JP7507032B2 - Heating device - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a heating device that heats an object to be heated.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking stove that can communicate with a smartphone. The cooking stove automatically turns off when the communication distance between the smartphone and the cooking stove exceeds a predetermined threshold.

JP 2017-223401 A

With the above technology, if a user carrying a smartphone moves even slightly away from a cooking stove, the cooking stove is automatically turned off. When cooking something that requires long periods of heating (such as stewing), the user may move away from the cooking stove. In such a case, if it is determined that the communication distance has exceeded a certain threshold, the cooking stove may be automatically turned off against the user's intention.

It is also anticipated that the automatic fire-extinguishing function will be disabled, but if this function is disabled, the object to be heated will continue to be heated even if the user continues to move away from the cooking stove, which could compromise the safety of the cooking stove.

This specification provides a technology that prevents the heating unit from stopping heating against the user's intention while preventing the safety of the heating device from being compromised.

This specification discloses a heating device installed in a specified area. The heating device includes a heating unit for heating a heating target, a stop control unit for stopping heating of the heating unit when a specified heating stop condition is satisfied while the heating unit is heating, a first determination unit for determining whether a user of the heating device is present in the specified area, and a first change unit for changing the specified heating stop condition from a first condition to a second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is not present in the specified area, the second condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the first condition, and the specified heating stop condition is not changed from the first condition to the second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is present in the specified area.

According to this configuration, when a user is present within the specified area, the specified heating stop condition is maintained at the first condition, and the safety of the heating device is prevented from being compromised. Furthermore, when a user is not present within the specified area, the specified heating stop condition is changed from the first condition to a safer second condition. Even when a user is not present within the specified area, the heating of the heating unit is stopped when the safer second condition, that is, the specified heating stop condition, is satisfied, so that the safety of the heating device can be prevented from being compromised. Furthermore, even when a user is not present within the specified area, the heating of the heating unit continues without being stopped until the second condition, that is, the specified heating stop condition, is satisfied, so that the heating of the heating unit can be prevented from being stopped against the user's intention.

For example, the above-mentioned "heating device" is a heating cooker or heater that heats the cooking target. The heating cooker is, for example, a gas-burning stove, an induction stove, an electric oven, etc. The heater is, for example, a gas fan heater, etc. For example, if the "heating device" is a gas-burning stove, "the heating unit is heating" and "stopping the heating unit" mean that the stove burner is burning and the stove burner is turned off, respectively. Also, for example, if the "heating device" is an induction stove, "the heating unit is heating" and "stopping the heating unit" mean that a current is being supplied to a heating coil and that the supply of current to the heating coil is stopped, respectively. Also, for example, the above-mentioned "first determination unit" may determine whether or not a user of the heating device is present within the specified area based on information regarding the distance between the heating device and the user. In another variation, the "first determination unit" may determine whether or not a user of the heating device is present within the specified area by using information other than the distance between the heating device and the user (for example, a measurement value of a smart meter that measures the amount of resources (e.g., electricity, water, gas, etc.) supplied to a home including the specified area).

The heating device may further include a communication interface for performing wireless communication with a mobile terminal carried by the user, and the first determination unit may determine whether the user is present within the specified area based on the state of the wireless communication via the communication interface.

For example, a comparative example is envisaged in which a human presence sensor (e.g., an infrared sensor, a camera) is installed within a specified area, and information from the human presence sensor is used to determine whether or not a user is present within the specified area. In this comparative example, it is necessary to install the human presence sensor within the specified area. Furthermore, in recent years, heating devices have been released that are equipped with a communication interface for performing wireless communication with a mobile terminal carried by the user. With the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not a user is present within the specified area based on the state of wireless communication via an existing communication interface, without installing a human presence sensor within the specified area.

The first determination unit may determine that the user is not present within the specified area when a connection for performing the wireless communication with the mobile terminal is disconnected.

When the connection for wireless communication with the mobile terminal is cut off, it means that the user has moved far away from the heating device. In this case, it is highly likely that the user is not present within the specified area. With the above configuration, it is possible to appropriately determine that the user is not present within the specified area by utilizing the fact that the connection has been cut off.

In one aspect, the heating device further includes a second judgment unit that judges whether the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication via the communication interface falls below a predetermined intensity, and a second change unit that changes the predetermined heating stop condition from a default condition to the first condition when the second judgment unit judges that the radio wave intensity falls below the predetermined intensity, the first condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the default condition, and the second change unit not changing the predetermined heating stop condition from the default condition to the first condition when the second judgment unit determines that the radio wave intensity will not fall below the predetermined intensity, and the first change unit changes the predetermined heating stop condition from the first condition to the second condition when the connection is disconnected after the predetermined heating stop condition is changed from the default condition to the first condition.

When the connection for performing wireless communication with the mobile terminal is maintained but the radio wave strength is below a predetermined strength, it means that the user is within the predetermined area but may not be near the heating device. According to the above configuration, by changing to the first condition, which is safer than the default condition, it is possible to prevent the safety of the heating device from being compromised in cases where the user is within the predetermined area but may not be near the heating device.

The first condition is a condition in which the heating unit continues to heat for a first time, and the second condition is a condition in which the heating unit continues to heat for a second time that is shorter than the first time.

According to this configuration, the stop control unit stops the heating of the heating unit when the heating of the heating unit continues for a first time when a user is present within the specified area. Then, the first change unit changes the time for stopping the heating of the heating unit to a second time shorter than the first time when a user is not present within the specified area. By shortening the time for stopping the heating of the heating unit, the heating of the heating unit can be safely stopped even when a user is not present within the specified area.

The stop control unit may stop heating of the heating unit when the second condition is satisfied and use of the heating device is not detected for a predetermined period of time while the heating unit is heating.

For example, a comparative example is assumed in which the heating of the heating unit is stopped when the second condition is satisfied, even if the use of the heating device is detected within a predetermined time. In this comparative example, when the user of the heating device is not present within a predetermined area, the heating of the heating unit is stopped when the second condition is satisfied, even when the heating device is used by a third party other than the user. For example, in a situation in which the user of the heating device has asked a third party to monitor the heating device, the third party may use the heating device. Despite the presence of the third party, the heating of the heating unit may be stopped against the user's intention. According to the above configuration, when the second condition is satisfied and the use of the heating device is not detected for a predetermined time, that is, when the user of the heating device is not present within a predetermined area and the presence of a third party is not inferred, the heating of the heating unit is stopped. It is possible to prevent the heating unit from being stopped against the user's intention.

In another aspect, the stop control unit stops heating of the heating unit when the second condition is satisfied while the heating unit is heating and no use of another device connected to the same local area network as the heating device is detected for a predetermined period of time.

For example, a comparative example is assumed in which, when the second condition is satisfied, the heating of the heating unit is stopped even if the use of another device is detected within a predetermined time. In this comparative example, when the user of the heating device is not present within a predetermined area, the heating of the heating unit is stopped when the second condition is satisfied, even when the other device is used by a third party other than the user. For example, in a situation in which the user of the heating device has asked a third party to monitor the heating device, the third party may use the other device. Despite the presence of the third party, the heating of the heating unit may be stopped against the user's intention. According to the above configuration, when the second condition is satisfied and the use of another device is not detected for a predetermined time, that is, when the user of the heating device is not present within a predetermined area and the presence of a third party is not inferred, the heating of the heating unit is stopped. It is possible to prevent the heating unit from being stopped against the user's intention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to a first and second embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of the cooking device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing a specific case realized by the process of FIG. 2 . 10 is a flowchart showing a process of a cooking device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a specific case realized by the process of FIG. 4 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a communication system according to a third embodiment.

(First embodiment)
(Configuration of communication system 2; FIG. 1)
A communication system 2 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication system 2 includes a cooking appliance 10 and a mobile terminal 100. The cooking appliance 10 is installed in a predetermined area (e.g., a kitchen) in a house. The mobile terminal 100 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The mobile terminal 100 is a terminal carried by a user of the cooking appliance 10.

(Configuration of cooking device 10; FIG. 1)
The cooking device 10 is a gas-burning stove. The cooking device 10 includes a stove burner 12, a stove operation unit 14, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface 20, and a control unit 30. In the following description, Bluetooth will be abbreviated as "BT" and the interface will be abbreviated as "I/F".

The stove burner 12 is a burner for heating an object to be cooked (e.g., a cooking vessel). A gas supply passage (not shown) is connected to the stove burner 12. The gas supply passage is provided with a stove adjustment valve (not shown) for adjusting the amount of gas supplied to the stove burner 12. The stove burner 12 is ignited (i.e., heating of the object to be cooked begins) by operating an igniter (not shown) while gas is being supplied to the stove burner 12. For example, the cooking appliance 10 has three stove burners 12.

The stove operation unit 14 is an operation unit that allows the user to turn on and off the stove burner 12 and adjust the amount of heat. The BT I/F 20 is an I/F for performing wireless communication according to the BT system.

The control unit 30 includes a CPU 32 and a memory 34 that is composed of a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, etc. The CPU 32 controls the operation of each part (e.g., 12 to 20) of the cooking device 10 according to a program 40 stored in the memory 34.

The memory 34 further stores the automatic extinguishing time 50. The automatic extinguishing time 50 is the time for automatically extinguishing the burner 12. The automatic extinguishing time 50 is, for example, "2 hours" by default. When the control unit 30 receives an ignition operation to ignite the burner 12 on the burner operation unit 14, the control unit 30 starts counting down the automatic extinguishing time 50. Then, when the combustion (i.e., heating) of the burner 12 continues for the automatic extinguishing time 50 (i.e., the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 ends without the burner 12 being extinguished), the control unit 30 closes the burner adjustment valve to extinguish the burner 12 (i.e., stops heating the burner 12). As a result, even if the burner 12 is left on, the burner 12 can be automatically extinguished to ensure the safety of the cooking appliance 10. In addition, if an adjustment operation to adjust the amount of heat is performed on the stove operation unit 14 after the control unit 30 has started the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50, the control unit 30 will stop the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 midway and start the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the beginning (i.e., reset the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50).

The control unit 30 also establishes a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 for performing wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as "BT communication") via the BT I/F 20, and performs wireless communication with the mobile terminal 100. For example, the control unit 30 uses BT communication to transmit information about the cooking appliance 10 (e.g., heat power, cooking time) to the mobile terminal 100. As a result, the information about the cooking appliance 10 is displayed on the mobile terminal 100. The control unit 30 also uses BT communication to receive commands for remotely controlling the cooking appliance 10 from the mobile terminal 100 (e.g., adjusting the amount of heat, setting a timer). The control unit 30 then performs processing according to the commands. The control unit 30 also receives information for automatic cooking (e.g., heat power, cooking time) from the mobile terminal 100. The control unit 30 then performs automatic cooking according to the information. The mobile terminal 100 also performs the processing of FIG. 2, which will be described later, according to the program 40.

(Processing of Cooker 10; FIG. 2)
2, a process executed by the control unit 30 of the cooking appliance 10 according to the program 40 will be described. The process in FIG. 2 is triggered by the establishment of a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 for executing BT communication.

In S10, the control unit 30 monitors whether the wireless connection is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command from the mobile terminal 100 to disconnect the wireless connection. Disconnection of the wireless connection without receiving a disconnection command means that the wireless connection is disconnected because the mobile terminal 100 has moved outside the communication range of the BT I/F 20. If the control unit 30 determines that the wireless connection has been disconnected without receiving a disconnection command (YES in S10), the control unit 30 proceeds to S12. Although not shown, if the control unit 30 receives a disconnection command from the mobile terminal 100, it disconnects the wireless connection and ends the processing in FIG. 2.

In S12, the control unit 30 determines whether the stove burner 12 is igniting (i.e., the stove burner 12 is continuing to burn). If the control unit 30 determines that the stove burner 12 is not igniting (NO in S12), it ends the processing of FIG. 2, and if the control unit 30 determines that the stove burner 12 is igniting (YES in S12), it proceeds to S14.

In S14, the control unit 30 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the default time (e.g., 2 hours) to a shortened time (e.g., 30 minutes) that is shorter than the default time. If the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 has already exceeded the shortened time when the automatic extinguishing time 50 is changed to the shortened time, the control unit 30 ends the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 and immediately extinguishes the stove burner 12.

In S16, the control unit 30 determines whether the burner 12 is to be extinguished due to automatic extinguishing being executed when the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 has ended, or due to an extinguishing operation to extinguish the burner 12 being executed in the burner operation unit 14 (i.e., manual extinguishing). If the control unit 30 determines that the burner 12 has been extinguished (YES in S16), it proceeds to S18.

In S18, the control unit 30 returns the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the reduced time to the default time. When S18 ends, the process in FIG. 2 ends.

If the control unit 30 determines that the stove burner 12 is not extinguished (NO in S16), it determines in S20 whether or not a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 is re-established. If the control unit 30 determines that a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 has not been re-established (NO in S20), it returns to the determination in S16. On the other hand, if the control unit 30 determines that a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 has been re-established (YES in S20), it proceeds to S22. S22 is the same as S18. When S22 ends, the control unit 30 returns to monitoring in S10.

(Specific case: Figure 3)
A specific case realized by the process in Fig. 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the process executed by the control unit 30 will be described mainly with respect to the cooking appliance 10, not with respect to the control unit 30, from the viewpoint of ease of understanding.

When the mobile terminal 100 receives a wireless connection instruction from the user at T10, the mobile terminal 100 establishes a wireless connection with the cooking appliance 10 at T12. In a modified example, the mobile terminal 100 may automatically establish a wireless connection with the cooking appliance 10 when the mobile terminal 100 moves from outside the communication range of the BT I/F 20 of the cooking appliance 10 into the communication range.

When the cooking appliance 10 establishes a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 at T12, the cooking appliance 10 starts the process shown in FIG. 2.

At T14, the cooking appliance 10 receives an ignition operation at the stove operation unit 14. This ignites the stove burner 12. The cooking appliance 10 also starts a countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50, which is the default time of "2 hours."

(Case A1)
Case A1 is a case where the wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 continues. In this case, the process after S10 in FIG. 2 is not executed, and the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the default time "2 hours". In this case, the cooking appliance 10 judges at T20 that the countdown of the default time "2 hours" has ended and the adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 has not been detected for the default time "2 hours" in a situation where the burner 12 is burning. Therefore, the cooking appliance 10 executes automatic extinguishing at T26 in response to the end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50. The fact that the wireless connection continues means that the mobile terminal 100 is located within the communication range of the BT I/F 20, that is, that the user of the mobile terminal 100 (i.e., the user of the cooking appliance 10) is highly likely to be present in the predetermined area 3. According to the present case, even if a user is present within the specified area 3, if the combustion of the stove burner 12 continues for a long period of time, automatic extinguishing can be performed to ensure the safety of the cooking appliance 10.

(Case A2)
Case A2 is a case where the wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command. At T30, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the wireless connection has been disconnected without receiving a disconnection command (YES in S10 in FIG. 2). At T32, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the stove burner 12 is ignited (YES in S12). At T34, the cooking appliance 10 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the default time of "2 hours" to the shortened time of "30 minutes" (S14).

At T36, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes" has ended and that no adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 has been detected throughout the shortened time "30 minutes." At T38, the cooking appliance 10 executes automatic extinguishing in response to the end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 (YES in S16). At T40, the cooking appliance 10 resets the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the shortened time "30 minutes" to the default time "2 hours" (S18).

If the wireless connection is cut off without receiving a disconnection command, it means that the mobile terminal 100 is outside the communication range of the BT I/F 20, that is, the user of the mobile terminal 100 (i.e., the user of the cooking appliance 10) has moved far away from the cooking appliance 10. In this case, the user is likely not to be present within the specified area 3. In this case, when the user is not present within the specified area 3, the cooking appliance 10 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the default time of "2 hours" to the shortened time of "30 minutes" (T34 in FIG. 3). By shortening the time for automatically extinguishing the stove burner 12, the stove burner 12 can be safely extinguished even when the user is not present within the specified area 3.

Also, for example, a comparative example is envisaged in which the stove burner 12 is immediately and automatically turned off if the wireless connection is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command. In this comparative example, the stove burner 12 is automatically turned off if the user moves even slightly outside the specified area 3. When cooking for a long period of time (e.g. stewing, etc.), the user may move away from the cooking appliance 10. In such a case, if the stove burner is immediately and automatically turned off, there is a possibility that the cooking appliance 10 may be automatically turned off against the user's intention.

It is also possible to disable the automatic fire extinguishing function, but if the automatic fire extinguishing function is disabled, the object to be heated will continue to be heated even if the user continues to move away from the cooking appliance 10, which may compromise the safety of the cooking appliance 10.

According to case A2, even if there is no user within the specified area 3, the burner 12 is extinguished when the safer 30-minute countdown time is over, so that the safety of the cooking appliance 10 can be prevented from being compromised. Furthermore, even if there is no user within the specified area 3, the burner 12 continues to burn without being extinguished until the 30-minute countdown time is over, so that the burner 12 can be prevented from being extinguished against the user's will.

In addition, for example, a comparative example is assumed in which the burner 12 is automatically extinguished without resetting the countdown even if the burner operation unit 14 is operated during the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes". In this comparative example, when the user is not present in the specified area 3, even if the burner operation unit 14 is operated by a third party other than the user, the burner 12 is extinguished when the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes" ends. For example, in a situation in which the user has asked a third party to monitor the cooking appliance 10, the third party may operate the burner operation unit 14. Despite the presence of the third party, the burner 12 may be extinguished against the user's intention. According to the above configuration, when the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes" ends and the operation of the burner operation unit 14 is not detected for the shortened time "30 minutes", that is, when the user is not present in the specified area 3 and the presence of a third party is not inferred, the burner 12 is extinguished. It is possible to prevent the stove burner 12 from being extinguished against the user's will. In addition, in the modified example, the configuration of the comparative example described above may be adopted.

(Correspondence)
The predetermined area 3, the cooking device 10, and the mobile terminal 100 are examples of a "predetermined area," a "heating device," and a "mobile terminal," respectively. The burner 12 and the BT I/F 20 are examples of a "heating unit" and a "communication interface," respectively. The control unit 30 that executes automatic extinguishing according to the automatic extinguishing time 50, and the control unit 30 that executes the judgment of S10 in FIG. 3 are examples of a "stop control unit" and a "first judgment unit," respectively. Information about the wireless connection being disconnected without receiving a disconnection command is an example of "information about the distance between the heating device and the user." The end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 is an example of the "predetermined heating stop condition" being satisfied. The default time and the condition that the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the default time are examples of a "first time" and a "first condition," respectively. The shortened time and the condition that the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the shortened time are examples of a "second time" and a "second condition," respectively. Receiving an adjustment operation on the stove operation unit 14 is an example of "use of the heating device."

Second Example
The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the content of the process of the cooking appliance 10 is different.

(Processing of Cooker 10; FIG. 4)
The process of the cooking device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The process of Fig. 4 is also started by being triggered by the establishment of a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 for performing BT communication, similar to the process of Fig. 2 of the first embodiment.

In S100, the control unit 30 monitors whether the radio wave strength of the BT communication with the mobile terminal 100 is "weak". For example, the radio wave strength is measured using RSSI (abbreviation of Received Signal Strength Indicator). In this embodiment, the radio wave strength is classified into three levels of strength: "weak", "medium", and "strong". When the radio wave strength falls below the upper limit of the numerical range corresponding to the strength "weak", the control unit 30 determines that the radio wave strength is "weak" (YES in S100) and proceeds to S102. Note that the radio wave strength is not limited to three levels, and may be, for example, two levels or five levels. In another modified example, the control unit 30 may determine whether the radio wave strength of the BT communication falls below a predetermined value.

S102 is the same as S12 in FIG. 2. If the control unit 30 determines that the stove burner 12 is igniting (YES in S102), it proceeds to S104.

In S104, the control unit 30 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from a default time (e.g., 2 hours) to a first shortened time (e.g., 1 hour) that is shorter than the default time.

In the next step S106, the control unit 30 determines whether the radio wave strength of the BT communication with the mobile terminal 100 is "strong". If the radio wave strength exceeds the lower limit of the numerical range corresponding to the "strong" strength, the control unit 30 determines that the radio wave strength is "strong" (YES in S106) and proceeds to S108.

In S108, the control unit 30 returns the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the first shortened time to the default time. When S108 ends, the control unit 30 returns to monitoring in S100.

If the control unit 30 determines that the radio wave strength is "medium" or "weak" (NO in S106), it determines in S110 whether the wireless connection is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command. If the control unit 30 determines that the wireless connection is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command (YES in S110), it proceeds to S114.

In S114, the control unit 30 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from a first shortened time (e.g., 1 hour) to a second shortened time (e.g., 30 minutes) that is shorter than the first shortened time. In the following S116, the control unit 30 monitors the automatic or manual extinguishing of the burner 12. If the control unit 30 determines that the burner 12 has been extinguished (YES in S116), it proceeds to S118. S118 is the same as S18 in FIG. 2. When S118 ends, the processing in FIG. 4 ends. In a modified example, if the control unit 30 determines that the burner 12 has not been extinguished (NO in S116), it may execute processing similar to S20 and S22 in FIG. 2.

If the wireless connection continues (NO in S110), the control unit 30 proceeds to S126. In S126, the control unit 30 determines whether the burner 12 is automatically or manually extinguished. If the control unit 30 determines that the burner 12 has been extinguished (YES in S126), the control unit 30 proceeds to S128. In S128, the control unit 30 returns the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the second shortened time to the default time. When S128 ends, the processing in FIG. 4 ends.

If the control unit 30 determines that the stove burner 12 is not extinguished (NO in S126), it returns to the determination in S106.

(Specific case: Figure 5)
A specific case realized by the process of Fig. 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. T110 to T114 are the same as T10 to T14 in Fig. 3.

(Case B1)
Case B1 is a case in which the radio wave strength of the BT communication with the mobile terminal 100 is determined to be "weak". At T130, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the radio wave strength of the BT communication with the mobile terminal 100 is "weak" (YES in S100 of FIG. 4). At T132, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the burner 12 is ignited (YES in S102). At T134, the cooking appliance 10 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the default time "2 hours" to the first shortened time "1 hour" (S104).

In this case, the radio wave strength of the BT communication with the mobile terminal 100 is maintained at "weak", and the wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 is not disconnected (NO in S106 and NO in S110 in FIG. 4). Therefore, at T136, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the countdown of the first shortened time "1 hour" has ended, and that no operation of the stove operation unit 14 has been detected throughout the first shortened time "1 hour". At T138, the cooking appliance 10 executes automatic extinguishing in response to the end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 (YES in S126). At T140, the cooking appliance 10 resets the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the first shortened time "1 hour" to the default time "2 hours" (S128).

When the wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 is maintained but the radio wave strength is "weak", this means that the user may be within the specified area 3 but not near the cooking appliance 10. According to case B1, by changing the first shortened time to "1 hour", which is safer than the default time of "2 hours", it is possible to prevent the safety of the cooking appliance 10 from being compromised in cases where the user is within the specified area 3 but may not be near the cooking appliance 10.

(Case B2)
Case B2 is a case where the wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 is disconnected without receiving a disconnection command. T150 to T154 are the same as T130 to T134. At T230, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the wireless connection has been disconnected without receiving a disconnection command (YES in S110 of FIG. 4). At T234, the cooking appliance 10 changes the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the first shortened time "1 hour" to the second shortened time "30 minutes" (S114).

At T236, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the countdown of the second shortened time "30 minutes" has ended and that no operation of the stove operation unit 14 has been detected throughout the second shortened time "30 minutes". At T238, the cooking appliance 10 executes automatic extinguishing in response to the end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 (YES in S116). At T240, the cooking appliance 10 resets the automatic extinguishing time 50 from the second shortened time "30 minutes" to the default time "2 hours" (S118).

In this case, as in case A2 of the first embodiment, even if there is no user within the specified area 3, the burner 12 can be safely extinguished in accordance with the second shortened time of "30 minutes", and the burner 12 is not extinguished until the end of the countdown of the second shortened time of "30 minutes", so that the burner 12 can be prevented from being extinguished against the user's intention.

(Correspondence)
The first shortened time and the condition under which the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the first shortened time are examples of the "first time" and "first condition", respectively. The second shortened time and the condition under which the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the second shortened time are examples of the "second time" and "second condition", respectively.

(Third Example)
The third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the contents of the communication system are different and the conditions for automatic fire extinguishing are different.

(Configuration of communication system 6; FIG. 6)
A communication system 6 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication system 6 includes a kitchen remote control 200 in addition to a cooking appliance 10 and a mobile terminal 100. The kitchen remote control 200 is a device for controlling a water heater (not shown) installed in a home.

The cooking appliance 10 and the kitchen remote control 200 are connected to a local area network 4 (hereinafter referred to as "LAN 4") formed within a specified area 3 in the house. The LAN 4 is a wireless LAN. In a modified example, the LAN 4 may be a wired LAN.

In addition, a mobile terminal 100 may be connected to the LAN 4. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 that is outside the communication range of the LAN 4 moves into the communication range of the LAN 4 (for example, within the specified area 3), the mobile terminal 100 is automatically connected to the LAN 4.

(Configuration of cooking device 10; FIG. 6)
The cooking device 10 of this embodiment includes a LAN I/F 22 instead of the BT I/F 20. The LAN I/F 22 is an I/F for executing wireless communication (for example, wireless communication according to the Wi-Fi system) via the LAN 4. The control unit 30 establishes a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 for executing wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as "LAN communication") via the LAN I/F 22, and executes wireless communication with the mobile terminal 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 30 resets the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 not only when an adjustment operation is received from the stove operation unit 14, but also when the kitchen remote control 200, which is connected to the same LAN 4 as the cooking appliance 10, is operated. For example, the control unit 30 periodically transmits a command to the kitchen remote control 200 via the LAN I/F 22 to request whether the kitchen remote control 200 has been operated, and receives information from the kitchen remote control 200 indicating whether it has been operated. The control unit 30 resets the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 when the information from the kitchen remote control 200 indicates that the kitchen remote control 200 has been operated.

(Processing of Cooker 10; FIG. 2)
The processing of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, except that instead of a wireless connection for performing BT communication, the establishment and disconnection of wireless communication for performing LAN communication (triggers, S10, S20) is determined.

(Specific case: Figure 3)
The specific case in this embodiment is similar to that in the first embodiment, except that the contents of T12, T20, and T36 are different.

At T12 in this embodiment, a wireless connection for LAN communication is established. At T20 in this embodiment, no adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 is detected for the default time of "2 hours", and no operation of the kitchen remote control 200 is detected for the default time of "2 hours", and the countdown of the default time of "2 hours" ends. At T36 in this embodiment, no adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 is detected for the shortened time of "30 minutes", and no operation of the kitchen remote control 200 is detected for the shortened time of "30 minutes", and the countdown of the shortened time of "30 minutes" ends.

For example, a comparative example is assumed in which the burner 12 is automatically extinguished without resetting the countdown even if the kitchen remote control 200 is operated during the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes". In this comparative example, when the user is not present within the specified area 3, even if the kitchen remote control 200 is operated by a third party other than the user, the burner 12 is extinguished when the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes" ends. For example, in a situation in which the user has asked a third party to monitor the cooking appliance 10, the third party may operate the kitchen remote control 200. Even if the third party is present, the burner 12 may be extinguished against the user's intention. According to the above configuration, when the countdown of the shortened time "30 minutes" ends and the operation of the kitchen remote control 200 is not detected, that is, when the user is not present within the specified area 3 and the presence of a third party is not inferred, the burner 12 is extinguished. It is possible to prevent the burner 12 from being extinguished against the user's intention. In addition, in the modified example, the configuration of the comparative example described above may be adopted.

(Correspondence)
LAN 4 is an example of a “local area network.” Kitchen remote control 200 and the operation of kitchen remote control 200 are examples of “other devices” and “use of other devices.”

Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples given above. Modifications of each of the above embodiments are listed below.

(Variation 1) In each embodiment, at least a part of the processing in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 may be executed by a control unit of an external device (e.g., a terminal device) connected to the cooking appliance 10. Automatic extinguishing according to the automatic extinguishing time 50 may also be executed by the control unit of the external device. In this variation, a system including the cooking appliance 10 and the external device is an example of a "heating device." Furthermore, the control unit of the external device is an example of a "stop control unit," a "first determination unit," and a "first change unit."

(Variation 2) The "predetermined heating stop condition" is not limited to the end of the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50, and may be, for example, the temperature of the heated object exceeding a predetermined temperature. In this case, the "first condition" may be that the temperature of the heated object exceeds a first temperature, and the "second condition" may be that the temperature of the heated object exceeds a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

(Variation 3) In each of the above embodiments, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the wireless connection has been disconnected without receiving a disconnection command, thereby determining that a user is not present within the specified area 3. Alternatively, the cooking appliance 10 may use information from a human presence sensor (e.g., an infrared sensor, a camera) installed within the specified area to determine whether or not a user is present within the specified area. In this variation, the information from the human presence sensor is an example of "information regarding the distance between the heating device and the user."

(Variation 4) In the first embodiment, the cooking device 10 may monitor whether the radio wave strength of the BT communication is "weak" or not, instead of monitoring S10 in FIG. 2. In this variation, the radio wave strength is an example of "information regarding the distance between the heating device and the user."

(Variation 5) In each of the above embodiments, the cooking appliance 10 resets the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 when an adjustment operation is performed on the stove operation unit 14. Alternatively, the cooking appliance 10 may reset the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 when a sensor that detects the use of the cooking appliance 10 (for example, a sensor that detects the raising and lowering of a container on the trivet of the stove burner 12, or a sensor that detects vibrations of the cooking appliance 10) outputs a specified signal. In this variation, the sensor outputting a specified signal is an example of detecting "use of the heating device." In addition, detecting "use of another device" is not limited to the operation of the kitchen remote control 200, and may be, for example, a sensor that detects vibrations of another device outputting a specified signal.

(Variation 6) The "other device" is not limited to the kitchen remote control 200, but may be, for example, a bathroom heater, a clothes dryer, a water heater, a gas fan heater, etc.

(Variation 7) In each of the above embodiments, the cooking appliance 10 resets the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 when an adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 (or an operation of the kitchen remote control 200) is detected before the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 ends, both when the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the default time and when the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the shortened time. Alternatively, when the automatic extinguishing time 50 is the default time, the cooking appliance 10 does not need to reset the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 even if an adjustment operation of the stove operation unit 14 (or an operation of the kitchen remote control 200) is detected before the countdown of the automatic extinguishing time 50 ends. Generally speaking, it is not necessary to detect "use of a heating device (or use of another device)" in the "first condition".

(Variation 8) For example, in S14 of FIG. 2, the cooking appliance 10 may reduce the heat of the burner 12 in addition to shortening the automatic extinguishing time 50. In another example, in S14 of FIG. 2, the cooking appliance 10 may lower the high cut temperature in addition to shortening the automatic extinguishing time 50. Here, the high cut temperature is a temperature for preventing overheating of the object to be heated, and the cooking appliance 10 automatically extinguishes the burner 12 when the temperature of the object to be heated exceeds the high cut temperature. By reducing the heat of the burner 12 or lowering the high cut temperature, the safety of the cooking appliance 10 can be improved when a user is not present within the specified area 3.

2, 6: Communication system 3: Predetermined area 4: Local area network 10: Cooking device 12: Stove burner 14: Stove operation unit 20: BTI/F
22: LAN I/F
30: Control unit 32: CPU
34: Memory 40: Program 50: Automatic extinguishing time 100: Mobile terminal 200: Kitchen remote control

Claims (8)

A heating device installed in a predetermined area,
A heating unit for heating a heating target;
a stop control unit that stops heating of the heating unit when a predetermined heating stop condition is satisfied in a state in which the heating unit is heating;
a first determination unit that determines whether or not a user of the heating device is present within the predetermined area;
a first change unit that changes the predetermined heating stop condition from a first condition to a second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is not present within the predetermined area, the second condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the first condition, and the first change unit that does not change the predetermined heating stop condition from the first condition to the second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is present within the predetermined area;
Equipped with
A heating device, wherein the stop control unit stops heating of the heating unit when the second condition is satisfied while the heating unit is heating and when no use of another device connected to the same local area network as the heating device is detected for a predetermined period of time. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines whether the user is present within the predetermined area based on information about the distance between the heating device and the user. The heating device further comprises:
a communication interface for performing wireless communication with a mobile terminal carried by the user;
The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the first determination unit determines whether or not the user is present within the predetermined area based on a state of the wireless communication via the communication interface. The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the first determination unit determines that the user is not present within the specified area when a connection for performing the wireless communication with the mobile terminal is disconnected. The heating device further comprises:
a second determination unit that determines whether or not the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication via the communication interface falls below a predetermined intensity;
a second change unit that changes the predetermined heating stop condition from a default condition to the first condition when the second determination unit determines that the radio wave intensity falls below the predetermined intensity, the first condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the default condition, and the second change unit that does not change the predetermined heating stop condition from the default condition to the first condition when the second determination unit determines that the radio wave intensity does not fall below the predetermined intensity;
Equipped with
5. The heating device according to claim 4, wherein the first change unit changes the predetermined heating stop condition from the first condition to the second condition when the connection is disconnected after the predetermined heating stop condition is changed from the default condition to the first condition. the first condition is a condition in which heating by the heating unit continues for a first time period,
The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the second condition is a condition in which heating by the heating unit continues for a second time period that is shorter than the first time period. The heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stop control unit stops heating of the heating unit when the second condition is satisfied and use of the heating device is not detected for a predetermined period of time while the heating unit is heating. A heating device installed in a predetermined area,
A heating unit for heating a heating target;
a communication interface for performing wireless communication with a mobile terminal carried by a user;
a stop control unit that stops heating of the heating unit when a predetermined heating stop condition is satisfied in a state in which the heating unit is heating;
a second determination unit that determines whether or not the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication via the communication interface falls below a predetermined intensity;
a first determination unit that determines whether or not the user of the heating device is present within the specified area based on a state of the wireless communication via the communication interface, the first determination unit determining that the user is not present within the specified area when a connection for performing the wireless communication with the mobile terminal is disconnected;
a second change unit that changes the predetermined heating stop condition from a default condition to a first condition when the second determination unit determines that the radio wave intensity falls below the predetermined intensity, the first condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the default condition, and the second change unit that does not change the predetermined heating stop condition from the default condition to the first condition when the second determination unit determines that the radio wave intensity does not fall below the predetermined intensity;
a first change unit that changes the predetermined heating stop condition from the first condition to a second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is not present within the specified area due to the connection being cut off after the predetermined heating stop condition is changed from the default condition to the first condition, the second condition being a condition for stopping heating of the heating unit more safely than the first condition, and the first change unit that does not change the predetermined heating stop condition from the first condition to the second condition when the first determination unit determines that the user is present within the specified area;
A heating device comprising:

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