JP7359423B2 - gas stove system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to gas stove systems.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, gas stove systems are known that determine whether or not cooking utensils are placed on a stove based on an image generated by imaging with an imaging section such as a camera. For example, in Patent Document 1, an initial image of a state in which no cooking utensils are placed is stored in advance, and an image generated by imaging with an imaging unit is compared with this initial image to calculate the amount of difference. A technique is disclosed that recognizes that a cooking utensil is present when the quantity exceeds a threshold.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-133722

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, since the difference amount is calculated by comparing the entire image, there is a problem that the time required to detect the presence or absence of a cooking utensil tends to be large.

Therefore, in order to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure provides a gas stove system that can shorten the time required to detect the presence or absence of cooking utensils.

The gas stove system of the first aspect of the present invention includes:
A gas stove system comprising a gas stove having one or more stove parts,
an imaging unit that captures an image of the stove unit;
a detection target region that forms at least a part of the stove section and is placed in an exposed state on the upper surface side of the gas stove;
an analysis unit that analyzes an image generated by imaging with the imaging unit and detects an image of the detection target region;
a determination unit that determines whether a cooking utensil is present in the stove unit based on a detection result of the image of the detection target region by the analysis unit;
has.

The gas stove system according to the second aspect of the present invention includes:
A gas stove system comprising a gas stove having one or more stove parts,
an imaging unit that captures an image of the stove unit;
an analysis unit that analyzes the image generated by the imaging by the imaging unit and detects a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size;
a determination unit that determines that a cooking utensil is present in the stove unit in the detected area on the condition that the analysis unit detects a circle or a rectangle within the predetermined size;
has.

The stove system according to the present disclosure can shorten the time required to detect the presence or absence of cooking utensils.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the appearance of a gas stove system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an information transmission path between devices that constitute the gas stove system of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a gas stove included in the gas stove system of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a gas supply path to a gas burner, etc. in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the gas stove included in the gas stove system of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of determination processing performed in the gas stove system of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically illustrating a gas stove with no cooking utensils placed thereon. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically illustrating a gas stove with cooking utensils placed thereon. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of determination processing performed in the gas stove system of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating a gas stove in which a cooking utensil having a circular opening edge is placed. FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically illustrating a gas stove in which a cooking utensil having a rectangular opening edge is placed.

Here, a desirable example of the present invention will be shown.

The gas stove system of the first aspect analyzes the image generated by the imaging unit, and determines whether or not cooking utensils are present in the stove unit based on the detection result of the image of the detection target region by the analysis unit. can be determined. Therefore, this gas stove system can reduce the amount of processing required for detection compared to a configuration that calculates the amount of difference by comparing the entire image, and as a result, reduces the time required to detect the presence or absence of cooking utensils. be able to. Moreover, since the detection target part is a component of the stove part, the installation position and shape are constant. Therefore, detection is easier than directly detecting cooking utensils that may vary in installation position and shape, and in this respect, the time required to detect the presence or absence of cooking utensils can be further shortened.

In the gas stove system of the first aspect, the detection target region may include at least a portion of a burner head in the stove section. In this gas stove system, the detection target area can be narrowed compared to the case where the edges of cooking utensils are detected, so the time required for detecting cooking utensils can be further shortened. Additionally, since the burner head has a predetermined shape and is easily visible from above when no cooking container is present, making a judgment based on this part will result in a more accurate judgment. It can be done more quickly.

In the gas stove system of the first aspect, the detection target site may include at least a part of the trivet in the stove section. In this gas stove system, the detection target area can be narrowed compared to the case where the edges of cooking utensils are detected, so the time required for detecting cooking utensils can be further shortened. In addition, since the trivet has a predetermined shape and is easily visible from above when no cooking container is present, making a judgment based on such a part will lead to more accurate judgments. It can be done quickly.

The gas stove system of the second aspect analyzes the image generated by the image capturing section, and on the condition that a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size is detected, cooking utensils are placed in the stove section in the detected area. It can be determined that it exists. Therefore, this gas stove system can reduce the amount of processing required for detection compared to a configuration that compares the entire image or detects the entire cooking utensil including the handle, and as a result, the amount of processing required for detection can be reduced. The time required to detect the presence or absence of an instrument can be reduced.

In the gas stove system of the second aspect, the imaging unit may be configured to image the gas stove from above. The determination unit may operate to determine that a circle whose center coordinates and radius are within a predetermined range is a cooking utensil. This gas stove system can easily prevent circles detected from objects other than cooking utensils from being mistakenly detected as cooking utensils.

In the gas stove system of the second aspect, the imaging unit may be configured to image the gas stove from above. The determining unit may operate to determine that a rectangle whose center coordinates and length of one side are within a second predetermined range is a cooking utensil. This gas stove system can easily prevent rectangles detected from objects other than cooking utensils from being mistakenly detected as cooking utensils.

In the gas stove system of the first aspect or the gas stove system of the second aspect, when the determination section determines that there is no cooking utensil in any of the stove sections, the set fire power of the gas burner of the corresponding stove section is minimized. It may have a firepower control section. This gas stove system can suppress gas consumption when no cooking utensils are present.

In the gas stove system of the first aspect or the gas stove system of the second aspect, when the determination section determines that there is no cooking utensil in any of the stove sections, a regulation section that restricts the ignition of the gas burner of the corresponding stove section. It may have. This gas stove system can prevent ignition in the absence of cooking utensils.

<First embodiment>
1-1. Overview of Gas Stove System As shown in FIG. 1, the gas stove system Sy (hereinafter also referred to as system Sy) is configured as a system including a gas stove 1 and an imaging unit 90.

In the system Sy, the imaging unit 90 is arranged to capture an image of the gas stove 1 from above. The gas stove 1 can acquire image data obtained by imaging the vicinity of the gas stove 1 by the imaging unit 90 or processed data obtained by processing the image data, and perform control based on the image data. Note that the configuration of the gas stove 1 will be described in detail later.

The imaging unit 90 is constituted by a known imaging device such as a CCD camera, a CMOS camera, an infrared camera, etc. that can receive visible light or infrared rays from the imaging range and generate an image of the imaging range. The imaging unit 90 is provided with a predetermined mounting structure (for example, a mounting structure attached to the discharge device 100) at a predetermined position away from the gas stove 1 (for example, a predetermined position of the discharge device 100). In the example of FIG. 1, the imaging unit 90 is arranged so as to be able to image the gas stove 1 from near the discharge device 100.

The exhaust device 100 is a device that discharges exhaust gas generated by the heating operation of the gas stove 1, and is configured, for example, as a known range hood equipped with a ventilation fan, and transmits signals emitted from the gas stove 1 through wireless communication (for example, infrared communication, etc.). ). The exhaust device 100 includes a receiving section 102 that receives a wireless signal (for example, an infrared signal), a control device (not shown) that processes the signal received by the receiving section 102, and a drive load 106 (configuring a ventilation fan) driven by the control device. motor, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 2, in the system Sy, wireless communication is performed between the gas stove 1 and the exhaust device 100 using a known wireless communication method. Specifically, the gas stove 1 is configured to transmit an infrared signal to the exhaust device 100, and the exhaust device 100 is configured to receive the infrared signal transmitted from the gas stove 1. On the other hand, in the system Sy, information is transmitted and received between the gas stove 1 and the imaging unit 90. Communication between the gas stove 1 and the imaging unit 90 may be wired communication via a communication line, or may be wireless communication using a known method.

1-2. Configuration of gas stove As shown in FIG. 3, the gas stove 1 is configured as a built-in stove, and includes a box-shaped housing section 2 with an open upper end, and a top plate 5 (top plate) fixed to the upper end of the housing section 2. ), and a right stove section 4A, a left stove section 4B, and a small stove section 4C (hereinafter also referred to as stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C) are provided so as to be exposed from the top plate 5. Gas burners 51, 52, 53, 54 (Fig. 4) are provided in each of the right stove section 4A, left stove section 4B, small stove section 4C, and grill storage 3. , a part or all of which is housed within the housing 2.

Each of the gas burners 51, 52, and 53 is arranged with each burner head 51A, 52A, and 53A exposed on the upper surface side of the gas stove 1. On the top plate 5, trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C are provided around each gas burner 51, 52, and 53, respectively. The trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C are used to place cooking utensils (for example, cooking containers such as pots) above the gas burners 51, 52, and 53, and are part of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C. It is a member constituting the section. Each of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C is provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the trivet rings 110A, 110B, and 110C arranged to surround the gas burners 51, 52, and 53, and the trivet rings 110A, 110B, and 110C. A plurality of trivet legs 112A, 112B, and 112C are provided. Each of the trivet legs 112A, 112B, and 112C extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the trivet ring 110A, 110B, and 110C, and is folded back from the upper side to extend radially inward. The tips of the trivet legs 112A, 112B, 112C extend radially inward from the inner peripheral surfaces of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, 110C. The cooking utensils are placed above the gas burners 51, 52, 53 by being placed on the trivet legs 112A, 112B, 112C.

As shown in FIG. 3, near the front of the gas stove 1, there are four rotary operation sections 6A, 6B, 6C, corresponding to the right stove section 4A, left stove section 4B, small stove section 4C, and grill storage 3, respectively. 6D are provided respectively. The first rotary operation section 6A is used to ignite, extinguish, and adjust the firepower of the gas burner 51 that constitutes the right stove section 4A. The second rotary operation section 6B is used to ignite, extinguish, and adjust the firepower of the gas burner 52 that constitutes the left stove section 4B. The third rotary operation section 6C is used to ignite, extinguish, and adjust the firepower of the gas burner 53 that constitutes the small stove section 4C. The fourth rotary operation section 6D is used to ignite, extinguish, and adjust the firepower of the gas burner 54 (grill burner). In the example of FIG. 3, each of the rotary operation parts 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D is switched between a retracted position and a protruded position each time the user presses them. In FIG. 3, the rotational operation part 6A when in the retracted position is illustrated by a solid line, and the rotational operation part 6A when in the protruding position is illustrated by a two-dot chain line 6A'.

As shown in FIG. 4, inside the housing 2, as gas piping, there are a common supply path 60 which is a common gas flow path, and a plurality of branch supply paths 61 which are gas flow paths branched from the common supply path 60. 62, 63, and 64 are provided. The gas flowing through the common supply path 60 is guided to each gas burner 51, 52, 53, 54 through each branch supply path 61, 62, 63, 64. The common supply path 60 is provided with a solenoid valve N1 that opens and closes the common supply path 60. The branch supply path 61 is provided with a solenoid valve (safety valve) 51G and a solenoid valve (shutoff valve) 51F that can open and close the branch supply path 61, and a thermal power adjustment valve 51E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 51. ing. The branch supply path 62 is provided with a solenoid valve (safety valve) 52G and a solenoid valve (shutoff valve) 52F that can open and close the branch supply path 62, and a thermal power adjustment valve 52E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 52. ing. The branch supply path 63 is provided with a solenoid valve (safety valve) 53G and a solenoid valve (shutoff valve) 53F that can open and close the branch supply path 63, and a thermal power adjustment valve 53E that can adjust the amount of gas supplied to the gas burner 53. ing. The gas burner 54 includes an upper grill burner 54A disposed at a predetermined position above the grill chamber 3, and a lower grill burner 54B disposed below the upper grill burner 54A within the grill chamber 3. The branch supply path 64, which is a gas flow path branched from the common supply path 60, includes a first supply path 65A, which is a gas flow path that branches from the branch supply path 64 and leads gas to the upper grill burner 54A, and a branch supply path 64. A second supply path 65B, which is a gas flow path that branches off from the lower grill burner 54B and leads gas to the lower grill burner 54B, is connected thereto. The branch supply path 64 is provided with a solenoid valve (safety valve) 54G and a solenoid valve (shutoff valve) 54F that can open and close the branch supply path 64, and the first supply path 65A is provided with a plurality of solenoid valves that can open and close the first supply path 65A. Solenoid valves 54H and 54J are provided, and the second supply path 65B is provided with a solenoid valve 54K that can open and close the second supply path 65B. The first supply path 65A is provided with a bypass path 66A in parallel with the solenoid valve 54J, and the second supply path 65B is provided with a bypass path 66B in parallel with the solenoid valve 54K.

Next, the electrical configuration of the gas stove 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 and the like.
In FIG. 5, the control circuit 10 is configured as, for example, a microcomputer, and includes a CPU 10A, a ROM 10B, a RAM 10C, etc., and further includes a timer, an I/O interface, etc. (not shown). The control circuit 10 corresponds to an example of an analysis section, a determination section, a thermal power control section, and a regulation section. Note that a nonvolatile memory may be provided inside or outside the control circuit 10. The power supply section 56 is, for example, a primary battery or a secondary battery (specifically, a plurality of dry batteries, etc.). The power supply circuit 57 receives power from the power supply unit 56 and has a function of generating a predetermined power supply voltage.The power supply voltage generated by the power supply circuit 57 is supplied to various electrical components via paths not shown. Ru.

Each of the switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D shown in FIG. , 30C, and 30D, respectively, are provided with ignition signal input circuits 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D. The switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D all function as ignition switches, and in any of the rotary operation parts 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, when the rotary operation part is in the retracted position (extinguishing position), the corresponding switch is turned off. state, and an OFF signal is given to the control circuit 10 from the ignition signal input circuit corresponding to this switch. Further, when the rotary operation section is in the protruding position (ignition position), the corresponding switch is in the on state, and an on signal is given to the control circuit 10 from the ignition signal input circuit corresponding to this switch. For example, when the rotary operating section 6A (FIG. 3) is in the retracted position (the position of the rotating operating section 6A indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3), the switch 30A shown in FIG. 5 is in the OFF state, and at this time the ignition signal input circuit 40A is A signal indicating an off state (off signal) is input to the control circuit 10. Further, when the rotary operation part 6A (FIG. 3) is in the protruding position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line 6A' in FIG. 3), the switch 30A shown in FIG. 5 is turned on, and at this time, the ignition signal input circuit 40A A signal indicating an on state (on signal) is input to the control circuit 10 . It should be noted that when the ignition operation is performed by the rotary operation units 6B, 6C, and 6D (FIG. 3), the corresponding circuits operate in the same manner.

Each of the displacement detection sections 32A, 32B, 32C, and 32D shown in FIG. 5 is provided to correspond to each of the rotation operation sections 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D (FIG. 3). Thermal power signal input circuits 41A, 41B, 41C, and 41D are provided to correspond to the displacement detectors 32A, 32B, 32C, and 32D, respectively. In any of the rotary operation parts 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, the displacement (rotation position) of the rotation operation part is detected by a displacement detection part (rotation angle sensor such as an encoder) corresponding to the rotation operation part. ing. A thermal power signal input circuit corresponding to the displacement detection section provides a signal indicating the displacement (rotational position) detected by the displacement detection section to the control circuit 10. For example, a displacement detection section 32A provided corresponding to the rotation operation section 6A is adapted to detect the displacement (rotation position) of the rotation operation section 6A. The thermal power signal input circuit 41A corresponding to the displacement detection section 32A provides the control circuit 10 with a signal indicating the displacement detected by the displacement detection section 32A (i.e., the rotational position of the rotary operation section 6A). It looks like this. In addition, when the thermal power adjustment operation (rotation operation) is performed using the rotation operation units 6B, 6C, and 6D (FIG. 3), the corresponding circuits operate in the same manner.

Each of the thermocouples 51C, 52C, 53C, 54C, and 54D shown in FIG. 5 is provided adjacent to each of the gas burners 51, 52, 53, 54A, and 54B (FIG. 4). Temperature signal input circuits (thermocouple signal input circuits) 43A, 43B, 43C, 43D, and 43E are provided corresponding to each of the thermocouples 51C, 52C, 53C, 54C, and 54D, respectively. Each of the temperature signal input circuits 43A, 43B, 43C, 43D, and 43E inputs a signal indicating the temperature detected by the corresponding thermocouple to the control circuit 10. Further, thermistors 34A, 34B, and 34C are each provided adjacent to each of the gas burners 51, 52, and 53 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Temperature signal input circuits (thermistor signal input circuits) 44A, 44B, and 44C are provided corresponding to the thermistors 34A, 34B, and 34C, respectively. Each of the temperature signal input circuits 44A, 44B, and 44C inputs a signal indicating the temperature detected by the corresponding thermistor to the control circuit 10.

Each of the igniters 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D shown in FIG. 5 is provided corresponding to each of the gas burners 51, 52, 53, and 54 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Igniter terminals (not shown) are provided in the igniters 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D adjacent to each of the gas burners 51, 52, 53, and 54 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Igniter circuits 46A, 46B, 46C, and 46D are provided corresponding to each of the igniters 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D, respectively.

The drive circuit 47A drives the thermal power adjustment valve 51E to an opening degree according to the instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 47B drives the thermal power adjustment valve 52E to an opening degree according to the instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 47C drives the thermal power adjustment valve 53E to an opening degree according to the instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 48A is a circuit that switches the electromagnetic valves 51F and 51G to a state according to an instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 48B is a circuit that switches the electromagnetic valves 52F and 52G to a state according to an instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 48C is a circuit that switches the electromagnetic valves 53F and 53G to a state according to an instruction from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 48D is a circuit that switches the electromagnetic valves 54F, 54G, 54H, 54J, and 54K to states according to instructions from the control circuit 10. The drive circuit 49 is a circuit that switches the original solenoid valve N1 to a state according to an instruction from the control circuit 10. Note that each of the drive circuits 47A, 47B, and 47C may be configured by a circuit common to each of the drive circuits 48A, 48B, and 48C.

The audio device 81 is a device that includes one or more sounding devices such as a buzzer or a speaker, and the timing of sounding and the content of the sound to be emitted are controlled by the control circuit 10. The display unit 82 is a device that includes one or more display media such as a light emitting unit (LED, other light emitting elements, etc.) and an image display device (liquid crystal display, organic EL display, etc.), and the display is controlled by the control circuit 10. This is a device whose on/off timing and display contents are controlled. The operation unit 83 is a device that is operated by the user, and is configured with one or more known input interfaces (operation buttons, touch panels, etc.), and inputs information to the control circuit 10 according to the user's operation. It works like this. The communication unit 84 is a device that cooperates with the control circuit 10 and communicates with an external device using a known communication method (for example, a known wireless communication method such as an infrared communication method or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication method).

1-3. Determination Process Next, the determination process will be explained. The determination process is a process executed by the control circuit 10, and is executed by the control circuit 10 according to a program stored in the ROM 108, for example, in response to establishment of a predetermined start condition. The starting condition may be, for example, that the power of the system Sy is switched on, or that an ignition operation is performed. The determination process is repeatedly executed by restarting immediately after it ends while the system Sy is powered on or the switches 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D are on.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the determination process, first, an image generated by imaging by the imaging unit 90 is acquired (step S10). Specifically, the control circuit 10 acquires, via the communication unit 84, image data obtained by imaging by the imaging unit 90 or processed data obtained by processing the image data. Then, the control circuit 10 analyzes the image (i.e., image data or processed data) acquired in step S10, and performs a detection process to detect the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) of the gas burners 51, 52, 53. (Step S11).

An example of the detection process is shown below. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control circuit 10 extracts the image of the detection target area from the entire area AR0 of the image acquired in step S10. As detection target areas, a first area AR1, a second area AR2, and a third area AR3 are set corresponding to each of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C. Each of the first area AR1, second area AR2, and third area AR3 is a rectangular area that includes at least the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A, and the length of one side is smaller than the diameter of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, and 110C. It has a shape. The control circuit 10 determines whether or not a pre-stored reference image of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (reference image of the detection target region) exists within the extracted detection target region (so-called pattern By matching), burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) are detected. Note that the reference images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) may be stored before shipping, or the reference images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) captured by the imaging unit 90 after installation. It may also be an image of the target area).

In the example of FIG. 7, no cooking utensils are placed in any of the right stove section 4A, the left stove section 4B, and the small stove section 4C. Therefore, the upper surfaces of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are exposed (there is no obstacle between the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A and the imaging section 90), and the first area AR1, the first area Burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are detected in both the second area AR2 and the third area AR3.

In the example of FIG. 8, no cooking utensils are placed on the left stove section 4B and the small stove section 4C. Therefore, similarly to the example of FIG. 7, the burner heads 52A and 53A are detected in the second area AR2 and the third area AR3. On the other hand, cooking utensils are placed on the right stove section 4A. Therefore, the upper side of the burner head 51A is covered by the cooking utensil. Therefore, the burner head 51A is not detected in the first region AR1.

After the detection process (step S11) is completed, it is determined whether images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) have been detected in the detection process (step S11) (step S12). As a result, if images of burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are detected (YES in step S12), it is determined that no cooking utensils are present in the stove part in the area where images of burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are detected. Determination is made (step S13). In the example of FIG. 7, the right stove section 4A, the left stove section 4B, and the small stove section are located in the first area AR1, second area AR2, and third area AR3 where images of burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are detected. It is determined that there is no cooking utensil in the section 4C. In the example of FIG. 8, cooking utensils exist in the left stove section 4B, which is the stove section in the second area AR2, where images of burner heads 52A and 53A are detected, and in the small stove section 4C, which is the stove section in the third area AR3. It is determined that it does not.

When the control circuit 10 determines that no cooking utensil is present in any one of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C, the control circuit 10 causes the gas burner of the stove section in which it has been determined that no cooking utensil is present to be lit. It is determined whether there is one (step S14). For example, it is determined whether or not the switch corresponding to the stove part that has been determined to have no cooking utensils is in the on state, and if it is in the on state, it is determined that the gas burner is ignited, and if it is in the off state. In certain cases, it is determined that the gas burner is not ignited. As a result, if it is determined that the gas burner of the stove part is in the ignited state (YES in step S14), the set fire power of the gas burner of the stove part is set by driving the thermal power adjustment valves 51E, 52E, and 53E. is minimized (step S15). For example, if it is determined that there is no cooking utensil in the right stove section 4A, and it is determined that the gas burner 51 of the right stove section 4A is in the ignited state, by driving the heat adjustment valve 51E, the right stove section The setting firepower of the 4A gas burner 51 is minimized. Then, the determination process ends.

If it is determined in step S14 that the gas burners 51, 52, and 53 of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C are not in the ignited state (NO in step S14), the ignition of the gas burners of the stove sections is regulated ( Step S16). For example, even if the switches 30A, 30B, 30C are operated and an ignition signal is input, the control circuit 10 prevents the igniter circuits 46A, 46B, 46C from inputting a signal instructing ignition. Alternatively, the solenoid valves 51F, 52F, and 53F are controlled to close the branch supply paths 61, 62, and 63. Then, the determination process ends.

If the images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are not detected in step S12 (NO in step S12), the stove section 4A in the area where the images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are not detected, It is determined that cooking utensils exist in 4B and 4C (step S17). In the example of FIG. 8, cooking utensils are placed on the right stove section 4A, and the burner head 51A of the right stove section 4A is covered with the cooking utensil. Therefore, in the first region AR1, the image of the burner head 51A is not detected, and it is determined that a cooking utensil is present in the right stove section 4A, which is the stove section of the first region AR1. Then, the determination process ends.

1-4. Actions and Effects The system Sy of the first embodiment is a gas stove system that includes a gas stove 1 having one or more stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C, and includes an imaging section 90 that captures images of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C; Burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) which constitute at least a part of parts 4A, 4B, 4C and are arranged in an exposed state on the upper surface side of gas stove 1, and control circuit 10 (analysis part, determination part) ). The control circuit 10 (analysis section) analyzes the image generated by the imaging by the imaging section 90, and detects images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A (detection target parts). Then, when the control circuit 10 (judgment unit) detects the images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts), the control circuit 10 (determination unit) determines the area where the images of the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A (detection target parts) are detected. It is determined that there are no cooking utensils in the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C.

According to the system Sy, when the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are detected by analyzing the image generated by the imaging by the imaging unit 90, the area where the burner heads 51A, 52A, 53A are detected is It can be determined that no cooking utensils are present in the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C. Therefore, the amount of processing required for detection can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the amount of difference is calculated by comparing the entire image, and as a result, the time required for detecting the presence or absence of cooking utensils can be shortened.
Moreover, the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are installed at a constant position and have a constant shape. Therefore, it is easier to detect cooking utensils than when directly detecting cooking utensils that may vary in their installation positions and shapes, and the time required to detect the presence or absence of cooking utensils can be shortened.

Furthermore, since the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are the detection target parts, the detection target area can be narrowed compared to the case where the edges of the cooking utensils are detected, and as a result, the time required to detect the cooking utensils can be reduced. can be further shortened.

Furthermore, in the system Sy, when the control circuit 10 determines that there is no cooking utensil in any of the stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C, the gas burners 51, 52, 53 of the corresponding stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C are activated. Set the firepower to the minimum. According to this configuration, gas consumption can be suppressed when no cooking utensils are present.

Furthermore, in the system Sy, when the control circuit 10 determines that there is no cooking utensil in any of the stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C, the gas burners 51, 52, 53 of the corresponding stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C are activated. regulates the ignition of According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent ignition in a state where no cooking utensil is present.

<Second embodiment>
The system Sy of the second embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the first embodiment, and differs only in the configuration of the determination process performed by the control circuit 10.

2-1. Determination Processing In the determination processing of the second embodiment, the control circuit 10 (analysis section) analyzes an image generated by imaging by the imaging section 90, and detects a circle or a rectangle within a predetermined size. Then, the control circuit 10 (determination unit) determines that a cooking utensil is present in the stove portions 4A, 4B, and 4C in the detected area, on the condition that a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size is detected. The determination process will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the determination process, first, an image generated by imaging by the imaging unit 90 is acquired (step S20). Then, the control circuit 10 analyzes the image (ie, image data or processed data) acquired in step S20, and performs a detection process to detect a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size (step S21).

An example of the detection process is shown below. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the control circuit 10 extracts the image of the detection target area from the entire area AR20 of the image acquired in step S20. As detection target areas, a first area AR21, a second area AR22, and a third area AR23 are set corresponding to each of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C. Each of the first region AR21, the second region AR22, and the third region AR23 includes at least the entire stove portions 4A, 4B, and 4C, and has a rectangular shape smaller than the entire region AR20. The control circuit 10 detects a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size by determining whether or not a pre-stored reference image of a circle or rectangle exists within the extracted detection target area (so-called pattern matching). To detect.

A circle within a predetermined size is, for example, a circle whose radius R is within a predetermined range, and more specifically, the radius R is from the center of the trivets 9A, 9B, 9C to the radial outer side of the trivet legs 112A, 112B, 112C. It is a circle that is smaller than 1.2 times the distance to the end (RS1 in FIG. 10) and larger than the radius of the outer periphery of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, and 110C (RS2 in FIG. 10). Further, the rectangle of the predetermined size is, for example, a rectangle with one side within a predetermined range. When the rectangle is a rectangle, it is a rectangle in which all sides (that is, long sides) are within a predetermined range. More specifically, one side is smaller than twice the distance from the center of the trivet 9A, 9B, 9C to the radially outer end of the trivet leg 112A, 112B, 112C (RS3 in FIG. 11), and It is a rectangle larger than twice the distance (RS4 in FIG. 11) from the center of trivet legs 9A, 9B, and 9C to the radially inner ends of trivet legs 112A, 112B, and 112C.

Note that the circle includes not only a perfect circle but also an ellipse, a partially uneven circle, and the like. Further, the rectangle includes not only a square, but also a rectangle, a rhombus, a partially uneven rectangle, a rectangle with rounded corners, and the like.

In the example of FIG. 10, cooking utensil Ta is placed on the right stove section 4A. The cooking utensil Ta has a pot portion Ta1 having a circular opening and a pair of handles Ta2, Ta2 protruding from the side surface of the pot portion Ta1 in mutually opposite directions. Therefore, in the first region AR21 corresponding to the right stove section 4A, a circle formed by the opening edge of the cooking utensil Ta is detected. Further, the radius R of the circle formed by the opening edge of the pot portion Ta1 is smaller than RS1 and larger than RS2, so the circle is within a predetermined size. Therefore, in the first region AR21 corresponding to the right stove section 4A, a circle within a predetermined size is detected.

On the other hand, no cooking utensils are placed on the left stove section 4B and the small stove section 4C, and the entire stove sections 4B and 4C are exposed upward. In this case, the circle formed by the cooking utensil is not detected, but the circle formed by the outer or inner circumferential surface of the trivet rings 110B, 110C of the stove parts 4B, 4C may be detected. However, since the radius of the circle formed by the outer circumferential surface or inner circumferential surface of the trivet rings 110B, 110C of the stove parts 4B, 4C is less than RS2, it is not detected as a circle within a predetermined size. Therefore, in the second region AR22 corresponding to the left stove section 4B and the third region AR23 corresponding to the small stove section 4C, no circle within the predetermined size is detected.

In the example of FIG. 11, the cooking utensil Tb is placed on the right stove section 4A. The cooking utensil Tb has a rectangular opening pot portion Tb1 and a pair of handles Tb2, Tb2 protruding from the side surface of the pot portion Tb1 in mutually opposite directions. Therefore, in the first region AR21 corresponding to the right stove section 4A, a rectangle formed by the opening edge of the cooking utensil Tb is detected. Further, the rectangle drawn by the opening edge of the pot portion Tb1 has the same length L on each side and is smaller than RS3 and larger than RS4, so it is a rectangle within a predetermined size. Therefore, in the first region AR21 corresponding to the right stove section 4A, a rectangle within a predetermined size is detected.

On the other hand, no cooking utensils are placed on the left stove section 4B and the small stove section 4C, and the entire stove sections 4B and 4C are exposed upward. In this case, since no rectangle is detected, no rectangle within the predetermined size is detected in the second area AR22 corresponding to the left stove section 4B and the third area AR23 corresponding to the small stove section 4C.

After performing the detection process in step S21, it is determined whether or not a circle within a predetermined size has been detected in this detection process (step S22). If it is determined that a circle within the predetermined size has been detected (YES in step S22), it is further determined whether the center coordinates of the detected circle are within the reference area (step S23). Here, the reference area is a preset area, and is an area having a predetermined shape (for example, circular) centered on the center of the stove parts 4A, 4B, and 4C. In the example of FIG. 10, in the right stove section 4A, the center coordinates O1 of the circle are located within the reference area Z1, so it is determined that the center coordinates O1 of the circle are located within the reference area Z1. If it is determined that the center coordinate O1 of the circle exists within the reference region Z1 (YES in step S23), the circle is located in the stove part (in the example of FIG. 10, the right stove It is determined that the cooking utensil Ta exists in the portion 4A) (step S26). Then, the determination process ends.

Note that if it is determined that the center coordinate O1 of the circle does not exist within the reference area Z1 (NO in step S23), no cooking utensil is present in the stove part in the area where the circle is detected (detection target area). It is determined that (step S27).

If it is determined in step S22 that a circle within the predetermined size has not been detected (NO in step S22), it is determined whether a rectangle within the predetermined size has been detected. (Step S24). As a result, if it is determined that a rectangle within the predetermined size has been detected (YES in step S24), it is further determined whether the center coordinates of the detected rectangle are within the reference area (step S25). . In the example of FIG. 11, in the right stove section 4A, the center coordinate O2 of the rectangle exists within the reference area Z2, so it is determined that the center coordinate O2 of the rectangle exists within the reference area Z2. If it is determined that the center coordinate O2 of the rectangle is within the reference area Z2 (YES in step S25), the rectangle is located in the stove part (in the example of FIG. 11, the right stove It is determined that the cooking utensil Tb exists in the portion 4A) (step S26). Then, the determination process ends.

Note that if it is determined that the center coordinate O2 of the rectangle does not exist within the reference area Z2 (NO in step S25), no cooking utensil is present in the stove part of the area where the rectangle is detected (detection target area). It is determined that (step S27). Furthermore, if a circle within the predetermined size is not detected (NO in step S22), and a rectangle within the predetermined size is also not detected (NO in step S24), cooking utensils are placed on the stove in the detection target area. It is determined that does not exist (step S27).

After determining in step S27 that there is no cooking utensil in the stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C, it is determined whether the gas burners 51, 52, 53 corresponding to the stove sections 4A, 4B, 4C are lit. is determined (step S28). As a result, if it is determined that the gas burner of the stove section is in the ignited state (YES at step S28), the set fire power of the gas burner of the stove section is set by driving the thermal power adjustment valves 51E, 52E, and 53E. is minimized (step S29). Then, the determination process ends.

When it is determined that the gas burners 51, 52, and 53 of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C are not ignited (NO in step S28), the ignition of the gas burners of the stove sections is regulated (step S30). Then, the determination process ends.

2-2. Effects and Effects The system Sy of the second embodiment is a gas stove system including a gas stove 1 having one or more stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C, and includes an imaging section 90 that captures images of the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C, and a control system. A circuit 10 (analysis section, determination section) is provided. The control circuit 10 (analysis unit) analyzes the image generated by the imaging unit 90 and detects a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size. Then, the control circuit 10 (determination unit) determines that a cooking utensil is present in the stove portions 4A, 4B, and 4C in the detected area, on the condition that a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size is detected.

According to the system Sy, on the condition that an image generated by imaging by the imaging section 90 is analyzed and a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size is detected, the stove section 4A, 4B, 4C in the detected area is It can be determined that cooking utensils exist in Therefore, compared to a configuration that compares the entire image or detects the entire cooking utensil including the handle, the amount of processing required for detection can be reduced, and as a result, the presence or absence of the cooking utensil can be detected. The time required for this can be reduced.

Further, the imaging section 90 is configured to take an image of the gas stove 1 from above, and the control circuit 10 (determination section) determines that a circle whose center coordinates and radius are within a predetermined range is a cooking utensil.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a circle detected from an object other than a cooking utensil from being mistakenly detected as a cooking utensil.

Further, the imaging unit 90 is configured to capture an image of the gas stove from above, and the control circuit 10 (determination unit) determines that the rectangle whose center coordinates and length of one side are within a second predetermined range is a cooking utensil. It is determined that
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a rectangle detected from an object other than a cooking utensil from being erroneously detected as a cooking utensil.

<Other embodiments>
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the features of the embodiments described above or below can be combined in any combination without contradicting each other. Furthermore, any feature of the embodiments described above or below may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. Furthermore, the embodiment described above may be modified as follows.

In the embodiment described above, a built-in stove is exemplified as the gas stove, but the gas stove may be a table stove.

In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the imaging unit 90 was provided in the ejection device 100, but it may be provided in a portion other than the ejection device 100.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the imaging unit 90 was configured with one camera, but it may be configured with two or more cameras.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the position data of the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are stored in advance before shipping the system Sy, but the image generated by the imaging unit 90 after the installation of the system Sy It may also be acquired based on image data stored before shipping. According to this configuration, the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A can be detected with higher accuracy because they are less susceptible to installation errors.

In the above embodiment, the burner heads 51A, 52A, and 53A are exemplified as detection target parts, but any part may be used as long as it constitutes at least a part of the stove part. For example, it may be part or all of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C. Even when the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C are to be detected, the method is the same. For example, a reference image of a part or all of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C is stored in advance, and the control circuit 10 , by determining whether or not the reference images of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C (reference images of the detection target region) stored in advance exist within the extracted detection target region (so-called pattern matching). What is necessary is to detect (detection target parts) 9A, 9B, and 9C. In this case as well, the reference images of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C (detection target parts) may be stored before shipping, or the reference images of the trivets 9A, 9B, and 9C (detection target parts) captured by the imaging unit 90 after installation may be stored. It may also be an image of the target area). Further, the detection target site is not limited to these examples, and may be any site that is partially or completely hidden when cooking utensils are placed in the stove sections 4A, 4B, and 4C. For example, it may be trivet rings 110A, 110B, 110C, etc., or it may be an area formed by a plurality of parts.

In the second embodiment, the circle within a predetermined size must be larger than the radius of the outer circumference of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, 110C, but the size is smaller than the radius of the outer circumference of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, 110C. It may also include a circle. However, in this case, by detecting the outer shapes of the trivet rings 110A, 110B, and 110C as circles within a predetermined size, there is a risk that the presence of cooking utensils may be erroneously detected. For this reason, if the trivet legs 112A, 112B, 112C are present at positions straddling the circle, it is desirable to determine that the trivet is not a cooking utensil.

The cooking utensil is not limited to the shape described in the above embodiment, and may be a frying pan, for example.

It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, and includes all modifications within the scope indicated by the claims or within the scope equivalent to the claims. is intended.

1...Gas stove 4A...Right stove section 4B...Left stove section 4C...Small stove section 10...Control circuit (analysis section, determination section, thermal power control section, regulation section)
51, 52, 53...Gas burner 51A, 52A, 53A...Gas burner head 90...Imaging section Sy...Gas stove system Ta, Tb...Cooking utensil

Claims (4)

A gas stove system comprising a gas stove having one or more stove parts,
an imaging unit that images the gas stove from above and images the stove section;
an analysis unit that analyzes the image generated by the imaging by the imaging unit and detects a circle or rectangle within a predetermined size;
a determination unit that determines that a cooking utensil is present in the stove unit in the detected area, on the condition that the analysis unit detects the circle or the rectangle;
has
As the reference area of the stove part, an area of a predetermined shape including the center of the stove part and set inside a radially outer end of a trivet of the stove part is defined,
The determination unit detects the stove part in the area where the circle or the rectangle is detected, when the analysis unit detects the circle or the rectangle and the center of the circle or the rectangle is within the reference area. Even if it is determined that a cooking utensil exists in the reference area and the analysis unit detects the circle or the rectangle, if the center of the circle or the rectangle does not exist within the reference area, It is determined that the cooking utensil is not present in the stove part.
Gas stove system. The gas stove system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the rectangle whose center coordinates and length of one side are within a second predetermined range is the cooking utensil . When the determination unit determines that the cooking utensil is not present in any of the stove portions, the heating power control portion minimizes the set fire power of the gas burner of the stove portion in which it is determined that the cooking utensil is not present. The gas stove system according to claim 1 or claim 2 . Claim 1, further comprising a regulating section that, when the determining section determines that the cooking utensil is not present in any of the stove sections, regulates ignition of the gas burner of the stove section in which it is determined that the cooking utensil is not present. The gas stove system according to claim 3 .

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