JPH0250369B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cooking device such as a microwave oven.

Recently, cooking appliances that use microcomputers to program complex cooking sequences and can cook with the optimal cooking sequence for each cooking menu are becoming popular. For example, a microwave oven is an example of such a cooking device. Generally, in such a microwave oven, the operations for programming the cooking sequence include heating power, cooking temperature,
By operating keys and knobs corresponding to each content, data such as heating time is entered into a microcomputer and executed.By combining these key operations, It is possible to program fairly complex cooking sequences. However, as the cooking sequence becomes more complex, while it has the advantage of being able to perform more detailed cooking, it also has the disadvantage of requiring more input operations using keys, etc., making it less user-friendly. Therefore, as a method to improve these drawbacks, a method has been developed in which the cooking sequence for each dish is stored in advance on a magnetic card, and the contents are inputted into a microcomputer from a magnetic card reader and executed as appropriate. , some of which have been commercialized.
However, this magnetic card system requires one magnetic card for each dish, and when the number of dishes increases, it becomes very complicated for the user to handle and manage the magnetic cards. However, it is still not completely satisfactory.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking device that is easy to use. In particular, it relates to a method of storing cooking sequences in semiconductor memory, which has recently become relatively inexpensive due to the rapid increase in capacity, and then taking it out and using it as needed. A unique feature is that by simply entering the number associated with each cooking menu, a pre-stored cooking sequence is automatically set, and the system clearly informs the user of what it indicates. To provide a cooking device having a function of displaying cooking menu names in characters.

Hereinafter, an explanation will be given based on the drawings of an embodiment in which the present invention is used in a microwave oven.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior, and 1 is the main body of the vessel;
2 is a door installed in the front that can be opened and closed freely,
Food placed in the heating chamber can be seen through the see-through window. Reference numeral 3 designates an operation panel similarly provided on the front side of the vessel, on the surface of which a display section 4 for displaying time, characters, etc., and a keyboard 5 are arranged.

FIG. 2 shows the operation panel 3 in detail. The display section 4 can be realized with a fluorescent display tube, liquid crystal, LED, plasma display, etc. The display section 4 further includes a time display means 4a for displaying time such as cooking time and time. It consists of character display means 4b for displaying menu names, cooking device status, etc. in character form. The keyboard 5 includes a menu number input mode setting key 5a, a menu number key 5b, a reset key 5c, a start key 5b, etc. for entering a menu number input mode when inputting a menu number.

The character display means 4b has a multi-digit structure as shown in FIG. 3a, and one character is displayed in each digit. Each digit is constructed in a 5×7 dot matrix shape as shown in FIG. 3b, or in a 14 segment shape as shown in FIG. 3c.

Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an actual control circuit. Reference numerals 6 and 7 are first and second microcomputers, and their respective tasks are shared. First, the first microcomputer 6 implements the following tasks using a control program.

1 Controls the time display means 4a.

2 Processes input signals from the keyboard 5.

3. A character display code for displaying a predetermined character on the character display means 4b is transferred to the second microcomputer 7 in accordance with the input contents from the keyboard 5 or the state of the cooking appliance.

4. Control the heating device 9 via the drive means 8 based on a pre-stored cooking sequence.

Next, the second microcomputer 7 shares the following tasks.

1 Controls the character display means 4b.

2 The character display code transferred from the first microcomputer 6 is decoded, predetermined character display data is retrieved from the storage section, and after being converted into a character form by the character generator 10, the character display means 4b Display a predetermined string of characters.

The above work is performed by a control program of a microcomputer, and is difficult to visualize in practice, but the function is shown in a block diagram as shown in FIG. 5.

That is, first, when the menu number input mode setting means 11 including the menu number input mode setting key 5a enters the menu number input mode, "MENU" is entered from the status display data storage means 12.
NO? ” is sent to the character display means 4b.

Next, when a menu number is input by the menu number input means 13 including the menu number key 4b, a character display code is generated, and the status display data storage means 12 and the menu name search means 1
given to 4. For example, the menu number is "12"
If so, on the character display means 4b,
“MENU NO・12” will be displayed. After this,
When the timing means 19 switches the character display switching means 21 to the menu name storage means 15 side after two seconds, for example, the character display means 4b displays a menu called "COOKIES" corresponding to the menu number "12". The name is retrieved from the menu name storage means 15 and displayed.

When the menu number is input and set, at the same time, predetermined cooking sequence data in the cooking sequence storage means 17 is sent to the cooking sequence execution means 18 via the cooking sequence search means 16. Although not shown, when the start key is pressed, a cooking sequence is executed, and the heating device 9 is controlled via the drive means 8.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a simultaneous display switching means, which switches the cooking time from the cooking sequence execution means 18 and the time from the time counting means 20 as appropriate by the timing means 19, and displays them on the time display means 4a. be.

The operation will be explained using the above configuration. FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing key input operations and contents of character display and time display.

First, in a normal state without cooking, the display section 4 shows the time. That is, the time display means 4a displays "10:30" and the character display means 4b displays "CLCCK", making it very clear that the time is displayed.

Next, when the menu number input mode setting key 5a is pressed to start cooking, the character display means 4b
The contents are from "CLOCK" to "MENU NO・?"
Changes to The time display means 4a disappears and enters a blank state.

Next, when a predetermined menu number, for example "12" is input using the menu number key 5b, the character display content becomes "MENU NO.12". Also, although different from the example, the menu number input display is as follows.
Needless to say, it may be displayed on the time display means 4a.

For example, if 2 seconds have passed after entering the menu number, the text display will automatically change to "COOKIES", which corresponds to the menu number "12", and the time display will automatically change to "5.00", which indicates the cooking time. will be displayed.

After that, when the START key 5d is pressed, the first microcomputer 6 decodes this and outputs a predetermined control signal to the drive means 8 based on the already set cooking sequence, and also displays the time display means 4a. The displayed cooking time is counted down every second to notify the progress of the cooking sequence. Further, the driving means 8 that receives the control signal from the first microcomputer 6 controls the heating device 9 based on the content of the control signal, and a heating operation is executed.

Eventually, when the cooking time of "5.00" has passed and the cooking is complete, the character display content returns to "CLOCK" and the time display content indicates the time.

FIG. 7 is a table showing the correspondence between menu numbers and menu name character display contents.

As explained above, by having the first microcomputer mainly in charge of heating control and the second microcomputer in charge of character display, two separate tasks can be distributed, and heating control can be You will be able to do it in detail.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same main part, Fig. 3 a, b, and c are enlarged views of some of the same parts, and Fig. 4 is the same main part perspective view. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control circuit, FIG. 6 is a timing diagram showing the same operation, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the contents of a portion of the same. 4b... Character display means, 13... Menu number input means, 14... Menu name search means, 15...
...Menu name storage means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heating means, a driving means for driving the heating means, a menu number input means for inputting the menu number given to each cooking menu, and a dot or segment display for displaying the menu number and menu name in characters. a first microcomputer having a cooking sequence storage section and a cooking sequence search section; a second computer having a menu storage section and a menu name search section; The computer searches the cooking sequence storage section for a cooking sequence corresponding to the menu number input by the menu number input means through the cooking sequence search section, and activates the heating means through the driving means based on the cooking sequence. Operate the second
The microcomputer searches for a menu name corresponding to the menu number inputted to the first microcomputer from the menu name storage section via the menu name search section and displays the searched menu name on the character display means.