A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINGING SIZE INFORMATION OF FOOD INGREDIENTS

    公开(公告)号:US20170336200A1

    公开(公告)日:2017-11-23

    申请号:US15109169

    申请日:2015-12-03

    摘要: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining a size information of food ingredients. The method comprises a step of applying (110) to the food ingredients an electrical field having a given radio frequency, the electrical field being generated by a source positioned in close proximity to the food ingredients, a first step of measuring (120) a ratio between the energy of the electrical field reflected from the food ingredients, and the energy of the electrical field generated by said source and applied to the food ingredients. The method also comprises a first step of determining (130), based on said ratio, an average thickness of the food ingredients along the direction of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. The method also comprises a second step of measuring (140), for a plurality of distances between the source of the electrical field and the food ingredients, the ratio (R2) between the energy of the electrical field reflected from the food ingredients, and the energy of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. The method further comprises a step of identifying (150) a relatively sudden change in the amplitude of the ratios measured by said second step of measuring (140) and a step of deriving (160) the corresponding distance between the source of the electrical field and the food ingredients for which said relatively sudden change occurred. The method also comprises a second step of determining (170), based on said corresponding distance and the divergent angle of the electrical field irradiating at said corresponding distance, an average diameter of the food ingredients in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the electrical field applied to the food ingredients. This invention results in a more convenient, robust and accurate way to determine the average thickness of the food ingredients.

    FOOD PREPARATION APPARATUS AND METHOD
    3.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20180140125A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-05-24

    申请号:US15571519

    申请日:2016-05-04

    摘要: Disclosed is a food preparation apparatus (100) comprising a food preparation compartment (101); a dielectric sensor (120) in said food preparation compartment, a data storage device (130) storing food seasoning data as a function of a dielectric constant of the food product, said food seasoning data relating to a plurality of condiments to be added to the food product; and a processor arrangement (110) coupled to said dielectric sensor. The processor arrangement is adapted to determine a dielectric property of a food product in the food preparation compartment from sensor data provided by said dielectric sensor; retrieve food seasoning data for the food product corresponding to the determined dielectric property from the data storage device; and, for each condiment of said plurality generate a seasoning instruction signal for adding an amount of said condiment of said plurality to the food product based on the retrieved food seasoning data until all condiments of said plurality have been added to the food product. A method of automatically generating seasoning instructions for adding a plurality of condiments to a food product during preparation of the food product is also disclosed.

    A FOOD MONITORING SYSTEM
    4.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20190125113A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-05-02

    申请号:US16095527

    申请日:2017-04-28

    摘要: A dining system comprises: at least one serving receptacle; an information processor and at least one utensil. Each utensil has an identifier. Each serving receptacle comprises a measuring system, for measuring an amount of food on the serving receptacle. Each serving receptacle has a reader for reading the identifier of any of said utensils that is brought to a position in which it can remove food from the serving receptacle. Each serving receptacle comprises a transmitter, for notifying the information processor of a change in the amount of food on the serving receptacle and of an identified utensil that is in a position in which it can remove food from the serving receptacle at a time of said change in the amount of food on the serving receptacle, and the information processor is configured for storing information relating to a total quantity of food removed from the serving receptacle by the identified utensil.

    KITCHEN APPLIANCE AND METHOD
    5.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20180139970A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-05-24

    申请号:US15566361

    申请日:2016-03-31

    摘要: A kitchen appliance (100) is disclosed comprising a compartment (110) for receiving flour, said compartment comprising a sensor (120) for producing a sensor reading indicative of a dielectric property of said flour or a product comprising said flour. The kitchen appliance further comprises a processing arrangement (130) communicatively coupled to the sensor for determining an initial moisture content of said flour or product from said sensor reading and adapted to generate a control signal indicative of an amount of water to be added to the compartment as a function of the determined moisture content. A method of controlling a flour product-based food preparation process is also disclosed.