JPH02157526A - Utensil of cooking by automatic heating - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to conduct cooking by automatic heating which leaves no uneven roasting on foods by recognizing form by imaging means in order to detect visually a change of a food during cooking and detecting image signals at various positions of the food. CONSTITUTION:When cooking is started, a food 5 is lighted by a light which lights the inside of the chamber of the main body 1 of a cooking utensil and the image of the food 5 is taken in by imaging means 11 and the light reflected from the food 5 is focused at a solid state imaging element 13. The output of this element 13 is subject to a specified process by an image signal processing section 14, and then it is converted to digital by an A/D converter section 15 and inputted to an image memory section 16. Next, this image is binary-coded by a binary-coding circuit section 8, and the signal levels are scanned to set up the inside at a certain distance from the end sections of the food 5 as a detection position. Then the signal level of the memory section 16 corresponding to the detection position in the memory section 16 is detected and at the same time the differential value of the signals is sought. When the differential value is judged to have reached a specified detection level by a detection section 20 for the finish of roasting, the sudden change-point in the change of finished roastings is detected by a change-point detection section 21 and by the outputs of detection sections 20 and 20 the source 8 of heating is controlled by a heating source drive section 22 to finish cooking.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention is equipped with an imaging means for identifying the shape of food, and by detecting a change in the video signal of the identified food, it detects the doneness of the food and performs automatic cooking. Regarding automatic heating cookers.

Conventional technology A conventional cooking device for automatic baking is shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, a heating heater 2 is provided in the upper part of the interior of the cooking device main body l, a magnetron 3 is provided on the side surface, and a weight sensor 6 is provided to detect the weight of the object to be heated 50 placed on the saucer 4. It is set at the bottom of the saucer 4. 7 is a control circuit;
8 is a power source which is a heating source.

In the above cooker, the initial weight data of the heated object 5 (hereinafter referred to as food) placed in the receiver @ 4 is measured by the weight sensor 6 and taken in by the control circuit 7. Weight change data of the food 5 is similarly measured by a weight sensor 6, and automatic cooking is performed according to the initial value data and weight change data. In addition, other automatic heating cookers may use a humidity sensor or an infrared sensor as an optical detection means instead of the weight sensor 6, but in this case as well, the amount of humidity change during cooking or the infrared ray sensor may be used. When the temperature of the food is measured and exceeds a predetermined level, the power supply is stopped.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned method, the following y
, there was a problem. In other words, in the case of Figure 5, it is possible to measure relatively large weights such as the initial value weight data, but the detection error is large and the cooking quality is affected by weight changes due to minute moisture evaporation or gas generation during cooking. There were 41 issues that had a negative effect on the condition and the inability to distinguish between uneven baking.

Additionally, humidity sensors and infrared sensors only detect changes in the steam and temperature from the entire food during cooking, which poses the problem that some parts of the food may not be cooked.

Therefore, the present invention solves such conventional problems by recognizing the shape using an imaging means for visually detecting changes in food during cooking, and detecting video signals at individual positions of the food. The purpose is to automatically heat and cook food.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides an imaging means for detecting the shape of food, a video signal processing section for processing a video signal of the imaging means, and a video signal processing section formed by the video signal. 2 images
a binarization means for converting into a value, a position setting section for setting a position a certain distance inside from an edge of the binarized image of the object to be heated, and binarization of the position set by the position setting section. A baking state detecting section that detects the previous video signal level, a baking change detecting section that takes a differential value of the video signal, and an output of the baking state detecting section and an output section of the baking change detecting section. It has a configuration including a heat source control section that controls a heat source that heats an object to be heated.

According to the above-described configuration, the present invention manually captures food as an image using an imaging means, binarizes this image, and generates a pre-binarized video signal at a position a certain distance inside from the end of the binarized food image. By detecting the level and the differential value of the signal,
When the video signal reaches a predetermined level and the differential value of the video signal reaches a predetermined level, the baking process is automatically completed.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automatic heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the heating cooker body, 2
3 is a heater, 3 is a magnetron, 4 is a saucer, 5 is food placed on the saucer 4, and 8 is a heating source. 9 is a transparent window, 10 is a radio wave leak prevention tube, and the radio wave leak prevention tube 10 is
An imaging means 11 for imaging the shape of the food 5 is opposed to the opening. The image pickup means 11 is composed of an optical lens group 12 (here, an objective lens 12a, a prism 12b, and an eyepiece 12c) and a fixed image pickup element 13 (eg, a CCD). The output of the solid-state image sensor 13 is connected to a video signal processing section 14, and after the signal from the video signal processing section 14 is digitally converted by an A/D conversion section 15, it is connected to an image memory section 16. The image memory section 16 is connected to a CPU path line 17. This CPU has line 1
7 includes a binarization circuit unit 1B that binarizes the image in the image memory unit 16, and a binarization circuit unit 1B that detects the edge of the food 5 formed by the binarization circuit unit 18 and moves the image at a certain distance from the edge. a position setting section 19 for setting the inner position; a baking state detection section 20 for detecting the level of the video signal on the image memory section 16 before binarization at the set position; A burn-out change detection unit 21 detects the differential value of the video signal level on the image memory unit 16 before binarization, an output of the burn-out state detection unit 20, and an output of the burn-out change detection unit 21. The CPLJ pass line 17 is connected to a heating source control section 22 that controls the power U heat source, and the CPLJ pass line 17 is configured to be controlled by a CPU circuit section 23 that performs arithmetic processing control.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 2. When the cooking start button is pressed, the food 5 is illuminated by light that irradiates the inside of the cooking device main body 1 (not shown).
Detection of the food 5 is started by the imaging means 11 in step 101, and an image of the food 5 is captured in step 102. That is, the reflected light from the food 5 placed on the saucer 4 is collected by the objective lens 12a, the direction is changed by the prism 12b, and the light reflected from the food 5 placed on the saucer 4 is focused by the solid-state image sensor 1 by the eyepiece 12c.
The light is focused on 3. The output of the solid-state image sensor 13 is subjected to predetermined video signal processing by the video signal processing unit 14 in step 103, and then processed by the A/D converter 1 in step 104.
5, the analog video signal is converted into a digital value, and the digitally converted video signal is input to the image memory unit 16 in step 105. Next, the image memory section 16 sets the food 5 whose brightness level is higher than the set brightness level to signal level 1, and sets the other background parts to signal level 0.
The image is binarized by the binarization circuit unit 18. By scanning the signal level of this binarized image, the inner edge of the food 5 where the signal level changes from signal level 0 to signal level 1 or from signal level 1 to signal level 0 and where the signal level is 1 is detected in step 106. and step 1
After setting a certain distance inside the edge of the food 5 as the detection position in step 07, in step 108 the signal level of the image memory unit 16 corresponding to the detection position is detected, and in step 109, the signal level is detected. Find the differential value of the signal to detect. After that, in step 110, the baked-up state B detection unit 20, which detects the relapse of baked clay, performs the first stage of baking detection. Then, in step 112, the heating source controller 22 automatically controls the heating 'a8' based on the output of the baked state detector 20 and the output of the baked change detector 21. The cooking process is then completed.

Here, the baked-up characteristics of foods for detecting doneness will be explained using FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows a case of a kutsky as a food product, and a detection point (X2, Y2) which is a certain distance inside from a point (Xi, Yl) at the end of the kutsky is shown as a detection point for the doneness of the kutsky. This detection point (X2.Y2
), when cooking, the heat is transferred from the saucer 4 by thermal conduction, so it is baked from the periphery of the kutuki, so the color change of the kutuki is large and there is no malfunction at the end (χ1Yl)
Set it further inside. Figure 4 shows the detection point (X2.Y2
), the video signal in the image memory unit 16 is separated into R (red), C (green), and B (blue), and the video signal is digitized. The horizontal axis represents the color change at the detection point (X2°Y2). Cooking start time 10, time for standard baked clay 2, time before Iji semi-baked time L2 when considering the allowable width of baked clay, time after L1, time after t3, overcooked state The following description will be made by assuming that the time when t4 becomes t4, the state from time L1 to time t2 is A, the state from time L1 to time t2 is 8, the state from time L2 to time L3 is C1, the state from time t3 to time L4 is D. In state A, the oil (butter) melts from the yellow-colored fabric shoes due to the heat, which initially increases the reflectance of the shoe surface and increases the video signal level (brightness level).
becomes higher.

It gradually becomes brownish and the RCIII signal level decreases to standard baked clay HB and C. When the standard baked clay state is passed, the color changes rapidly and the signal level decreases. Therefore, burnout detection is performed by detecting that the No. 13 level reaches the set level and by taking the differential value of the signal level to detect the point where the value of the differential signal level becomes large.

Due to the above action, it is possible to visually recognize the food and detect the color change at a certain distance inside from the edge of the food during jJO heat cooking, so it is possible to take a large output change, and also to detect the level and amount of change. This makes it possible to detect abnormalities such as overcooking.

Furthermore, by detecting a plurality of these positions, it is possible to detect partial non-uniformity in the cooking process, so there is an effect that automatic cooking can be carried out with complete detection of the baking process.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the automatic power I heat cooker of the present invention provides the following effects.

(1) Detection means such as weight, humidity, and temperature detect the entire food as a single "+'I" signal, so only changes in the entire food can be detected. However, the present invention can detect partial changes in the food, making it possible to detect precise and automatic changes. Question 1 is possible.

(2) Visually recognizes food and detects color changes that change quickly during cooking.Color changes at positions within and outside a certain distance from the edge of the food allow for large output changes and fewer malfunctions.

(3) Since the video signal level and the amount of change in the video signal are detected, abnormalities such as overprinting can be detected.

(4) By detecting multiple positions within a certain distance from the edge of the food, it is possible to detect partial baking irregularities.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automatic heating cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the automatic heating cooking means, and FIG. 3 is a schematic image diagram showing a binarized image of the cooking device.
FIG. 4 is a signal output characteristic diagram, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the conventional example. 5...Object to be heated, 11...Imaging means, 1
4...Video signal processing unit, 18...Binarization circuit unit, 19...Position setting unit, 20...
... Baking state detection section, 21... Baking change detection section, 22... Heat source control section. Figure/I L/) + t(tz tz tQ

Claims (1)

[Claims] an imaging means for detecting the shape of the object to be heated; a video signal processing section for processing the video signal of the imaging means; a binarization means for binarizing the image formed by the video signal; a position setting section that sets a position a certain distance inside from the edge of the image of the object to be heated; and a baked state detection section that detects a video signal level before binarization at the position set by the position setting section. a baking change detecting section that takes a differential value of the video signal; and a heating source that controls a heating source that heats the object by using the output of the baking state detecting section and the output section of the baking change detecting section. An automatic heating cooker having a control section.