Intelligent user interface for multi-purpose oven using infrared heating for reduced cooking time
View Patent ↗An intelligent user interface for the selection of predefined cooking profiles for a number of different foods to be cooked in a multi-purpose oven using infrared heating. When a food has not been predefined for cooking in the infrared multi-purpose oven, procedures used for conventional cooking technologies may converted to for use by the multi-purpose oven so as to obtain substantially the same cooking results for the desired food. The intelligent user interface may have menus of different foods for programming cooking profiles for the infrared multi-purpose oven. Predefined “hot buttons” may be used for quick selection of a cooking profile for a desired food (e.g., common foods such as popcorn, pizza rolls, chicken wings, oven fries, and other prepared and frozen foods), and/or a menu screen may be scrolled through to select a cooking profile for the desired food.
1. An infrared oven having an intelligent user interface, comprising:
an oven housing;
an oven chamber adapted for receiving a food, the oven chamber located within the oven housing;
at least one first infrared heater located inside of the oven chamber and positioned to be on one side of the food;
at least one second infrared heater located inside of the oven chamber and positioned to be on another side of the food, wherein the infrared heaters emit radiant heat at infrared wavelengths selected from the range of about 1 to not greater than about 3 microns for cooking the food; and
an intelligent user interface for controlling the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters, wherein the intelligent user interface has a plurality of selectable predefined food cooking profiles and a convert-menu for receiving conventional cooking parameters from a user, including the food type, a conventional cooking time, and a conventional cooking temperature, and converting the conventional cooking parameters into an infrared cooking time using the algorithm:
infrared cooking time=( X+Y )* A,
wherein X is based on the conventional cooking time, Y is based on the food type, and A is based on the conventional cooking temperature.
2. The infrared oven according to claim 1 , wherein the intelligent user interface comprises:
a display screen for displaying the plurality of predefined food cooking profiles; and
at least one control switch for selecting a desired predefined food cooking profile from the plurality of predefined food cooking profiles.
3. The infrared oven according to claim 2 , wherein operation of the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters are determined by the selected desired predefined food cooking profile.
4. The infrared oven according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of predefined food cooking profiles is indicated on the display screen by scrolling through a list of the plurality of predefined food cooking profiles.
5. The infrared oven according to claim 4 , wherein up and down control switches are used for scrolling through the list of the plurality of predefined food cooking profiles.
6. The infrared oven according to claim 2 , wherein heating modes are selected with the control switches.
7. The infrared oven according to claim 6 , wherein the selected heating mode is indicated with a light.
8. The infrared oven according to claim 7 , wherein the cooking modes are selected from the group consisting of quick foods, cookies, pizza, reheat, bake-roast, broil, convert-menu and toast.
9. The infrared oven according to claim 8 , wherein a quick foods control switch initiates a menu of a plurality of quick foods cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects a one of the plurality of quick foods cooking profiles.
10. The infrared oven according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of quick foods cooking profiles are selected from the group consisting of chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, potato skins, poppers, chicken wings, bagel bites, potato crispers and oven fries.
11. The infrared oven according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of quick foods cooking profiles include a plurality of frozen quick foods cooking profiles.
12. The infrared oven according to claim 9 , wherein a cookies control switch initiates a cookie cooking profile for controlling the oven.
13. The infrared oven according to claim 9 , wherein a pizza control switch initiates a menu of a plurality of pizza cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects a one of the plurality of pizza cooking profiles.
14. The infrared oven according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of pizza cooking profiles are selected from the group consisting of regular pizza, rising crust pizza, French bread, fresh pizza, homemade pizza and deli pizza.
15. The infrared oven according to claim 9 , wherein a reheat control switch initiates a menu of a plurality of reheat cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects a one of the plurality of reheat cooking profiles.
16. The infrared oven according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of reheat cooking profiles are selected from the group consisting of a pizza slice, a plurality of pizza slices, ribs, chicken pieces and a casserole.
17. The infrared oven according to claim 9 , wherein a bake-roast control switch initiates a menu of a plurality of bake-roast cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects one of the plurality of bake-roast cooking profiles.
18. The infrared oven according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of bake-roast cooking profiles are selected from the group consisting of a yellow layer cake, chocolate layer cake, yellow cupcakes, muffins, coffee cake, brownies, bar cookies, baked potatoes, single crust pie, refrigerator biscuits, homemade biscuits, refrigerator crescent rolls, frozen biscuits, casserole, lasagna, chicken, turkey, meat loaf, beef, and rib roast.
19. The infrared oven according to claim 18 , wherein the chicken bake-roast cooking profile is selected from the group consisting of whole chicken, chicken parts and chicken breast.
20. The infrared oven according to claim 18 , wherein the turkey bake-roast cooking profile is selected from the group consisting of half turkey breast and frozen turkey breast roll.
21. The infrared oven according to claim 8 , wherein a broil control switch initiates a menu of a plurality of broil cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects a one of the plurality of broil cooking profiles.
22. The infrared oven according to claim 21 , wherein the plurality of broil cooking profiles are selected from the group consisting of high broil and low broil.
23. The infrared oven according to claim 22 , wherein the high broil cooking profile is selected from the group consisting of pork loin, rib chop, beef steak, hot dog, fresh hamburger, frozen hamburger, beef hamburger, turkey hamburger and vegetable hamburger.
24. The infrared oven according to claim 22 , wherein the low broil cooking profile is for chicken parts.
25. The infrared oven according to claim 8 , wherein a toast switch initiates menu of a plurality of toast cooking profiles to be displayed and then selects a one of the plurality of toast cooking profiles.
26. The infrared oven according to claim 6 , wherein a convert-menu switch initiates a menu of a plurality of selectable food types.
27. The infrared oven according to claim 26 , wherein at least one of the plurality of food types is selected from the group consisting of meat, fish, poultry, dessert, baked goods and casserole.
28. The infrared oven according to claim 26 , wherein for a food cooking profile for a selected one of the plurality of food types the infrared oven converts cooking time and temperature to at least one on time for at least one of the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters.
29. The infrared oven according to claim 28 , further comprising using weight of a food to convert the cooking time and temperature to appropriate on times of the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters.
30. The infrared oven according to claim 28 , further comprising using thickness of a food to convert the cooking time and temperature to appropriate on times of the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters.
31. An infrared oven comprising:
an oven chamber adapted for receiving a food;
at least one first infrared heater located inside of the oven chamber and positioned to be on one side of the food;
at least one second infrared heater located inside of the oven chamber and positioned to be on another side of the food; and
a convert-menu for receiving conventional cooking parameters from a user, including the food type, a conventional cooking time, and a conventional cooking temperature, and converting the conventional cooking parameters into an infrared cooking time using the algorithm:
infrared cooking time=( X+Y )* A,
wherein X is based on the conventional cooking time, Y is based on the food type, and A is based on the conventional cooking temperature.
32. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength selected from the range of about 1.6 to about 1.7 microns.
33. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one second infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength selected from the range of about 2 to about 2.2 microns.
34. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength of about 1.6 micron.
35. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one second infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength of about 2.1 micron.
36. The infrared oven according to claim 32 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater is located on a top side of the food.
37. The infrared oven according to claim 33 , wherein the at least one second infrared heater is located on a bottom side of the food.
38. The infrared oven according to claim 34 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater is located on a top side of the food.
39. The infrared oven according to claim 35 , wherein the at least one second infrared heater is located on a bottom side of the food.
40. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength selected from the range of about 1.6 to about 1.7 microns, and the at least second infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength selected from the range of about 2 to about 2.2 microns.
41. The infrared oven according to claim 40 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater is located on a top side of the food, and the at least one second infrared heater is located on a bottom side of the food.
42. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength of about 1.6 micron, and the at least second infrared heater emits radiant heat at an infrared wavelength of about 2.1 micron.
43. The infrared oven according to claim 42 , wherein the at least one first infrared heater is located on a top side of the food, and the at least one second infrared heater is located on a bottom side of the food.
44. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein another infrared heater is located inside the oven chamber and is positioned to be on one side of the food.
45. The infrared oven according to claim 44 , wherein the another infrared heater is positioned on a bottom side of the food.
46. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein intermittent operation of the at least one first and the at least one second infrared heaters is determined by user-provided information for the food cooking profile.
47. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein an operating profile of on times for the at least one first infrared heater is determined using the food cooking profile time and temperature information.
48. The infrared oven according to claim 47 , wherein an operating profile of on times for the at least one second infrared heater is determined using the food cooking profile time and temperature information.
49. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the infrared oven includes a rotisserie.
50. The infrared oven according to claim 31 , wherein the convert-menu prompts for information.