WO2020156928A1

WO2020156928A1 - Domestic cooking device and method for operating a domestic cooking device

Info

Publication number: WO2020156928A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/051671
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Kuchler; Kerstin RIGORTH; Sebastian Sterz; Matthias Vogt
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2019-02-01
Filing date: 2020-01-23
Publication date: 2020-08-06
Also published as: EP3918880A1; CN113348728A; DE102019201332A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic cooking device (1) having a cooking chamber heating device (5-7) which is designed to locally heat a cooking chamber (2) and which can be operated with at least two configurations that generate different energy distributions in the cooking chamber; a temperature detection device (9) which is designed to contactlessly detect a thermal distribution in the cooking chamber; a data processing device (8) which is designed to differentiate between a non-cooking product region (3, 4, R) and at least one cooking chamber region occupied by the cooking product from the detected thermal distribution; and a controller (8) which is designed to adjust the current configuration of the cooking chamber heating device (6, 7) with respect to an increase of an energy output into the detected cooking product (G) and to control the cooking chamber heating device (5-7), the temperature detection device (9), and the data processing device, wherein the data processing device is designed to differentiate between the non-cooking product region and the cooking product in the detected heat distribution using a temperature difference between the non-cooking product region and the cooking product. The invention also relates to a method for operating a domestic cooking device (1).

Description

Household cooking appliance and method for operating a

Household cooking appliances

The invention relates to a household cooking appliance, comprising one

Cooking space heating device which is set up for localized heating of a cooking space and which can be operated with at least two configurations which generate different energy distributions in the cooking space, one

Temperature detection device which is set up for contactless detection of a heat distribution in the cooking space, a data processing device for evaluating the detected heat distribution and a control device for setting a current configuration of the cooking space heating device and for operating the

Cooking space heating device and the temperature detection device is set up.

EP 0 781 072 A1 discloses a microwave oven with a number of IR sensor elements for obtaining temperature information from discrete ones

Detection areas within the cooking zone of the oven and for generating a two-dimensional temperature image of the cooking zone. Based on this

The necessary load parameters can be calculated in order to control automatic heating processes in the furnace.

EP 2 930 433 A1 discloses an oven with a heated cavity for cooking food comprising a three-dimensional scanning system configured to acquire information about the volume and / or shape of a food positioned in the heated cavity.

DE 10 2016 122 557 A1 discloses a method for operating a cooking appliance and a cooking appliance. On a food support, food is treated with a treatment device in a cooking space. The treatment device is controlled as a function of a treatment program by a control device. Thereby becomes

Taking into account an influence of the food support on the treatment of the food, a characteristic parameter for the food support is determined and made available to the control device. For this purpose, high-frequency measuring radiation with a plurality of Frequencies are emitted into the cooking chamber and received again and evaluated. On the basis of a comparison of the received and the emitted measuring radiation, a scattering parameter for the measuring radiation reflected, transmitted or absorbed in the cooking chamber is determined as a function of frequency. Using the scattering parameter, the

characteristic parameter determined for the food support.

US 2018/098381 A1 discloses a computer-implemented method for heating an object in a chamber of an electronic furnace towards a target state. The method includes heating the article to the chamber with a set of power generators while the electronic oven is in a respective set of configurations. The set of energy generators and the respective set of configurations define a respective set of variable energy distributions in the chamber. The method also includes collecting sensor data that defines a respective set of responses of the object to the set of energy applications. The method also includes generating a plan for heating the article in the chamber. The map is generated by an electronic furnace control system and uses the sensor data.

EP 2 019 265 A1 discloses a microwave device with a temperature detector for contactless detection of a temperature of a food in the heating chamber, a high-frequency generator for generating a microwave for heating the food inside the heating chamber and a controller for controlling the

High frequency generator based on a measured value of the temperature detector. The controller is configured in such a way that if a user chooses any

Sets treatment time and starts a cooking process, an output level of

High-frequency generator is controlled so that the temperature measured by the temperature detector does not exceed a predetermined value. In this way, resin parts and ceramic parts in the heating chamber can be protected from melting.

WO 2016/096442 A1 discloses a method and a device for determining size information of food ingredients. The method includes a step of applying an electrical field to the food components at a given radio frequency, the electrical field being generated by a source positioned in close proximity to the food components, a first one Step of measuring a relationship between the electric field energy reflected by the food ingredients and the electric field energy generated by the source and applied to the food ingredients. The method also includes a first step of determining an average thickness of the food ingredients along the direction of the electric field applied to the food ingredients based on the ratio. The method also includes a second step of measuring a plurality of distances between the source of the electric field and the food ingredients, the relationship between the energy of the electric field reflected by the food ingredients and the energy of the electric field applied to the food ingredients.

The method further includes a step of identifying a relatively sudden change in the amplitude of the ratios measured by the second step of measuring and a step of deriving the appropriate distance between the source of the electric field and the food ingredients for which the relatively sudden change occurred. The method also includes a second step of determining an average diameter of the food components in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the electric field based on the corresponding distance and the divergent angle of the electric field incident at the corresponding distance.

It is the object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, to provide an improved possibility for heating foods by means of microwave radiation.

This object is achieved in accordance with the features of the independent claims.

Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

The object is achieved by a household cooking appliance, comprising

- A cooking space heating device for localized heating of a

Is set up and which can be operated with at least two configurations which generate different energy distributions in the cooking space, a temperature detection device which is set up for contactless detection of a heat distribution in the cooking space,

a data processing device which is set up to distinguish a non-cooked area from at least one area of the cooking space occupied by the cooked heat distribution and

- A control device for setting a current configuration of the

Cooking space heating device with a view to an increase

Release of energy into the detected food and for controlling the

Cooking space heating device, the temperature detection device and the data processing device is set up,

in which

- The data processing device is set up to determine the non-cooked area of the cooked food in the detected heat distribution using a

Distinguish temperature difference between the non-cooking area and the food.

This household cooking appliance has the advantage that it can reliably distinguish items to be cooked in the cooking space (ie, one or more items to be cooked) with structurally simple means compared to a non-cooking area (in which there is no item to be cooked), in particular even without use a camera sensitive in the visible spectral range. The household cooking appliance can subsequently introduce energy even more effectively into the food to be cooked and thus also enable particularly energy-efficient operation. In particular, a number, a position and / or a size of the food to be cooked and accessories used (such as baking trays, gratings, hanging racks, food containers, etc.) can be determined particularly precisely. No user input is required so that incorrect entries can be avoided and improved results can be achieved.

By recognizing the food and accessories in turn, useful information for the cooking process can advantageously be obtained, which can be included in the choice of configuration. For example, you can determine whether one or more items are to be heated. A suitable heating operation can then be carried out automatically by setting at least one suitable configuration. If several food items are detected, for example, between uniform heating of all food items or selective heating can be distinguished.

The detection of the various accessories advantageously also helps to prevent malfunctions such as the use of a baking sheet in a microwave-only operation. In addition, an operating mode can be adapted to the accessories used.

The fact that the cooking space heating device can be operated with at least two configurations that generate different energy distributions in the cooking space includes in particular that at least one on the cooking space heating device

Setting parameters to a value from a set of at least two

Setting values is adjustable. The configuration thus includes at least one

Setting parameters with several (at least two, e.g. also "On" or "Off") setting values. To change a configuration, the values of one or more setting parameters can be changed.

The configuration of the cooking space heating device is advantageously chosen so that the smallest possible exposure to microwaves takes place in the non-cooking area, in particular in or on components of the non-cooking area.

The fact that the cooking space heating device is set up for localized heating of a cooking space includes, in particular, that the cooking space during operation of the

Cooking space heating device is not homogeneous, but with an inhomogeneous one

Energy distribution is applied.

That the control device for setting a current configuration of the

Cooking space heating device is set up with a view to increasing an energy output in the detected food to be cooked, can in particular include that the

Control device is set up to a configuration on the

To set or select the cooking space heating device, which one

Energy output to the food to be cooked increased or increased. To distinguish the non-cooked area from the cooked or cooked area, either an existing temperature difference between the non-cooked area and the cooked food and / or a different temperature change during a cooking or heating process can be evaluated.

For example, slight temperature differences between the non-cooking area of the cooking space and the food for accessories and / or food

characteristic shapes can be found in the temperature distribution. On the one hand, this allows the type of accessories used to be recognized and, on the other hand, the area to be cooked can be determined. This can also be seen as "object detection in the infrared range". For example, in the temperature distribution of a grating, strips corresponding to the grating bars can be recognized and thereby on

The presence of a wire shelf, at the insertion height and a position of the food to be placed on it. For example, with a different distance between the grating and the temperature detection device in the temperature distribution, there are different distances between the corresponding strips in the

Temperature distribution, from which in turn an insertion height can be concluded. Instead of or in addition to the stripes in the temperature distribution defined by the bars of the grate, a position and / or length of the edges can be evaluated when a baking sheet is present, etc.

It is also e.g. possible to determine a fill level of liquid in a vessel from the temperature distribution (since a temperature of the liquid leads to a locally corresponding temperature adaptation on a vessel wall) and / or to determine whether a container with or without a lid is used.

In general, the greater the temperature difference, the safer the

Recognition or determination is.

The temperature detection device (which can also be referred to as an IR detection device) can have one or more temperature sensors. The at least one temperature sensor can comprise, for example, at least one thermal imaging camera. The temperature detection can e.g. two-dimensional from a fixed

Viewing position of a temperature sensor or three-dimensionally through a stereographic recording technology. In general, the temperature distribution can be in the form of a two- or three-dimensional temperature image (which can also be referred to as an IR image).

It is also a further development that the temperature sensor is a sensor with low resolution (e.g. an IR photodiode or a thermopile), the image of which is

Overlaying multiple recordings from different positions of the

Temperature sensor is improved. For example, in a further development, a movable temperature sensor with exactly one IR-sensitive cell (e.g. an IR photodiode) is used for the measurement, the temperature sensor scanning the entire cooking space by position-variable recording and thus creating a multidimensional image. The use of several differently positioned sensors and / or movable sensors offers the advantage that the temperature distribution of the cooking space can be recorded particularly completely.

The data processing device can be an independent component or instance. It can be integrated in the household cooking appliance or it can also be an external instance, e.g. a network server or a cloud-based data processing device. The data processing device can alternatively be integrated in the control device, which then comprises a data processing function for carrying out the method.

In general, the data processing device can be set up to evaluate the at least one heat distribution, including the distinction between the non-cooked area and the cooked area, a determination of the position, size, type, etc. of the cooked food, possibly object detection, etc.

The control device is also generally used to operate or control the household cooking appliance, possibly also other functional components than those mentioned above, e.g. a user interface etc.

It is an embodiment that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device is set up to determine the temperature difference or temperature differences during a heating phase. This is special Advantageous, since typically a temperature equilibrium has not yet been reached in the cooking space, and temperature differences between materials of different heat capacity (for example food to be cooked and components of the non-cooking area) can be detected particularly reliably. This takes advantage of the fact that components of the non-cooking area, such as food supports, typically heat up noticeably faster than the food to be cooked.

It is a further development that the heating phase is part of a normal cooking process or heating process and therefore not a separately set phase.

It is a further development that the heating phase is part of a separately set phase. In this way, the heating process can be defined particularly reliably,

Detection of the components of the non-cooking area can further facilitate.

It is an embodiment that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device is set up to cook the food from the non-cooking area by comparing a temperature distribution during a preheating phase (e.g. during or upon completion of the preheating phase) during which there is still no food to be cooked in the cooking space and a temperature distribution during a subsequent one A distinction must be made between the cooking phase in which the food to be cooked (especially not very long) has been introduced into the cooking space. This enables a particularly reliable and precise determination of the components of the cooking space, since during the preheating phase the accessories are not covered by the food to be cooked and, furthermore, the food to be cooked is still comparatively cold at the beginning of a cooking phase and therefore thermally clearly differentiates itself from the non-cooking area . The absorption of the heat distribution during the cooking phase can e.g. automatically after detection of a door opening and following

Door closing process during or after completion of the preheating phase. Noticeable deviations between the two temperature distributions can be interpreted as an indication of the presence of food to be cooked there.

It is an embodiment that the cooking space heating device has a

Includes microwave device which is set up for generating microwaves and for introducing the microwaves into a cooking space and which has at least two

Configurations can be operated which have different field distributions of the microwaves in the cooking space. The microwave device can have at least one

Microwave generator (e.g. a magnetron or a semiconductor-based one

Microwave generator) for generating microwaves. The

Microwave device can also be a microwave feed device for

Have feeding the generated microwaves. The microwave feed device can e.g. have at least one microwave guide, at least one antenna (in particular an antenna that can be adjusted in terms of its position or orientation, e.g. a rotating antenna), at least one wobbler, etc. The

Energy distribution in the cooking space corresponds in particular to a field distribution of microwaves in the cooking space.

It is a further development that the at least one setting parameter of the

Microwave device at least one setting parameter from the group

- microwave phase,

- frequency of the microwave,

- microwave power,

- alignment of a movable antenna,

- alignment of a wobbler,

- rotation speed of a movable antenna,

- speed of rotation of a wobbler

includes. This development advantageously enables a particularly simple change in the field distribution. For example, a rotational or angular position of a rotating antenna and / or a wobbler of the microwave feed device can be set in a targeted manner in order to change a field distribution of the microwaves in the cooking space.

The household cooking appliance, in particular its control device, can in particular be set up to set at least one configuration of the microwave device as a function of the detected food to be cooked (ie, its number, position and / or size) in such a way that areas with particularly high local energy input ( So-called "hot spots") occur practically only in the food and can be suppressed or avoided in the non-food area. This is particularly advantageous since such hot spots in the non-cooking area waste a great deal of energy and moreover

Can cause damage. io

It is an alternative or additional embodiment that the

Cooking space heating device comprises at least one radiant heater, which can be operated with at least two configurations which are different

Generate radiant heat distributions in the cooking space. The at least one

Radiant heaters can e.g. a bottom heat radiator, a top heat radiator, a radiator for circulating hot air ("hot air radiator") and / or a grill radiator. The associated configuration can be used as a setting parameter e.g. activating and deactivating a radiant heater ("On" and "Off"), the power level of which include (e.g. 200 W, 400 W, etc.). The energy distribution in the cooking space corresponds to a heat distribution that of the at least one

Radiant heaters radiate heat into the cooking space.

In an application example, a

Conveyor of the food to be cooked and thus the food to be cooked thereon, a configuration of the at least one radiant heater can be selected such that a suitable power level of a

Grill radiator is automatically selected to achieve a desired grill temperature at the location of the food.

The household cooking appliance, especially the kitchen appliance, can generally be a stand-alone microwave device, a stand-alone oven or an oven / microwave combination device, e.g. an oven with microwave functionality or can be a microwave tabletop device with additional oven functions.

In the event that the household cooking device has the microwave device and the at least one radiant heater, it is an embodiment that the household cooking device, in particular its control device, is set up to only have at least one during the heating phase (in particular the preheating phase)

To activate heat radiation radiators, so not the microwave device. This advantageously achieves a particularly uniform heating of the cooking space, which enables particularly reliable detection of the food to be cooked. It is a further development that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device is set up to use the food to be cooked

Recognize temperature levels. In this way, the food to be cooked can advantageously be identified or determined particularly easily. This takes advantage of the fact that the food is cooked

typically heats up more slowly than the non-cooked area. Especially if the cooking space has not yet reached its temperature equilibrium (e.g. during the

Heating), the food to be cooked then typically has a noticeably lower temperature than the non-food-to-be-cooked area and can consequently be based on its lower temperature

Temperature levels are recognized or identified. This identification can e.g. by means of an identification of areas (in particular image areas in one

Temperature pattern) that are below a predetermined absolute or relative temperature threshold. The temperature level can correspond to a predefined fixed or variable temperature threshold (for example, a set target cooking space temperature and / or the time that has elapsed since the start of the food treatment). Alternatively, the identification of the item to be cooked can be carried out by means of an identification of non-item to be cooked that exceeds a predetermined absolute or relative temperature threshold and the item to be cooked is defined as a complementary area.

It is an embodiment that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device is set up to convert components of the non-cooked area from the cooked food using a different speed

Distinguish between temperature changes. Here, too, it is used that

Components of the non-cooked area typically heat up more quickly than cooked food, which generally has a higher heat capacity. Instead of an evaluation of a predetermined temperature level, the heating rate (also known as the heating rate) is now used as a criterion for belonging to the food: the slower a material volume heats up, the higher the probability that it is food. Conversely, surfaces with a sharp rise in temperature can be regarded as accessories or as a non-cooking area of the cooking space. To determine the rate of heating, the temperature distributions of two or more heat distributions recorded or measured in succession can be compared with one another. The different heating rate or rate can also be used to identify different food items (roasts, vegetables, soup, etc.).

It is an embodiment that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device is set up to use at least one type of accessory and / or food item located in the cooking space based on an associated one

Identify warm-up curve. This allows the configuration of the

Cooking space heating device can be adapted even more specifically to suitable heating of the food to be cooked. For this purpose, different warm-up curves linked to associated accessories and / or cooking items can be stored in a data memory, in particular the data processing device, and can be called up for comparison.

It is a further development that in order to recognize components, in particular accessories, of the non-cooking area, a temperature development of the unloaded cooking space during preheating with previously recorded comparison curves, which are carried out with different

Accessories were compared, in order to infer the type of accessory used. The advantage is achieved that a

Identification of the accessories or accessories is not adversely affected by the presence of food.

The above concept can also be used if a cooking chamber door is opened during a cooking process and the food is moved (e.g. by stirring / turning) or is removed for a short time. Due to the different heat capacities, the accessories cool down faster than the food. For the detection of the food to be cooked and the non-food to be cooked area (which can change after removal and reinsertion of the food to be cooked), the temperature difference caused by cooling and / or the different heating rate when reheating can now be used.

It is an embodiment that the household cooking appliance, in particular its

Data processing device configured to recognize at least one component of the non-cooked area by the presence of at least one marker arranged on the component. This allows accessories to be determined particularly precisely, for a large number of different accessories. Markers are special markings or identifying marks that are called geometric Identification features in the recorded heat distribution can be recognized. For this purpose, markers are arranged on corresponding components of the non-cooking area, in particular at a known location. It is a further development that the markers identify a component, that is, they can serve as identification (ID) for the associated accessories.

It is a further development that a marker is designed as an embossing, perforation, texture and / or roughening. In particular, a texture or roughening may emerge from different emissivities in the heat distribution. A marker can also be used as an area with materials with different heat capacities or

Emissivities can be formed so that a defined pattern in the heat distribution can be recognized when heated.

In general, the detection described above can also be combined with additional sensors, for example by a combination with an optical camera: based on the optical image, the geometric shape and extent of the food to be cooked can be determined using an edge detection method (for example the Sobel operator) and accessories can be detected become. By combining the different sensors, the certainty of the statement can be improved and misinterpretations can be avoided even more reliably.

The object is also achieved by a method for operating a household cooking appliance, in which

- a cooking space of the cooking appliance is heated,

a heat distribution in the cooking space is recorded without contact,

- A distinction is made between the non-cooked area and the cooked food from the recorded heat distribution on the basis of temperature differences

and

- A localized energy distribution introduced into the cooking space is varied so that there is an increased energy concentration in the area of the food.

The method can be designed analogously to the household cooking appliance and has the same advantages, and vice versa. It is an embodiment that the method is carried out iteratively with variation of the configuration and areas of increased energy concentration in the food to be cooked are selected for a subsequent operation.

It is an embodiment that the method is carried out iteratively. In particular, the cooking chamber can do this by recording successive recordings of

Heat distributions are monitored during a heating process, and if necessary, new configurations can be set as a result of the monitoring, which bring the highest energy or power into the food. So it can be iterative

Configurations that result in areas of increased energy concentration in the food to be selected for a subsequent operation.

It is a further education that the form of energy distribution for several,

in particular all configurations of the cooking space heating device are known, in particular are stored and only at least one configuration is selected which is known to have a high output or a high level in the food

Energy input, e.g. a hot spot. In this case, several configurations can be selected one after the other - in particular cyclically alternating - which have a high output, in particular a hot spot, in the detected food. This advantageously results in a particularly well distributed heating in the food.

It is a further development that the configurations are selected at random. This has the advantage that particularly advantageous energy distributions can be set which, e.g. due to the presence of food to be cooked in the cooking space, not or not reliably pre-arrange or have predictions made.

It is a further development that a configuration is selected randomly and at least one heat distribution is subsequently measured or recorded in order to assess the effect of the power or energy distribution in the cooking space associated with the configuration. If the power distribution associated with the current configuration causes less power to be brought into the area than for a previous configuration, the previous configuration can be reset or a new configuration can be set. A higher energy or Performance, in particular with the creation of at least one hotspot, can be recognized, for example, by a noticeable local temperature increase.

In general, areas with a high energy input into the food to be cooked or with a high energy conversion in the food to be cooked can be selected by varying the configurations and then selecting particularly suitable configurations which generate noticeable heating in the food to be cooked. This has the advantage that the energy input into the food is automatically optimized.

In one possible development, configurations which lead to undesired heating in the non-cooking area are stored and are no longer used for the further heating process. This results in a reduced selection of possible parameter sets that can be used alternately for even heating of the food.

The above-described characteristics, features and advantages of this invention as well as the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following schematic description of a

Embodiment that is explained in connection with the drawings.

1 shows a sectional side view of a household cooking appliance in the form of an oven with a microwave device and

2 shows process steps of a possible method for setting a

Configuration of the microwave device.

Fig.1 shows a household cooking device in the form of an oven with an integrated

Microwave functionality 1. The oven 1 has a cooking space 2 which is delimited by a cooking space wall 3, the front loading opening of which can be closed by means of a microwave-proof and thermally insulating cooking space door 4.

To heat food G in the cooking space 2, it can be heated by means of at least one radiant heater (e.g. a bottom heat radiator, top heat radiator, grill radiator and / or hot air radiator, indicated here by a bottom heat radiator 5). The oven 1 also has a microwave device 6 with a rotatable

Rotating antenna 7. Via the rotary antenna 7, microwaves generated by the microwave device 6 can be introduced into the cooking space 2, in which they assume a certain microwave field distribution or field pattern. Operation of the

Radiant heat radiator 5 and the microwave device 6, including a rotational position or an angle of rotation of the rotating antenna 7 which can be rotated in a horizontal plane, can be specifically adjusted via a control device 8. For example, the rotational position of the rotary antenna 7 is in steps of 1 °, 5 °, 10 ° or the like. adjustable.

The oven 1 also has a temperature detection device for contactless detection of a heat distribution in the cooking space 2 in the form of a thermal imaging camera 9 measuring pixel by pixel. The food G, which is housed in a food container S, which in turn on an accessory in the form of a grate R or the like. rests like the accessories in a field of view F of the thermal imager 9.

The control device 8 is used to control the oven 1 and also serves to evaluate the heat distributions or thermal images determined by the thermal imaging camera 9. The thermal images are structured like pixels and have a resolution e.g. from 16 x 16, 32 x 24, 64 x 64, 128 x 64, 256 x 256, 512 x 512 or 2048 x 1024 pixels, but are not limited to this. The control device 8 also serves as a data processing device for evaluating the thermal images, in particular for recognizing a non-cooked area in the cooking space 2 in at least one thermal image.

2 shows process steps of a possible method for operating the oven 1, in particular for setting a configuration of the microwave device 6, 7.

A preheating phase of the oven is activated in step S1, the cooking space 2 being heated only by the at least one radiant heater 5. The

Microwave device 6, 7 remains deactivated during the preheating phase.

In step S2, the thermal imager 9 is used in sufficient time

Intervals of several thermal images taken. In step S3, the thermal images from the controller do this

evaluated that different absolute temperatures and / or heating rates of different areas are recognized in the thermal images and areas with particularly high temperatures and / or heating rates an accessory, e.g. the grating R, are assigned. The grating R can be recognized, for example, by a grating pattern that appears bright in the thermal images. This can be confirmed by a heating curve typical for the grating R.

In step S4, when the preheating phase has ended - if necessary by deactivating the at least one radiant heater 5 - the cooking chamber door 4 is opened, the food G is introduced into the cooking chamber 2 and the cooking chamber door 4 is then closed again. This opening and closing of the oven door 4 is automatically recognized.

The control device 8 then controls the thermal imager 9 to record a thermal image of the cooking space 2 and to compare this thermal image with at least one thermal image recorded in step S3. By evaluating differences in the thermal images before and after step S4, the food to be cooked G (as a colder area, which is excluded from the regular grid pattern from the point of view of the thermal imaging camera 9) and the non-cooked area 3, 4, R are recognized.

In a step S6, the microwave device 6, 7 is then activated in a specific configuration. A setting parameter can correspond to the configuration of a rotational position of the rotary antenna 7.

In one variant, the microwave device 6, 7 is activated only with a configuration which is known to have a particularly high energy concentration in the food G and in particular does not generate any hot spots in the non-food area 3, 4, R. In a further development thereof, the microwave device 6, 7 is activated in succession with different configurations, which correspond, for example, to different rotational positions of the rotary antenna 7, which are known to all generate hot spots in the food (but advantageously not outside of it). This enables the food G to be heated particularly evenly. This can be continued until the end of the cooking process or treatment process. In another variant, a randomly selected configuration of the microwave device 6, 7 is set in step S5 and operated with it.

Subsequently, a thermal image of the cooking space 2 is recorded in step S6 and, in step S7, the control device 8 is used to check whether a noticeable local temperature increase occurs in the previously recognized cooking product G, which may indicate a hot spot in the cooking product G in particular.

If this is not the case ("N"), the currently set configuration is stored as "not suitable" in step S8, branched back to step S5 and another one there

Configuration for the microwave device 6, 7 set at random.

However, if this is the case ("J"), the current configuration can be retained in a variant for the rest of the cooking process or treatment process. Alternatively, the currently set configuration can be saved as "suitable" and then checked in a step S9 whether a predetermined number (e.g. two, three, four or more) of suitable configurations has already been found.

If this is not the case ("N"), a branch can be made back to step S5 and a further randomly selected configuration can be set on the microwave device 6, 7.

If this is the case ("J"), the microwave device 6, 7 can then only be operated alternately in step S10 with the appropriate configurations.

The method described above is carried out until an abort criterion has been reached in step S11, e.g. a time period set by the user or the program has expired.

Of course, the present invention is not as shown

Embodiment limited. In general, "a", "a" etc. can be understood to mean a single number or a plurality, in particular in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more" etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, eg by the expression " exactly one "etc. A number can also include the specified number as well as a usual tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

Reference list

1 oven

2 cooking space

3 cooking space wall

4 oven door

5 radiant heaters

6 microwave device

7 rotating antenna

8 control device

9 thermal imager

F field of view

G food

R grating

S Food container

S1-S11 procedural steps

Claims

1. Household cooking appliance (1), having

a cooking space heating device (5-7) which is set up for localized heating of a cooking space (2) and which has at least two

Configurations can be operated which generate different energy distributions in the cooking space (2),

a temperature detection device (9) which is set up for contactless detection of a heat distribution in the cooking space (2),

a data processing device (8) which is set up to distinguish a non-cooking area (3, 4, R) from at least one area of the cooking space (2) occupied by cooking goods (G) from the detected heat distribution and

a control device (8) which is used to set a current configuration of the cooking space heating device (5-7) with a view to increasing an energy output into the detected food (G) and to control the cooking space heating device (5-7), the temperature detection device (9) and the data processing device (8) is set up,

in which

the data processing device (8) is set up to separate the non-cooked area (3, 4, R) from the cooked food (G) in the detected heat distribution based on a temperature difference between the non-cooked area (3, 4, R) and to distinguish the food (G).

2. Household cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein the household cooking appliance (1) is set up to determine the temperature difference during a heating phase.

3. Household cooking device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the household cooking device (1) is set up to remove the food (G) from the non-cooking area by comparing a temperature distribution of a preheating phase during which no food is being cooked ( G) is present in the cooking space (2), and a temperature distribution a subsequent cooking phase, in which food (G) has been introduced into the cooking space (2).

4. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooking space heating device (5-7) comprises at least:

a microwave device (6, 7) which is set up for generating microwaves and for introducing the microwaves into a cooking space (2) and which can be operated with at least two configurations which generate different field distributions of the microwaves in the cooking space (2), and / or

at least one heat radiation radiator (5) which can be operated with at least two configurations which are different

Generate radiant heat distributions in the cooking space (2).

5. Household cooking appliance (1) according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the household cooking appliance (1) the microwave device (6, 7) and the at least one

Has radiant heater (5) and is set up to activate only at least one radiant heater (5) during the heating phase.

6. Household cooking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the household cooking device (1) is set up to the non-cooking area (3, 4, R) based on a different speed of a temperature change between components of the non- Distinguish the food to be cooked (3, 4, R) from the food to be cooked (G).

7. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the household cooking appliance (1) is set up to at least one type of an accessory and / or food item (G) located in the cooking space (2) on the basis of an associated warm-up curve identify.

8. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the household cooking appliance (1) is set up to at least one component of the non-cooking area (3, 4, R) by the presence of arranged on the component To recognize markers.

9. A method of operating a household cooking appliance (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, in which

a cooking space (2) of the household cooking appliance (1) is heated,

- A heat distribution in the cooking space (2) is recorded without contact,

a distinction is made between the non-cooked area (3, 4, R) and cooked food (G) from the recorded heat distribution on the basis of temperature differences, and a localized energy distribution introduced into the cooking chamber (2) is varied such that in the area of the cooked food ( G) results in an increased energy concentration.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the configuration is varied iteratively and configurations that result in areas of increased energy concentration in the food (G) are selected for a subsequent operation.