Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for running an optimi zed program on a household device , in particular on a cooking device or on a washing machine .

Background Art

Cooking steps in cooking recipes are normally defined such that they can be run on simple cooking devices available in many households . For example , cooking food in an oven is normally defined by using top/bottom heat or by convection heat keeping the cooking chamber temperature on a constant value . Top/bottom heat and convection heat are cooking elements available in every household oven . Such recipes can be applied by nearly everyone but are not optimal for modern cooking devices which comprise more complex cooking technologies leading to better cooking results . An average user doesn ' t know how to cook with modern cooking technologies i f no instructions are provided by cooking recipes . Unfortunately, modern cooking technologies available in modern cooking devices are rarely used .

A similar problem exists with washing machines . Most cloths comprise washing labels with washing instructions . The instructions are defined such that cloths can be washed by nearly every washing machine in a traditional household . However, modern washing machines comprise more complex washing technologies for better washing results or for a gentle laundry treatment , for example . Since the washing labels do not provide instructions how to use more modern washing technologies , users do not know how to apply them .

Disclosure of the Invention The problem to be solved by the present invention is therefore to provide a method for assisting users in using complex device functions.

This problem is solved by the method of the independent claim. Hence, claim 1 relates to a method for running an optimized program on a household device, in particular on a cooking device, on a washing device or on a dishwasher. The method comprises the following steps:

- accessing a standard program available on a data memory, in particular wherein the standard program can be run on the household device or on a similar household device, in particular wherein the data memory is external to the household device,

- a user interface outputting at least one, in particular at least two, options, in particular optimization options, for converting the standard program into the optimized program,

- a user selecting at least one of the at least one, in particular at least two, options via the user interface,

- converting the standard program into the optimized program depending on the selected at least one option, and

- running the optimized program on the household device.

A "standard program" can be any program available for the user. It can be available in a book, booklet or in a data memory, e.g. on a webserver or on a mobile device. The standard program does not necessarily have to be suitable to be run on the household device running the optimized program. For example, a "standard program" which can be run on a cooktop can be converted into an "optimized program" running in an oven. The "optimi zed program" is defined as a program generated by the method defined in the claim . The " standard program" corresponds to input data for the method, the method converts the " standard program" to an "optimi zed program" and the "optimi zed program" can be run on the household device .

A user interface is available in order to receive instructions from the user defining criterions according to which the " standard program" should be converted into the "optimi zed program" . For example , the user can define that optimi zation may include shortening the program, reducing the energy consumption of the program or improving the treatment quality . The user has the possibility to select one or more optimi zation options . The user might select between di f ferent options , or the user might select only from one single option . The number of available options depends on the standard program . I f more than one option is available , the user might select only one option or more than one option, depending on the availability and the possibility of combining di f ferent options .

"A user selecting" is to be understood as the user being able to choose from one or several optimi zation options .

In contrast to prior art , the user does not communicate to the household device which input goods are available , e . g . which foodstuf f or which cloths , in order to produce a program, but a program is already available and the user communicates to the household device according to which criterions the standard program should be optimi zed .

The advantage of the present invention is that not only rudimentary standard programs can be run on the household device . Standard programs are converted into optimi zed programs using more complex functions of the household device or for reducing the energy consumption or for reducing the program duration, for example . Advantageously, the optimi zed program is not preprogramed but converted from the standard program into the optimi zed program after the user has selected the at least one optimi zation option .

In particular, the options selectable by the user are :

- shortening of the program, in particular in connection with running the program with more power ; and/ or

- reducing the total energy consumption of the program, in particular in connection with extending the duration of the program, and/or

- optimi zing the finished result , in particular according to user preferences , and/or

- using a more precise temperature control , and/ or

- an easier handling for the user, and/or

- accepting an optimi zation proposed by the household device .

In the context of an oven for cooking food, the mentioned optimi zations could be designed as follows :

The duration of the cooking program could be reduced . This is possible by cooking food on a higher temperature or by using an alternative cooking technology with a higher energy input . For example , cooking with top/bottom heat could be substituted by microwave heating which has a higher energy input .

The energy consumption of a cooking program could be reduced by using a more energy ef ficient cooking technology, e . g . using microwave heating for small portions is more energy ef ficient then heating up the whole cooking chamber of a baking oven .

A standard program defining cooking meat with top/bottom heat on a temperature of 80 ° C could be optimi zed by using top/bottom heat with a varying cooking chamber air temperature which is controlled depending on temperatures measured by a food temperature sensor . The optimi zed programs can di f fer from the standard programs in

- using alternative components of the household device for running the program, and/or

- running the optimi zed program on the household device as an alternative compared to another household device defined in the standard program, in particular wherein the options selectable by the user comprise selecting a preferred household device for running the optimi zed program .

I f a cooking recipe defines a standard program for cooking food on a cooktop, it could be converted into an optimi zed program for cooking food in an oven, a steamer or a microwave .

In a preferred method, the user interface can be arranged on a mobile device , in particular a mobile phone or a smart watch or smart glasses , or on a computer or on the household device . The user has easy access to the household device and can define in an easy way according to which options the program can be optimi zed .

In particular, the standard program is retrieved from a database external to the household device or from a mobile device , in particular a mobile phone or a smart watch or smart glasses , or a computer or from the household device . "External" means that the database is independent from the household device .

In case that the household device is a cooking device , it could be an oven, a steamer, a microwave or a combined cooking device . A combined cooking device might be a cooking device comprising cooking elements of an oven, e . g . top/bottom heat or convection heat , microwave heating and/or steam heating . Several cooking technologies are combined within one single device . A cooking program is a cooking device defining how the food is to be cooked .

In case of a cooking device , it is possible that the user scans or photographs a cooking recipe from a cooking book, cooking booklet, or provides an electronic recipe e.g. downloaded from the internet or from other external data recourses like a cloud, or the user provides just an URL and the cooking recipe can be downloaded by the cooking device itself. The recipe is sequenced and the cooking process is extracted from the recipe and identified as the standard cooking program. In particular, a recipe category is identified, e.g. appetizer, main dish, dessert, vegetarian, meat.

In particular, the standard program is converted into the optimized program by accessing alternative cooking programs or cooking recipes, in particular available on a database external to the household device, in particular available on the internet. For example, if the standard cooking program defines cooking meat in an oven with top/bottom heat on 80°C, an alternative cooking program can be retrieved from a database defining cooking meat on a permanently increasing temperature until the meat reaches a core temperature of 55°C. This alternative program available on a database is used as the "optimized program". With other words, the standard program is converted into the optimized program by searching on a database for a similar cooking program defining cooking steps using improved cooking technologies. The conversion can take into account which cooking devices with witch cooking technologies are available in order to access an optimized program on an external database which can be run on the available cooking devices.

In particular, different cooking recipes or different cooking programs are categorized on the database in different cooking recipe categories or different cooking program categories. Only alternative cooking programs or alternative cooking recipes for cooking food of the same category than the food being cooked by the standard program are accessed for converting the standard program into the optimized program. For example, a first category comprises cooking programs for cooking quality beef , a second category comprises cooking programs for cooking poultry meat and a third category comprises cooking programs for cooking watery vegetables . In case the standard program defines the cooking of beef tenderloin, a cooking program categori zed in the category of quality beef is selected as an optimi zed program .

Advantageously, cooking programs or cooking recipes on the database can comprise a general user rating . I f the user selects the option to optimi ze the cooking result , a cooking program is selected as an optimi zed cooking program which has a high user rating . The user rating can be generated from a large number of people who have already used this cooking program .

Alternatively, the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program by using arti ficial intelligence . In particular, arti ficial intelligence comprises supervised learning . For example , the cooking device can detect i f the user permanently adapts the duration of the cooking program manually . The user might permanently extend the cooking time of beef by ten percent because he prefers well cooked beef . The detection of this behavior is learning data which can be used to optimi zed standard cooking programs . Every standard program for cooking beef can be converted into an optimi zed cooking program by extending the cooking time by ten percent .

Other learning data can be user ratings . I f a certain parameter of a cooking program is amended by the cooking device or by the user and the user rating increases , the amendment is recorded as a positive amendment and proposed to the user as an optimi zation option or as a part of an optimi zation option .

In particular, the standard program comprises cooking steps with top- and bottom heat and/or convection heat in an oven and is converted into the optimi zed program using alternative or additional cooking methods , in particular steam cooking, sous-vide-cooking, or cooking by a food temperature sensor . Advantageously, the standard program comprises a cooking step characteri zed by cooking food with a constant air temperature , in particular inside an oven, or without a known temperature , in particular on a cooktop, and the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program wherein the optimi zed program is characteri zed by cooking food with a varying air temperature , in particular a varying cooking chamber air temperature , and/or a varying steam temperature , and/or a varying food temperature measured by a food temperature sensor .

In another preferred method of the invention, the household device is a washing machine or a dryer . The method for running the optimi zed program on the washing machine comprises the following steps :

- the user scans or photographs at least one washing label , in particular at least two washing labels , of at least one washing garment ,

- the washing label is sequenced and a standard program for running on the washing machine is selected depending on the sequenced washing labels .

- a user interface outputs at least one , in particular at least two , options for converting the standard program into the optimi zed program .

- a user selects at least one of the at least one options via the user interface .

- the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the selected at least one option and is run on the household device .

The washing label comprises standardi zed icons representing washing instructions , which are rudimentary in nature , e . g . washing at 40 ° C . Such a rudimentary washing program can be converted into a more complex washing program, e . g . into a washing program varying the washing temperature during operation . A more energy ef ficient program can be run on the washing machine .

In particular, the standard program for the washing machine is converted by accessing alternative washing programs , in particular available on a database external to the washing machine , or by arti ficial intelligence .

Advantageously, the washing machine comprises a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the washing garments and the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the measured weight , and/ or

- a camera, in particular the camera of a smart phone or of the washing machine , records the washing garments and parameters of the washing garments are identi fied, in particular a color value or garment quantity, and the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the recorded parameter .

In another preferred embodiment , the household device is a dishwasher, wherein the dishwasher comprises a camera for identi fying the following parameters :

- the type of dishes inside the dishwasher, e . g . glass , porcelain, pots , and/or

- the quantity of dishes inside the dishwasher, and/or

- the degree of contamination of the dishes insides the dishwasher, wherein the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the identi fied parameters .

In particular, a cooking recipe is transferred to the dishwasher, wherein the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the cooking recipe . The cooking recipe provides data about the contamination of the dishes .

Advantageously, the use and the adaptation of a standard program by the user is recorded in order to identi fy repeated user behavior, wherein the standard program is converted into the optimi zed program depending on the identi fied user behavior . A repeated user behavior could be in case of a cooking device : - extending or shortening the cooking time ;

- using convection heating instead of top/bottom heating;

- inputting food into the cooking chamber while the cooking chamber is in a cold state ;

- cooking until a high degree of browning is reached, e . g . for bread . The browning can be detected by a camera ;

- cooking meat until a high cooking level . The cooking level is detected by a food temperature sensor ;

A repeated user behavior could be in case of a washing machine :

- reducing the spinning speed for protecting washing garments ;

- using eco mode instead of normal mode .

Advantageously, a food product or a garment to be treated in the household device comprises a label , in particular a bar code or a QR-code or icons representing the standard program for treating the product . The user can scan the label , in particular by a mobile device , in particular by a mobile phone , by a smart watch or by smart glasses , or by a computer or by the household device , for identi fying the standard program and transmitting the standard program to the control of the household device .

For example , the packaging of a pi z za comprises a QR-code containing the information for a standard cooking program . This cooking program comprises only rudimentary instructions which can be performed by nearly every user with rudimentary cooking devices .

In order to inform the user about the steps of the optimi zed program, the household device can output information via the user interface about the running optimi zed program .

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be better understood and obj ects other than those set forth above will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof . Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings , wherein :

Fig . 1 shows a first apparatus comprising cooking devices running optimi zed cooking programs ; and Fig . 2 shows a second apparatus comprising a washing machine and a dryer running optimi zed washing and drying programs .

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

Fig . 1 shows an apparatus for cooking food .

The apparatus comprises a central control unit 1 having a microprocessor or microcontroller 10 connected to a memory device 11 . Central control unit 1 further comprises a first interface circuit 12 for connecting it to the various cooking devices by means of wire-bound or wireless communication, as well as a second interface 13 for connecting it to a computer network 14 , in particular a wide-area network, such as the internet . The central control unit 1 can access an external database 15 via computer network 14 . For example , database 15 can comprise one or more database servers containing database cooking programs . These can e . g . be cooking programs in a structured form, e . g . encoded in XML, or in natural language , e . g . encoded as text or HTML . Furthermore , the central control unit 1 comprises a user interface 16 formed as a touchscreen . The user interface 16 can receive instruction from a user and can transmit the instruction to the central control unit 1 . The user interface 16 can output information to the user received from the central control unit 1 . Furthermore , the user interface 16 comprises a camera 18 . Control unit 1 can be a stand-alone device, or it can be integrated in one of the cooking devices 21 - 24.

Central control unit 1 can be arranged in the household where the cooking devices 21 - 24 are located, or it can be located off-site, i.e. it can be implemented in a remote server, in particular in a central server 17.

The various elements of control unit 1 can also be arranged at differing sites, i.e. part of central control unit 1 can e.g. be built into one or more of the cooking devices 21 - 24, while another part is e.g. arranged at a remote location and operating as part of central server 17, e.g. in cloud computing.

User interface 16 can communicate with central control unit 1 by means of direct connections, such as Bluetooth, dedicated wires or a wire-bound or wireless LAN-connection .

In an advantageous embodiment, user interface 16 can be implemented as a stand-alone device accessing central control unit 1 through a TCP/IP connection. For example, such a stand-alone device can be a tablet, a smartphone or a laptop or desktop computer.

The apparatus comprises cooking devices, i.e. a steam-cooking device 21, a baking oven 22, a microwave oven 23, and a combined cooking device 24. The cooking devices are household devices.

Each of these devices comprises a cooking cavity 25 for receiving the food to be cooked, usually accessible through a door or lid (not shown) , one or more cooking elements for feeding heat to the foodstuff, and a cooking process control 26 for controlling the cooking elements. Cooking process control 26 is equipped with an interface for communicating with central control unit 1.

Steam-cooking device 21 comprises, as its cooking element, a steam generator 40 with a water reservoir and a heater for heating the water and feeding it to cavity 25 by means of one or more nozzles. Baking oven 22 comprises several cooking elements, namely a top heat 41, a bottom heat 42, and a hot air generator 43. Top heat 41 and bottom heat 42 are resistive heating elements arranged at the top and bottom of cooking cavity 25. There may also be a grill heater 41a in addition to top heat 41. Hot air generator 43 comprises a fan 44 and a resistive heater 45 adapted and structured to withdraw air from cooking cavity 25, heat it, and blow it back into cooking cavity 25.

Microwave oven 23 comprises, as its cooking element, a microwave generator 46, such as a magnetron, coupled to cooking cavity 25 by means of a waveguide 47.

Combined cooking device 24 comprises, as its cooking elements, a combination of several of the cooking elements 40 - 47 mentioned above. In the example shown here, it comprises a steam generator 40, a top heat 41, a bottom heat 42, a hot air generator 43, and a microwave generator 47.

All cooking devices comprise a food temperature sensor in order to perform a better controlled cooking process.

Finally, the system may also comprise a central server 17, accessible via computer network 14. Central server 51 may e.g. provide user feedback processing as described below.

In the shown embodiment, control unit 1 contains, in memory 11, suitable programming to execute the steps of the invention according to the present invention .

The interaction of the various components is now described by reference to different examples.

Beef tenderloin with vegetables:

The user wants to prepare beef tenderloin with vegetables as a side dish and follows a cooking book providing two recipes, a first recipe for beef tenderloin and a second recipe for the vegetables. The user photographs the two recipes by camera 18 and the photographed recipes are transmitted to the central control unit 1 . The central control unit 1 sequences the recipes and extracts a first standard cooking program for the beef tenderloin and a second standard cooking program for the vegetables , saved in memory device 11 . The first cooking program defines a beef tenderloin having a weight of 400g to be fried first in a fry pan for five minutes and then be cooked in a baking oven by top/bottom heat at 80 ° C for 40 minutes . The second cooking program defines cooking 250g vegetables in a cooking pot with boiling water .

Both sequenced standard cooking programs define only rudimentary cooking steps which do not lead to excellent cooking result .

In order to optimi ze the standard cooking programs , the central control unit 1 accesses the database 15 via the computer network 14 and retrieves alternative cooking programs for beef tenderloin and vegetables . The cooking programs retrieved from database 15 are described by di f ferent properties : duration of the cooking program, energy consumption of the cooking program, quality of the cooking result , user friendliness , user rating etc .

The central control unit 1 checks i f the retrieved cooking programs are configured for cooking beef tenderloin as defined in the sequenced recipe , i . e . it checks i f the cooking program is configured to cook beef tenderloin with a weight about 400g . Furthermore , the central control unit 1 checks i f the retrieved cooking programs can be run on at least one of the available cooking devices 21-24 .

Alternatively, it is possible that the central control unit 1 accesses not only cooking programs for cooking beef tenderloin . Cooking programs available on the database 15 are categori zed in di f ferent categories , e . g . watery vegetables , high quality beef , low quality pork, pasta etc . The category "high quality beef" comprises cooking programs for cooking "beef tenderloin" , "beef filet" or "beef rump" , for example . The categori zations of fers the possibility to cook beef tenderloin by a cooking program configured for cooking beef filet .

Since more than one cooking program for cooking beef tenderloin could be retrieved, a selection of one speci fic cooking program is required . Depending on the di f ferent properties describing the cooking programs , the central control unit 1 requests the user via the user interface 16 how the standard program should be optimi zed . The user interface outputs the following optimi zation options : Minimal duration of the cooking program, minimal energy consumption of the cooking program, highest quality of the cooking result , highest user rating . The user can select at least one of these optimi zation options via touchscreen 16 . Since the user has time and doesn ' t care about the energy consumption, he selects "highest quality of the cooking result" as the only optimi zation option .

The retrieved cooking program ranked with the highest quality of the cooking result defines cooking beef tenderloin by a baking oven comprising top/bottom heat , a grill heater and a food temperature sensor . The required cooking technologies are available in the baking oven 22 . In a first cooking program phase , beef tenderloin is grilled by the grill heater 41a, and in a second cooking program phase , beef tenderloin is cooked by top/bottom heat 41 while the cooking chamber air temperature is controlled depending on the food temperature measured be the available food temperature sensor .

Since the highest ranked retrieved cooking program can be run on the baking oven 22 , the central control unit 1 defines the retrieved program as the optimi zed program . With other words , the central control unit 1 has converted the first standard program into the first optimi zed program . The same conversion is performed for the second standard cooking program . The central control unit 1 retrieves alternative cooking programs from database 15 . Again, the user selects "highest quality of the cooking result" as the only optimi zation option . The selected cooking program defines cooking vegetables by steam on a temperature of 100 ° C . The central control unit 1 defines the retrieved cooking program as the second optimi zed cooking program for running on the steam-cooking device 21 .

Optimi zation is not only possible by accessing alternative cooking recipes on the database 15 . The central control unit 1 comprises arti ficial intelligence configured to learn from user ' s behaviour . For example , i f the user permanently cooks beef longer than defined, the central control unit 1 learns that user prefers well- cocked beef . The central control unit 1 outputs as an optimi zation option "well-done meat" . I f this option is selected by the user, the final food temperature measured by the food temperature sensor is increased which results in an extended cooking time .

Furthermore , the control unit 1 requests the user every time after finishing the cooking program giving an individual user rating for the cooking program . Such a rating represents individual preferences of the user . After a certain number of recorded user ratings , the central control unit 1 can output as an optimi zation option "Maximi ze individual user preferences" . I f the user selects this option, the cooking program with the highest individual user rating will be selected .

Fig . 2 shows an apparatus for washing and drying garments . Again, the apparatus comprises a central control unit 1 having a microprocessor or microcontroller 10 connected to a memory device 11 . Central control unit 1 further comprises a first interface circuit 12 for connecting it to the washing machine 51 and to the cloth dryer 52 by means of wire-bound or wireless communication, as well as a second interface 13 for connecting it to a computer network 14 . The central control unit 1 can access an external database 15 via computer network 14 .

I f the user want to wash and dry a garment , he photographs the washing label of the garment by camera 18 . The washing label shows icons how to wash and dry the garment . For example , a pullover comprises a washing label with icons recommending to wash the pullover at 30 ° C water temperature and spinning the pullover at a low spin speed . The label recommends to dry it on a low temperature . The central control unit 1 sequences the photographed washing label and define standard washing and drying programs .

The central control unit 1 retrieves from the database 15 di f ferent alternative washing programs for washing delicate pullovers . For example , one retrieved washing program consumes low energy but has a long duration . Another retrieved washing program has a short duration but consumes a lot of energy . Other retrieved washing programs have both a short duration and low energy consumption . They are convenient for little soiled garments .

In general , the retrieved washing programs are described by di f ferent properties : Program duration, program energy consumption, quality of the washing result , degree of soiling of the garments .

Depending on the di f ferent properties describing the washing programs , the central control unit 1 request the user via the user interface 16 how the standard program should be optimi zed . The user interface outputs the following optimi zation options : Minimal program duration, minimal energy consumption, high quality of the washing result , high degree of soiling of the garments . The user can selects at least one of these optimi zation options via touchscreen 16 . I f only little soiled garments have to be washed, the user selects the options minimal program duration and minimal energy consumption . Depending on the selected options , the central control unit 1 selects an appropriate washing program and transmits it to the washing machine 51 which washes the clothes as defined in the optimi zed washing program 1 . A similar procedure is possible for drying the garment . The photographed washing label is sequenced and a standard drying program is extracted . Alternative drying programs are retrieved from the database 15 and one of the retrieved drying programs is selected depending on the optimi zation options selected by the user .