinable portion of the target value is tolerated. This is usually convenient, since in practice a "gram accurate" weighing can neither be realized nor affects the cooking or baking product noticeably.

The object mentioned above is further achieved by a method for guidance during cooking and baking according to claim 21. According to the invention, the method is carried out using the apparatus described according to the invention and is characterized by the following method steps:

Selecting a recipe from the store,

Display of the ingredients and steps necessary according to the recipe,

interactive weighing of the ingredients and execution of the work steps via a program.

In an advantageous manner, the interactive weighing of the ingredients and processing of the work steps takes place in the sense of a dialogue with the user. In this case, the user is made visually and / or acoustically attentive to work steps to be performed according to the recipe and / or conditions to be fulfilled, until these are achieved and / or fulfilled.

There are now various possibilities for designing and developing the teaching of the present invention in an advantageous manner. For this purpose, on the one hand to the claims subordinate to claims 1 and 21 and on the other hand to the following explanation of a preferred embodiment of the Er- reference to the drawing. In conjunction with the explanation of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing, generally preferred embodiments and developments of the teaching are explained. In the drawing show

1 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention according to the single embodiment,

Fig. 2 shows the initiation of the weighing process by means of a sequence of exemplary

Display content

3 shows the change of the weight tolerance on the basis of a sequence of exemplary display contents,

4 shows the conversion of units based on a sequence of exemplary

Display content

5 shows the operation of the time measuring device ("timer") on the basis of a sequence of exemplary display contents,

Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a temperature sensor.

Fig. 1 shows the only embodiment of a device according to the invention for guidance during cooking and baking in a schematic view. It is a basic concept of the device, which is used in particular for explaining the operation of the device as well as the likewise executable method.

The device accordingly comprises a balance, which is designed as a weighing system according to FIG. 1 and has a microcontroller and an analog / digital converter. Furthermore, the device comprises a processor in addition to memory, input unit and display, wherein, according to the representation in FIG. 1, the processor and memory are assigned to a system unit. A luminous crystal display (LCD) together with the controller as well as an angular pulse coder serving as an input unit are in communication with the system unit.

In the memory of the device several recipes are stored. Each recipe is in the form of a dataset, which preferably contains all the information necessary to carry out the recipe. This may be information about required ingredients, in particular about required amounts. The quantities of each individual ingredient are expediently used as a reference quantity for a specific portion number, so that a suitable "recipe extension" can be carried out while maintaining the proportions of the ingredients, depending on the desired number of portions contain to be performed steps.

By means of an input unit (according to FIG. 1, this can be a rotary pulse coder with a tactile function or three keys, any other designs are conceivable), a recipe filed in the memory can be selected and indicated via the display. Depending on the design / layout of the display, the user can already now see the required ingredients and / or the steps to be performed.

To concretely cook or bake according to the selected recipe, the user starts via the input unit, for example by pressing a button on the rotary pulse encoder, an interactive program that instructs the user according to the stored recipe information for weighing the ingredients and processing of steps. Individual exemplary operations will be described later with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

As can further be deduced from FIG. 1, further functionalities can be provided in addition to the basic functions mentioned. For example, the memory assigned to the system unit can be supplemented as desired by external storage media. As a result, the storage capacity is increased, also there is the possibility to exchange recipe data with other devices and / or aufzuspielen new recipe data. 1 also has a time measuring device ("RealTimeClock / Timer"), which can advantageously be used in certain work steps (eg monitoring the baking time). "Power supply") of the device can be done by means of a battery / Akkufachs or a network adapter.

FIG. 2 shows the introduction of the weighing process on the basis of a sequence of display contents. In each case, by means of the input unit, a work instruction (in this case: weighing of flour) specified by the recipe is selected from the recipe. It changes to the weighing mode, the target value (250 g) for the ingredient (flour) is adopted and displayed on the display during weighing. By additional selection of the option "tare" a zeroing of the balance in the sense of a "taring" can be made, which may be appropriate for bulk materials, liquids or other not independently weighable ingredients. After reaching the target value (here: 250g) within an adjustable tolerance, a signal is output, for example an acknowledgment tone or a green light signal. The weighing of the ingredient is thus successfully completed and the next step or the next weighing process can be performed.

3 shows, by means of a sequence of exemplary display contents, that the device for avoiding unnecessary power consumption when not in use has an automatic "time out" function whose turn-off time can be changed via the settings menu ,

In Fig. 4 it can be seen that for the ingredients, a conversion from volume to weight specifications can be made. This conversion preferably takes place automatically, ie ingredients indicated in the recipe in volume quantities (here: 300 ml of milk) could accordingly be converted into a corresponding amount by weight (309.3 g) on the basis of the density known for the ingredient. The conversion allows weighing the ingredient (milk) to obtain a certain volume. Previous "taring" may be appropriate to prevent the weight of the milk container from flowing into the measurement result. The operation of the timer is shown in Fig. 5. As can be seen, a "baking time of XX min" is stored for a particular recipe and is output via the display. The user only needs to select "Start" to start the time measuring device, then a remaining time count starts in. A signal can be output when the end time has been reached, and the user can subsequently continue the recipe processing.

Finally, in FIG. 6, a schematic representation of a temperature sensor is provided, which is arranged in an oven and / or inserted in the cooking object (baked goods, roast). A thin, flexible, heat-resistant cable connects the sensor to the processor. By means of the precisely recorded temperature, the cooking time / baking time can be adjusted accordingly. Upon reaching a predetermined temperature value, an optical and / or acoustic signal can be output.

It should be expressly understood that the embodiment described above is merely for the purpose of discussion of the claimed teaching, but does not limit it to the embodiment.

Claims

Patent claims

1 . Device for guidance in cooking and baking with a balance and a processor with memory, input unit and display, where from the memory a recipe selectable and according to the selection according to the recipe necessary ingredients and operations are displayed and weighing the ingredients and processing the work steps are done interactively via a program.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the prescription is in the form of a data record which comprises at least the ingredients required according to the recipe and the steps necessary for the execution of the prescription.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stored operations include information such as temperature to be applied, duration of the work step, processing instructions, descriptions of activities, dependence on other steps and / or other relevant to the recipe information

4 Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the memory a plurality of data sets and possibly other settings are loadable

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the processor by means of suitable interfaces on measuring devices, external storage media and / or communication devices can access

6 Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that one or more of the interfaces for non-contact access are wirelessly executed.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the processor can access the memory also write

8 Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that for generating own recipes, a learning mode is provided.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD), LED display, segment and / or matrix display.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in addition to the display, a further optical display device is provided.

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the input unit comprises a keyboard, mouse, a control panel, a touch screen and / or the like.

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the balance and the processor, preferably also the memory, the input unit and / or the display, as an integral unit, possibly with a housing executed.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a temperature sensor is provided which detects the temperature in a cooking or baking device or in the ingredient or the product itself and transmitted to the processor.

14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that a speaker for the acoustic output of Sgnalen and / or information is provided.

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that a time measuring device is provided for measuring durations.

16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that a functionality for unit conversion is provided.

17. Device according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a functionality for conversion between volume and weight-specific quantities is provided.

18. Device according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the balance essentially comprises a load cell and a receptacle for weighing ingredients.

19. Device according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the balance has a tare function.

20. Device according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that for the weighing of the ingredients, a quantity tolerance is adjustable.

21. Method for guidance in cooking and baking using a device according to one of claims 1 to 20, the following method steps are described in more detail:

Selecting a recipe from the store,

Display of the ingredients and steps necessary according to the recipe,

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the interactive weighing of the ingredients and processing of the steps in the sense of a dialogue with the user takes place, for which purpose the user attentively and / or acoustically attentive to working steps and / or conditions to be fulfilled according to the recipe is made until it is done or fulfilled.