EP3063474A1

EP3063474A1 - Heating cooktop system having advanced cooking process safety control function

Info

Publication number: EP3063474A1
Application number: EP13786225.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Caglar VARAN; Selcuk SOYYIGIT; Gamze DAG; Ugur Camli; Yasin Sedat Yirmili
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2013-11-01
Filing date: 2013-11-01
Publication date: 2016-09-07
Also published as: WO2015062666A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heating cooktop system (1) having a cooking cooktop (2) with a plurality of individual cooking zones (6) and a monitoring unit (3) in the form of an image sequence capturing device, said monitoring unit (3) being installed on an installation surface so as to be configured to have a direct vision angle for capturing any visual differentiation occurring in a cooking vessel on any one of said cooking zones (6).

Description

HEATING COOKTOP SYSTEM HAVING ADVANCED COOKING PROCESS SAFETY CONTROL FUNCTION

The present invention relates to a heating cooktop system that is capable of ensuring safety of a cooking process in the absence of a user monitoring such process.
It is well-known that a heating cooker may operate based on the process of heating a ferromagnetic material by electromagnetic induction where eddy currents are to be induced and resistance provides heat dissipation within said ferromagnetic material, i.e. a cooking vessel in the form of a pot or pan. A heating cooker may also be a conventional gas cooker, in which case the heat energy is transferred to the vessel by way of burning the gas under the vessel.
Cooking fires are reported as the major cause of home fires and injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking, meaning that cooking fires can be avoided simply by continuous monitoring. Anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains can pose safety risks in this respect. It is to be noted that one’s continuous presence in the kitchen to carry out and monitor the cooking process while frying, grilling, or broiling food may not always be possible on the part of users due to many practical reasons, such as for instance a mother may leave the food in oil on an electric range unattended for helping her baby crying out in his/her room.
In other words, users need to be reminded that they should turn off the stove or the heating cooker if they leave the kitchen for even a short period of time. Since, this is not always possible, as already mentioned above, an automated safety system is desirable to avoid safety hazards in such cookers.
In a nutshell, there are cases where the energy transfer to the vessel should be interrupted. One example to this could be the case where the pan is removed from the cooktop. Another example could be the case where cooking oil and grease swiftly overheats and the vapors burst into flames.
Among others, one of the prior art disclosures in the technical field of the present invention can be referred to as WO2012150216, which defines a cooking hob with a time-of-flight camera that is arranged under a glass-ceramic cover for the gesture-based control of the cooking hob.
The present invention, on the other hand, provides a heating cooktop system that is capable of monitoring and determining certain stages of the cooking process, in response to which an associated safety measure is taken.
The present invention provides a heating cooktop system that is capable of ensuring safety of a cooking process in the absence of a user monitoring such process, as provided by the characterizing features defined in Claim 1.
Primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide a heating cooktop system ensuring safety of a cooking process in the absence of a user monitoring such process.
The present invention proposes a heating cooktop system having a heating cooktop with a plurality of individual cooking zones including electrical heaters, induction heaters or gas burners and a monitoring unit in the form of a video frame capturing device. The monitoring unit has an image analyzing unit and remotely communicates with the heating cooktop. The monitoring unit graphically process video frames of a preconfigured surface area delimited by a cooking vessel’s inner surface located on any of the cooking zones. The monitoring unit compares captured video frames and images with pre-stored reference images both to determine presence of predefined hazard situations and to identify children approaching near the heating cooktop. Real-time video stream of the cooking operation can be remotely viewed by users by way of browsing the IP address of the monitoring unit.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a heating cooktop system whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
Fig. 1 demonstrates a general perspective representation of the heating cooktop system according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 demonstrates a general perspective representation of the heating cooktop system with a range hood accommodating a monitoring unit according to the present invention.
The following numerals are used in the detailed description:

Heating cooktop system
Heating cooktop
Monitoring unit
Range hood
Rear wall
Cooking zone

The present invention proposes a heating cooktop system (1) typically having a heating cooktop (2) with a plurality of individual cooking zones (6) including electrical heaters or gas burners and a monitoring unit (3) in the form of an image sequence capturing device, i.e. a video camera. The monitoring unit (3) of the invention is preferably installed on an installation surface such as the rear wall (5) or the range hood (4) above the cooking areas. In both cases, the monitoring unit (3) can be configured to have an adequate direct vision angle so as to be capable of capturing any visual differentiation occurring in a cooking vessel on any one of the burners (6).
The monitoring unit (3) according to the present invention comprises an image analyzing unit in signal communication with a control unit controlling the cooking operation of the heating cooktop (2). The image analyzing unit of the monitoring unit (3) serves to the purpose of graphically processing captured information directly associated with a preconfigured planar area substantially definable by a cooking vessel’s inner surface disposed on any of the cooking zones (6).
A visual differentiation that is discernible by the monitoring unit (3) includes for example visual transformation of boiling substances when bubble formations occur or production of smoke due to burning cooking oil. Therefore, overflowing of the boiling substance can be avoided as well as the moment at which a given oil starts to smoke, that is, its smoke point can be detected.
The image analysing unit processes captured images by comparing those with pre-stored reference images to establish whether one of the predefined hazard situations is to be acknowledged. If so, the monitoring unit (3) communicates with the control unit of the heating cooktop to take the necessary action, which is in most cases, turning off of a burner or an electrical heater in the cooking zone (6).
According to an embodiment of the present invention, when smoke presence is sensed, the range hood (4) can be automatically turned on following the turning off of the associated burner(s) or electrical heater(s) in the cooking zone(s) (6). To this end, the present invention ensures that both a hazard preventive action is taken by cutting off the heat supply and the unpleasant situation already occurred to a certain extent until such situation is sensed is dealt with by operating the range hood to suck up the smoke.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring unit (3) analyzes image sequence to identify presence of children in direct proximity of the heating cooktop (2) so as to be able to reach a control panel thereof. Presence of a nearby child can be acknowledged based on a plurality of algorithmic approaches such as determining the moving object discernible in a sequence of images and comparing the same with pre-stored reference images or tracking the object’s movements and determining the height thereof in reference to a known position in comparison thereto, such as for instance in reference to the position of the heating cooktop (2). In this respect, the monitoring unit (3) runs an algorithm to determine the height of a child within a certain distance range, whereupon, the child lock is engaged and the control panel with respective buttons and knobs is inoperable.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, the heating cooktop system’s (1) monitoring unit (3) is accessible from a remote location via a wireless communication network. To this end, said monitoring unit (3) being connectible to communication network, real-time video frames of the cooking operation can be accessed remotely by means of a remote terminal such as a computer/smartphone by way of using an associated IP address.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, voice commands can be used to interact with the heating cooktop system (1) such that pre-configured voice commands initiates assigned tasks.
The present invention also proposes a method for operating a heating cooktop system (1) with said heating cooktop system (1) having a heating cooktop (2) having a plurality of individual cooking zones (6) including electrical heaters or gas burners and a monitoring unit (3) that is in signal communication with a control unit controlling the cooking operation of the heating cooktop (2). Said method comprises the steps of:
a) initiation of capturing a sequence of images upon turning on of the heating cooktop (2),
b) graphically processing captured information directly associated with a preconfigured planar area substantially definable by a cooking vessel’s inner surface disposed on any of the cooking zones (6),
c) identifying predetermined hazard situations by comparing captured images with pre-stored reference images to establish whether any of the predefined hazard situations is to be acknowledged,
d) communicating presence of a hazard situation by the monitoring unit (3) to the control unit and cutting off of the heat supply by said control unit.
In a nutshell, the present invention provides a heating cooktop system (1) that is capable of monitoring and determining certain stages of the cooking process associatable with serious hazard situations, in response to which a respective safety measure is immediately taken.

Claims

A heating cooktop system (1) having a heating cooktop (2) with a plurality of individual cooking zones (6) including electrical heaters or gas burners and a monitoring unit (3) in the form of an image sequence capturing device, said monitoring unit (3) being installed on an installation surface so as to be configured to have a direct vision angle for capturing any visual differentiation occurring in a cooking vessel on any one of said cooking zones (6) characterized in that,

said monitoring unit (3) comprises an image analyzing unit in signal communication with a control unit controlling the cooking operation of the heating cooktop (2),

said image analyzing unit of the monitoring unit (3) graphically process captured information directly associated with a preconfigured planar area substantially definable by a cooking vessel’s inner surface disposed on any of the burners (6).
A heating cooktop system (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that said monitoring unit (3) processes captured images by comparing the same with pre-stored reference images to establish whether any of predefined hazard situations is to be acknowledged.
A heating cooktop system (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the monitoring unit (3) analyzes an image sequence to identify presence of children in direct proximity of the heating cooktop (2) so as to be able to reach a control panel thereof and child lock is activated.
A heating cooktop system (1) as in Claim 3, characterized in that children in direct proximity of the heating cooktop (2) are determined by analyzing a sequence of images and comparing the same with pre-stored reference images.
A heating cooktop system (1) as in Claim 3, characterized in that children in direct proximity of the heating cooktop (2) are determined by tracking the object’s movements and determining the height thereof in reference to a known position in comparison thereto.
A heating cooktop system (1) as in Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that real-time video frames of the cooking operation is remotely accessible by means of a remote terminal by way of using an associated IP address in respect of said monitoring unit (3).
A method for operating a heating cooktop system (1) as set forth in Claim 1, said heating cooktop system (1) having a heating cooktop (2) with a plurality of individual cooking zones (6) and a monitoring unit (3) that is in signal communication with a control unit controlling the cooking operation of the heating cooktop (2), said method comprising the steps of:

- initiation of capturing a sequence of images upon turning on of the heating cooktop (2),

- graphically processing captured information directly associated with a preconfigured planar area substantially definable by a cooking vessel’s inner surface disposed on any of the burners (6),

- identifying predetermined hazard situations by comparing captured images with pre-stored reference images to establish whether any of the predefined hazard situations is to be acknowledged and

- communicating presence of a hazard situation by the monitoring unit (3) to the control unit and cutting off of the heat supply by said control unit.