18402321. COOKING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF simplified abstract (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)

COOKING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Organization Name

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Inventor(s)

Seongjae Ji of Suwon-si (KR)

Sanghyun Yeo of Suwon-si (KR)

Jaeseok Lee of Suwon-si (KR)

Jihyung Ha of Suwon-si (KR)

Moonkyu Kim of Suwon-si (KR)

Jaegyeong Ma of Suwon-si (KR)

Byungduck Seo of Suwon-si (KR)

Sunghoo Lee of Suwon-si (KR)

Jongho Lee of Suwon-si (KR)

Seungcheol Jeong of Suwon-si (KR)

COOKING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18402321 titled 'COOKING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Simplified Explanation

The cooking apparatus described in the patent application includes a camera inside the cooking chamber, a transparent member, a camera cooling fan, a motor to rotate the fan, and a controller to operate the camera and motor. The controller can identify foreign substances on the camera or transparent member and activate a cleaning mode where the fan rotates at a specific speed for a set time to remove the foreign substance.

• Camera inside cooking chamber
• Transparent member for camera
• Camera cooling fan
• Motor to rotate fan
• Controller to operate camera and motor
• Cleaning mode activated by controller
• Fan rotates at specific speed for set time

Potential Applications

The technology described in this patent application could be applied in various cooking appliances such as ovens, grills, or smokers to ensure the camera lens remains clean for accurate monitoring of the cooking process.

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of foreign substances obstructing the camera lens inside cooking chambers, which can affect the quality of images obtained during the cooking process.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved visibility inside the cooking chamber, enhanced monitoring of the cooking process, and increased efficiency in cleaning the camera lens.

Potential Commercial Applications

"Enhanced Camera Cleaning System for Cooking Appliances"

Possible Prior Art

There are existing camera systems in cooking appliances, but the specific implementation of a camera cooling fan and automated cleaning mode as described in this patent application may be novel.

How does the controller determine the presence of foreign substances on the camera or transparent member?

The abstract does not provide details on the specific method or technology used by the controller to identify foreign substances, such as whether it relies on image analysis algorithms or sensor data.

What is the expected lifespan of the camera cooling fan and motor in this cooking apparatus?

The abstract does not mention any information regarding the durability or longevity of the components involved in the camera cleaning system.

Original Abstract Submitted

A cooking apparatus includes a case, a cooking chamber formed inside the case, a camera configured to obtain an image inside of the cooking chamber, a transparent member, a camera cooling fan configured to blow air toward the camera, a motor configured to rotate the camera cooling fan, and a controller to be electrically connected to the camera and the motor. The controller is configured to operate the camera to obtain a first image inside of the cooking chamber, configured to identify foreign substance-related information of a lens of the camera or the transparent member based on the first image, and configured to control an operation of the motor to perform a cleaning mode, in which the camera cooling fan is rotated at a first rotation speed for a first rotation time, based on the determining that the foreign substance is present.